The BEST Marinated & Grilled Vegetables

June 7, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

The perfect addition to a summertime meal, a Grilled Vegetable Plate. This Grilled Vegetable Marinade is easy and fresh with a quick marinade that has the perfect zip to add to your veggies. And the secret? Tossing your veggies in the marinade before and after grilling!

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Overhead view of a white platter filled with marinated grilled veggies including zucchini, asparagus, carrots, and tomatoes.

Grilled Vegetable Platter

I am in the opinion that vegetables do not get enough recognition during the summer grilling months, so much is put onto meat as the center of attention and it isn’t fair. Veggies are awesome and when they are grilled and marinated they are even more awesome.

So I think we should all make a huge grilled vegetable platter and rejoice!

With these vegetables I have made a quick and simple marinade. With the marinade the vegetables will be tossed in it before and after cooking, giving the deliciousness plenty of time to soak in!

Now I have given suggested vegetables in the recipe but you really can use your favorites. For example I actually tested this with red onion a bunch of times and on the day of the photoshoot I simply forgot to add it… I know… but the red onion was actually one of my favorites in this marinade!

Angled view of a white platter filled with marinated and grilled vegetables including zucchini, asparagus, and tomatoes.

Ingredients for the Marinade & Suggested Vegetables

First off a super simple marinade, maybe even stuff you already have at home!

Olive Oil
Champagne Vinegar (or a white wine/prosecco vinegar)
Fresh Garlic
Sugar
Fresh Basil
Kosher Salt

One thing to note on the ingredients. The Champagne vinegar, you can certainly use a White Wine vinegar or a Prosecco Vinegar in its place. If you have none of those be careful about subbing out for any other types of vinegar, you might be able to get away with red wine vinegar but many other vinegars are going to be much more intense and not as mellow as a champagne or wine vinegar.

Ingredients needed to make a marinade for grilled vegetables including olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil.

Suggested Veggies

Here are some ideas of vegetables to grill. If you are making A LOT of vegetables I recommend doubling the marinade.

Zucchini
Summer squash
Carrots
Asparagus
Candy Tomatoes on the Vine
Red Onion
Mushrooms
Bell Peppers

Cut vegetables placed nicely in a white baking dish.

Instructions for Marinading & Grilling Vegetables

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, basil, and salt to make the marinade.

Mixing together the ingredients to make a marinade for vegetables.

Slice up vegetables to be grilled.

For the vegtables like zucchini and similar, I recommend making large slices into wheel or oblong shapes so that they can be laid out on the grill. For vegetables like asparagus you will want to make sure they are trimmed. And some, like a vine of tomatoes doesn’t need to be prepped.

Once vegetables are ready to go add them to a large bowl. Add the marinade. and toss to coat. Let the vegetables marinate while the grill heats up.

The marinade for the vegetables being poured over the cut veggies.

Raw and cut vegetables marinating in a baking dish before cooking.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot carefully remove the vegetables from the marinade leaving as much marinade in the bowl as possible since you will use it for the vegetables after the cook.

In batches if needed add the vegetables to the grill cooking 2-3 minute per side, watching to make sure they don’t get overdone. You may also add all the vegetables to a grilling basket, if cooking in the basket toss every few minutes until the vegetables are done.

As the vegetables finish cooking on the grill add them back to the bowl into the marinade. Toss them around to make sure everything gets covered, this is the point when the marinade will really soak in. Once the marinade has been absorbed serve.

Close up of marinated grilled veggies on a platter covered in fresh basil.

Make it a Meal: You have these amazing veggies and now you are looking for something to go with it?! Try adding my Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, the vegetables can cook in the the amount of time it takes for the chicken to rest after cooking. Or for a simple option go with my Greek Marinated Grilled Chicken or my Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak.

If you like these Marinated Grilled Veggies you might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Marinated Vegetables

Name: Grilled Marinated Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 zucchini; 1 summer squash; 3 carrots; 1 bunch asparagus; candy tomatoes on the vine; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

These Grilled Vegetables are easy and fresh with a quick marinade that has the perfect zip to add to your veggies. And the secret? Tossing your veggies in the marinade before and after grilling!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Suggested Vegetables:

1 zucchini
1 summer squash
3 carrots
1 bunch asparagus
candy tomatoes on the vine

Instructions

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, basil, and salt to make the marinade.
Slice up vegetables to be grilled. For the vegtables like zucchini and similar, I recommend making large slices into wheel or oblong shapes so that they can be laid out on the grill. For vegetables like asparagus you will want to make sure they are trimmed. And some, like a vine of tomatoes doesn't need to be prepped.
Once vegetables are ready add to a large bowl and add the marinade. Toss to cover. Let the vegetables marinate while the grill heats up.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot carefully remove the vegetables from the marinade leaving as much marinade in the bowl as possible since you will use it for the vegetables after the cook.
In batches if needed add the vegetables to the grill cooking 2-3 minute per side, watching to make sure they don't get overdone. You may also add all the vegetables to a grilling basket, if cooking in the basket toss every few minutes until the vegetables are done.
As the vegetables finish cooking on the grill add them back to the bowl into the marinade. Toss them around to make sure everything gets covered, this is the point when the marinade will really soak in. Once the marinade has been absorbed serve.

Notes

More Vegetable Ideas:

Red Onion
Mushrooms
Bell Peppers

Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob

May 26, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

The easiest way to cook corn, no more boiling water on a hot summer’s day. Make Corn on the Cob in the Instant Pot! Let the pressure cooker do all the work, it couldn’t be easier!

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Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

Growing up in the Midwest and then relocating to New England as an adult really made me appreciate really good sweet corn. I am fairly certain during the summer as a kid we had fresh corn on the cob with dinner every night and I have a feeling we weren’t the only family in Minnesota that did.

Now that I live in New England and there isn’t a pickup truck selling corn out of the bed on every corner I really appreciate good corn when I get it.

So when I can get my hands on some good sweet corn it has to be cooked to perfection. The best way I have discovered?

You got it the Pressure Cooker!

Not only does it make the best corn it also is the easiest. Gone are the days of having to boil a huge pot of water on the stove in 90º weather making the kitchen even warmer.

