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30 Minutes or Less

Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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air fryer sweet potato fries on a plate with ketchup

Perfectly crispy, yet healthy sweet potato fries! Four ingredients and 15 minutes is all it takes for this addictive appetizer or side dish. Don’t have an air fryer? No worries, I’ve included an oven-baked option that still yields incredibly crispy fries!

close-up overhead image of air fryer sweet potato fries on a plate with ketchup on the side

The air fryer is truly the kitchen device of the century (ok, well it’s right up there with the Instant Pot). I only just got my hands on about a year ago, and holy moly it changed the homemade fry game for me, forever. After quite a bit of research for the best air fryer out there, I eventually landed on the Cosori Pro Air Fryer. It’s fairly priced and works like a champ, can’t recommend it enough!

What You Need To Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potatoes – The star of our show! You can use any variety of sweet potatoes you’d like for this recipe. Just remember, peel them and then slice them into thin matchsticks. Thinner = crispier. And try your best to cut them as evenly as possible, so that they “fry” evenly.

Avocado Oil – My oil of choice, but you can use any oil you’d like here. Just one tablespoon is all you’ll need, that’s A LOT less oil than if you deep-fried these!

Salt – Duh! Salt is non-negotiable for fries of any kind. Though start small and add more salt once the fries are done. You can, of course, salt to your preference.

Garlic Powder – This is my little special touch. I love the extra flavor garlic powder gives these fries, and I promise you will too. Though if you’re not a garlic fan (how?!), then you can leave this ingredient out.

air fryer sweet potato fries being dipped into ketchup

Tips and Tricks

  • The secret to these crispy sweet potato fries is working in batches when you air fry them. Just a single layer at a time, avoiding cramming too many into the air fryer, will give you the crispiest non-deep-fried sweet potato fry of all time.
  • No air fryer? No problem! See below for an oven baked option.
  • If you’re looking for something to pair with these sweet potato fries, I can’t help but recommend these crispy air fryer buffalo chicken wings! The perfect healthy game-day, or any day, appetizer duo.
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Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Perfectly crispy, yet healthy sweet potato fries! Four ingredients and 15 minutes is all it takes for this addictive appetizer or side dish. Don’t have an air fryer? No worries, I’ve included an oven-baked option that still yields incredibly crispy fries!
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, see Notes
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

In the air fryer:

  • Preheat air fryer to 380° Fahrenheit. While the air fryer preheats, peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks.
  • Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Make sure each fry is evenly coated in oil and spices.
  • Transfer a third of the potatoes to the air fryer, then spread in an even layer and cook for 15 minutes. Pause air fryer to shake pan halfway through.
  • Remove fries and repeat for remaining batches.

In the oven:

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. While the air fryer preheats, peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks.
  • Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Make sure each fry is evenly coated in oil and spices.
  • Spread potatoes in an even layer on a large baking sheet – space fries about 1/8-inch apart.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Video

Notes

  • Sweet Potatoes: Use any variety of sweet potatoes you’d like, white sweet potatoes are my favorite!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    Dairy-Free

    “Cheesy” Vegan Enchiladas

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    overhead image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish

    Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!

    close-up image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish

    What You’ll Need To Make Vegan Enchiladas

    Tomato Paste – The key to a rich and creamy enchilada sauce is tomato paste. The concentrated flavor in tomato paste gives our sauce an extra tangy and intense taste.

    Vegetable Broth – Most homemade enchilada sauces are made with chicken broth, but to keep ours plant-based, we use vegetable broth instead. Vegetable broth contributes an additional hint of flavor to this already super flavorful recipe. If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can use two cups of water in its place.

    Mushrooms – Finely chopped mushrooms provide our vegan enchiladas with a “meaty” texture! I personally love mushrooms, and add them to many of my vegan recipes. They’re a healthy, delicious, and versatile source of plant-based protein. However, if you don’t enjoy mushrooms, you can use 1/2 cup of cooked lentils instead.

    Black Beans – Our other source of protein is a can of drained and rinsed black beans! They, similar to mushrooms, give this meatless dinner recipe a heartier texture.

    Tortillas – Feel free to use any tortillas you’d like! Corn tortillas or flour tortillas are the standard, but grain-free tortillas taste delicious as well. Though regardless of the type of tortillas you use, make sure they’re no larger than 8-inches. This way, once rolled they’ll fit perfectly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

    Vegan Cashew Queso – The secret ingredient to our “cheesy” vegan enchiladas is half a cup of my vegan cashew queso! It’s super quick and easy to take, coming together in under 10 minutes. While highly recommended, you can make this recipe without the vegan queso if you’d prefer.

    overhead image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish with cilantro and limes on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free enchiladas, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Also, be sure the corn starch you’re using in the enchilada sauce is also gluten-free.

    Make it Paleo: These vegan enchiladas are very easily made paleo as well! To do this, replace the corn starch with arrowroot starch and black beans with diced, then roasted sweet potatoes. Also, use your favorite paleo tortillas, such as Siete Almond Flour Tortillas for rolling your enchiladas.

