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30 Minutes or Less

Spinach Artichoke Hummus

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close-up image of spinach artichoke hummus with artichoke hearts on top.

The BEST of both worlds! Super easy and ultra delicious spinach artichoke hummus. One of my all-time favorite healthy snacks or appetizers!

overhead image of spinach artichoke hummus with pita, cucumber, and white wine on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Spinach Artichoke Hummus

Chickpeas – I used canned chickpeas, but feel free to soak and boil your own for this recipe. However, canned chickpeas makes things extra easy on you (which I highly recommend!).

Tahini – Every good hummus recipe has tahini! Never heard of tahini? It’s just ground sesame seeds. It’s also super easy to find at most grocery stores, typically located in the ethnic food aisle. This is the tahini brand I use and love in this spinach artichoke hummus!

Baby Spinach – Use fresh, not frozen spinach in this healthy snack recipe! Lucky for us, fresh spinach is loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals.

Canned Artichoke Hearts – Either whole or quartered canned artichoke hearts will work. I used these Cento artichoke hearts, and they were delicious. Also, if you have any leftover artichoke hearts, they make a great addition to salads and charcuterie boards!

pita being dipped into spinach artichoke hummus.

Tips and Tricks

  • Once you add the spinach and artichokes, pulse the hummus only a few times. Too much pulsing will completely puree the spinach and artichokes. Instead, to achieve that finely chopped texture you get in a spinach artichoke dip, give your food processor just a few quick pulses.
  • Taste the hummus after the first step! This is the best time to adjust/add any seasonings you’d like. For an extra tangy hummus, add in a bit more lemon juice. Or, for a super garlicky hummus, add in another clove or two of garlic.
  • This spinach artichoke hummus dip will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy it all week long with pita, pita chips, fresh veggies, or simply by the spoonful!
overhead image of spinach artichoke hummus with pita on the side.

This Recipe Is…

close-up image of spinach artichoke hummus with artichoke hearts on top.
5 from 2 votes

Spinach Artichoke Hummus

The BEST of both worlds! Super easy and ultra delicious spinach artichoke hummus. One of my all-time favorite healthy snacks or appetizers!
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained

Instructions

  • Add chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
  • Add in baby spinach and artichoke heart, pule 5-6 times until spinach and artichokes are finely chopped, then serve.

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!
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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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    Dairy-Free

    Chicken Scarpariello with Crispy Rosemary Potatoes

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    close-up image of chicken scarpariello in a skillet.

    Tender, juicy, and intensely flavorful chicken scarpariello with crispy rosemary baby potatoes! A complete, healthy, and wholesome dinner recipe just about anyone can throw together.

    overhead image of chicken scarpariello with crispy potatoes on a plate with white wine on the side.

    What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Scarpariello with Crispy Rosemary Potatoes

    Baby Potatoes – I love baby potatoes for how creamy they are! These crispy rosemary potatoes bake up ultra crispy on the outside, while smooth and buttery on the inside. Either yellow or red baby potatoes will taste great in this recipe. And if you can’t find baby potatoes, you can sub standard yellow or red potatoes in their place.

    Chicken Thighs – Feel free to use either bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless chicken thighs in this recipe! Bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs will yield a bit more flavor, while boneless and skinless will be easier to eat. Both options have their pros and cons, so go ahead and use whichever your prefer / can get your hands on.

    Italian Sausage – You’ll need uncooked Italian sausage links for this chicken scarpariello. Most come pre-cooked, so be sure the ones you buy are raw. And when it comes to either hot or sweet Italian sausage, use whichever’s your favorite! I used sweet sausages for a perfectly mild, but still flavorful dinner recipe.

    Dry White Wine – When picking out a dry white cooking wine, look for a bottle with “dry” or “crisp” in the description. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are my cooking wine go-tos. And don’t worry, all of the alcohol will get cooked off in this meal, leaving you with it’s bright and fresh flavor.

    chicken scarpariello in a skillet with fresh parsley on top

    Tips and Tricks

    • Do NOT touch the handle of your hot skillet once you’ve removed it from the oven! I’ve made this mistake more than once, and still have the scars to show for it. I highly recommend buying and placing one of these covers on your skillet handle as soon as you take it out of the oven.
    • Serve this chicken scarpariello with whatever you’d like! The crispy rosemary potatoes are the perfect side, but feel free to replace them with mashed potatoes, cooked rice, or even pasta. Or, for a low-carb option, roast up some broccoli and/or cauliflower in place of the potatoes.
    • Use a large skillet with high sides to make this meal. The key is using something large enough to fit eight chicken breasts, three sausages, and the white wine sauce. If you don’t have a skillet large enough for this recipe, use a dutch oven instead!
    sauce being poured over chicken scarpariello on a plate.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Non-Alcoholic – For a recipe without any alcohol, replace the white wine with an extra cup of chicken stock, and an extra tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