White plate full of a stack of raw sweet corn on the cob.

Instructions

Start by adding 1 cup of water and a trivet tot he pot of a pressure cooker. Next stack the cleaned corn on top of the trivet. I have found it works best when making 2 layers of 3 ears of corn.

Now you will seal the lid, turn the steam vent to sealing, and select Pressure Cook or Manual (depending on model). Set to 2 minutes.

When the timer goes off after cooking quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid. Serve corn on the cob immediately.

Before and after of a stack of corn on a trivet inside a pressure cooker.

Close up of an ear of corn on a plate, melted butter is in between the bright yellow kernels.

If you like Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob you might like these other side dish ideas:

Yield: 6 servings

Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob

Gone are the days of boiling a huge pot of water on the stovetop for sweet corn. Making Corn on the Cob in the Instant Pot saves you on time and labor!

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 2 minutes

Additional Time 7 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

6 ears of corn, shucked

Instructions

Add 1 cup of water to the pot of a pressure cooker. Add a trivet to the pot. Stack the corn on the trivet.
Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select Pressure Cook. Set to 2 minutes.
When the timer goes off after cooking quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid. Serve corn on the cob immediately.

Notes

Feel free to add salt, butter, or your preferred toppings to the corn after cooking.

Grilled Artichokes Recipe

May 19, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Fresh artichokes are a delicious vegetable that many enjoy but are too intimidated to try at home, fear no more. This post walks you through how to prepare Grilled Artichokes from how to prepare each artichoke to cooking and finishing.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A platter of grilled artichokes with a half of an artichoke on top showing off charred grill marks.

Best Grilled Artichoke Recipe

I started making artichokes years ago when my oldest, who was a young toddler at the time asked for them at the grocery store. I didn’t want to say no to my kid asking for a vegetable so I grabbed them even though I didn’t know how to prepare them.

Flash forward years later I have fallen in love with artichokes. Since that time I have made them over and over, narrowing down this recipe. I absolutely love the little bit of grill flavor these get at the end without being overpowering to the vegetable itself.

Over the last year I have thought about sharing this recipe but I know that the initial process of how to prepare them is intimidating BUT I figure I better give someone else the chance to fall in love with this recipe too. The real kick I needed to finally photograph it and write it down was that people at the grocery would see me a few and then ask me what I do with them! So maybe next time instead of trying to explain it I can just give them this URL!

Anyways, you are here for these amazing Artichokes on the Grill.

Overhead view of a platter of grilled artichokes fresh from the grill surrounded by cut up lemons and balsamic dipping sauce.

This recipe begins by me really over explaining along with photos the process of how to prepare an artichoke for cooking. This includes what parts to cut off and discard as well as using lemon juice to keep the artichoke from turning brown. If you already know this process and just want to know how I grill them then by all means scroll past those steps.

Once it is time to cook this is a recipe where the food does have to be pre-cooked. First the artichokes will need to be gently steamed before they are put on the grill. Artichokes are a tough veggie, they best way to cook and soften them up is by steaming. I have left instructions for both how to steam them in the pressure cooker and on the stovetop (spoiler alert having a pressure cooker is not only easier but WAY faster).

Once the artichokes are pre-cooked they will be brushed with the infused oil and then grilled to get those beautiful char marks and flavor!

So this seems like a very long recipe but once you learn the process of how to clean the artichokes it really isn’t that much work!

I have even left you a bonus dipping sauce recipe. My oldest, the one who originally asked for artichokes, this creamy balsamic dip is his favorite and he expects it every time I grill these up. Don’t worry the sauce is super super easy!

So know that you have the outline, let’s get to what you need.

Ingredients

Fresh Artichokes – Artichokes are a very seasonal plant, while you can find them all year round they might be more expensive out of season. Artichokes peak season is March to June and then a secondary season in September and October. Also, fun fact nearly 100% of artichokes grown in the United States are gown in California.
Lemon
Olive Oil
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Parsley

For Balsamic Dipping Sauce:

Mayonaise
Plain Yogurt
Balsamic Vinegar
Dijon Mustard

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to grill artichokes including fresh artichokes, lemon, olive oil.

Instructions

I have broken this out into 5 sections.

Prepping the Olive Oil
Prepping the Artichokes
Steaming the Artichokes
Grilling the Artichokes
Making the Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Prep the Olive Oil

Prepare the olive oil for infusion. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to a small bowl with the olive oil and chopped parsley. Transfer to the microwave and cook for 45-60 seconds for the oil the warm up (but not become hot). Set the oil aside to let it infuse.

Small bowl with smashed garlic and chopped parsley infusing in olive oil.

Prep the Artichokes

Artichokes will begin to turn brown almost immediately once they are cut open and exposed to the air. To prevent this from happening you will cut a lemon in half and use half a lemon to rub the insides with lemon juice right after you cut, so have a lemon half sitting right next to where you are working.

Working with one artichoke at a time. Start by cutting 1/2 inch off the bottom of the stem. Then remove all (if any) small leaves that are at the bottom of the bud of leaves. Next take a vegetable peeler to the stem to remove the tough outside of the stem.

Cleaning and preparing an artichoke step cutting and peeling the stem.

Next with a sharp or serrated knife cut the top 1 inch off of the bud of leaves. Immediately rub some lemon juice on the top once it is open.

Cleaning and preparing an artichoke step cutting off the top inch and putting lemon juice on the top.

Use a kitchen shears to cut the pointy tops off of each of the leaves, be careful these can be sharp. Once the leaves are trimmed carefully cut the artichoke in half. Immediately rub the insides with the lemon.

Cleaning and preparing an artichoke step cutting on the tops of each leg where it is pointy and then cutting the artichoke in half.

Now that the artichoke is open you will remove the small pointy (often purple) leaves from the inside, careful these too can sometime be sharp. A good rule of thumb is if the small leaves are shorter than where you cut the top off they should come out of the artichoke.

Cleaning and preparing an artichoke step showing putting lemon juice on the inside and taking out the small center leaves.