    Add Cheese: If not vegan or dairy-free, finish this dinner recipe off with a sprinkling of your favorite shredded cheese right before baking!

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    “Cheesy” Vegan Enchiladas

    Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    For the enchilada sauce:

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons corn starch
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 6 ounces tomato paste
    • 2 cups vegetable broth

    For the filling:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) mushrooms, finely chopped
    • 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
    • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
    • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    For the enchiladas:

    • 8 8-inch tortillas
    • 1/2 cup vegan cashew queso, optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
    • Make the enchilada sauce by whisking together olive oil and corn starch in a large skillet over medium heat, until starch has fully dissolved.
    • Add in the chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, cook for 2 minutes.
    • Pour in apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and vegetable broth, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
    • Prepare the filling by heating olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add in mushrooms, bell pepper, and yellow onion, cook for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
    • Add in black beans, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and ½ cup of enchilada sauce you made earlier. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
    • Roll enchiladas by placing ¼ cup of filling mixture in the center of each tortilla, ten rolling tortilla around filling to seal. Repeat this process until all 8 tortillas are stuffed and rolled.
    • Spoon half homemade enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Then, place all 8 enchiladas on top of sauce with the seam side facing down.
    • Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then vegan cashew cheese if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

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    mushroom pasta on a plate

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!

    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with fresh sage on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta

    Pasta – All pasta shapes and sizes are welcome here. I used my all-time favorite Jovial Brown Rice Gluten-Free Tagliatelle, but really any pasta will work. Spaghetti, penne, bow-ties, etc – anything and everything will taste delicious! And for a grain-free option, you can swap the pasta for zucchini noodles.

    Butter – I used Myoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter in my mushroom pasta, but you can use any type of butter you’d like. Though if you’re like me and looking to keep this dinner recipe vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend the Myoko’s butter. It’s made from simple, good-for-you ingredients, and tastes just like the real thing!

    Mushrooms – I’m starting to feel like a broken record here, but again, any and all mushrooms will taste great in this dish! I picked up a mushroom variety pack from my local grocery store to keep things exciting.

    Garlic – All my fellow garlic fiends, go ahead and add a few extra cloves! I love how well the garlic shines through in this super simple meal. It adds this savory, salty bite that’s seriously so good.

    Shallot – Either a shallot or half of a small yellow onion will work. Whichever option you take, be sure to finely chop it before cooking. If left too large, it could get in the way of the carefully curated textures in this dish.

    mushroom pasta being lifted off a plate with a fork

    Tips and Tricks

    • Don’t forget to reserve pasta water! Pasta water has the perfect amount of starch in it, which will help to thicken the sauce. If forgotten, you can use either regular water or vegetable broth in its place, but risk a thin sauce that won’t lock in as much flavor.
    • Get started on the mushrooms as soon as the pasta starts cooking. The pasta will take anywhere from 7 to 12 minutes to cook, which is exactly the amount of time you’ll need to make the sauce. Therefore, time everything perfectly by having both components going at the same time!
    • This mushroom pasta is best served immediately after cooking! However, if you ever need to reheat pasta, add a little bit of broth or water to freshen it up. I recommend reheating this mushroom pasta over the stove with 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stirring frequently until warm throughout!
    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with white wine on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: Take my vegan option and use vegan butter instead of regular butter.

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mushroom pasta, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    Paleo/Grain-Free Option: Make this a paleo pasta recipe by substituting the regular pasta with zucchini noodles, and the butter for olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee!

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    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta, uncooked
    • 4 tablespoons butter, separated (I used vegan butter)
    • 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
    • While pasta cooks, melt two tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
    • Sprinkle mushroom with salt and pepper, then add in garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes or until very fragrant.
    • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and transfer to the skillet. Add in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and about ½ cup of that reserved pasta water.
    • Reduce heat to low, and simmer until a nice sauce forms and coats the pasta. Continue adding remaining reserved pasta water if pasta begins to dry out. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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    gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a bite taken out.

    These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!

    a stack of gluten-free oatmeal cookies on an upside down cookie sheet.

    What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • ONE Bowl – Don’t we just love a one bowl cookie recipe? The one bowl is to baking what the one pan is to cooking. It simply doesn’t get any quicker and easier than these one bowl oatmeal cookies.

    • Oat Flour – We swap regular flour for gluten-free oat flour in this healthier cookie recipe. I especially love baking with oat flour because it’s so cheap and easy to make! You can also of course buy a bag of already made oat flour from the store, but I always recommend saving your money and quickly making your own. To make oat flour, simply blend rolled oats in a blender or food processor until ground into a flour. Then …that’s it! It actually couldn’t get any easier.

