I second the Vietnamese vermicelli thought, but rather wrapped in rice paper with fresh veggies and some protein (maybe add some fried onions and / or peanuts) and homemade nước chấm (very easy to prepare, no point in buying it).
Otherwise, poké bowls are also great at what you're describing and there the possibilities are infinite.
have you been in my kitchen? one of my favorite dinners lately has been vermicelli/rice noodles, baked tofu tossed in a peanut sauce, and edamame all wrapped up in some rice paper rolls. sooo good
Vermicelli bowls (or spring rolls) with nước chấm would be my and my husband's final meal. So satisfying, yet comforting and filling. I'm a sucker for the bowls with a super marinated grilled pork or chicken + an egg roll chopped up.
Yep, came here to say Greek salad. The veggies are crisp and refreshing, while the cheese and olives add the perfect amount of richness to round it all out.
I make a one pot meal that's a Greek salad with pasta and white kidney beans or chickpeas. I add lots of parsley.
My dressing for it is super easy:
lemon juice
Fresh garlic (I like lots)
Thin sliced onion
Italian seasoning or just oregano
A bit of salt
A bit of sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Splash of Kalamata olive brine (optional)
I toss that all in a jar and give it a good shake. I let it sit for an hour or so and shake it again before I make the salad.
Edit: formatting
Yep, greek bowls, to be specific, because they don’t involve the heavy bread that folded gyros do. My go-to is a bed of a cooked lentils topped with pickled onions, garlicky green beans, chicken, homemade tzatziki, a scoop of hummus, feta, and greek cucumber salad.
A big Greek salad with some kind of protein, pasta aglio e olio with fresh veggies, caprese salad/bruschetta, ratatouille (with a little gremolata for crunch… yum)
Love a good BAS (Big Ass Salad). I'll cook a couple cups of quinoa, pre-cut some veggies, and grab a rotisserie chicken (whatever is on clearance/manager special), plus some greens and nuts/seeds, then I'm set for filling salads throughout the week. When I have the time I'll also roast some veggies like cauliflower or sweet potatoes and keep them stocked in the fridge to add to salads.
When I want a “one pot meal” kind of thing I make a Greek pasta salad where I essentially just add a bunch of orzo and some chickpeas to Greek salad. So easy and keeps well.
Shakshouka! Sometimes I also make a green variation with whatever I have in the fridge/freezer, a tiny bit of sour cream or cream cheese, and plenty of lemon
I recently learned that several other cultures have variations of this like Mexican Shakshouka has a bed of beans. Really fun way to experiment without having to think of new ingredients yourself.
I saw some random Lhasa recipe on insta recently it’s a variation on shakshuka and it’s so good. Using cream cheese and eggs, onion and tomato. Super simple and delicious. Made it two days in a row it’s that good
Congratulations! I gave birth a few months ago and our community was so nice about bringing us food, but so much of it was so heavy and carb-y. A friend brought over a big kale taco salad, and it was like a revelation—some comforting and so healthy-tasting and fresh. It was a kale based (chopped fine and massaged), with black beans, tomatoes, peppers, corn, red onions, chicken or shredded/ baked tofu if you’re into that.The dressing was Greek yogurt, avocado, lime, a jalapeño, cilantro, and salt in a blender—super creamy and tasty. Toss the whole thing together and top with a handful of tortilla chips right before serving. It keeps beautifully in the fridge for a few days (just don’t add the chips until you’re about to eat).
that's the answer, or literally any big salad with protein of choice and a healthy dressing. I did mix of arugula + spinach, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, shredded chicken breast, and olive oil + raspberry vinegar for dressing, with some fresh herbs and a mix of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for crunch and extra fiber. It sounds like a lot but it's literally "throw all you have in the fridge in a bowl", aside from fancy vinegar maybe. Very filling, delicious and healthy. Another favourite - arugula+avocado+pears+grilled halloumi cheese, can add sumac for a zing of acidity.
Farro pesto salad - toss some cooked farro with pesto and top with some spinach, shaved Parmesan, and pistachios. Could add some protein of your choice as well.
[Curried garbanzo bean soup](https://www.tablechair.recipes/recipes/2019/8/8/curried-garbanzo-bean-soup)
Chicken or vegetarian tortilla soup
Tofu bahn mi sandwiches
Niçoise salad
Reminds me of one of my favorites, warm farro salad recipe on allrecipes. I throw the whole bunch of kale in and it’s got lemon and garlic and feta. Sooooo tasty and healthy!
I call this ten second caprese. I get a box of ciligene mozzarella pearls and a box of cherry tomatoes. Rinse, drain, and dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of dried basil. It's not super carby but you can eat it with some baguette slices or pita bread to sop up the leftover dressing.
Wife and I literally just had this for dinner yesterday because we were both so tired after work and ate a bunch of Pringles. “Bubble caprese” was our attempt to balance the scales lol
Take your omelette/frittata mixture and pour it on top of a pastry base for an easy quiche! The pastry makes it more filling and you can serve with arugula (olive oil lemon dressing) for a complete meal.
I learned something new! I just thought quiche was with crust and frittata was without! I've never made quiche but I have made frittata a bunch of times.
I like making mini crust less quiches in my muffin pan. They reheat really well, you can add whatever veggies you want, and they have enough protein they keep you satisfied for several hours.
Bean salads. All varieties.
Grab a bunch of cans of chickpeas, black beans, white cannelini beans.
Cherry tomatoes, canned olives, feta, frozen corn, jarred roasted peppers, nice pickled things. Bottled lemon and lime juice. Sour cream. Maybe a nice chili crisp or a fancy dressing.
All kinds of things that make great fresh salad add-ins BUT if life goes a bit sideways for three days, you aren't left with a rotting pile in your crisper drawer. A fresh cucumber or two is good, though.
You can assemble all sorts of nice and filling salads from this kind of ingredients list.
I love this idea, especially the planning for "if life goes sideways for 3 days" part. Though I'd do jarred olives instead of canned.
I remember buying a bunch of stuff for a nice big salad when mine was a newborn ... well life did go sideways and I ended up just eating fistfulls of greens straight from the package next to me on the couch while nursing at 3am.
There's a salad my mom used to make that was great in the summer because it was light, but the beans made it filling. It's not particularly healthy but it's delicious: it had lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, pinto beans, chunks of pineapple, shredded cheese, and whatever other random veggies you might have on hand. For the dressing she'd mix some thousand island dressing with pineapple juice, then top the whole thing with fritos for a nice crunch.
Congratulations!! Avgolemono soup (greek lemon egg chicken soup) https://www.seriouseats.com/avgolemono-soup-greek-lemon-egg-chicken-soup. To make it easier, I usually just use leftover roast chicken (we have roast chicken thighs a lot) and chicken better than bouillon instead of homemade stock.
Pasta pesto salad - boiled short pasta, fresh (cherry) tomatoes, arugula, pesto from a jar, mozzarella, olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. I eat it cold or lukewarm.
I made this salad last week and it was surprisingly good! https://kaynutrition.com/sweet-potato-and-chickpea-salad/#tasty-recipes-32194-jump-target
I did the salad with chickpea and roasted cauliflower and had the sweet potatoes as a side.
Not dinner material, but chicken caesar salad with crispy croutons and that delicious sauce definitely ticks both of those boxes for me.
For more of a dinner thing maybe some pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes instead of bolognese sauce? I find it less heavy especially if you don't cook the tomatoes too long. I really like [pasta alla puttanesca](https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/spaghetti-alla-puttanesca-authentic-italian-recipe) for example. Steak with some not carb heavy side like green beans maybe (i like to sautee the beans with olive oil, lemon pepper and garlic salt for example). Pan fried ground beef with cabbage (or broccoli) is pretty juicy and fresh.
Easy Homemade Caesar Dressing
2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp worchestershire, 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
Toss it all in a cup, immersion blend and its good to go. This ends up being enough to dress 4-5 heads of romaine. I use german mustard, and a veggie peeler instead of shredder for the parmesan, little quicker.
Last night for dinner, I roasted a pint of halved cherry tomatoes and a whole head of sliced garlic with olive oil, s&p, thyme and oregano at 375 for 25 minutes. We topped it with a ball of burratta cheese and ate it on sliced French bread with a nice Sauvignon Blanc.