The last part to come out is the fuzzy looking part, known as the choke. Use a spoon to get under the fuzzy part and scrape it all out so none remains. Once you do this rub with the lemon once more. You know have an artichoke that is ready to eat. Clean the remaining artichokes.

Cleaning and preparing an artichoke step showing taking out the fuzzy choke with a spoon and what the ready to cook artichoke looks like.

Steam the Artichokes

For the Pressure Cooker:

Add 1 cup of water and a trivet to the pot. Stack the articokes on the trivet, cut side faced down. Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid.

For the Stovetop:

Fill 2-3 cups of water to the bottom of a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Add artichokes to a steamer and transfer the steamer to the pot. Cover and steam 30-40 minutes until tender.

Before and after of cleaned and prepped artichokes for steaming in a pot of a pressure cooker on a trivet.

Grill the Artichokes

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Transfer the tender artichokes to a platter, cut side up. Now take your infused olive oil and gently brush it all over the insides of all of the artichokes, you want enough oil on each that it won’t stick to the grill but not too much that it will cause the grill to flame up.

Collage showing off the a platter of steamed artichokes, they are then oiled, and then grilled with char marks.

Transfer the artichokes oiled side down to the grill. Grill 3-5 minutes until the artichokes are charred with grill marks. Season with a little bit of sea salt and serve immediately.

Close up of half an artichoke on a grill grate.

To eat the artichokes use your teeth to scrape the white meat off of the bottom of each leaf. The leaves on the outside will have less meat than the ones on the inside. The stem and heart (base of the leaves) are all edible, most people even consider the heart to be the best part. Serve with the balsamic dipping sauce below.

Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3 photo collage of ingredients for balsamic dipping sauce, mixing ingredients, and the finished sauce.

Tips, Trick, & Questions

Artichokes are the vegetables highest in Antioxidants!
To prep ahead clean and steam the artichokes up to a day ahead of time. When ready to serve simply re-heat/char the artichokes with the olive oil on the grill.
The hearts of the artichoke can be frozen for future use.

Make it a Meal: These artichokes really can go as a side dish or appetizer to almost any grilled meal but I recommend since they can take a bit of time to clean to make it simple. Try pairing these artichokes with my Greek Grilled Chicken or Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak. Add a salad for another side, like my Marinated Chickpea Chopped Salad or my Easy Antipasto Salad. And bonus point for pairing it with my Blackberry Bourbon Smash!

Close up of a platter full of grilled artichokes, close up on a single artichoke with grill marks on it.

If you like Grilled Artichokes you might also like:

Yield: Serves 4

Grilled Artichokes

This showing stopping appetizer or side dish is easier to make than you think! Learn how to clean and steam artichokes, and then finish them on the grill for an exteremely flavorful vegetable dish!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 41 minutes

Ingredients

4 artichokes
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

For Balsamic Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons mayonaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Instructions

Prep the Olive Oil

Prepare olive oil for infusion. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to a small bowl with the olive oil and parsley. Transfer to the microwave and cook for 45-60 seconds for the oil the warm up (but not become hot). Set the oil aside to let it infuse.

Prep the Artichokes

Artichokes will begin to turn brown almost immediately once they are cut open, to stop this from happening you will cut a lemon in half and use half a lemon to rub the insides with lemon juice right after you cut, so have a lemon half sitting right next to where you are working.
Working with one artichoke at a time. Start by cutting about 1/2 inch off the stem. Then remove all (if any) small leaves that are at the bottom of the bud of leaves. Next take a vegetable peeler to the stem to remove the tough outside of the stem.
Next with a sharp or serrated knife cut off the top 1 inch of the bud of leaves. Immediately rub some lemon juice on the top once it is open.
Next use a kitchen shears to cut the pointy tops off of each of the leaves, be careful these can be sharp. Once the leaves are trimmed carefully cut the artichoke in half. Immediately rub the insides with the lemon.
Now that the artichoke is open you will remove the small pointy (often purple) leaves from the inside, careful these too can sometime be sharp. A good rule of thumb is if the small leaves are shorter than where you cut the top off they should come out of the artichoke.
The last part to come out is the fuzzy looking part, known as the choke. Use a spoon to get under the fuzzy part and scrape it all out so none remains. Once you do this rub with the lemon once more. You know have an artichoke that is ready to eat. Clean the remaining artichokes.

Steam the Artichokes

For the Pressure Cooker. Add 1 cup of water and a trivet to the pot. Stack the articokes on the trivet, cut side faced down. Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off quick release the steam. Once the float has dropped carefully open the lid.
For the Stovetop. Fill 2-3 cups of water to the bottom of a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Add artichokes to a steamer and transfer the steamer to the pot. Cover and steam 35-40 minutes until tender.

Grill the Artichokes

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Transfer the tender artichokes to a platter, cut side up. Now take your infused olive oil and gently brush it all over the insides of all of the artichokes, you want enough oil on each that it won't stick to the grill but not too much that it will cause the grill to flame up.
Transfer the artichokes oiled side down to the grill. Grill 3-5 minutes until the articokes are slighly charred with grill marks.
Sprinkle with a little kosher or sea salt and serve immediately. Eat by using your teeth to scrape the white meat off of the bottom of each leaf, the leaves on the outside will have less meat than the ones on the inside. The stem and heart (base of the leaves) are all edible, most people even consider the heart to be the best part. Serve with the balsamic dipping sauce below.

Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce:

In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

To prep ahead clean and steam the artichokes up to a day ahead of time. When ready to serve simply re-heat/char the artichokes with the olive oil on the grill.

There are a bunch of photos above in the post if you are more of a visual person to help prep the artichokes!

*Nutrition will include the full dip and oil as part of the nutrition and calorie count

Christmas Tree Veggie Tray

December 7, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Get in the spirit this Christmas Season with this Christmas Tree Veggie Tray! So easy to put together, this fun holiday appetizer idea will get everyone excited and eating their vegetables!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A platter containing a Christmas Tree Veggie Tray, green veggies are shaped to look like a tree with red bell pepper slices as decorations.

Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter

Move over cookies, it’s time for vegetables to shine!