    Make it Paleo – Make yourself a paleo chicken scarpariello by taking the non-alocoholic option above, and replacing the baby potatoes with white sweet potatoes. Totally grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-carb, and paleo-friendly!

    overhead image of chicken scarpariello in a skillet with crispy potatoes on the side.
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    Chicken Scarpariello with Crispy Rosemary Potatoes

    Tender, juicy, and intensely flavorful chicken scarpariello with crispy rosemary baby potatoes! A complete, healthy, and wholesome dinner recipe just about anyone can throw together.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    For the crispy potatoes:

    • 1 pound baby potatoes
    • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
    • salt and black pepper, to taste
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stem

    For the chicken scarpariello:

    • 8 chicken thighs
    • salt and black pepper, to taste
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 hot or sweet Italian sausage links
    • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
    • 8 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
    • 1/2 cup pickled peppadew peppers, drained
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • fresh chopped parsley, for serving

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Place all potato ingredients on a large baking sheet and toss to combine. Bake for 25-20 minutes or until super crispy, flipping potatoes halfway through.
    • Make the chicken scarpariello by patting each chicken thigh dry with a paper towel, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
    • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausages in skillet for 2-3 minutes per side of until golden brown (but not yet fully cooked). Remove sausage form skillet and set aside.
    • Place chicken thighs in hot skillet with the skin-side facing down. Sear chicken thighs for 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown, but also not yet fully cooked through. Remove chicken thighs from skillet and set aside.
    • Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet – cook until soft and very fragrant, about 8 minutes.
    • Add rosemary, pickled peppers, white wine, and chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk and continue to cook until liquid has slightly reduced.
    • Place sausages and chicken back into the skillet with the sauce, then transfer to the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven along with the potatoes, pour lemon juice over chicken, then serve over roasted potatoes with fresh chopped parsley.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
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    30 Minutes or Less

    Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

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    overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

    This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!

    super close-up image of avocado salad

    What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Salad

    Avocados – Duh! The main ingredient, the stars of this show, are two perfectly ripe large avocados. How can you tell when an avocado is ripe? Give it a gentle squeeze, and if the skin feels firm but gives a little, then your avocado’s ripe and ready to use in this salad! However, if your avocado feels especially hard and doesn’t give at all when squeezed, then it’s not ripe and should be left at room temperature overnight to ripen.

    Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice gives this salad a nice touch of acidity and brightness! The lemon juice also helps to preserve the freshness of the vegetables in this dish. Though if you don’t have any lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar will work too.

    Fresh Herbs – Use any kind of fresh herb you’d like! I used fresh basil and OMG it was delicious. But I’ve also made this plant-based meal with fresh cilantro and fresh parsley, both of which were just as tasty.

    Salt – I swear by lightly salting avocado, no matter what dish it’s in. A tiny pinch of salt brings out the rich, creamy, almost buttery taste in avocado. And if you don’t already have some, I highly recommend investing in some flaky sea salt. For this salad recipe, wait until the very end to add the salt. Salt, while enhancing flavor, will also turn the avocado brown. Therefore, to keep your avocado salad looking as bright and fresh as possible, salt the salad right before serving!

    avocado salad in a bowl with serving utensils.

    Tips and Tricks

    • If you’d like to prep this recipe ahead of time, then prep all ingredients except the avocado. Once avocado is removed from its skin and exposed to air, it’ll brown pretty quickly. This browning doesn’t mean the avocado’s gone bad, and won’t at all affect the taste, though it simply won’t look as pretty. Therefore, chop and prep all other herbs and veggies, then toss in the avocado and salt right before serving to keep it looking vibrant and fresh!
    • Enjoy this avocado salad as-is, or add in your favorite plant-based protein for a heartier meal. A can of drained beans, a cup of lentils, or some crispy cubed tofu would all go perfectly in this salad! Though if not vegan, feel free to serve this salad as a side dish to roast chicken, pan-seared salmon, or really any main course.
    • Store leftover avocado salad in an airtight container. Though before securing the lid, press a piece of plastic wrap over the veggies so that it comes into contact with the top of the salad. This’ll help prevent the avocado from turning brown, and lock in freshness for up to three days!
    overhead image of avocado salad in a bowl with lemon on the side

    This Avocado Salad Is…

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    Fresh Avocado Salad (ready in 5 minutes!)

    This avocado salad is BURSTING with fresh herbs and vegetables! Perfectly ripe avocado, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tangy red onion tossed in fresh lemon juice and olive oil. This super quick and easy salad recipe comes together in one bowl, and in under 5 minutes!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 large avocados, diced
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
    • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and/or basil
    • big pinch of salt
    • fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients except salt and black pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine.
    • Just before serving, sprinkle in salt and black pepper, then eat immediately.

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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