Welcome to the weekend, friends. I’ve got a colorful line-up for you, right down to the vibrant winter chicken salad with avocado and oranges. If it’s especially chilly where you live, I highly recommend you brew up a cup of the cozy chai.
Udon Noodle Soup with Soft Egg and Collards
This tasty soup is full of immune boosting goodness to keep cold season at bay. It’s flavored with garlic, ginger, a little chili, leafy greens, and chicken broth. It’s a healing brew, a one-pot meal, and delicious, too. For a kick of heat, add sriracha, chili crisp, or tuck a little kimchi on the side.
Easy, No-Kneed Sheet Pan Pizza
Cozy up with this big, crispy sheet pan pizza. Unless you have a packed house, you’ll be lucky and have leftovers. It’s great the next day and freezes well. Just pop frozen pizza in the oven or toaster oven to reheat.
Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Packed to the rafters with fan favorites — chicken, oranges, avocados, pumpkin seeds — this main dish salad is a hit in our household. I always sprinkle a little pinch of salt over the avocado before scooping it from its peel since that really brightens the flavor. You can ease your same-day prep by doing the dressing and getting the chicken marinating a day ahead of time.
Cajun Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce
The best way I know to dress up a mild white fish, such as sole or tilapia, is with a favorite spice blend, lemon, with a creamy sauce on the side. This recipe has all three. It cooks up in a matter of minutes and is perfect paired with a butter lettuce salad (maybe with sliced tangerines or orange tossed in) and this dressing. Lightly buttered whole grains, such as brown rice or farro, or little roasted potatoes would round out the meal.
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
These meatballs have been in my repertoire for years, in large part because of how easy they come together. You cook the meatballs right in the sauce, no advance cooking required. Enjoy over roasted vegetables, pasta, or tucked into rolls for meatball sandwiches (I like to pile on sautéed kale and extra Parmesan when I make meatball sandos).
Roasted Delicata Squash with Maple Syrup and Thyme
Delicata squash seems to be more widely available than ever before, which is a good thing indeed. It’s such a tasty variety and I know of no easier way to prepare it that this recipe. Seasonal squash, butter, maple syrup, herbs. So good!
Easy Chai
Brewing a pot of cozy chai is my kind of self-care. This is a quick and easy version that I love to sip on chilly afternoons. Make it decaf and share with your kids.
SHOPPING LIST
Easy, No-Kneed Sheet Pan Pizza
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
One 14-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Thinly sliced salami (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Udon Noodle Soup with Soft Egg and Collards
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ large yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2-inch piece fresh ginger
4 ounces ground pork
6 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ to 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 star anise
12 ounces cooked udon noodles
3 large handfuls collard greens
2 to 3 eggs
2 scallions
Chicken, Orange, and Avocado Salad
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 medium minced shallots
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
A few drops of sriracha, tabasco, or other favorite hot sauce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 small heads endive
2 large seedless oranges
1 small head butter lettuce or 3 heads little gems
1 large, ripe avocado
2 tablespoons toasted pepitas
Cajun Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 large lemon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour if desired)
2 tablespoons Cajun spice mix
1 1/2 pounds thin, skinless white fish fillets, such as petrale sole, flounder, fluke, perch, or tilapia
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey
1 link uncooked spicy Italian turkey sausage (1/4 to 1/3 pound)
1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (preferably whole wheat)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil
One 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
One 14.5-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves
Big pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 rounded teaspoon sugar
Roasted Delicata Squash
3 whole delicata squash
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil for a vegan version)
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Easy Chai
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 black tea bags, such as Assam or English Breakfast
2 cups 2 percent or whole milk (or a creamy plant milk, such as oat, coconut, or coconut/almond)
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