I think one of the unsung heroes in our society is the person who brings the vegetables to a party or get together. Like definitely not the ‘fun’ choice but always the hit. I honestly think people get a little ‘sugared’ out during the holidays & parties and they crave the veggie tray. Whenever I bring the vegetables I always can’t help but notice that they are always wiped clean.

So I figured this year I would really up the ‘fun’ of vegetables and make this party-stopping Christmas Tree Veggie Tray.

It seriously is pretty simple to make but soooo fun and festive!

Close up of vegetables shaped like a Christmas tree complete with red vegetables as decorations.

So let’s look at what you need…

Supplies

You don’t need a whole lot for this festive snacker:

Cutting board & Knifes for prep
A Large Platter/Board/Tray for serving – Use what you have, for these photos I happened to use a nice platter I have but this would equally look good on a nice cutting board or tray!

Ingredients

Have fun with this! I consider this less of a ‘recipe’ and more of a ‘idea’, go crazy with the vegetables you like best.

These are the ingredients you will probably want but are not limited too:

Broccoli
Sugar Snap Peas
Baby Carrots
English Cucumber
Red Bell Pepper
Cauliflower

ALSO: If you want to make a star for the top you will want a slice of yellow cheddar cheese!

More and different examples of green vegetables you could use for the tree include green bell peppers, celery, or green beans! For more vegetables as decorations use others like cherry tomatoes, yellow/orange bell peppers, or radishes!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

A tray with green vegetables shipped into a Christmas tree shape with carrot sticks as a base and cauliflower for snow.

Instructions

You will begin by prepping & cutting the veggies.

The broccoli & cauliflower will be cut into bite size florets.

Batonnet Cut the cucumber which is the fancy way of saying cut into stick shapes, more specifically so the tree shape looks cohesive a 2-inch long cucumber sticks (Or just slice it!).

Slice the red bell pepper into strips.

Lastly carefully use a knife to create a star from the slice of cheese, this is totally optional but I think it takes it to the next level.

Once eveything is cut assemble the tree.

Start with all of the green vegetables to create the green part of the tree. Start with the bottom, I choose broccoli for the top & bottom because it stayed in place the best for me but it truly doesn’t matter. Layer each green vegetable into a triangle tree shape, repeat the vegetables if necessary.

Once you are happy with your green tree shape add the rest of the vegetables.

At the base add baby carrots into a stump. Around the stump place the cauliflower for snow. Carefully add the red bell pepper strips onto the tree as decorations. Lastly place the cheese star on top.

Feel free to add other vegetables as tree decorations! Best served with a dip like my Healthy Yogurt Ranch or Easy Hummus.

Angled view of a platter with veggies shaped into a Christmas tree complete with red vegetables are decorations and a slice of cheese shaped like a star on top.

You might also like:

Yield: Serves 6-8

Christmas Tree Veggie Tray

Get in the spirit this Christmas Season with this Healthy Vegetable Platter shaped like a Christmas Tree! This fun holiday appetizer idea will get everyone excited and eating their veggies!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 head broccoli
15 oz bag sugar snap peas
1 cup baby carrots
1 english cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 head cauliflower
1 slice cheddar cheese
(plus your favorite dip for serving)

Instructions

Prep & cut the veggies. The broccoli & cauliflower will be cut into bite size florets. Batonnet Cut the cucumber which is the fancy way of saying cut into stick shapes, more specifically so the tree shape looks cohesive a 2-inch long cucumber sticks (Or just slice it!). Slice the red bell pepper into strips. Lastly carefully use a knife to create a star from the slice of cheese, this is totally optional but I think it takes it to the next level.
Once eveything is cut assemble the tree. You will start with all of the green vegetables to create the green part of the tree. Start with the bottom, I choose broccoli for the top & bottom because it stayed in place the best for me but it truly doesn't matter. Layer each green vegetable into a tree shape, repeat the vegetables if necessary.
Once you are happy with your green tree shape add the rest of the vegetables. At the base add baby carrots into a stump. Around the stump place the cauliflower for snow. Carefully add the red bell pepper strips onto the tree as decorations. Lastly place the cheese star on top. Feel free to add other vegetables are tree decorations as well. Best served with a dip like my Healthy Yogurt Ranch or Easy Hummus.

Notes

Have fun with this! I consider this less of a 'recipe' and more of a 'idea', go crazy with the vegetables you like best. More/different examples of green vegetables you could use for the tree include green bell peppers, celery, or green beans! For more vegetables as decorations use others like cherry tomatoes, different color bell peppers, or radishes!

Easy 15-Minute Veggie Stir Fry

August 18, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 3 Comments

Easy & Healthy Vegetable Stir Fry is made fast with your favorite vegetables and a quick flavorful sauce. Served over rice this simple veggie stir fry is a fresh vegetarian meal that is ready to be eaten in 20 minutes!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

simple vegetable stir fry in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Veggie Stir Fry with Rice

Stir Fry’s are a favorite of mine. They are easy, quick, and generally healthy. This Simple Vegetable Stir Fry is no exception.

With a simple sauce and a couple of handfuls of fresh veggies you have yourself a fast healthy weeknight meal!

Ingredients and How to Make Vegetable Stir Fry:

First thing first I will note for the vegetables in this dish, you DO NOT have to follow these vegetables exactly. As a matter of fact every time I make a veggie stir fry it is always slightly different.

Most often I go for the vegetables that are in season that pair nicely together.

For example during the time of publishing this zucchini was at it’s peak, so zucchini got used.

Or maybe you aren’t a huge fan of one of the veggies I listed, that’s cool. Put in something you like. Not a fan of zucchini, use snow peas instead.

For the most part I always start with a base of carrots, broccoli, and baby corn, then go from there for what else looks good at the time.

I also for enjoyment of eating like to make my veggie stir fry as colorful as possible, because what is more fun than eating a rainbow dinner right?! So I usually go for a variety of veggies that include different colors like the ones listed.

