Tips for Greek chicken bowls

This Greek chicken bowls recipe is quick to put together. Here are a few things to note for prep:

• A food thermometer is helpful for pan searing chicken. This makes sure it’s perfectly cooked.
• Use red onion for quickest option. Or if you’d like, make Pickled Red Onions: we love to have them on hand in the fridge and they add a great pop of tangy flavor to the recipe. You can also whip them up and let them pickle while making the recipe, which doesn’t add much more time.
• Be careful with turmeric. This spice makes for a beautiful bright yellow color in the rice, but it does stain clothes! Take care when using it.
• The tzatziki is a must! The homemade tzatziki recipe is so delicious and adds a pop of flavor to every bite. If you’d like you can use purchased tzatziki.

Variation on this Greek bowl

We know many people are cooking for families with multiple diets, so we love creating dinner ideas that work for many diets at once. Here’s how to make some easy swaps to customize these Greek rice bowls:

• Chickpeas instead of chicken: We’ve added a variation in the recipe below that uses the same spices with chickpeas.
• Dairy free sauce: Try this vegan tzatziki recipe or make it with tahini sauce (just as tasty!).
• Air fryer chicken: If you have an air fryer, cook the chicken in the air fryer instead with the same seasonings.

Key ingredients for red lentil curry

There are many ways to make a red lentil curry. In fact, the word “curry” is a Western invention used broadly to describe any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables (read about curry history here). It’s made in many countries with varying flavor profiles, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and more. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for this spin on red lentil curry:

• Onion, garlic, and fresh ginger: These aromatic vegetables provide the flavor base.
• Red lentils: Also known as masoor dal, red lentils cook faster than other varieties and meld into a creamy, velvety texture. Avoid substituting another type of lentil in this recipe.
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste: The tomatoes add a tangy base here.
• Red curry paste: This jar is a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings a massive amount of flavor and lasts for months in the fridge.
• Coconut milk: This curry uses coconut milk for a silky, smooth flavor.

Tips for making this red lentil curry

This red lentil curry is quick to make! Here are a few notes for the process:

• The cilantro chutney is key to the flavors. The red curry is delicious, but the chutney adds so much tangy sweet flavor, it’s an integral part of the dish. Don’t leave it out! If you’re cilantro averse, Italian parsley works as a substitute.
• Adjust the spice level to taste. As noted above, the heat level depends on the brand of red curry paste (Thai Kitchen is the mildest).
• Add coconut milk to taste at the end. The lentils can become very thick, so thin it out with more coconut milk after cooking.
• Serve with rice. This meal is best served with white rice, especially jasmine rice. (You can also make Instant Pot white rice.)

Tips for the buns

It’s helpful to have a sturdy bun with a texture like an artisan bread for this tofu sandwich, like a ciabatta roll. Many hamburger buns are soft and fluffy, which make for a less satisfying sandwich since the tofu has a soft texture. These work for proteins like hamburger and fish that have a lot of texture, but it’s not as delicious with tofu.

For vegan, make sure the bun has vegan ingredients. Most ciabatta rolls are vegan, as are artisan breads like sourdough or no knead bread.

Sides to serve with this tofu sandwich

How to turn this tofu sandwich into a meal? Add a side of coleslaw, fries, or salad and you’ve got a hearty dinner! Here are a few ways we’d accessorize it:

• Coleslaw: Try classic coleslaw, broccoli slaw, apple slaw or kale slaw.
• Fries: Make frozen fries (we like the brand Alexia), or make our baked fries, carrot fries, or baked sweet potato fries.
• Salads: Try our best chopped salad, kale salad, Caesar salad, arugula salad, or more salad recipes.

Ingredients for chicken and rice soup

Canned versions of chicken and rice soup were a staple for both Alex and me growing up, and this homemade recipe brings all the nostalgia with even better flavor. To be honest, this one is modeled after one we had at my parents’ house after we were all sick for a family gathering (true story!), and it’s positively restorative. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• White onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: These aromatic veggies form the classic flavor base. We like adding fresh garlic for even more of a punch; make sure to use fresh garlic (not jarred or dried) for best flavor.
• Chicken breasts: We like buying organic chicken where possible for best flavor and most sustainable option.
• Long grain white rice: White rice has the best texture for this soup; using brown rice would take longer to cook so we don’t recommend substituting it here.
• Chicken stock and water: We like using a combination of chicken stock with a little water. The rice does soak up quite a bit of the liquid.
• Dried oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika: These are our keys to a delicious, savory flavor.