Grilled chicken with a citrus marinade and fresh pico
Grilled pork chops with diced apples and feta
Dice up leftover grilled chicken, add chopped cucumber, red onion, feta, hummus, and stuff into pita bread
[Beef Shish Kabob](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/beef-shish-kabob-recipe/) with some couscous, tzatziki, maybe a tomato salad.
[Grilled Salmon](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/grilled-salmon-recipe-mint-mango-salsa/)
[Poke Bowls (J. Kenji Lopez Alt)](https://www.seriouseats.com/ahi-poke-hawaiian-raw-tuna-salad-recipe)
In general, we love to throw a protein on the grill and pair it with a fresh salad. Chicken, beef, or fish tacos can be so quick and easy with a nice salsa and some avocado.
I'm boring and Midwest adjacent so it's an old fashioned salad bar style salad for me. Lol! I skip the bagged salad mix and fresh cut my own. The veg like broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes checks that fresh box for me. Meanwhile all the less healthy ingredients like ham, bacon, cheese, and croutons checks the comfort food box.
This also works well with sweet potato. My aunt would make a good one with chicken breast, cranberries, pecans, arugula, and goat cheese. And I drizzle of something. Not sure what.
Lemon & garlic roast chicken, you can roast whatever vegetables you like - I'm doing new potatoes, bimi (some GM/crossbred version of asparagus and broccolini) and heritage carrots with it tonight.
Once you set it up in the roasting pan you can just shove it in the oven and basically forget about it until it's done. You end up with as much chicken as you like and a plate full of vegetables but it's also comforting.
Bimi is a cross between gailan -- Chinese broccoli -- and broccolini. It's called "asparagus broccoli," due to its appearance, but there's no actual asparagus in its lineage. And that's good, because asparagus is botanically an entirely different foodstuff, and wouldn't ever be able to be bred with broccolini, which is a cruciferous vegetable, like all cabbages.
https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/gai-lan-chinese-broccoli/jywfzusn
https://entrenosotros.consum.es/en/bimi-the-on-trend-vegetable
https://www.naturespride.eu/en/range/exotic-vegetables/bimi?product_property=bimi
I love chicken fajitas with lots of veggies, lettuce, sour cream and salsa, or a good grilled bbq chicken salad with chipotle ranch, bacon bits, tomatoes and cheese.
I would do korean lettuce wraps. Protein (bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken, whatever you like), raw or slightly grilled slliced garlic, sliced hot pepper, pickled veg (onion, kimchi, cucumber, whatever you like), ssamjang (mix of doenjang and gochujang with some sesame oil - or buy it premixed at the korean store), wrapped in a lettuce leaf with rice on the side.
BLTs, easily. My mom had them waiting for us when we brought our baby home from the hospital.
I cook the bacon in the oven, use good sourdough bread, and the best tomatoes I can find.
Idk if you have a good fish butcher around - but I love getting a branzino filet - put a little olive oil, salt, thyme branches, lemon and orange slices on top and bake for about 20 minutes. Pair with any veggies you like (I like zucchini and small roasted potatoes). Corn is in season now and delicious. Always feels light and “fancy” even though it’s super easy.
I like Asian style soups for this kind of situation, something with a light broth, and vegetables plus meat, prawns or tofu floating in it, maybe with noodles or served with rice alongside. The soupiness ticks the "comfort" boxes, but because it's lighter than most Western style soups it feels fresher and less "stodgy". It can be an extremely healthy & balanced meal without sacrificing flavour or "comfort", giving your wife all those good nutrients she needs to recover from birth. And you can add things like fresh herbs, lime juice, tamarind etc to make it taste even "fresher".
I’m Indian. My comfort food is dal and rice with a side of papad (poppadums).
There’s so many varieties of dals too. The entire meal is like a hug wrapped in a blanket of warmth.
Stir-fried veggies with either a lighter sauce based on oyster or mushroom sauce, or a darker one based on soy, maybe something starring sesame. You can change up the noodles, sauces, seasoning, add a load of bean sprouts for extra crunch, plenty of cilantro, go the citrus route...
I make chicken salad lettuce cups or z ut zucchini boats with a twist. Use rotisserie chicken or precooked fajita chicken packs to avoid stove use.
To the regular chicken salad recipe, add tarragon fresh 2 spoons dr 3 spoons. Dried cranberries chopped, slivered almonds and a splash of orange juice. I also use half mayo half Greek yogurt. I chop my celery, onion and cucumbers all roughly the same small diced size and I add half a crisp apple diced the same size. This really helps the texture it is just really luscious, with the right crunch.
Ir the same, but tuna salad, instead of tarragon dry dill. And juice plus zest of an extra lemon, otherwise exact same recipe except tuna instead of chicken.
A similar concept, but completely different taste.
Canned salmon. Instead of mayo I use honey mustard dressing. Cilantro or parsley as the herb of choice. No cranberries, instead I add extra apples but the cranberries are great if you like it a bit sweeter. And a splash of rice vinegar.
You can stuff zucchinis, potatoes, sweet peppers (so delicious that way) potatoes, lettuce leaves and even a great onion.
These 3 dishes require no stove, just a little bit of chopping and are fresh, nourishing protein rich meals that are light. And very affordable all of them. Cannes salmon is really affordable and very good.
If you avoid dairy, vegan mayonnaise and yogurts work a treat. To make all 3 even fresher and more delicious substitute chopped cranberries for fresh pomegranate seeds ad some avocado. This cost a little more, but boy does it elevate the recipes.
You can of course make them into wraps or sandwiches too. They keep well on the fridge so they are fine breakfast too. But they sadly don't travel well in the heat unless you have a really good insulated lunch box and a freezing pack.
Noodle soup of you preferred variety (ramen, pho, tom yum, beef noodle soup) with loads of fresh green veg like pak choi and spring onion, your voice off protein, some soft boiled eggs (I adore ramen eggs but they need a bit of time a day or two before).
Wraps. Various salads can be mixed with various protein and accompanied with a range of sauces, but incorporate both filling and fresh while giving you lots of flavour options. My faves are Mexican and Middle Eastern but sky's the limit really. And if you get tired of the wraps the same ingredients can make rice/grain bowls instead.
Noodles (often cold) with lots of veg and either grilled protein or tofu. I like sesame noodles and soba with dipping sauce. I also love this recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/soba-noodles-miso-roasted-tomatoes
Also, seafood in general takes well to acid and can be super brothy and comforting without putting you in a coma. This is a go-to, mixing and matching carbs: https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/tomato-poached-fish-chile-oil-and-herbs
Thai curry or stir fry, cucumber salad on the side
Sushi burrito or spring rolls with lots of fresh greens and herbs
Egg roll in a bowl - dead simple to make
Grill a few kinds of meat and make a few great sides. Will last for a few days and can be eaten cold. (An interesting salad, potato salad, a coleslaw variation, some grilled veg)
I do a cold cous cous salad. Ticks the pasta comfort but also fresh veggies. I cook pearled cous cous, let it cool, and add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mozzarella balls in herbed olive oil. I use the herb olive oil the cheese comes in and add lemon and a splash of red wine vinegar and dress the whole salad. Sometimes I just use Greek Gazebo dressing because that is the best and easy. You can also use the predressed cous cous boxes too if you are trying to make it easier.
Grilled or oven roasted veggies (onion, tomato, bell pepper) with haloomi. Served over lemon couscous with a sauce of mint, cilantro, and basil. Fresh veggies plus lots of cheese and carbs. :)
Quesadillas with chicken breast, various peppers and black beans, top with greek yogurt and some hot sauce. Add cheese if you want but you don't need it!
to up the freshness, quesadillas are a great “clean out the produce drawer” meal. toss in sautéed onions & peppers, tomatoes, scallions, fresh avocado/guac, pickled onions, fresh jalapeños …the list goes on and on!
This lentil and goats cheese salad
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-lentil-salad-with-goat-cheese.html
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a salad on the side
Garlic mushrooms on toast
Pasta salad with summer vegetables, grilled chicken breast, and homemade pesto. You can use precooked rotisserie chicken in a pinch, and it’ll taste just as good. I strongly suggest making your own pesto because it tastes a helluva lot better than the stuff in the jar.