So now that I have gotten that out of the way here is what I used for this stir fry in the photos:

zucchini
carrot
red bell pepper
broccoli florets
baby corn
cooking oil
soy sauce
ground ginger
sesame oil
honey
garlic
cornstarch

ingredients needed to make an easy vegetable stir fry laying on a table top including veggies and ingredients for the sauce

Hopefully most of the sauce ingredients you already have stocked up regularly at home, so most of this meal is just picking the veggies you like!

Besides the veggies listed above you could also use:

snow peas/snap peas
mushrooms
other color bell peppers
cabbage (napa or green)
water chestnuts (which actually are vegetables not nuts)
baby bok choy
spinach (add at very end)
green beans
bamboo shoots (found in cans like the baby corn)

cut up vegetables on a wooden cutting board with a knife

So now that you have got what you need let’s make a veggie stir fry.

First thing I do is prepare the rice. If you need help cooking the rice check out my post about my Foolproof Method to Cooking Rice on the Stovetop. Since the rice will take probably a few minutes longer to cook than the stir fry you will want to make sure you have that started first.

Now start the veggie stir fry by preparing the sauce. Add soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and cornstarch to a small bowl. Whisk together to combine, ensure the honey gets stirred in and isn’t sitting on the bottom.

stir fry sauce whisked together in a glass measuring cup

Now you are ready to start cooking! Heat a large skillet/wok over medium-high heat.

Add oil and heat the oil until it is hot and shimmery.

Add the sliced carrots and sliced red bell pepper to the skillet. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the sliced zucchini and broccoli florets to the skillet. Stir fry everything for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Lastly add the baby corn and sauce. Stir fry an additional 3 to 4 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly and vegetables are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately, best served over rice. Optionally, Garnish with sesame seeds.

healthy veggie stir fry made with colorful veggies in a skillet

close up of brightly colored stir fry vegetables in a skillet

easy vegetables stir fry on a plate served with rice and garnished with sesame seeds

Love Stir Fry’s? Check out some of my other recipes:

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Vegetable Stir Fry

Ready in 15 minutes this super easy and simple veggie stir fry is a perfect fresh weeknight meal. Pick your favorite vegetables, make a quick sauce, and serve over a bed of rice for a meal you can feel good about!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 14 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 cups broccoli florets
1 can (15oz) baby corn, drained
1 teaspoon cooking oil

for the sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon garlic
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

Prepare sauce, add soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and cornstarch to a small bowl. Whisk together to combine, ensure the honey gets stirred in and isn't sitting on the bottom.
Heat large skillet/wok over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until oil is hot and shimmery.
Add carrots and red bell pepper to the skillet. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add zucchini and broccoli to the skillet. Stir fry everything for about 2 to 3 minutes, the vegetables will begin to soften.
Lastly add the baby corn and sauce. Stir fry an additional 3 to 4 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly and vegetables are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately, best served over rice.

Notes

Any neutral cooking oil will work for heating in the skillet for this recipe. Canola, vegetable, and avocado oils are all good choices.

If you are serving this meal with rice make sure you start cooking the rice BEFORE you start the stir fry, the rice will take longer to cook! And for making the best rice check out my Foolproof Method Of How To Cook Rice On The Stovetop.

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers on the Grill

July 21, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Grilled Stuffed Bell Peppers are a healthy grilling recipe, perfect as a vegetarian/vegan main dish or a superb vegetable side dish on the grill! Filled with healthy goodies like zucchini, herbs, and brown rice Stuffed Peppers on the Grill are going to be a hit!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

a close up of a grilled stuffed bell pepper topped with fresh basil leaves on a wooden serving tray

Delicious Vegetarian Grilled Stuffed Peppers

In the spirit that I think vegetables are widely under used on the barbecue grill I set out to make these amazing stuffed peppers for on the grill.

Filled with tons of healthy ingredients these work as either a delicious main dish or side dish.

As a main dish I serve these with hummus and warm crusty bread.

Or these could easily be a side to grilled chicken, pork, or really whatever you have on the grill!

overhead view of a wooden platter of stuffed red bell peppers arranged next to basil leaves

How to Cook Stuffed Peppers on the Grill

This recipe is written for making on the grill, so you need a grill! For this recipe you will want a grill at a lower temperature, on the average gas grill around medium-low. If you are wanting to make these on a charcoal grill I would recommend indirect heat!

As far as ingredients for this recipe they are pretty simple:

Red Bell Peppers
Corn Kernels (thawed from frozen worked best)
Zucchini
Onion
Basil Leaves (or any kind of your favorite herb, parsley works really good too)
Cooked Brown Rice
Sea or Kosher salt
Minced Garlic

ingredients needed to make stuffed bell peppers laid out on a table top

The recipe comprises of making a veggie packed filling and then stuffing the peppers, easy! So this is what you have to do.

Start by preheating and lightly greasing an outdoor grill to medium-low heat. I will note that on my personal grill I never had a problem with the peppers sticking even when I forgot to grease the grill, so if you forget to do that you should be okay.

Now you will prep the zucchini. The zucchini needs a little bit of extra attention because there is a lot of liquid in zucchini and when it isn’t removed it made these peppers pretty soggy tasting so…

Shred the zucchini with a box grater. Once shredded place the zucchini on clean tea/kitchen towel. Sprinkle the salt over top the zucchini and set aside about 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the vegetables. The salt will draw out the extra liquid and you should be able to ring it right out.

two photos, the first of salted zucchini on a towel for drain, the second a hand wringing out liquid from the towel

While the zucchini is resting prep the remaining vegetables. The half an onion should be finely diced.

For the red bell peppers you will want to cut in half the long way and then carefully remove the stem, seeds, and any white insides.

two pictures showing the steps of cutting the bell peppers in half and removing the stem and seeds

Now you will ring out any remaining liquid from the zucchini. Bring the ends of the towel together in your hands and ring out the towel around the zucchini over a sink or bowl. Ring the zucchini out until you are not able to get anymore liquid out.

To make the filling mix together the rung out zucchini, corn, onion, basil leaves, brown rice, and garlic together in a bowl. The mixture should be plenty seasoned from the salt but take a taste and see if you want more salt or any other additions like black pepper or more herbs!

vegetable filling in a bowl for stuffed peppers featuring zucchini, corn, onions, rice, & herbs

Now use a spoon scoop the filling into the red bell pepper halves until they are all full.

uncooked stuffed red bell peppers on a cutting board

Carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to the grill.

