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30 Minutes or Less

Pasta with Caramelized Zucchini

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close-up overhead image of pasta with caramelized zucchini in a bowl with parsley and parmesan cheese on top.

Fresh, wholesome, and delicious pasta with caramelized zucchini! This super simple pasta recipe requires just a handful of ingredients – many of which you probably already have at home. Throw together this easy and healthy weeknight meal in 30 minutes!

fork and spoon lifting pasta with caramelized zucchini out of a bowl.

What You’ll Need to Make Pasta with Caramelized Zucchini

Olive Oil and Butter – The combination of both olive oil and butter are perfect for caramelizing the zucchini in this recipe. Olive oil prevents the zucchini from sticking to the pan, while butter gives it that irresistibly rich flavor.

Zucchini – Use as much or as little zucchini as you’d like in this recipe! Though remember, the zucchini will cook down a ton while cooking, so it’s better to start with more than you may think you need. Thinly slice your zucchini into about 1/8-inch thick rounds. The thinner you slice the zucchini, the faster it’ll cook and caramelize.

Pasta – I used gluten-free linguini for my pasta with caramelized zucchini, but any pasta will work!

overhead image of pasta with caramelized zucchini on a plate with a fork.

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t forget to save some pasta water before straining! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve meant to save pasta water, but totally forgot when it came time to strain it. Reserved pasta water plays a crucial part in the sauce, so make sure you remember it!
  • Cook the zucchini to your liking. I loooove super soft and jammy zucchini, but if you want zucchini with a little more bite, cook it down for just 10-15 minutes. This light and healthy pasta recipe is super easy to customize!
close-up image of pasta with caramelized zucchini in a bowl.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta like I did!

Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: Use your favorite non-dairy butter in this recipe, and leave off any cheese when serving.

close-up overhead image of pasta with caramelized zucchini in a bowl with parsley and parmesan cheese on top.
5 from 1 vote

Pasta with Caramelized Zucchini

Fresh, wholesome, and delicious pasta with caramelized zucchini! This super simple pasta recipe requires just a handful of ingredients – many of which you probably already have at home. Throw together this easy and healthy weeknight meal in 30 minutes!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch thick)
  • salt, to taste
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add in the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
    pasta with caramelized zucchini step 1
  • Add in the zucchini and a big pinch of salt, cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
  • While zucchini cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain pasta from remaining water.
  • Once zucchini is very soft and caramelized, add in the garlic and garlic powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant.
    pasta with caramelized zucchini step 4
  • Add the cooked pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet with the zucchini. Stir everything together, and add more pasta water if pasta seems dry. Serve warm with fresh cracked black pepper.
    pasta with caramelized zucchini step 5

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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30 Minutes or Less

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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close-up overhead image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.

Fresh and flavorful mediterranean quinoa salad! This simple salad recipe is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a simple lemon dressing. Quinoa, chickpeas, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil, and feta – what’s not to love?!

close-up image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.

What You’ll Need to Make Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Quinoa – Start with 2 cups of cooked red or white quinoa (I used white quinoa) for this recipe. To cook quinoa, simply rinse 1 cup of dry quinoa, then add to a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer quinoa for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. Once cooked, let cool to room temperature before adding to this salad!

Chickpeas – A can of chickpeas adds some extra protein to this grain salad. However, if you don’t like chickpeas, you can leave them out. Or, feel free to swap out the chickpeas with your favorite white bean – canneloni beans or navy beans would also taste great!

Kalamata Olives – This classic mediterranean ingredient adds tons of delicious flavor to this quinoa salad! Either buy pitted kalamata olives, or slice and pit them yourself for this recipe.

Feta – Another staple ingredient in many mediterranean recipes! Feta cheese is deliciously creamy and salty, and takes this salad recipe to the next level. Though if feta’s not your thing, you can leave it out or replace if with your favorite soft white cheese.

mediterranean quinoa salad ingredients separated in a bowl.

Tips and Tricks

  • This salad is great for meal prep! You can fully prep and store this salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors will only intensify as it sits.
  • Feel free to change up this salad however you’d like! Not a fan of one of the ingredients? Either leave it out or replace it with whatever you prefer. This mediterranean quinoa salad is super easy to customize and make your own.
  • Love this recipe? Try this very similar Jennifer Aniston salad next!
mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl with a glass of water on the side.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Surprise! This mediterranean quinoa salad is already gluten-free! Quinoa is a naturally gluten-free grain.

Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: Simply leave out the feta, or swap it out for your favorite non-dairy feta – I love this Violife Vegan Feta.

close-up overhead image of mediterranean quinoa salad in a bowl.
5 from 2 votes

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Fresh and flavorful mediterranean quinoa salad! This simple salad recipe is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a simple lemon dressing. Quinoa, chickpeas, olives, sundried tomatoes, basil, and feta – what’s not to love?!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta

For the lemon dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Add the quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, kalamata olive, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and feta to a large bowl.
    mediterranean quinoa salad step 1
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until combined.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
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Breakfast

Classic Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

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sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with a knife.

This gluten-free zucchini bread is deliciously moist! It’s super easy to make and loaded with fresh zucchini. Enjoy a thick slice of this gluten-free zucchini bread with a little butter for breakfast or as a snack!

gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet.

The Story Behind This Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe

My parents were those people that built a garden during quarantine. Anyone else?? And while it took a while to enjoy the fruits (literally) of their labor, oh man was it worth all their hard work! They have strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, every herb you can think of, and a whole BUNCH of zucchini. Like A LOT of zucchini. So when they sent me home a couple weeks ago with a massive bag of homegrown zucchini, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. Though I had never made gluten-free zucchini bread before, so I took a few notes from my gluten-free banana bread recipe, tweaked things a bit, and this incredible recipe was born!

sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with milk on the side.

What You Need To Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Zucchini – This dark green veggie is loaded vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! It’s also high in fiber and has been proven to aid healthy digestion. Good-for-you zucchini also flourishes in the summer months! (A big reason why my parents currently have SO much of it right now).

To prep zucchini for this recipe, simply slice off one end and run the zucchini down a cheese grater. Continue to grate the zucchini until you have one heaping cup worth of shredded zucchini. Once grated, you’ll wrap the zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid from the zucchini as possible. This summer vegetable holds on to a lot of water, and to avoid a soggy zucchini bread, you’ll want to squeeze out as much of that water as you can. Once the water is removed, you’re ready to use your shredded zucchini in this gluten-free zucchini bread recipe!

Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour – I use and love the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour for most of my gluten-free baked goods recipes. It’s a solid gluten-free flour that holds its structure when baked and never fails me. However, you can use your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour for this recipe. My one suggestion is to always make sure that whatever gluten-free all purpose flour you use contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is crucial to binding and quite literally keeping everything together.

gluten-free zucchini bread step 1
gluten-free zucchini bread step 3
gluten-free zucchini bread step 4

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Nut-Free: Omit the almond flour in this recipe and use an additional 1/2 cup of gluten-free all purpose flour instead.
  • Make it Vegan: To make this a gluten-free and vegan zucchini bread, try using either two flax eggs, one ripe mashed banana, or 1 cup of apple sauce in place of the eggs in this recipe.
  • Add Gluten: Use 2 cups of regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten-free all purpose flour and almond flour.
sliced gluten-free zucchini bread on a baking sheet with a knife.
5 from 1 vote

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

This gluten-free zucchini bread is deliciously moist! It’s super easy to make and loaded with fresh zucchini. Enjoy a thick slice of this gluten-free zucchini bread with a little butter for breakfast or as a snack!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour, see Notes
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
  • Wrap the shredded zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze over the sink to remove as much water from the zucchini as possible, then set aside.
  • Mix together the gluten-free all purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 1
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 2
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until no flour remains.
  • Gently fold in the shredded zucchini until just combined.
  • Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
    gluten-free zucchini bread step 5

Notes

  • Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour: I use and love the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour in this recipe, though you can use any all purpose gluten-free flour you’d like as long as it contains xantham gum.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    Dairy-Free

    Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

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    two healthy no-bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other on a baking sheet.

    Seriously delicious healthy no-bake cookie dough bars! These bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Enjoy as a guilt-free dessert or sweet snack!

    healthy no bake cookie dough bars on a baking sheet.

    What You’ll Need to Make Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

    Almond Flour – Use blanched almond flour for these dessert bars, not almond meal. Blanched almond flour is ground finer and makes for a smoother cookie dough. Looking for more almond flour recipes? Try these!

    Peanut or Cashew Butter – Either peanut or cashew butter will work! I used peanut butter because I love the taste. However, cashew butter yields little flavor and works perfectly to hold these no-bake bars together. But whichever you use, make sure it’s both creamy and unsweetened.

