Recipes

Lunch, Dinner Ginna Lunch, Dinner Ginna

Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Kebab Bowl

This bowl started as one of those easy Trader Joe's dinners that I threw together with ingredients I already had on hand. The frozen Middle Eastern-style kebabs do most of the heavy lifting, and with some rice, cucumber salad, warm naan, and tzatziki, it turns into a filling meal that feels like it took much more effort than it did.

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Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl

This Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl starts with fluffy quinoa cooked in chicken broth, then gets topped with juicy pan-seared chicken, fresh vegetables, parmesan, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of ranch. It has a nice balance of fresh, creamy, crunchy, and savory flavors in every bite.

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Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner Ginna Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner Ginna

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Flatbreads

I have been trying to think of creative ways to use up the ingredients I already have on hand. These flatbreads consist of staples I pretty much always keep stocked: sun-dried tomatoes, feta, chicken, lettuce, hummus, onion, and naan. It's a different way to combine these ingredients outside of a typical salad or bowl. It comes together quickly and is both filling and healthy.

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Yum Yum Shrimp Street Tacos

I have been on such a street taco kick lately because they feel easy enough for a quick lunch or dinner, but still feel like you made something good. These tacos started because I already had leftover grilled corn and avocado salad in the fridge and realized it worked ridiculously well over shrimp with yum yum sauce.

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Lunch, Salads, Dinner Ginna Lunch, Salads, Dinner Ginna

Grilled Chicken Mediterranean Salad

I go through phases where all I want for lunch is something fresh and crunchy, especially once the weather starts getting warm. This grilled chicken Mediterranean salad has been one of my favorites lately because it feels filling without being heavy, and it takes almost no effort to throw together during the week.

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Herb Braised Beef

I have really been into braised beef lately, especially recipes where the meat is the main event instead of getting buried under a heavy sauce. This version cooks low and slow with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and beef broth until it becomes fall-apart tender. The outside gets deeply browned while the inside stays rich and juicy.

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Dinner, Pasta and Noodles Ginna Dinner, Pasta and Noodles Ginna

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini with Chicken Meatballs

The Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper soup works really well as a pasta sauce once it cooks down a bit. The tortellini absorbs some of the liquid as it cooks, so it turns into a creamy roasted red pepper coating instead of being a soup. Add air fried chicken meatballs, ricotta, basil, and spinach and it feels like a full comfort meal with very little effort.

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Hot Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls

Chipotle had this hot honey chicken for a limited time and I immediately knew I was going to miss it once it disappeared from the menu. I kept thinking about the sweet heat combo, so I ended up marinating some chicken thighs at home and turning it into these rice bowls for lunch prep during the week.

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Yum Yum Shrimp Rice Bowls

I love hibachi restaurants, especially the shrimp with yum yum sauce. I kept craving those flavors at home and started wondering if I could make my own version that felt a little easier for a weeknight. That’s how this bowl came together. It has the buttery rice, grilled shrimp, and creamy yum yum sauce I love, but in a simpler, cozy-at-home version.

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Copycat Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

I have a soft spot for the Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. It is one of those lunches I used to grab constantly because it felt fresh but still filling. After making it at home a few times, I realized it tastes nearly identical for a fraction of the price, and now I make it whenever I want something easy that still feels a little elevated for lunch.

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