Cook 25 to 30 minutes rotating every 10 minutes until the filling is fully cooked and peppers are blistered on the bottom. Serve immediately with optional herb garnish!

a stuffed red bell pepper on a grill grate

wood tray with grilled stuffed red bell peppers arranged next to fresh basil leaves

Question, Tips, & Tricks:

Extra Filling?

Save it! You might have filling leftover depending on the size of your bell peppers. I recommend if you do to save it in the fridge and use the filling for breakfast the next morning. I used my extras to make a frittata, I also sautéed it and ate it with scrambled eggs (or tufu would be good too).

Can I use any color bell bepper to make stuffed pepper on the grill?

Absolutely. I chose red for the sweet flavor and availability where I live. Yellow or orange would be equally as sweet. Green bell pepper would also be fantastic but it does have a slightly different flavor from the brightly colored bell peppers.

What would be a good side dish for a stuffed bell pepper?

If you are eating this as a main dish you have so many options.

Personally my family’s favorite was a bunch of hummus, a few other veggies, and then either a warm loaf of crunchy bread or naan bread.

Some ideas for other veggies would be something like my Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant. Fresh steamed or grilled artichokes would also be delicious.

Another option is a charcuterie/cheese plate!

Can I prep these ahead of time?

YES! These can totally be made ahead of time, you could even prepare them a full day ahead of time as long as they are sealed tightly in the fridge!

When I made mine ahead of time I kept mine on a platter that would fit them all and wrapped it tightly in aluminum foil.

Make these your own!

As written these are vegan but you could easily make many different modifications to make them vegetarian or more to your style.

These would be terrific with a little cheese added in or on top.

Add in more fresh herbs for more flavor.

Use a red onion for more flavor and color!

close up of a vegetarian grilled stuffed red bell pepper on a wooden board next to basil leaves

Looking for more great grill ideas? Check these out?

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Stuffed Bell Peppers

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 red bell peppers
1 cup corn (thawed from frozen worked best)
1 medium zucchini
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves (or any kind of your favorite herb, parsley works really good too)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

Preheat and lightly grease an outdoor grill to medium-low heat.
Prep the zucchini. Shred the zucchini with a box grater. Once shredded place the zucchini on clean tea/kitchen towel. Sprinkle the salt over top the zucchini and set aside about 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the vegetables.
Prep the remaining vegetables, the onion should be finely diced. For the red bell peppers you will want to cut in half the long way and then carefully remove the stem, seeds, and any white insides.
Now you will ring out any remaining liquid from the zucchini. Bring the ends of the towel together in your hands and ring out the towel around the zucchini over a sink or bowl. Ring the zucchini out until you are not able to get anymore liquid out.
To make the filling mix the rung out zucchini, corn, onion, basil leaves, brown rice, and garlic together in a bowl. Using a spoon scoop the filling into the red bell pepper halves until they are all full*.
Carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to the grill. Cook 25 to 30 minutes rotating every 10 minutes until the filling is full cooked and peppers are blistered on the bottom. Serve immediately with optional herb garnish.

Notes

*You might have filling leftover depending on the size of your bell peppers. I recommend if you do to save it and use the filling for breakfast the next morning, I used my extras to make a frittata and also sautéed it and ate it with scrambled eggs (or tufu would be good too).

Easy Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes + How To Get Crunchy Skins

January 7, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes are simple to make and ready to eat in under 40 minutes! Plus with my trick you can get delicious crunchy skins just like they were baked in the oven! Perfect as a main dish or side dish, pressure cooking baked potatoes will be your new favorite way to make potatoes!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Baked Potato made in the pressure cooker sliced open revealing fluffy perfectly cooked inside

Baked Potatoes in the Pressure Cooker

To be honest I put off getting a pressure cooker for a long time. I just believed that I truly didn’t need one. Then I had a baked potato made in the pressure cooker…IT BLEW MY MIND!

Some magical fairy lives inside that pressure cooker because hands down making a baked potato in there is a hundred times better than any other way.

The white insides become fluffy, warm, moist, and magical. (Sorry for the use of moist for those of you that hate that word.) But the one thing missing from it being the perfect baked potato was the skin.

I love when the skin has a little crunch to it and of course sprinkled with a good helping of salt and pepper. So I made a little ‘hack’ at the end that only takes an extra 5 minutes to achieve that.

They get BROILED in the oven once they finish cooking. Not for very long but the extra few minutes is so worth it in my opinion.

Once the baked potatoes are done cooking in the pressure cooker they get transferred to a sheet pan. On the sheet pan they get a quick spray of oil and a good helping of salt and pepper. The sheet pan gets placed under the hot broiler in the oven for about 5 minutes and that is all it takes!

So now that you are completely sold on that you truly can make a perfect baked potato lets see how easy making baked potatoes in the pressure cooker really is.

Tray full of freshly sliced open crispy baked potatoes

Some things to note for this Baked Potatoes Recipe

To make baked potatoes in the pressure cooker any size electric pressure cooker will do. I have the Mealthy Multipot (affiliate link) and absolutely LOVE it, if you are still in the market for a pressure cooker or need an upgrade I think you should check it out.

So the nice thing about this recipe is that you can really make as many potatoes as you can fit in your pot. So if you have a bigger pressure cooker you might be able to fit up to 8, I have a 6 quart and have managed to fit 7 successfully before but a lot of this will have to do with the size off your potatoes.

No matter how many potatoes you do fit the amount of time cooked will stay the same.

The biggest factor in cook time is actually how big the potato is. So an average size russet should fit comfortable in a hand like the picture below.

average size russet potato in women's hand

If you have potatoes that seem smaller than this I recommend taking a minute off the cooking time, so 14 minutes.

If your potatoes seem very large I recommend adding a minute to the cooking time, to about 16 minutes.

The most important thing to note about the size though is that all of the potatoes should be as uniform in size as they can be. So when choosing the potatoes at the store try to get all of them to be the same size.

pressure cooker with raw potatoes on a trivet

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe

To start add 1 cup of water and a trivet (affiliate link) to the pressure cooker pot.