How to make stuffed portobello mushrooms: overview

Alex and I have made quite a few stuffed portobello mushroom recipes in our day, but this one is the absolute best. The filling is based on our fan-favorite spinach artichoke dip, which turns portobello mushrooms into a delicious vegetarian dinner or a fancy side dish. Here are the basic steps of how to make stuffed portobello mushrooms:

• Bake the mushrooms: You’ll add olive oil, salt and pepper, bake the mushrooms unstuffed at 450°F for 15 minutes, then drain out the liquid. This helps to make sure the mushrooms aren’t too mushy or watery.
• Make the filling: Stir together the spinach artichoke filling using spinach, artichokes, Greek yogurt, mayo, Parmesan cheese, and spices.
• Stuff the mushrooms: Add the filling and top with Italian panko or Italian breadcrumbs. Bake another 10 minutes at 425°F.

Fun facts about portobello mushrooms

Here are a few things to know about this popular mushroom variety:

• The portobello mushroom (aka portobella or portabella) is one of the most widely consumed mushroom varieties in the world, called Agaricus bisporus. Did you know that button mushrooms and cremini mushrooms (aka baby bella) are the same variety of mushroom, just earlier growth stages? The portobello is the oldest stage, so it has the most meaty and savory flavor.
• Where to find it? You can find the portobello mushroom at most mainstream grocery stores. Often it comes packaged in containers with 3 to 6 mushroom caps.
• What does a portobello mushroom taste like? Portobello mushrooms taste intensely meaty and savory, with lots of umami.

How to make shrimp scampi: basic steps

The great part about shrimp scampi: it comes together in minutes! You can make the entire recipe in about 15 minutes. Here’s a brief outline on how to make this shrimp scampi recipe! A few important tips are listed below, then once you’ve read them head to the recipe below:

• Sauté onion and garlic, then the shrimp in olive oil. You’ll want to use your largest skillet for this and keep the shrimp in a single layer so they’re all touching the pan.
• Just cook the shrimp, then remove them. You’ll want them just nearly cooked, because you’re going to take them out of the pan and then add them back in after you make the sauce.
• Make the butter sauce. In the same skillet, sauté the butter, white wine, lemon zest and parsley to make a sauce.
• Return the shrimp to the pan and toss with the butter sauce. Serve with pasta or crusty bread (see below!).

Tips for buying ahi tuna steak

You’ll want a great piece of fish for this tuna steak recipe. Ahi tuna, aka yellowfin tuna or bigeye tuna, is a mild, lean fish commonly served as sushi, in poke bowls, or cooked rare or medium-rare. It’s sold as large thick steaks at the grocery, not thin fillets like with other types of fish. Here’s what to look for when buying tuna steaks:

• Consider sushi or sashimi grade. The best quality tuna steaks are often marked “sushi” or “sashimi” grade. There are no specific regulations around the label “sushi-grade,” but it means it’s a high quality fish that is safe to be eaten raw.
• Check at the fish counter. You should be able to find ahi tuna steaks at your local grocery counter.
• Look for frozen steaks. Or, it’s possible that your grocery might have frozen steaks. These can be even fresher than fresh tuna if they’re flash frozen right when they’re caught. You’ll just need to thaw the night before in the refrigerator.
• Find wild caught. Fish that is wild caught is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.

Can you cook it medium instead of rare?

In some cases you may not want the ahi tuna completely raw on the inside, like for children or pregnant women. You can cook tuna steaks to medium, too! They are just as meaty and delicious. Here’s what to know:

• Cook the tuna steak slightly longer, until it’s no longer pink on the inside but still tender. The steak will look gray the entire way through instead of just on the outside.
• Check for an internal temperature around 135°F.