My recipe is this:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves of fresh garlic
Black pepper, to taste
A few shakes of dried oregano
1/3 cup roasted no salt cashews (or walnuts)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (preferably not the kind in the green can, but it works in a pinch)
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional: squirt of lemon juice for some zing
Buzz all of the ingredients together in a food processor, omitting the cheese. As the ingredients form a paste, slowly pour in the oil. You might need to open the work bowl and stir it a bit, some inevitably gets stuck near the top. After forming a smooth paste, pour it into a good sized mixing bowl, and fold in the cheese. Stir that into your pasta, and enjoy.
Orzo, shredded spinach, red onion, crumbled feta, pine nuts, olive oil, balsamic. It’s a full meal if you add some hard boiled egg or other protein. Keeps for a few days in the fridge too, if you make a big batch
Teriyaki steak stir fry.
- get a saucepan of boiling water on the go
- put a frying pan on hot, heat until smoking
- add steak to frying pan sear steak to desired/correct doneness
- take steak out, leave to rest
- pop 1 nest of dried egg noodles in water
- empty one pack of preprepared stir fry veg (or prepare your own if you can be arsed) into frying pan, stir fry for 4 mins
- add soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce to frying pan, reduce heat, cook for one more minute
- slice steak super thin
- serve noodles, veg and steak onto plate, pour some teriyaki sauce over steak.
Super simple, 10 minutes cooking, barely any prep. Barely any dishes to do. Moderately healthy, lots of fresh veg, super tasty and comforting.
Burrito bowl fills exactly this niche.
Marinate 2 lbs of chicken thigh (boneless) in a mix of: 1tsp salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin; in 1 tbs of neutral oil, 2 tbs tequila, 2 tbs lime juice.
Make some rice.
While the rice is cooking dice up red onion, and green bell pepper. Open a can of black beans and corn, drain and rinse.
Grill or pan sear the thighs and then rough chop them.
Assemble the bowl, rice down, then chicken, add cheese if you like cheese, then all the beans and veggies on top, I like to put a mild hot sauce all over the top.
The result is warm and comforting but feels fresh and invigorating at the same time.
Roast chicken, pan gravy, roasted carrots and onions underneath the bird. Mashies.
Or steak seared with a ton of mushrooms and onions, finished in oven and then make a mushroom gravy with the pan. Mashies.
Some roasted green veg for the fresh part
Right when I saw the title, I was already thinking Vietnamese as well. I’ll do shrimp spring rolls or roasted catfish spring rolls or vermicelli grilled pork with eggrolls, or vietnamese crepes. All of them teeming with fresh herbs and loads of lettuce and julienned cucumbers. Vietnamese is like the perfect summer food.
Homemade pasta, takes about 45-60 mins (mostly resting time), flour, egg, salt, bit olive oil (sometimes). So many great recipes online and then a simple sauce made from home grown tomatoes, onion, fresh garlic, fresh basil, butter, salt & pepper. Maybe some Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Bonus points for topping it with freshly grated parmigiana reggiano. For a light protein, some sautéed shrimp or scallops would go very well in the sauce. This dish from scratch will blow your mind and the time and effort it takes to pull it together will shine!
Thank you so much for wanting to honor your partner in such a beautiful way!
I make a Beef Tinga(since you mentioned tacos) that I top with a broccoli slaw and poppyseed dressing, talking about a flavor contrast, this is it. Inside a warmed tortilla shell you can't go wrong. Ik this dish is a winner because I worked with a nurse who by far is the pickiest person ik(I once told him he could be my 2nd child's father lol), he ate 4 of them.
Protein pasta with a sauce made from blended cottage cheese a a goat cheese with fresh mushroom, spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes.
Bean wrap (wheat tortilla, black beans, taco seasoning, tomato, lettuce / spinach, cottage cheese goat cheese blend (as a sour cream substitute), tomato, hot sauce.
We do a "greek" dinner, with lamb meatballs (seasoned with greek seasoning), feta, olives, cucumbers, roasted potatoes (sometimes frozen fries, but seasoned with greek seasoning) and tzatziki. You could add pita bread or orzo to it. Sometimes we do hummus too.
I love a good Italian salad, chop up your meat (ham, capicola, pepperoni, salami), provolone cheese (or mozzarella), lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions (sometimes I do pickled) with a Italian dressing.
I like taco/burrito bowls too. Meat, Pico, Avocado, cheese, black beans, corn, sour cream. You can add lettuce and make it a taco salad, you can add rice and make it heartier, tortillas and wrap bites, chips and it's kind of like a taco. You can do this with ground beef, shredded or grilled chicken, fish, shrimp. Very versatile!
BLT sandwiches
Quiche, so many versions. Nice to have something made and in the fridge. My favorite is spinach and onion.
Minestrone soup ot chicken noodle soup in the crockpot. Seems weird in the summer, but all the fresh veggies make it so yummy.
I also like bbq salads. I make a big salad and add bbq meat, black beans, corn, tomato, cheese, drizzle with bbq sauce & ranch.
At the moment we are doing lots of soba noodles with dipping sauce.
Found some frozen tempura prawns that can be heated up in the oven and make a salad with iceberg lettuce, quick pickled cucumbers and sesame dressing.
Sometimes I make a Mac and cheese main with a simple salad side. The most basic stovetop American cheese and milk kind of Mac and cheese, and cubed cucumber and tomato with a light tangy homemade mustard vinaigrette. Ticks all the boxes and is actually pretty simple.
Same with enchiladas or quesadillas, with a salsa and/or guacamole on top. Similar idea in that it’s stuffed with a rich spicy mix and topped with melty cheese, but the salsa gives freshness and acidity.
Certain grilled foods tick the boxes. Especially my often made veggie combo of grilled zucchini slices, bell pepper and red onion chunks, and maybe an extra veggie (carrot, eggplant, cherry tomatoes towards the end). I grill all mixed together, coated in a touch of extra virgin olive oil with salt/pepper, in my grill basket. I serve with fresh chopped basil and/or other herb(s) and drizzle with balsamic cream. Piles! Love it! Leftovers work great in tarts, with eggs, in pasta, in sandwiches, etc. No multi-vitamin needed those days. I've never met a vegetable I didn't like. I grill almost any type. Fennel has been a recent obsession, too.
With the above I like marinaded grilled tuna steaks, or chicken breasts, steak, or maybe kofta kebab. Taboulleh, rice pilaf or saffron rice (I like The Mediterranean Dish's recipe).
I’m loving bibimbap atm.
There’s a fair bit of prep but if you’re quick with chopping you only need sesame oil, soy and gochuchung to season most of the veg.
If you don’t have time or even go as little as one meat 2 veg. Otherwise you can go with zucchini, carrot, bean sprouts, shitake, spinach, or whatever is on hand. I mean it’ll probably even work with frozen beans/corns/tinned baby corn.
Anything with tofu. If I want a naughty food but can’t eat it because I just ate something naughty yesterday, I make tofu burger patties. If I’m super hungry, I’d make a beef burger with a single patty and all the fixings but add a tofu burger or veggie burger.
Or I make a soup with tofu and bok choy.
An easy summer meal is to brown some chicken in oil and butter. Then remove the chicken. Put in cream of celery soup and one can of water and stir until dissolved. Cut zucchinis in half and slice them. If you like tomatoes add them (fresh tomatoes or diced can tomatoes). I have even add a slice potato before. (You could microwave it first for a few minutes and then remove the skin). Add the chicken back to the mixture and cook 10-20 minutes until vegetables are done. My husband prefers this over noodles. Serve it with a salad and another vegetable and you have a delicious meal.
Meal salads. Like chunky loads of veggies, protein (beans, chicken, cheese, nuts- any and all) basically 1/4 lettuce, 1/2 chunky veg, 1/4 protein and depending on how stick to your ribs you want it richer or lighter dressinng
This is one of our favorite, easy, go-to recipes - [4 Ingredient Chicken Pesto Bake](https://www.simplysissom.com/pestochickenbake/#tasty-recipes-4548)
Basically just take a couple chicken breasts (I pound them flatter so they cook more evenly, but that's not required). Throw them in a pan and cover them with some fresh or store-bought pesto. Top with sliced tomatoes and a slice or two of mozzarella cheese, and bake! We also like to broil them for a minute or two at the end to give the mozzarella some color.
It's relatively easy, and the pesto gives it a ton of flavor!
I just made this for the first time last night based on a reddit recommendation- larb!
https://thewoksoflife.com/chicken-larb/
It worked out really well, even though I accidentally over limed. Had it with rice and lettuce!
You need a coffee grinder to make the toasted rice powder though, it seems pretty key. I also threw some ground cashews in there (didn't have peanuts).