Prep potatoes by stabbing gently with a fork 5-6 times all around each potato. Stack potatoes on the trivet.

Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes. The pressure cooker will take between 7-10 minutes to preheat before cooking.

When the timer goes off natural release the steam for 10 minutes (leave the vent set to seal). To crisp your potatoes set your oven to broil.

After 10 minutes release the steam vent, once the float has dropped carefully open the lid (this might happen before the 10 minutes are up). Carefully transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan.

Spray potatoes lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Transfer sheet pan to a middle rack in the oven. Broil potatoes 4-6 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and use/serve immediately.

baked potatoes in a tray slices open with sour cream and chives

pressure cooker baked potatoes on a tray after getting crispy under the broiler

Or if your potatoes are side dishes, you might want to pair them with one of these recipes:

Yield: 4 servings

Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes

Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes are simple to make and ready to eat in under 40 minutes! Plus with my trick you can get delicious crunchy skins just like they were baked in the oven!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, rinsed clean
spray oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Add 1 cup of water and a trivet to the pressure cooker pot.
Prep potatoes by stabbing gently with a fork 5-6 times all around each potato. Stack potatoes on the trivet.
Seal lid, turn steam vent to sealing, and select manual/pressure cook. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes. The pressure cooker will take between 7-10 minutes to preheat before cooking.
When the timer goes off natural release the steam for 10 minutes (leave the vent set to seal). To crisp your potatoes set your oven to broil.
After 10 minutes release the steam vent, once the float has dropped carefully open the lid (this might happen before the 10 minutes are up). Carefully transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan.
Spray potatoes lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer sheet pan to a middle rack in the oven.
Broil potatoes 4-6 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and use/serve immediately.

Notes

Depending on the size of your pressure cooker as long as you can fit more you can add more potatoes to the pot. Use the same cooking time for more potatoes, I have fit up to 7 in my Multipot with no issues.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Still don’t have a pressure cooker yet but looking to still make awesome baked potatoes? Check out my Oven Baked Potatoes Recipe!

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Please note that my links above may be affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. I recommend them because they are helpful, and are companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products.

Easy Roasted Carrots with Dill

October 22, 2019 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This easy recipe for Roasted Carrots with Dill is a simple side dish to whip up for any occasion. With 4 simple ingredients, this recipe for baked carrots with dill is a breeze to make, perfect for a family dinner but also fancy enough for holiday’s like Thanksgiving and Christmas!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

roasted carrots with dill and brown sugar in a white baking dish with a gold spoon

Baked Carrots with Dill

This is one of my favorite side dishes period. Whether you are making it for a holiday feast or Sunday dinner, these carrots are my favorite part.

Forget the fancy turkey & ham, all I want are these sweet as candy carrots!

Now I am not one for usually adding a ton of sugar to my vegetables but when it comes to holiday meals and these carrots I let that rule of mine go.

These baked carrots are roasted in butter, brown sugar, and fresh dill to create a melt in your mouth roasted carrot side dish!

spoon in the white baking dish filled with roasted carrots

Roasted Carrots Recipe with Brown Sugar & Dill

Now the first thing I want to point out about this recipe is I have 2 cooking times, that result in 2 slightly different versions. I know that sounds weird at first but hear me out.

The first test was at a high temperature, 425º F to be exact. In an ideal world these are my favorite result. The high temperature keeps the cook time down and results in a slightly crispier outside and super soft inside.

BUT…

If you are making these for a holiday meal and cooking other items in your oven simultaneously you are not going to be cooking things at 425º F, particularly a turkey or ham.

So I have a second cooking time at a lower temperature, 325º F that actually my husband said he preferred. At a lower temperature the carrots seems to lose their ‘crisp’ a little bit more than at the hotter temperature.

Although in the real world there wasn’t a huge difference in the end result so what ever cooking time and temperature fits your situation better use that one!

So if by chance these carrots are the only thing you need to bake in the oven, I recommend the higher temp, not only is it a great end result but they cook way faster.

BUT if you are roasting a turkey or something similar you are likely roasting it at 325º F. With this in mind you can roast these carrots at the same time using the lower temperate, just remember to put them in on time since they take longer to cook.

Roasted Carrots with Dill Recipe

This recipe only takes a few simple ingredients:

Carrots
Salted Butter
Brown Sugar
Fresh Dill

carrots halved, brown sugar, butter, and fresh dill are all the ingredients needed to make these roasted carrots

A note about the carrots. I find that the size of carrots can vary by whether you go organic or not, or even what time of year you buy them. So in this recipe I call for halving the carrots the long way, if not the carrots generally take too long to cook BUT again this is for an average medium size carrots at the grocery.

If you are buying organic or fancy bunch carrots at the store, these generally but not always will be smaller in size, so use your best judgement if you think they are small enough you can leave them whole.

The opposite goes for if you happen to grab a bag at the store and the carrots turn out huge! During the holiday season I have noticed that they turn out some extra large carrots, without getting in to that too much, I suggest cutting the carrots into 4 slices if need be.

Same sort of thought on keeping the skin on or peeling the carrots.

Unless the carrots are organic or garden fresh I generally will peel them. Otherwise I just give them a quick scrub… okay now on with the recipe.

Preheat your oven to either
1. A) 425ºF or
2. B) 325ºF, like noted above you can bake these carrots simultaneously with other foods, just make sure the oven isn’t overcrowded and has room for air to circulate.
Next make the sauce. In a microwave safe bowl add brown sugar and butter. Microwave for 45 to 60 seconds until butter is melted. Whisk butter and sugar until fully combined. Add in the fresh dill and whisk to combine.
Add the cleaned and cut carrots to a 9×13 inch baking dish (or similar size). Drizzle the sauce over the carrots and toss carrots until fully coated.
Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake at
1. A) 425º for 40 minutes, tossing halfway though, uncovering and baking another 10 minutes until carrots are done to your liking.
2. OR B) 325º for 60 minutes, tossing halfway though, uncovering and baking another 15-20 minutes until carrots are done to your liking.
Remove from oven, sprinkle lightly with sea salt if wanted, serve immediately.

