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30 Minutes or Less

Brussels Sprout Salad

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overhead image of brussels sprout salad with walnuts and pomegranate seeds on the side.

Fresh and crunchy shaved Brussels sprout salad, finished off with an out-of-this-world maple dijon dressing! A quick and easy side dish, comes together in just 10 minutes. A gluten-free salad, with nut-free and vegan options!

brussels sprout salad in a a bowl with serving utensils.

What You’ll Need to Make Brussels Sprout Salad

Brussels Sprouts – You can either buy shaved Brussels sprouts, or shave them yourself with a mandoline or sharp knife. If using a mandoline, cut off the the stem end of each sprout, then run the sprout down the mandoline to thinly slice. Or, if using a knife, remove the stem end then place the sprout on its side on a cutting board, then make thin slices through the sprout. Once shaved, your sprouts are ready to add to this delicious salad!

Pomegranate Arils/Seeds – First thing I want to note is that pomegranate arils are the exact same thing as pomegranate seeds. When buying your pomegranate for this salad, you have two options, you can either purchase the seeds out of the pomegranate, or you can purchase a whole pomegranate and remove the seeds yourself. I always opt for the latter option because it’s so much cheaper, and super easy to do! For help on how to cut a pomegranate, check out my step-by-step tutorial HERE.

Walnuts – Chopped walnuts add the perfect crunch to this recipe! Walnuts are creamy and buttery, and simply so good in this salad. However, if you don’t have walnuts, feel free to use any nut you have on-hand! Others I recommend are pine nuts, chopped pecans, or even unsalted pumpkin seeds.

Soft Cheese – Any soft cheese will taste great in this Brussels sprout salad! I used a soft chèvre goat cheese, and it was perfectly tangy and delicious. Though crumbled feta, blue cheese, or even freshly grated parmesan cheese work perfectly too.

dressing being poured over brussels sprout salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • This is the perfect make-ahead side dish for holiday parties or potlucks! The flavors get better with time, so go ahead and dress the salad then let it sit in the fridge until ready to serve. I just wouldn’t recommend letting it sit for more than 4 hours before eating, at that point, it’ll begin to lose its crunch.
  • Have fun with this recipe! Don’t be shy, switch up ingredients based on your preferences. Sub pears for the apples, blueberries for the pomegranate, and use any kind of cheese you’d like!
close-up image of brussels sprout salad in a bowl.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Brussels sprout salad, either replace the cheese with your favorite vegan soft “cheese,” or leave the cheese out altogether, it’ll still be delicious and full of flavor!

Make it Nut-Free: Simply leave out the walnuts, or replace them with unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Add Protein: Take this from a side dish to the main course by adding some lightly seasoned chicken (grilled or oven-roasted is best), or bulk it up with a can of your favorite white beans!

overhead image of brussels sprout salad with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and goat cheese on the side.
5 from 1 vote

Brussels Sprout Salad

Fresh and crunchy shaved Brussels sprout salad, finished off with an out-of-this-world maple dijon dressing! A quick and easy side dish, comes together in just 10 minutes. A gluten-free salad, with nut-free and vegan options!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 4 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (pecans or pine nuts work too!)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup soft cheese, crumbled (goat cheese, feta, gorgonzola, etc)

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Pour dressing over salad, then either let sit in fridge for up to 3 hours, or serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

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overhead image of a meal prep harvest bowl with sliced almonds on the side.

This fully loaded harvest bowl is packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

maple dijon dressing being poured over a harvest bowl

What You’ll Need to Make a Harvest Bowl

Sweet Potato – Peel and cube two sweet potatoes before roasting. Or, if you’d like, replace the sweet potato with your favorite squash. Peeled and cubed butternut squash, sliced acorn squash, or even sliced delicata squash would all taste great in this harvest bowl!

Chicken – Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts are lightly seasoned, then roasted to perfection! For a vegan option, see the “make it vegan” section below.

Quinoa – Any variety of quinoa is jam-packed with health benefits! It’s full of nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and is a complete protein. Talk about a superfood, eh? Feel free to use whatever kind of quinoa you have handy – white, red, black, or rainbow – they all taste great. Or, if you don’t have quinoa, you can replace it with cooked brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, farro, or barley.

Kale – Similar to the quinoa, any variety of kale will taste delicious in your harvest bowl. So, use whatever you can get your hands on – curly kale, dino (lacinato) kale, red kale, or even baby kale. Though if using baby kale, no need to massage it, just add straight to your bowl, then toss in dressing.

close-up image of sliced chicken over a meal prep harvest bowl.

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t skip massaging the kale! This step is super important to achieve nice, and tender kale. Skipping this step will result in tough, and hard-to-chew kale, just all around unappetizing!
  • I highly, HIGHLY, recommend doubling up on the maple dijon salad dressing. It’s seriously the star of this harvest bowl, and you’ll regret not making more. Also, leftovers stay fresh in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three weeks!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a healthy, high protein vegan meal, leave out the chicken. Then, either double up on the sweet potatoes, or replace the chicken with a can of drained then rinsed chickpeas!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: Simply leave off the quinoa and you’ve got yourself a totally paleo and grain-free harvest bowl.

two meal prep containers showcasing this harvest bowl recipe.