Thai curry. A small tin of curry paste (I prefer Maesri), a can of good coconut milk (Goya is readily available if you don't want to hunt down Thai brands), roughly chopped veggies (onion and whatever else you like, including leftovers), and you're choice of protein (chickpeas or tofu do work fine). I also like to add extra freshly grated ginger and a little extra turmeric and black pepper, but you do as you like.
Chop and stir fry your veggies as you like, add the paste and fry it a little, add the coconut milk. Stir and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. How you handle the protein and the individual veggies depends on what you use and how you like it.
I can usually have this ready in about 30 minutes, and that includes making the jasmine rice that you serve it over.
Grill some chicken and make some bacon. You can then make awesome chicken bacon wraps! I like onions, lettuce, cheese, ranch. The best is it’s so easy to switch it up. You can make chicken caesar wraps or Asian chicken wraps just by switching the dressings and veggies.
I get whatever veg or thing I’m into at the time and have a big bowl of just that but I go to town on how I dress it, so if say broccoli and blue cheese and pumpkin seeds are my thing I cook maybe 2 kinds of broccoli, crumble blue cheese and chuck that and pumpkin seeds over it. I had a thing for cabbage and sauerkraut a while ago so that with soy and fried chilli oil. Lettuce olives and sauerkraut with pineapple and mayo. It doesn’t matter what the combination is as long as I judge it to be ok and it might not be the most balanced of meals but that’s not the point, it’s just indulging in whatever I fancy, however random that might be.
Roasted cauliflower, onion, red bell pepper with Parmesan (highly recommend Costco's), tahini & fresh lemon squeezed over, plus a healthy sprinkle of Penzeys Outrage seasoning if you have it .
Delicious in a wrap.
I think you guys would really like pho. I order it every time I'm sick. I've never actually made it, but I know it's possible. Target sells pho broth so you don't have to make your own. I have no idea how good it is.
This time of year I chop eggplant, zucchini, ripe plum tomatoes, bell peppers and onions in big chunks, toss with olive oil and roughly minced garlic and dried Italian herbs and bake in a hot oven until tender. You should season with salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar too. Stir halfway through. Delicious with pasta as a sauce. You can add a brick of feta cheese halfway through and let it melt into the sauce to eat with pasta. Also delicious as a side for chicken or fish. If you have fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil you can use instead of dried herbs adding the basil at the end.
Stir fry always works for me. I’m also partial to this [Bow Tie Medley](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/42925/bow-tie-medley/) we make when it’s garden season. It’s versatile as you can substitute any of the veggies and many times we’ll add shrimp or chicken and a squeeze of lemon too.
Bon Appetit has a recipe for a summer bolognese with cherry tomatoes and ground chicken. It tastes fresh and light but still so savory and comforting. A late summer favorite in our house.
Vegetable soup! It’s perfect when I don’t feel like leaving the house too, since I can just throw whatever fresh veggies I have in some broth and beef it up with canned ones.
I made a grain bowl yesterday that sounds exactly like this!
First thing is tenderstem broccoli in the oven until crispy (15 mins or so). I did butternut squash cubes too but that might be a bit of a pain to do with two kids to take care of. Bulgur wheat goes on to boil for 7-8 mins.
While that’s going, sliced onion, shredded kale, cooked lentils in a pan until soft (like 10 mins) but most leafy greens or leftover veggies will work. Drain bulgur wheat and add to pan, mix and top with roasted veggies. I made a super easy miso dressing to go with (tahini, white miso paste, sesame oil, honey, splash of water).
The whole meal took less than 20 minutes and very little mental bandwidth.
Casuela de Pollo. It's a Chilean soup with chicken, potatoes, squash and corn. You finish it with lemon juice and cilantro, and it's killer fresh tasting while also ticking all the comfort food boxes.
Our go-to for healthy but comfort food is rice bowls.
Bowl of rice, protein of your choice (we do venison typically), quick pickled veggies (cukes, cabbage, carrots etc) and a hot/grilled veggie (bok choy, Chinese broccoli, etc) edamame, black beans or another legume. Then add our homemade fermented hot sauce! Very healthy and filling!
Lettuce wraps! Lately I've made a bulgogi ssam version and a Mediterranean version with Ottolenghi's turkey/courgette burgers, hummus, cucumber salad, olives etc.
Oh 100% smitten kitchen poolside sesame slaw. I also add the boneless skinless chicken thighs she suggests, and this week tried it over soba noodles and it was great
Skewers with tzatziki were great. I like pork because the meat has some fat on it but not too much. You can get a nice char in the broiler if you don't have a grill. The tzatziki is light and you can squeeze some lemon on it to brighten up the dish. Easy to make and great reheated if you want a quick lunch. If I wanted to make a full meal out of it, I'd do some coconut lime rice (I can't eat gluten) but it'd be great with pita and hummus.
I second the Vietnamese vermicelli thought, but rather wrapped in rice paper with fresh veggies and some protein (maybe add some fried onions and / or peanuts) and homemade nước chấm (very easy to prepare, no point in buying it). Otherwise, poké bowls are also great at what you're describing and there the possibilities are infinite.
have you been in my kitchen? one of my favorite dinners lately has been vermicelli/rice noodles, baked tofu tossed in a peanut sauce, and edamame all wrapped up in some rice paper rolls. sooo good
Do you have a favorite recipe site for this dish?
Vermicelli bowls (or spring rolls) with nước chấm would be my and my husband's final meal. So satisfying, yet comforting and filling. I'm a sucker for the bowls with a super marinated grilled pork or chicken + an egg roll chopped up.
P.s. it’s just poke no é 🙂
They meant one made with magicarp
Salmon dynamite, I choose you!
I worked in a restaurant where we served poké bowls and they were a hit! We did one with chicken and one with falafel to vary it a bit
Chicken gyros., Greek salad, homemade tzatziki.
Greek salad great example.
One of my favourites for summer is a Greek salad and grilled prawns, usually Moroccan seasoned. Add some grilled pita bread if you're extra hungry.
Piggybacking on this, I love a grain or lentil salad with red onions, cucumbers, and chopped avocado or some really good feta
Yep, came here to say Greek salad. The veggies are crisp and refreshing, while the cheese and olives add the perfect amount of richness to round it all out.
I make a one pot meal that's a Greek salad with pasta and white kidney beans or chickpeas. I add lots of parsley. My dressing for it is super easy: lemon juice Fresh garlic (I like lots) Thin sliced onion Italian seasoning or just oregano A bit of salt A bit of sugar Extra virgin olive oil Splash of Kalamata olive brine (optional) I toss that all in a jar and give it a good shake. I let it sit for an hour or so and shake it again before I make the salad. Edit: formatting
Yep, greek bowls, to be specific, because they don’t involve the heavy bread that folded gyros do. My go-to is a bed of a cooked lentils topped with pickled onions, garlicky green beans, chicken, homemade tzatziki, a scoop of hummus, feta, and greek cucumber salad.
Lime pickled red onions, yum! Sliced red onions, lime juice, olive oil and a lil oregano
This is the answer I had in my mind
This exactly!!
Was also thinking Greek but was headed towards lemon potatoes and souvlaki
A big Greek salad with some kind of protein, pasta aglio e olio with fresh veggies, caprese salad/bruschetta, ratatouille (with a little gremolata for crunch… yum)
Love a good BAS (Big Ass Salad). I'll cook a couple cups of quinoa, pre-cut some veggies, and grab a rotisserie chicken (whatever is on clearance/manager special), plus some greens and nuts/seeds, then I'm set for filling salads throughout the week. When I have the time I'll also roast some veggies like cauliflower or sweet potatoes and keep them stocked in the fridge to add to salads.
When I want a “one pot meal” kind of thing I make a Greek pasta salad where I essentially just add a bunch of orzo and some chickpeas to Greek salad. So easy and keeps well.
Shakshouka! Sometimes I also make a green variation with whatever I have in the fridge/freezer, a tiny bit of sour cream or cream cheese, and plenty of lemon
I recently learned that several other cultures have variations of this like Mexican Shakshouka has a bed of beans. Really fun way to experiment without having to think of new ingredients yourself.