Notes on the type of noodles

Where to find ramen noodles for this tofu ramen? Here are a few tips on types of noodles and where to find them:

• Standard grocery vs Japanese or Asian grocery: Most grocery stores give you 1 or 2 options for ramen noodles: usually you’ll find them dried. You can also can go to your local Japanese or Asian grocery; they will have a wider variety including fresh and frozen.
• Fresh vs dried: You can use either fresh or dried noodles in this tofu ramen! Fresh are our favorite, but dried are easier to find.
• Curly vs straight: You’ll find noodles packaged with the word “ramen” that are curly or straight. Ramen is basically a wheat noodle served in broth, so there’s a lot of variation. You can use either!

About chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian sauce often served with grilled meats, chicken or fish. It’s made of chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar.

In creating this chimichurri recipe, Alex and I took inspiration from Argentine chef Francis Mallman (featured in the documentary Chef’s Table). His classic method uses a salmuera or brine to bring flavor and body to the sauce. It may sound counterintuitive to add water to oil, but it makes a lovely silky body. This sauce is rustic and hand chopped: no blenders or food processors required.

Choosing your whole grain

In this power bowl we chose quinoa as the grain: but you can opt for whatever grain you’d like! Here are a few options:

• Quinoa is a versatile whole grain that’s actually a seed, not a grain. It’s gluten-free and relatively quick to cook (about 20 minutes total).
• Couscous is actually tiny grains of pasta: we like it because it takes 10 minutes! Use this if you have a need for speed. Keep in mind it’s not gluten-free. (You can also use Israeli Couscous.) Another quick pasta? Orzo.
• Rice is an easy gluten-free whole grain. Try our Coconut Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
• Farro or Barley are chewy, hearty whole grains. Keep in mind they’re not gluten-free.
• Bulgur wheat is even quicker to cook: it takes 10 minutes (also not gluten-free).
• Millet is a tasty unique seed with a fluffy texture that’s gluten-free.

Protein in a power bowl

This power bowl is vegan, so it relies on a quick and easy plant-based protein: canned chickpeas! It’s our favorite idea for quick and easy vegan protein for a bowl meal. But there are lots of different ways to add protein here, including seafood. Here are a few protein options:

• Canned beans like Canned Chickpeas, White Beans, Cannellini Beans or Black Beans
• Lentils like Brown Lentils, French Lentils or Black Lentils
• Tuna like canned tuna or Seared Ahi Tuna
• Salmon like canned salmon, Baked Salmon or Seared Salmon
• Shrimp like Baked Shrimp or Sauteed Shrimp

Tips for a dinner on a sheet pan

The basic concept for a shrimp sheet pan dinner? You’ll cook the veggies and protein right on the very same sheet pan. Shrimp cooks very quickly, but the veggies need a bit more time in the oven (though not much!). So you’ll cook the veggies first, then add the shrimp. Here are the basic steps:

• Prep the veggies by mixing them with olive oil and seasonings. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake the veggies for 10 minutes at 400°F.
• Meanwhile, prep the shrimp by mixing it with olive oil and seasonings.
• Add the shrimp to the same sheet pan and bake 6 to 8 minutes, until it’s opaque and cooked through. Easy as that!

Tips on outdoor smokers and pellets

This recipe works for any brand of outdoor smoker—it doesn’t have to be a specific brand! The timing can vary based on the specific smoker. We use a temperature-controlled smoker from Masterbuilt, which is very easy to use! This method works for Traeger smokers or any other brand, including both manual and automatic smokers.

Feel free to explore different wood pellets to find your favorite flavor. A lighter fruit wood is a popular choice for smoked salmon, but we like a more robust flavor with a mix of cherry and hickory pellets. For a consistent smoke throughout the cooking process, it’s helpful to layer chunks of wood with charcoal in the smoker.

Why you’ll love this falafel burger recipe

These falafel burgers are much easier to whip up than a classic falafel sandwich. The sandwich is full of delicious authentic flavor, but it does require some thinking ahead. This one is faster and easier! Here’s why to make falafel in burger form:

• You can use canned chickpeas! No need to soak dried chickpeas overnight. This means you can make it with little to no advanced planning (a big plus in our book).
• It’s easy to shape. The patties are much easier to shape than the balls with traditional falafel: and you only have to make four!
• There’s no messy frying! Authentic falafel requires frying, which can be a little tricky. These falafel burgers need just a quick and easy fry with a drizzle of oil, then they’re finished in the oven.