How to Meal Prep This Harvest Bowl

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes and chicken.
  2. Cook the quinoa.
  3. Make the maple dijon dressing.
  4. Massage the kale.
  5. Divide the massaged kale, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken, sliced apples, fried cranberries, and sliced almonds between four meal prep containers.
  6. Store remaining dressing separately.
  7. When ready to eat, remove one of your meal prep containers from the fridge and drizzle with some extra maple dijon dressing – enjoy!
a harvest bowl with a fork
5 from 2 votes

Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

These fully loaded harvest bowls are packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1-2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups kale, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds

For the maple dijon dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and chicken breast on a baking sheet, then drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss potatoes to coat, then roast for 20 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through.
  • While chicken and potatoes roast, make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
  • Place kale in a bowl with half of the dressing, then toss and massage dressing into the kale with your hands.
  • Once potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and assemble bowls with all ingredients – roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, chicken, quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. Store with remaining dressing on the side, then top with dressing right before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

One-Pan Chicken and Rice Recipe

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overhead image of chicken and rice in a pan with lemon slices on top.

Quick, easy, and super delicious one-pan chicken and rice! Full of flavor, with a handful of simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This chicken and rice recipe is the perfect weeknight meal, ready in just 30 minutes!

overhead image of chicken and rice on a plate with lemon, parsley, and white wine on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make This Chicken and Rice Recipe

Chicken – Any piece of chicken will work in this recipe! I used skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, because they pack in tons of delicious flavor. However, feel free to use chicken breasts for a healthier option, or chicken legs if that’s what you have handy.

White Rice – The rice in this recipe must specifically be long grain white rice. Other rices will have a different cook time/method, and simply won’t work. I used this brand of organic long grain white rice, but any will work!

Broth – Either chicken or vegetable broth will taste great! Though if you don’t have broth, you can use 2 cups of water plus one chicken or vegetable bouillon cube instead.

chicken and rice in a pan with a serving spoon.

Tips and Tricks

  • I recommend a large skillet with high sides and a tight fitting lid for this chicken and rice recipe. Since everything gets cooked in the same skillet, make sure the one you use is large enough to fit all ingredients! I use and looooove my Always Pan – I can’t recommend it enough.
  • You can make this in your Instant Pot if you’d like! To do that, sear the chicken then cook the onion and garlic on the saute setting. Then, add in all remaining ingredients, secure lid, and set to manual high pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, your chicken should be cooked through, and your rice fluffy!
close-up image of chicken and rice in a pan with lemon slices on top.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: While this recipe is already both gluten and dairy-free, I always recommend double checking your rice to make sure it’s 100% gluten-free. Most rice is, but some contain trace amounts of gluten.

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo chicken and “rice” recipe, replace the white rice with cauliflower rice. To do this, reduce the amount of broth you use to just 1/4 cup, then cover skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

overhead image of chicken and rice in a pan with lemon slices on top.
5 from 1 vote

One-Pan Chicken and Rice Recipe

Quick, easy, and super delicious one-pan chicken and rice! Full of flavor, with a handful of simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This chicken and rice recipe is the perfect weeknight meal, ready in just 30 minutes!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces chicken (I use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs)
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • fresh chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

  • Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, then season well with salt and black pepper.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken into hot skillet, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. (You do not want to fully cook the chicken in this step, just sear it until brown).
  • Remove chicken from skillet, then add onion and garlic to the skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes or until onion is soft.
  • Add in the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the rice, then pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Gently stir and lift any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Return chicken to the skillet, then bring rice to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cover skillet with lid, and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Remove from heat, add in lemon juice and gently fluff rice with a fork. Serve warm with fresh chopped parsley on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

The BEST Vegan Pesto

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This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!

overhead image of vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon.

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m kind of famous for my pesto. Even cheese-lovers rave about my cheese-less pesto! It was just sort of a recipe that evolved over time based on my dietary restrictions. Growing up, my mom would take me to the local farmer’s market on Saturdays and this one bread stand would hand out samples of thick sliced bread with a big ole’ slathering of pesto on it. It was my FAVORITE part of the farmers market and truly where my deep love of pesto began.

When I moved away for college, I had no choice but to start making pesto myself. Also, around this same time is when I started experimenting with a dairy and gluten-free diet. So one day I randomly decided to just leave the parmesan cheese out of my pesto and see how I’d like it. And well, I LOVED it! Then I began playing around with different nuts in my pesto – the traditional recipes call for pine nuts but those can be pretty hard to come by. So I tried literally every nut I could think of and ultimately landed on cashews for creating the best and creamiest vegan pesto EVER. This recipe is perfectly tangy, incredibly fresh, and tastes just as good as (if not better than) the stuff I used to get at the farmer’s market growing up!

vegan pesto pasta in a bowl with a fork and white wine on the side.