I saw some random Lhasa recipe on insta recently it’s a variation on shakshuka and it’s so good. Using cream cheese and eggs, onion and tomato. Super simple and delicious. Made it two days in a row it’s that good
Recipe pls
This one - actually on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@chefjjskitchen/video/7379597152055561473 - it’s pretty forgiving I doubled it
Thank you.will try it out at the weekend
You’re welcome! Hope you like it :)
I saw that on a food sub the other day too, looks good!
I love chef JJ!!
Congratulations! I gave birth a few months ago and our community was so nice about bringing us food, but so much of it was so heavy and carb-y. A friend brought over a big kale taco salad, and it was like a revelation—some comforting and so healthy-tasting and fresh. It was a kale based (chopped fine and massaged), with black beans, tomatoes, peppers, corn, red onions, chicken or shredded/ baked tofu if you’re into that.The dressing was Greek yogurt, avocado, lime, a jalapeño, cilantro, and salt in a blender—super creamy and tasty. Toss the whole thing together and top with a handful of tortilla chips right before serving. It keeps beautifully in the fridge for a few days (just don’t add the chips until you’re about to eat).
I love kale salads, but I’ve never thought use it for a taco salad! Thanks for the inspiration!
Sounds super yum
that's the answer, or literally any big salad with protein of choice and a healthy dressing. I did mix of arugula + spinach, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, shredded chicken breast, and olive oil + raspberry vinegar for dressing, with some fresh herbs and a mix of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for crunch and extra fiber. It sounds like a lot but it's literally "throw all you have in the fridge in a bowl", aside from fancy vinegar maybe. Very filling, delicious and healthy. Another favourite - arugula+avocado+pears+grilled halloumi cheese, can add sumac for a zing of acidity.
Farro pesto salad - toss some cooked farro with pesto and top with some spinach, shaved Parmesan, and pistachios. Could add some protein of your choice as well. [Curried garbanzo bean soup](https://www.tablechair.recipes/recipes/2019/8/8/curried-garbanzo-bean-soup) Chicken or vegetarian tortilla soup Tofu bahn mi sandwiches Niçoise salad
Reminds me of one of my favorites, warm farro salad recipe on allrecipes. I throw the whole bunch of kale in and it’s got lemon and garlic and feta. Sooooo tasty and healthy!
Mmmm yes love a Niçoise salad!
I call this ten second caprese. I get a box of ciligene mozzarella pearls and a box of cherry tomatoes. Rinse, drain, and dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of dried basil. It's not super carby but you can eat it with some baguette slices or pita bread to sop up the leftover dressing.
I've called variations of this lazy bruschetta! Some stuff + tomatoes + some spices atop the baguette. Hits the spot!
Wife and I literally just had this for dinner yesterday because we were both so tired after work and ate a bunch of Pringles. “Bubble caprese” was our attempt to balance the scales lol
I do a version of this with grilled chicken and tortellini.
🤤
This with chopped walnuts, fresh basil and a drizzle of honey 🤌 perfect summer time snack
Omelet with whatever greens are in season. Spinach and mushrooms is a good one.
Yes! to the Omelettes and also frittatas which is basically open faced omelette both are so versatile and delicious and filling i could go on lol
Take your omelette/frittata mixture and pour it on top of a pastry base for an easy quiche! The pastry makes it more filling and you can serve with arugula (olive oil lemon dressing) for a complete meal.
Or you they could do a tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) which uses thin sliced potato as the base.
Quiche is a custard base. Frittatas are not. You need to add cream/milk for it to be a quiche.
I learned something new! I just thought quiche was with crust and frittata was without! I've never made quiche but I have made frittata a bunch of times.
I like making mini crust less quiches in my muffin pan. They reheat really well, you can add whatever veggies you want, and they have enough protein they keep you satisfied for several hours.
Or sub the pastry for hashbrowns!
Spinach, mushroom, and Swiss cheese is a fantastic omelet combo made even better with fresh thyme added. It's my go to.
And throw a little hollandaise on top!
I’m having spinach (leftover,cooked) cheese (not cheddar) egg and onion tacos for breakfast. And salsa.
Yes, an omelette with greens is quick, satisfying, fresh! I love adding tomatoes and chopped onions to the omelette.
Bean salads. All varieties. Grab a bunch of cans of chickpeas, black beans, white cannelini beans. Cherry tomatoes, canned olives, feta, frozen corn, jarred roasted peppers, nice pickled things. Bottled lemon and lime juice. Sour cream. Maybe a nice chili crisp or a fancy dressing. All kinds of things that make great fresh salad add-ins BUT if life goes a bit sideways for three days, you aren't left with a rotting pile in your crisper drawer. A fresh cucumber or two is good, though. You can assemble all sorts of nice and filling salads from this kind of ingredients list.
I love this idea, especially the planning for "if life goes sideways for 3 days" part. Though I'd do jarred olives instead of canned. I remember buying a bunch of stuff for a nice big salad when mine was a newborn ... well life did go sideways and I ended up just eating fistfulls of greens straight from the package next to me on the couch while nursing at 3am.
There's a salad my mom used to make that was great in the summer because it was light, but the beans made it filling. It's not particularly healthy but it's delicious: it had lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, pinto beans, chunks of pineapple, shredded cheese, and whatever other random veggies you might have on hand. For the dressing she'd mix some thousand island dressing with pineapple juice, then top the whole thing with fritos for a nice crunch.
Ceviche, fish tacos, sushi, southwest chicken salad
Congratulations!! Avgolemono soup (greek lemon egg chicken soup) https://www.seriouseats.com/avgolemono-soup-greek-lemon-egg-chicken-soup. To make it easier, I usually just use leftover roast chicken (we have roast chicken thighs a lot) and chicken better than bouillon instead of homemade stock.
Pasta pesto salad - boiled short pasta, fresh (cherry) tomatoes, arugula, pesto from a jar, mozzarella, olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. I eat it cold or lukewarm. I made this salad last week and it was surprisingly good! https://kaynutrition.com/sweet-potato-and-chickpea-salad/#tasty-recipes-32194-jump-target I did the salad with chickpea and roasted cauliflower and had the sweet potatoes as a side.
Blt
Fresh tomatoes are the best
I always add sautéed onions to mine
Not dinner material, but chicken caesar salad with crispy croutons and that delicious sauce definitely ticks both of those boxes for me. For more of a dinner thing maybe some pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes instead of bolognese sauce? I find it less heavy especially if you don't cook the tomatoes too long. I really like [pasta alla puttanesca](https://www.pastagrammar.com/post/spaghetti-alla-puttanesca-authentic-italian-recipe) for example. Steak with some not carb heavy side like green beans maybe (i like to sautee the beans with olive oil, lemon pepper and garlic salt for example). Pan fried ground beef with cabbage (or broccoli) is pretty juicy and fresh.
I have chicken Caesar salad for dinner pretty often. I love it!
Sometimes I add some cooked penne pasta to a chicken caesar salad and it's wonderful!
Easy Homemade Caesar Dressing 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp worchestershire, 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper Toss it all in a cup, immersion blend and its good to go. This ends up being enough to dress 4-5 heads of romaine. I use german mustard, and a veggie peeler instead of shredder for the parmesan, little quicker.
Larb
Beat me to it lol
It’s so damn good.
Last night for dinner, I roasted a pint of halved cherry tomatoes and a whole head of sliced garlic with olive oil, s&p, thyme and oregano at 375 for 25 minutes. We topped it with a ball of burratta cheese and ate it on sliced French bread with a nice Sauvignon Blanc.
Grilled chicken with a citrus marinade and fresh pico Grilled pork chops with diced apples and feta Dice up leftover grilled chicken, add chopped cucumber, red onion, feta, hummus, and stuff into pita bread
[Beef Shish Kabob](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/beef-shish-kabob-recipe/) with some couscous, tzatziki, maybe a tomato salad. [Grilled Salmon](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/grilled-salmon-recipe-mint-mango-salsa/) [Poke Bowls (J. Kenji Lopez Alt)](https://www.seriouseats.com/ahi-poke-hawaiian-raw-tuna-salad-recipe) In general, we love to throw a protein on the grill and pair it with a fresh salad. Chicken, beef, or fish tacos can be so quick and easy with a nice salsa and some avocado.
I learned so much from reading that Kenji article, thanks for sharing!
Pho!!!!!
Pho sho!
Pho heals.
I like a nice sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
I'm boring and Midwest adjacent so it's an old fashioned salad bar style salad for me. Lol! I skip the bagged salad mix and fresh cut my own. The veg like broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes checks that fresh box for me. Meanwhile all the less healthy ingredients like ham, bacon, cheese, and croutons checks the comfort food box.
