June 2016

Premake your favorite hearty recipe and freeze individual servings for grab-and-reheat dinners. By the time evening rolls around after a long day’s work, it's uncommon for the average individual to have the energy to cook an elaborate meal. The single best thing you can do to ease the weekday dinner blues is to make a few favorites ahead of time and freeze for those nights you can’t be bothered. Not only will having frozen meals on hand significantly decrease your urge to reach for the takeout menu, but it will also decrease your overall food costs and keep you eating healthily. Prepare our Asparagus, Pea & Navy Bean Wheat Berry Risotto in advance.

Jump at the chance to cook with spring onions this season – they're part of the same family as green onions and are distinguished by their bulbs, which have a sweet, mellow flavor. For a make-ahead meal, pour into a buttered casserole dish, let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, sprinkle with panko, mist the top with cooking spray and bake in 375˚F oven until hot and bubbly.

Make a homemade dip that doubles as a dressing to enjoy 
with sliced raw veggies and prepared leafy greens. Try this Creamy Dill & Cannellini Bean Dip with radishes, cucumbers 
and carrots or toss it with romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, 
red onion, cherry tomatoes and roasted fingerling potatoes 
for an easy lunch.

Marinate tempeh for sandwiches, bowls and stir-fries. Put some fiber-rich 
plants into your daily dietary routine with this protein-packed functional food. Take either tempeh or tofu and marinate it in your favorite homemade sauce overnight. Once ready to use, just bake the tempeh in the oven with the sauce. Use it on sandwiches, atop grain bowls, paired with steamed veggies and roasted potatoes, or in stir-fries.

Nut cheeses are a tasty, easy-to-make and protein-rich alternative to cream cheese! Spread it on your morning bagel, toast or crepe, on your midday sandwich and afternoon crackers or pair it with your favorite fruit or veggie for an anytime treat. Try this Lemon & Shallot Macadamia Nut Spread with fresh strawberries or cucumber sticks.

This Italian antipasto is filled with artichokes, roasted peppers and pepperoncini- all tossed together in a salad with an oregano-cheese dressing.

Preassemble this CBLT (coconut bacon, romaine lettuce and cherry tomato) grain salad for lunches or a quick dinner.

In this canine spin on the classic dish, we combine the tastes of fresh vegetables and herbs with meaty beef and bacon for an irresistible doggy treat.

Simple, wholesome ingredients and a speedy cook time make this dish a go-to weeknight comfort meal.

Thinly sliced carrots, radish and fennel add flavor and crunch to this beautiful salad with fresh mint and tarragon.

Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients list in this salad – it has big flavor from crunchy pine nuts and fragrant fresh basil. A mandoline helps slice the zucchini as thin as possible, but you can also use a knife if you prefer. For added color, try adding cherry tomatoes if you have some on hand.

Lighter than ice cream but creamier than sorbet, this sweet-tart recipe using sour cream and yogurt is the ultimate indulgence – with or without an ice cream maker.

We’ve taken the classic flavors in a bagel & lox sandwich and packed them into a salad with wild smoked salmon, dill, red onion and even toasted bagel chips. To lend a delicious richness to this meal, try adding 3 to 4 oz of crumbled goat cheese.

New to Kimchi? These Korean-inspired burgers are a great place to start.

These cheesy bites over whole-wheat pita rounds make for a light and fresh meal or appetizer.

Get a head start on your week with this perfectly balanced, dietitian-created curried apricot pan-roasted chicken with broccolini amandine recipe.

Hoisin sauce delivers a sweet, salty and spicy punch to these sticky chicken wings. If you don’t have it on hand, it’s worth adding to your collection – the Asian sauce is a versatile glaze for grilled chicken, pork or steak, or mix it with water and arrowroot and use it as a stir-fry sauce.

Get ready to drink more water this week. Staying away from sugary refreshments, like concentrated juices and carbonated sweetened beverages, is one of the best things you can do for your health. And we don’t have to tell you how important it is to stay hydrated. However, plain old water isn’t always as enticing to drink. Spice up your H2O by adding fresh fruits like oranges, grapefruit or strawberries, as well as herbs such as basil, mint or cilantro. Try one of our favorite flavored fruit-cube combinations – you’ll be hydrated in no time!

A quick turn in the grill pan or on the outdoor grill gives romaine hearts a mouthwatering smoky flavor and tender-crisp texture that makes it worthy of succulent grilled tenderloin.

Any kind of bread will work well in this recipe, but for best-ever veggie melts, start with a nice thick slice of your favorite artisan (or homemade) whole-grain loaf. We love the mild, smoky flavor of smoked mozzarella, but you can substitute with your favorite cheese: Gouda, provolone or smoked cheddar are great options. Don’t worry if your fennel bulb doesn’t come with the fronds attached – sprinkle the melts with fresh parsley or dill instead.

The ginger shiitake noodle foil packs with eggs make an ideal lunch or light dinner. The quick clean up makes for an easy Asian flare summer meal.

Consider this saucy dish your no-sweat summer stir-fry alternative; it’s got all of the sweet-and-sour flavors but doesn’t require you to stand over a hot stove to prepare.

Jarred tomato sauce is a shortcut that helps get these meaty subs on the table fast. For evenly sized meatballs, divide mixture into thirds, then divide each third into 6 equal balls – this will ensure they cook through at the same time.

Scoop up the creamy hummus, crispy chickpeas and tangy salad with pita wedges, or serve it all tucked into a halved pita pocket for dinner on the go. If you have the ingredients on hand, make a quick sauce with Greek yogurt, lemon juice and chopped fresh mint and drizzle over the spiced chickpeas.

You’ll save time (and need fewer ingredients) by using one spicy dressing as both a marinade for the fish and a dressing for the slaw. There’s plenty of room for play with this recipe – turn up the heat by adding more sriracha or jalapeño peppers, or toss in handfuls of chopped cilantro and mint for extra freshness. Instead of a grill pan, you can cook the fish on your barbecue or broil on a foil-lined baking sheet.

These individual meal-in-one packets are great for camping, weekends at the cottage or entertaining on the patio.

Who says French toast has to be sweet? Here, savory mushrooms are cooked with butter, thyme and milk and spooned over caraway rye French toast for a satisfying breakfast-for-dinner.

It really doesn’t get any easier than this foil-packet cherry crumble! For the fastest prep, opt for frozen cherries, which are already pitted, and thaw them overnight in the fridge. Be sure to drain any cherry juices after thawing to keep your crumble from becoming soggy. We love the tangy taste of Greek yogurt, but if you prefer a sweeter topping, try vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

This easy asparagus and lemon ricotta flatbread is ready in just 30 minutes and costs just $10 to make, making it a perfect choice for a budget weeknight meal.

Dig into this luscious summertime salad recipe with goat cheese, pecans and brown turkey figs from Terranea's Chef de Cuisine Andrew Vaughan.

Get a head start on your week with this perfectly balanced, dietitian-created Mediterranean Quinoa with Red Beets recipe.

This recipe yields a generous amount 
of dressing – either toss the desired amount of dressing to coat the salad lightly right before serving, or serve the dressing alongside so your guests can dress it themselves. Or, you can go the route that many traditionalists take in the Midwest – they pour on enough dressing to lightly coat the salad (we suggest using about half of the dressing) and set it in the fridge to allow the dressing to trickle down and coat the veggies.

Sweet, juicy grilled peaches add a lovely warm-weather flair to this salad packed to the brim with beautiful vegetables. The true star of this meal, though, is the creamy cashew dressing spiked with just a touch of cayenne. If you have time, we suggest making the candied pecans as they add an addictive sweet-salty crunch.