    • Rolled Oats – Most, but not all oats are gluten-free, so make sure the ones you buy definitely are! I used these Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Oats in my cookies, but really any brand of rolled oats will work. Old-fashioned, quick cooking, or instant rolled oats will all bake up the same here. However, steel cut or Irish oats are entirely different and won’t work in these gluten-free oatmeal cookies.

    • Chocolate Chips – I used the Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in my cookies, but any chocolate chips would taste delicious. I like Enjoy Life because they’re guaranteed gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan, making them a super safe option when baking for a crowd. Though if you can’t get your hands on any chocolate chips, one cup of a chopped chocolate bar would work just as great!

    Tips and Tricks

    • Leave these cookies to rest on their baking sheet once baked. They have a tendency to be super soft and delicate straight out of the oven. Therefore, leave them be for at least 5 minutes before attempting to move them.

    • Swap out the chocolate chips for raisins and you’ve got yourself gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies! Also, if taking this option, I recommend adding in one teaspoon of cinnamon to your cookie dough for a hint of spice.

    • Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperate for up to seven days! Also, if after your cookies have cooled you’re still yearning for that fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie experience, simply pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. This’ll give you that irresistibly warm, soft, and gooey-ness you crave!
    close-up image of a gluten-free oatmeal cookie with a bite taken out

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    • Make it Dairy-Free: If you know me, you know I always take the dairy-free option! So I made my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies dairy-free by simply replacing the butter in this recipe with non-dairy butter. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery sticks for all my dairy-free baking/cooking needs.

    • Make it Vegan: To make these cookies vegan, take the dairy-free option above and use your favorite egg substitute in place of the egg in this easy cookie recipe. While I haven’t tested this version myself just yet, a flax egg might work. Also, this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer may also do the trick!
    5 from 1 vote

    Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    These gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will actually change your life. Crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside, and loaded with melty chocolate. One bowl, simple ingredients, and roughly 20 minutes is all you’ll need to bake up a batch of these healthier melt-in-your-mouth cookies!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used non-dairy butter)
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 egg, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup oat flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional (but recommended!)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat to combine.
    • Add oat flour, baking soda, and salt into butter mixture and beat until a dough forms. Then, fold in rolled oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout.
    • Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

    By
    thai fried rice in a bowl.

    A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is bursting with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!

    Thai fried rice in a pan with fresh thai basil on top

    What You’ll Need To Make This Thai Fried Rice

    Chicken – Either chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu will taste amazing in this Thai-inspired recipe. Or, you can easily omit the protein altogether. I chose chicken since it’s a crowd-favorite. But for other proteins, simply slice them into small strips or cubes, then season and cook them just as you would the chicken. For shrimp, beef, and pork adjust the cook time until they’re cooked through. Then, for tofu, simply cook until golden brown and crispy.

    Cooked White Rice – The key here is cooked and cooled rice. Leftover rice works especially well since it’s dryer, meaning it’ll cook up even crispier. However, if you don’t have leftover rice, simply make a batch of rice and then leave it to cool, uncovered, for as long as possible before using it in this stir-fry. The less moisture present in your cooked rice, the better. And while white rice tastes the best in this recipe, feel free to use brown rice instead.

    Oyster Sauce – What is oyster sauce, you ask?? It’s a thick brown sauce comprised of oyster juices, sugar, and salt. It’s sweet, with a hint of savory, and doesn’t at all taste like oysters in my opinion. Oyster sauce works to balance out the intensely savory flavors of this Thai fried rice.

    Thai fried rice in a serving bowl with a fork and a spoon

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo meal, use cauliflower rice in place of the cooked white rice in this recipe. Also, replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos and the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.

    Make it Gluten-Free: Most of this dish is already gluten-free, though to guarantee it’s gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!

    Make it Vegan: For a vegan Thai fried rice, replace the chicken with cubed extra-firm tofu, and leave out the eggs. Also, replace the oyster sauce with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

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    Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

    A wholesome and delicious Thai chicken fried rice, ready in under 20 minutes! This healthy one-pan dinner is loaded with flavor. Fresh, savory, hearty, and oh-so satisfying – who doesn’t love a good fried rice?!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
    • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
    • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
    • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    • 3 cups cooked white rice, see Notes

    For the sauce:

    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free
    • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, see Notes
    • 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or chili paste

    Instructions

    • Season sliced chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
    • Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
    • Add ginger, garlic, white part of green onion, and carrots to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing frequently, until carrots are tender.
    • Push veggies to one side of the skillet and pour whisked eggs into the other side. Gently scramble eggs until fully cooked, then combine with the veggies.
    • Add rice to skillet and mix together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then pour sauce into skillet as well.
    • Cook for about 2 minutes or until everything is coated in sauce, then stir in green part of green onions and cooked chicken, serve warm.

    Notes

  • Rice: You can use brown rice, white rice, or even cauliflower rice in this recipe.
  • Oyster Sauce: If you can’t find oyster sauce, you can use hoisin sauce or brown sugar in its place.

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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