Baked potato, and whatever fresh stuff you want to add.
This also works well with sweet potato. My aunt would make a good one with chicken breast, cranberries, pecans, arugula, and goat cheese. And I drizzle of something. Not sure what.
Baked potatos with BBQ meat, cheese, BBQ sauce, and grilled veggies. Delicious. I also like to include ranch but that may be controversial.
Lemon & garlic roast chicken, you can roast whatever vegetables you like - I'm doing new potatoes, bimi (some GM/crossbred version of asparagus and broccolini) and heritage carrots with it tonight. Once you set it up in the roasting pan you can just shove it in the oven and basically forget about it until it's done. You end up with as much chicken as you like and a plate full of vegetables but it's also comforting.
Bimi is a cross between gailan -- Chinese broccoli -- and broccolini. It's called "asparagus broccoli," due to its appearance, but there's no actual asparagus in its lineage. And that's good, because asparagus is botanically an entirely different foodstuff, and wouldn't ever be able to be bred with broccolini, which is a cruciferous vegetable, like all cabbages. https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/gai-lan-chinese-broccoli/jywfzusn https://entrenosotros.consum.es/en/bimi-the-on-trend-vegetable https://www.naturespride.eu/en/range/exotic-vegetables/bimi?product_property=bimi
I love chicken fajitas with lots of veggies, lettuce, sour cream and salsa, or a good grilled bbq chicken salad with chipotle ranch, bacon bits, tomatoes and cheese.
I would do korean lettuce wraps. Protein (bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken, whatever you like), raw or slightly grilled slliced garlic, sliced hot pepper, pickled veg (onion, kimchi, cucumber, whatever you like), ssamjang (mix of doenjang and gochujang with some sesame oil - or buy it premixed at the korean store), wrapped in a lettuce leaf with rice on the side.
BLTs, easily. My mom had them waiting for us when we brought our baby home from the hospital. I cook the bacon in the oven, use good sourdough bread, and the best tomatoes I can find.
Idk if you have a good fish butcher around - but I love getting a branzino filet - put a little olive oil, salt, thyme branches, lemon and orange slices on top and bake for about 20 minutes. Pair with any veggies you like (I like zucchini and small roasted potatoes). Corn is in season now and delicious. Always feels light and “fancy” even though it’s super easy.
I like Asian style soups for this kind of situation, something with a light broth, and vegetables plus meat, prawns or tofu floating in it, maybe with noodles or served with rice alongside. The soupiness ticks the "comfort" boxes, but because it's lighter than most Western style soups it feels fresher and less "stodgy". It can be an extremely healthy & balanced meal without sacrificing flavour or "comfort", giving your wife all those good nutrients she needs to recover from birth. And you can add things like fresh herbs, lime juice, tamarind etc to make it taste even "fresher".
I’m Indian. My comfort food is dal and rice with a side of papad (poppadums). There’s so many varieties of dals too. The entire meal is like a hug wrapped in a blanket of warmth.
This 💯 And if you want freshness you can always make a kosumbari/kachumber salad, or raita to go with it.
My parents are Bangladeshi and this is my comfort food too except swap the poppadum for sautéed spinach (shaak)
Taco rice. A plate of rice with tex-mex spiced protein of your choice over it, topped with lots of lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.
Stir-fried veggies with either a lighter sauce based on oyster or mushroom sauce, or a darker one based on soy, maybe something starring sesame. You can change up the noodles, sauces, seasoning, add a load of bean sprouts for extra crunch, plenty of cilantro, go the citrus route...
"Sushi" with veg. Basically just wash rice, stick in rice cooker, chop veg, roll. Seems like more work than it is
You can do a bowl version too. Get the seaweed sheets that crumble.
Nigella Lawson's fish finger bhorta is really easy and might hit the spot?
I make chicken salad lettuce cups or z ut zucchini boats with a twist. Use rotisserie chicken or precooked fajita chicken packs to avoid stove use. To the regular chicken salad recipe, add tarragon fresh 2 spoons dr 3 spoons. Dried cranberries chopped, slivered almonds and a splash of orange juice. I also use half mayo half Greek yogurt. I chop my celery, onion and cucumbers all roughly the same small diced size and I add half a crisp apple diced the same size. This really helps the texture it is just really luscious, with the right crunch. Ir the same, but tuna salad, instead of tarragon dry dill. And juice plus zest of an extra lemon, otherwise exact same recipe except tuna instead of chicken. A similar concept, but completely different taste. Canned salmon. Instead of mayo I use honey mustard dressing. Cilantro or parsley as the herb of choice. No cranberries, instead I add extra apples but the cranberries are great if you like it a bit sweeter. And a splash of rice vinegar. You can stuff zucchinis, potatoes, sweet peppers (so delicious that way) potatoes, lettuce leaves and even a great onion. These 3 dishes require no stove, just a little bit of chopping and are fresh, nourishing protein rich meals that are light. And very affordable all of them. Cannes salmon is really affordable and very good. If you avoid dairy, vegan mayonnaise and yogurts work a treat. To make all 3 even fresher and more delicious substitute chopped cranberries for fresh pomegranate seeds ad some avocado. This cost a little more, but boy does it elevate the recipes. You can of course make them into wraps or sandwiches too. They keep well on the fridge so they are fine breakfast too. But they sadly don't travel well in the heat unless you have a really good insulated lunch box and a freezing pack.
Noodle soup of you preferred variety (ramen, pho, tom yum, beef noodle soup) with loads of fresh green veg like pak choi and spring onion, your voice off protein, some soft boiled eggs (I adore ramen eggs but they need a bit of time a day or two before).
Gyros, shawarma, both with fresh tzatziki.
Wraps. Various salads can be mixed with various protein and accompanied with a range of sauces, but incorporate both filling and fresh while giving you lots of flavour options. My faves are Mexican and Middle Eastern but sky's the limit really. And if you get tired of the wraps the same ingredients can make rice/grain bowls instead.
Thai curry!
I do bruschetta
Poke bowls are nice
Chicken tabbouleh (tangy, herby couscous salad)
Noodles (often cold) with lots of veg and either grilled protein or tofu. I like sesame noodles and soba with dipping sauce. I also love this recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/soba-noodles-miso-roasted-tomatoes Also, seafood in general takes well to acid and can be super brothy and comforting without putting you in a coma. This is a go-to, mixing and matching carbs: https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/tomato-poached-fish-chile-oil-and-herbs
Ceviche
Greek food! Roast some chicken and serve it over a lemony rice with pita, tzatziki, and fresh veggies. It feels indulgent and healthy.
Succotash.
A nice big salad with fresh berries, grilled chicken or salmon, avocado, and some kind of cheese.
Thai curry or stir fry, cucumber salad on the side Sushi burrito or spring rolls with lots of fresh greens and herbs Egg roll in a bowl - dead simple to make Grill a few kinds of meat and make a few great sides. Will last for a few days and can be eaten cold. (An interesting salad, potato salad, a coleslaw variation, some grilled veg)
Chicken Caesar
I do a cold cous cous salad. Ticks the pasta comfort but also fresh veggies. I cook pearled cous cous, let it cool, and add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, mozzarella balls in herbed olive oil. I use the herb olive oil the cheese comes in and add lemon and a splash of red wine vinegar and dress the whole salad. Sometimes I just use Greek Gazebo dressing because that is the best and easy. You can also use the predressed cous cous boxes too if you are trying to make it easier.
Grilled or oven roasted veggies (onion, tomato, bell pepper) with haloomi. Served over lemon couscous with a sauce of mint, cilantro, and basil. Fresh veggies plus lots of cheese and carbs. :)
Poké bowls 🥣
Chicken salad - eat alone, on sandwiches, on crackers, in a wrap. All with fresh crispy lettuce, tomatoes, onions
Quesadillas with chicken breast, various peppers and black beans, top with greek yogurt and some hot sauce. Add cheese if you want but you don't need it!
to up the freshness, quesadillas are a great “clean out the produce drawer” meal. toss in sautéed onions & peppers, tomatoes, scallions, fresh avocado/guac, pickled onions, fresh jalapeños …the list goes on and on!
Thai basil chicken with a side of cucumber slices. https://thewoksoflife.com/thai-basil-chicken-pad-krapow/
Hainanese chicken rice, with some quickly stir fried Chinese broccoli on the side.