What You Need To Make Vegan Pesto

Basil – If you’re growing basil this year, definitely use it in this vegan pesto! I love doubling or tripling this recipe at the end of summer and freezing leftovers to make sure none of that gorgeous, fresh basil goes to waste. And if you don’t have your own basil plant, simply pick up a package of this delicious herb the next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To prepare the basil for this recipe, start by giving it a quick rinse under cold water. Once clean, remove the leaves from the stems and add them to your blender. When I say “2 heaping cups,” I mean 2 HEAPING cups – pack that basil in there, and throw in a little extra if you’d like!

Cashews – Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but this vegan pesto tastes even better with cashews. Cashews do an incredible job at contributing an almost cheesy flavor to this pesto, in the absence of parmesan cheese! Though feel free to use any nut or seed you’d like to in this recipe. Walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds would all make great substitutions. However, whichever option you choose, please make sure that it is raw and, most importantly, unsalted!

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a touch of brightness to this pesto and emphasizes the delicious fresh flavor. Start small on the lemon juice and add more to taste. I loooove a super lemony pesto so I tend to go a bit crazy, but feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

vegan pesto pasta being lifted out of a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Nut-Free: Use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in place of the cashews to make this a nut-free pesto!
  • Make it Oil-Free: Substitute 2-3 tablespoons of water for the olive oil in this recipe.
  • Add Cheese: Throw 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in with the rest of the ingredients if you’d like.
overhead image of three bowls of vegan pesto pasta.
5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pesto

This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 heaping cups fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, see Notes
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Notes

  • Cashews: You can substitute the cashews in this recipe for pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds if you’d like!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

    More Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes

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    30 Minutes or Less

    How to Make Pickles

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    two jars of pickles stacked on top of each other.

    How to make pickles in a matter of minutes! This quick, homemade pickle brine is loaded with flavor, and made to preserve freshness. These pickles are perfectly salty, and extra crunchy!

    three jars of pickles line up on a table.

    What You’ll Need

    Cucumbers – Either pickling cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or an English cucumber will work! For pickling or Persian cucumbers, I recommend cutting them into spears before pickling. Though for an English cucumber, those are better sliced into 1/4-inch rounds. I use and recommend pickling cucumbers because they maintain their shape and satisfying crunch, even after pickled. However, Persian or an English cucumber still taste just as delicious using this method!

    Fresh Dill – You simply can’t make pickles without fresh dill! A few sprigs of this herb help to lock in freshness and pack in tons of delicious flavor.

    Garlic – Three whole cloves of garlic truly take this recipe to the next level! The pickling liquid aids in mellowing out that tangy garlic flavor, leaving you with the best essence of garlic throughout your pickles. And if you’re like me (a garlic LOVER), feel free to throw in a few extra cloves!

    overhead image of pickles with garlic and fresh dill.

    Vinegar – Vinegar plus water is the base of any pickling liquid. I’ve tried this recipe with pretty much every type of vinegar out there. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, rice wine vinegar – you name it, I’ve tried it! And while they all taste delicious, apple cider and white wine vinegars are my personal favorites. Though use whichever you have on-hand and/or whichever you prefer.

    Salt – For extra salty pickles, add two whole teaspoons of salt to your brine. Or, for a more mild pickle, add just one teaspoon of salt. I like ultra-savory pickles – you know, the ones that make your mouth water just thinking about them – so two teaspoons did the trick for me!

    Yellow Mustard Seed – While optional, a pinch of whole yellow mustard seeds add a hint of spice. A few seeds go a long way, packing in tons of flavor!

    a pickle being lifted out of a jar of pickles.

    Tips and Tricks on How to Make Pickles

    • Clean/rinse out your mason jars well before adding in your pickles. A clean glass jar will reduce the risk of any unwanted bacteria growing while your pickles, well… pickle. The best way to achieve an extra-clean mason jar is by rinsing it out with boiling hot water – this’ll kill most, if not all bacteria!
    • Homemade pickles will last up to three month in the fridge! And remember, the longer these pickles sit in their brine, the tastier they’ll be. But if you live in my house, you’ll know these don’t last more than ONE WEEK.
    • Feel free to switch up the ingredients in this recipe however you’d like! For spicy pickles, add in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Or, for sweet pickles, sprinkle in a teaspoon of sugar.

    *These homemade pickles are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo!

    three jars of pickles with garlic and salt on the side.
    5 from 1 vote

    How to Make Pickles

    How to make pickles in a matter of minutes! This quick, homemade pickle brine is loaded with flavor, and made to preserve freshness. These pickles are perfectly salty, and extra crunchy!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes
    Total Time: 7 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 small pickling cucumbers, cut into spears (or 1 English cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch rounds)
    • 4-5 sprigs fresh dill
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup vinegar, such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    • 1-2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds

    Instructions

    • Place cut cucumber, fresh dill, garlic cloves, and whole yellow mustard seed into one large glass jar, or separate into 2 smaller glass jars.
    • Heat water, vinegar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until salt has dissolved completely.
    • Pour water mixture into jar(s) until cucumbers are completely covered. Secure jar with lid, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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