    Maple Syrup – We use maple syrup in place of traditional refined sugar to keep these healthy cookie dough bars refined sugar-free. The maple syrup in these bars can easily be replaced with honey, or even your favorite sugar-free liquid sweetener for sugar-free cookie dough bars!

    Chocolate Chips – I used the Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips to keep these bars vegan/dairy-free, but really any chocolate chip will work! For refined sugar-free chocolate chips, try these date-sweetened Hu chocolate chips.

    three healthy no bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Chill these healthy no-bake cookie dough bars in the freezer for at least one hour before slicing! Don’t rush this step, otherwise the chocolate won’t be fully set.
    • Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Avoiding leaving them at room temperature for too long, because the chocolate may melt.
    close-up image of a healthy no bake cookie dough bar.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this recipe, replace the almond flour with oat flour. Also, replace the cashew or peanut butter with unsweetened sunflower seed butter!

    Make it Paleo: Make paleo cookie dough bars by using unsweetened creamy almond butter in place of the cashew or peanut butter.

    two healthy no-bake cookie dough bars stacked on top of each other on a baking sheet.
    4.24 from 59 votes

    Healthy No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

    Seriously delicious healthy no-bake cookie dough bars! These bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Enjoy as a guilt-free dessert or sweet snack!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    For the cookie dough layer:

    • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
    • 1/2 cup creamy peanut or cashew butter, unsweetened
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • pinch of salt
    • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

    For the chocolate layer:

    • 1 cup chocolate chips
    • 1/4 cup creamy peanut or cashew butter, unsweetened

    Instructions

    • Line a 9×5-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Make the cookie dough layer by mixing together the almond flour, peanut or cashew butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
    • Transfer dough to prepared baking pan and press into an even layer.
    • Make the chocolate layer by melting the chocolate chips and peanut or cashew butter in the microwave in 30 second increments. Stir together until smooth, then pour and spread into an even layer on top of the cookie dough.
    • Chill in the freezer for one hour, then remove and slice into squares.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    30 Minutes or Less

    Healthy Summer Fruit Crisp

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    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.

    Close-up overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    What You’ll Need to Make Summer Fruit Crisp

    Summer Fruit – I used fresh blueberries, strawberries, and peaches in my summer fruit crisp, but any fruit will work! Feel free to use whatever you have on-hand, or whatever’s on sale at the grocery store that week. The only thing to note is, whichever fruit you use, make sure it totals to about 5-6 cups for this recipe.

    Maple Syrup – This healthy dessert recipe is sweetened with maple syrup! It’s refined sugar-free and honestly so healthy you could get away with eating it for breakfast.

    Rolled Oats – Any type of rolled oats will do – old-fashioned, quick cook, etc. The only type of oats you’ll want to avoid for your fruit crisp topping are whole oats, steel-cut, or Irish oats.

    Almond Flour – The almond flour keeps this recipe gluten-free! However, if you don’t have almond flour, or want to make this nut-free, you can replace the almond flour with all purpose flour.

    Butter or Coconut Oil – Use whichever you prefer in your crisp! I typically just use whichever I have on-hand. Coconut oil is obviously the healthier option, but butter adds a bit more flavor, which I love.

    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Keep this recipe simple! You’ll only need one bowl, which is used to first mix together the filling, then the crisp. There’s no need to dirty any extra dishes for this healthy dessert recipe.
    • This summer fruit crisp is best served warm with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream on top. Though feel free to serve it however you’d like. On its own is delicious, or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream – yum!
    • Store leftover fruit crisp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If enjoying leftovers, I recommend reheating in the microwave for just about 30 seconds before eating.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Dairy-Free: Use either non-dairy butter, or take the coconut oil option in the crisp.

    Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free dessert, replace the almond flour with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour.

    Overhead image of summer fruit crisp in a baking dish with vanilla ice cream on top.
    5 from 1 vote

    Healthy Summer Fruit Crisp

    A healthy fruit crisp loaded with fresh summer fruits! The perfect warm-weather dessert, best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Super easy to make with just one bowl, in 30 minutes.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    For the filling:

    • 2 cups blueberries
    • 2 cups sliced strawberries, or raspberries
    • 2-3 peaches, pitted and sliced
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the crisp:

    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1/2 cup almond flour
    • pinch of salt
    • 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, solid
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
    • Mix together all filling ingredients in a large bowl, then transfer to a 9-inch baking dish.
    • Mix together all crisp ingredients in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used to make the filling), then evenly sprinkle crisp over top of the filling.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fruit is soft, then let cool slightly before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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