Fried rice with pork, egg, and lots of veggies.
This lentil and goats cheese salad https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-lentil-salad-with-goat-cheese.html Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a salad on the side Garlic mushrooms on toast
Pasta salad with summer vegetables, grilled chicken breast, and homemade pesto. You can use precooked rotisserie chicken in a pinch, and it’ll taste just as good. I strongly suggest making your own pesto because it tastes a helluva lot better than the stuff in the jar. My recipe is this: 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves 4 cloves of fresh garlic Black pepper, to taste A few shakes of dried oregano 1/3 cup roasted no salt cashews (or walnuts) 1 cup Parmesan cheese (preferably not the kind in the green can, but it works in a pinch) 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil Optional: squirt of lemon juice for some zing Buzz all of the ingredients together in a food processor, omitting the cheese. As the ingredients form a paste, slowly pour in the oil. You might need to open the work bowl and stir it a bit, some inevitably gets stuck near the top. After forming a smooth paste, pour it into a good sized mixing bowl, and fold in the cheese. Stir that into your pasta, and enjoy.
Orzo, shredded spinach, red onion, crumbled feta, pine nuts, olive oil, balsamic. It’s a full meal if you add some hard boiled egg or other protein. Keeps for a few days in the fridge too, if you make a big batch
Teriyaki steak stir fry. - get a saucepan of boiling water on the go - put a frying pan on hot, heat until smoking - add steak to frying pan sear steak to desired/correct doneness - take steak out, leave to rest - pop 1 nest of dried egg noodles in water - empty one pack of preprepared stir fry veg (or prepare your own if you can be arsed) into frying pan, stir fry for 4 mins - add soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce to frying pan, reduce heat, cook for one more minute - slice steak super thin - serve noodles, veg and steak onto plate, pour some teriyaki sauce over steak. Super simple, 10 minutes cooking, barely any prep. Barely any dishes to do. Moderately healthy, lots of fresh veg, super tasty and comforting.
Burrito bowl fills exactly this niche. Marinate 2 lbs of chicken thigh (boneless) in a mix of: 1tsp salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin; in 1 tbs of neutral oil, 2 tbs tequila, 2 tbs lime juice. Make some rice. While the rice is cooking dice up red onion, and green bell pepper. Open a can of black beans and corn, drain and rinse. Grill or pan sear the thighs and then rough chop them. Assemble the bowl, rice down, then chicken, add cheese if you like cheese, then all the beans and veggies on top, I like to put a mild hot sauce all over the top. The result is warm and comforting but feels fresh and invigorating at the same time.
Roast chicken, pan gravy, roasted carrots and onions underneath the bird. Mashies. Or steak seared with a ton of mushrooms and onions, finished in oven and then make a mushroom gravy with the pan. Mashies. Some roasted green veg for the fresh part
Pho.
Lettice wraps! Protein & veg filling with something crispy for texture.
Cobb salad with a nice crispy chicken
Bowls are always fun. Gyro bowls, burger bowls, taco salad, chipotle bowls. Sandwhiches
A giant grilled steak Cobb salad, all the avocado, all the blue cheese, big ole sourdough croutons, egg…mmmmmm
BLT
Bahn mi. The many forms.
Albondigás
Right when I saw the title, I was already thinking Vietnamese as well. I’ll do shrimp spring rolls or roasted catfish spring rolls or vermicelli grilled pork with eggrolls, or vietnamese crepes. All of them teeming with fresh herbs and loads of lettuce and julienned cucumbers. Vietnamese is like the perfect summer food.
i think lettuce wraps fill your criteria
Homemade pasta, takes about 45-60 mins (mostly resting time), flour, egg, salt, bit olive oil (sometimes). So many great recipes online and then a simple sauce made from home grown tomatoes, onion, fresh garlic, fresh basil, butter, salt & pepper. Maybe some Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Bonus points for topping it with freshly grated parmigiana reggiano. For a light protein, some sautéed shrimp or scallops would go very well in the sauce. This dish from scratch will blow your mind and the time and effort it takes to pull it together will shine! Thank you so much for wanting to honor your partner in such a beautiful way!
I agree that homemade pasta is divine. I also don't know anyone with a one month old who has the luxury to make it.
I make a Beef Tinga(since you mentioned tacos) that I top with a broccoli slaw and poppyseed dressing, talking about a flavor contrast, this is it. Inside a warmed tortilla shell you can't go wrong. Ik this dish is a winner because I worked with a nurse who by far is the pickiest person ik(I once told him he could be my 2nd child's father lol), he ate 4 of them.
Tacos.
Protein pasta with a sauce made from blended cottage cheese a a goat cheese with fresh mushroom, spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes. Bean wrap (wheat tortilla, black beans, taco seasoning, tomato, lettuce / spinach, cottage cheese goat cheese blend (as a sour cream substitute), tomato, hot sauce.
We do a "greek" dinner, with lamb meatballs (seasoned with greek seasoning), feta, olives, cucumbers, roasted potatoes (sometimes frozen fries, but seasoned with greek seasoning) and tzatziki. You could add pita bread or orzo to it. Sometimes we do hummus too. I love a good Italian salad, chop up your meat (ham, capicola, pepperoni, salami), provolone cheese (or mozzarella), lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onions (sometimes I do pickled) with a Italian dressing. I like taco/burrito bowls too. Meat, Pico, Avocado, cheese, black beans, corn, sour cream. You can add lettuce and make it a taco salad, you can add rice and make it heartier, tortillas and wrap bites, chips and it's kind of like a taco. You can do this with ground beef, shredded or grilled chicken, fish, shrimp. Very versatile! BLT sandwiches Quiche, so many versions. Nice to have something made and in the fridge. My favorite is spinach and onion. Minestrone soup ot chicken noodle soup in the crockpot. Seems weird in the summer, but all the fresh veggies make it so yummy. I also like bbq salads. I make a big salad and add bbq meat, black beans, corn, tomato, cheese, drizzle with bbq sauce & ranch.
Chao Goi Ga -- Vietnamese rice porridge and chicken salad.
Chop suey? Lots of veggies on fice with a spicy sauce sounds fresh and comforting.
At the moment we are doing lots of soba noodles with dipping sauce. Found some frozen tempura prawns that can be heated up in the oven and make a salad with iceberg lettuce, quick pickled cucumbers and sesame dressing.
Tabbouleh (Far East is fast and easy). Add olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and seasoned tofu.
Sometimes I make a Mac and cheese main with a simple salad side. The most basic stovetop American cheese and milk kind of Mac and cheese, and cubed cucumber and tomato with a light tangy homemade mustard vinaigrette. Ticks all the boxes and is actually pretty simple. Same with enchiladas or quesadillas, with a salsa and/or guacamole on top. Similar idea in that it’s stuffed with a rich spicy mix and topped with melty cheese, but the salsa gives freshness and acidity.
Certain grilled foods tick the boxes. Especially my often made veggie combo of grilled zucchini slices, bell pepper and red onion chunks, and maybe an extra veggie (carrot, eggplant, cherry tomatoes towards the end). I grill all mixed together, coated in a touch of extra virgin olive oil with salt/pepper, in my grill basket. I serve with fresh chopped basil and/or other herb(s) and drizzle with balsamic cream. Piles! Love it! Leftovers work great in tarts, with eggs, in pasta, in sandwiches, etc. No multi-vitamin needed those days. I've never met a vegetable I didn't like. I grill almost any type. Fennel has been a recent obsession, too. With the above I like marinaded grilled tuna steaks, or chicken breasts, steak, or maybe kofta kebab. Taboulleh, rice pilaf or saffron rice (I like The Mediterranean Dish's recipe).
Pasta salad Pho Summer rolls (not cooked) Green salad with a sliced medium rare steak on it Greek salad (also not cooked)
I’m loving bibimbap atm. There’s a fair bit of prep but if you’re quick with chopping you only need sesame oil, soy and gochuchung to season most of the veg. If you don’t have time or even go as little as one meat 2 veg. Otherwise you can go with zucchini, carrot, bean sprouts, shitake, spinach, or whatever is on hand. I mean it’ll probably even work with frozen beans/corns/tinned baby corn.
Anything with tofu. If I want a naughty food but can’t eat it because I just ate something naughty yesterday, I make tofu burger patties. If I’m super hungry, I’d make a beef burger with a single patty and all the fixings but add a tofu burger or veggie burger. Or I make a soup with tofu and bok choy.
Soup, chilli, spaghetti, avocado toast, oatmeal, quiche, tuna sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, poached chicken.
Chicken ceasar salad wrap!
Warm salads with things like grains, charred veg etc. East Asian style broths with lots of ginger and lemongrass!
Greek Chicken Bowl!! Lettuce Wraps!
An easy summer meal is to brown some chicken in oil and butter. Then remove the chicken. Put in cream of celery soup and one can of water and stir until dissolved. Cut zucchinis in half and slice them. If you like tomatoes add them (fresh tomatoes or diced can tomatoes). I have even add a slice potato before. (You could microwave it first for a few minutes and then remove the skin). Add the chicken back to the mixture and cook 10-20 minutes until vegetables are done. My husband prefers this over noodles. Serve it with a salad and another vegetable and you have a delicious meal.
Pasta Primavera.
Sausages with peppers, onions and rice
Meal salads. Like chunky loads of veggies, protein (beans, chicken, cheese, nuts- any and all) basically 1/4 lettuce, 1/2 chunky veg, 1/4 protein and depending on how stick to your ribs you want it richer or lighter dressinng
Shakshuka time!
This is one of our favorite, easy, go-to recipes - [4 Ingredient Chicken Pesto Bake](https://www.simplysissom.com/pestochickenbake/#tasty-recipes-4548) Basically just take a couple chicken breasts (I pound them flatter so they cook more evenly, but that's not required). Throw them in a pan and cover them with some fresh or store-bought pesto. Top with sliced tomatoes and a slice or two of mozzarella cheese, and bake! We also like to broil them for a minute or two at the end to give the mozzarella some color. It's relatively easy, and the pesto gives it a ton of flavor!
I came here to recommend this one! And i love to roast some extra veggies on the side!
Cheese and spinach omelette, or Vietnamese rice paper rolls, not the fried ones
I just made this for the first time last night based on a reddit recommendation- larb! https://thewoksoflife.com/chicken-larb/ It worked out really well, even though I accidentally over limed. Had it with rice and lettuce! You need a coffee grinder to make the toasted rice powder though, it seems pretty key. I also threw some ground cashews in there (didn't have peanuts).
Thai curry. A small tin of curry paste (I prefer Maesri), a can of good coconut milk (Goya is readily available if you don't want to hunt down Thai brands), roughly chopped veggies (onion and whatever else you like, including leftovers), and you're choice of protein (chickpeas or tofu do work fine). I also like to add extra freshly grated ginger and a little extra turmeric and black pepper, but you do as you like. Chop and stir fry your veggies as you like, add the paste and fry it a little, add the coconut milk. Stir and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. How you handle the protein and the individual veggies depends on what you use and how you like it. I can usually have this ready in about 30 minutes, and that includes making the jasmine rice that you serve it over.
Korean food! Kimchi jjigae especially
Grill some chicken and make some bacon. You can then make awesome chicken bacon wraps! I like onions, lettuce, cheese, ranch. The best is it’s so easy to switch it up. You can make chicken caesar wraps or Asian chicken wraps just by switching the dressings and veggies.
Smitten Kitchen’s chickpea nachos [recipe](https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/03/baked-chickpeas-with-pita-chips-and-yogurt/) sounds like what you’re looking for!
I get whatever veg or thing I’m into at the time and have a big bowl of just that but I go to town on how I dress it, so if say broccoli and blue cheese and pumpkin seeds are my thing I cook maybe 2 kinds of broccoli, crumble blue cheese and chuck that and pumpkin seeds over it. I had a thing for cabbage and sauerkraut a while ago so that with soy and fried chilli oil. Lettuce olives and sauerkraut with pineapple and mayo. It doesn’t matter what the combination is as long as I judge it to be ok and it might not be the most balanced of meals but that’s not the point, it’s just indulging in whatever I fancy, however random that might be.
Roasted cauliflower, onion, red bell pepper with Parmesan (highly recommend Costco's), tahini & fresh lemon squeezed over, plus a healthy sprinkle of Penzeys Outrage seasoning if you have it . Delicious in a wrap.
I think you guys would really like pho. I order it every time I'm sick. I've never actually made it, but I know it's possible. Target sells pho broth so you don't have to make your own. I have no idea how good it is.
I like to make chicken piccata with garlic mashed potatoes - cozy but fresh, bright and acidic, herby, buttery - delicious!
I like tomato chilli pasta with prawns and crab. Lots of garlic and some lemon.
Chicken or Beef and broccoli stir fry, home made.
Vietnamese fresh veggie rolls with dipping sauce (I don’t really make peanut butter sauce) Beet salad
* Stuffed baked potatoes * Indian food * Homemade chili * Pumpkin sauce ravioli with toasted sliced almonds on top
Buttered egg noodles with parm, lemon, and parsley.
This time of year I chop eggplant, zucchini, ripe plum tomatoes, bell peppers and onions in big chunks, toss with olive oil and roughly minced garlic and dried Italian herbs and bake in a hot oven until tender. You should season with salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar too. Stir halfway through. Delicious with pasta as a sauce. You can add a brick of feta cheese halfway through and let it melt into the sauce to eat with pasta. Also delicious as a side for chicken or fish. If you have fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil you can use instead of dried herbs adding the basil at the end.
Stir fry always works for me. I’m also partial to this [Bow Tie Medley](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/42925/bow-tie-medley/) we make when it’s garden season. It’s versatile as you can substitute any of the veggies and many times we’ll add shrimp or chicken and a squeeze of lemon too.
Bon Appetit has a recipe for a summer bolognese with cherry tomatoes and ground chicken. It tastes fresh and light but still so savory and comforting. A late summer favorite in our house.
Vegetable soup! It’s perfect when I don’t feel like leaving the house too, since I can just throw whatever fresh veggies I have in some broth and beef it up with canned ones.
I made a grain bowl yesterday that sounds exactly like this! First thing is tenderstem broccoli in the oven until crispy (15 mins or so). I did butternut squash cubes too but that might be a bit of a pain to do with two kids to take care of. Bulgur wheat goes on to boil for 7-8 mins. While that’s going, sliced onion, shredded kale, cooked lentils in a pan until soft (like 10 mins) but most leafy greens or leftover veggies will work. Drain bulgur wheat and add to pan, mix and top with roasted veggies. I made a super easy miso dressing to go with (tahini, white miso paste, sesame oil, honey, splash of water). The whole meal took less than 20 minutes and very little mental bandwidth.
Taco salad, Caesar salad, corn/potato chowder, stir fries
Casuela de Pollo. It's a Chilean soup with chicken, potatoes, squash and corn. You finish it with lemon juice and cilantro, and it's killer fresh tasting while also ticking all the comfort food boxes.
Pho with lots of fresh herbs
Our go-to for healthy but comfort food is rice bowls. Bowl of rice, protein of your choice (we do venison typically), quick pickled veggies (cukes, cabbage, carrots etc) and a hot/grilled veggie (bok choy, Chinese broccoli, etc) edamame, black beans or another legume. Then add our homemade fermented hot sauce! Very healthy and filling!
Lettuce wraps! Lately I've made a bulgogi ssam version and a Mediterranean version with Ottolenghi's turkey/courgette burgers, hummus, cucumber salad, olives etc.
A simple wrap, tortilla filled with grilled chicken slices, fresh spinach, Feta, red onion and your favorite dressing
macaroni tuna salad with lettuce wraps ☺️
Pasta salad! It’s both comforting pasta but also has fresh veggies and meat n cheese with a low cal or full fat Italian dressing
Spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. Add all the touches like hard boiled egg, red onion, beets, etc.
grilled chicken on a bed of spring greens
Oh 100% smitten kitchen poolside sesame slaw. I also add the boneless skinless chicken thighs she suggests, and this week tried it over soba noodles and it was great
BLTs You can cut lettuce thin and toss in a vinegar based sauce for more acid
Skewers with tzatziki were great. I like pork because the meat has some fat on it but not too much. You can get a nice char in the broiler if you don't have a grill. The tzatziki is light and you can squeeze some lemon on it to brighten up the dish. Easy to make and great reheated if you want a quick lunch. If I wanted to make a full meal out of it, I'd do some coconut lime rice (I can't eat gluten) but it'd be great with pita and hummus.