Don’t be surprised by how many people take seconds of the carrots, like I said these are sooo good! Perfect to make for a family dinner or perfect for holiday’s such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter (they are seriously on my table for all 3).

Some other great sides to accompany these carrots (aka more perfection for the holiday’s) are:

roasted carrots in a white baking dish sprinkled with fresh dill

close up of roasted carrots with dill in a roasting pan

close up shot of the roasted carrots with a gold spoon

Yield: 6 servings

Roasted Carrots with Dill

carrots roasted in butter, brown sugar, and dill to make the most delictable sweet yet savory side dish, perfect for a holiday meal, roast at either a high temperature or low temperature depending on your dinner plans

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, cleaned/peeled & halved
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to either A) 425ºF or B) 325ºF*
To make the sauce, in a microwave safe bowl add brown sugar and butter. Microwave for 45 to 60 seconds until butter is melted. Whisk butter and sugar until fully combined. Add in the fresh dill and whisk to combine.
Add carrots to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle sauce over the carrots and toss carrots until fully coated.
Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.
Bake at A) 425º for 40 minutes, tossing halfway though, uncovering and baking another 10 minutes until carrots are done to your liking. OR B) 325º for 60 minutes, tossing halfway though, uncovering and baking another 15-20 minutes until carrots are done to your liking.
Remove from oven, sprinkle lightly with sea salt if wanted, serve immediately.

Notes

*you can bake these carrots simultaneously with other foods, just make sure the oven isn’t overcrowded and has room for air to circulate

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 150mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant served with Hummus & Grilled Naan

June 11, 2019 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

An easy recipe for Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant served with hummus & grilled naan, served family style. A healthy summer meal that is a perfect meatless grilling option!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

a spread of grilled zucchini, eggplant, naan, and hummus over a wooden background

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant served with Hummus & Naan

I have been making my family this grilled eggplant and zucchini with naan & hummus meal for over a year without sharing it with you… So sorry. It is funny how the simplest meals like this just sort of happen with my family and then they take so long to actually make it on the blog.

This appetizer/light meal is the epitome of a lazy summer meal that you want done on the grill quickly.

Vegetables are sliced quickly, grilled quickly, and lets be honest eaten quickly.

It is perfect as a grilled appetizer for a summer get together or a light lunch or dinner for you and your family. Served family style it makes it easy for your family or guests to take what they like with minimal effort on your part.

olive oil, zucchini, eggplant on a wooden tray

How to Grill Eggplant & Zucchini

It is really quite simple! I promise. When I have asked before whether people cook with eggplant on a regular basis, people who said no said it was the fact that they just aren’t sure what to do with it. And hey I get that, its kind of a random big purple orb that honestly has a very mellow flavor but there is beauty in that! Well let me let you in on a little secret about eggplant…

It is absolutely fantastic grilled. It takes on the best grilled flavor and bonus, it cooks quick!

And lets not forget about zucchini, I think we can all recognize zucchini as a workhorse in the kitchen. It is truly great in many ways, as a noodle, roasted, stuffed, even in baked goods. But the best way to make zucchini in my opinion is on the grill.

So once you combine these two delicious grilled veggies with a little bit of hummus and with some toasty grilled naan you basically have a summer meal heaven.

One of my favorite parts about this meal is that it comes together fast. The vegetables are quickly sliced, either by hand or a mandoline. Brushed with oil and then tossed on the grill. The vegetables cook about 3-4 minutes a side and boom done. The only downfall is depending on the size of your grill you will need to do this in 2 or 3 batches.

Once the veggies come off the grill you will quickly toast up the naan. I then tend to serve this ‘family style’ by arranging everything on a large platter (or sheet pan) and letting people help themselves to the eggplant, zucchini, hummus, and naan.

My favorite way to eat this combo is to spread hummus on top of the naan bread and then top the hummus with the ribbons of eggplant and zucchini, flatbread style. My kids also enjoy me making a few ‘roll-ups’ for them by spreading a little hummus on one of the vegetable ribbons and then rolling it up for them. Thats kind of one of the amazing parts about a dinner like this people can eat it how they like.

grilled zucchini and eggplant on a black platter for serving

grilled eggplant ribbons on a black plate

grilled zucchini on a platter ready to eat

TIPS & TRICKS

• the actual amount of zucchini and eggplants used can be easily changed to your liking, if you want to use less eggplant and more zucchini or vice versa go for it, you can also just make less if you are feeding less people

• You can buy a container of hummus from the store or use one of my simple recipes my Easy Hummus or my Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

• I love the Roasted Garlic Naan from Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads for a little extra flavor!

• when picking out your eggplant at the grocery store don’t go for the biggest, choose a small to medium size eggplant, the larger eggplants tend to have more seeds which leads to the eggplant having a bitter taste

Yield: 8 servings (for appetizer)

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant served with hummus and grilled naan bread makes a perfect appetizer or light dinner for a beautiful summer evening.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
2 medium zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 container hummus
4 pieces of naan bread

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife carefully thinly slice the eggplant and zucchini the long way into a ribbon shape. You will want the thickness between 1/8 inch and 3/16 inch if using a mandoline. Cutting by hand works too just try to establish even slices.
Spread zucchini and eggplant slices over a large platter or sheet pan. Brush vegetables with olive oil, moving vegetables as you are working to spread oil evenly over both sides. Sprinkle vegetables lightly with a little salt and pepper.
In batches* carefully lay the vegetable ribbons perpendicular to the grates on the grill over direct heat (as to make them harder to slip through). Grill each sides 3-4 minutes depending on thickness until you have a nice char mark and the vegetable is cooked to your liking.
Once vegetables are done turn your grill to low** lightly brush naan with water to get slightly damp. Place naan on grill and grill 1 minute per side until warm and has a slight toast.
To serve arrange eggplant and zucchini on a platter along with the hummus and naan, cut naan in half for better serving. Let guests plate themselves, although I recommend smearing hummus on top of the naan and then topping with zucchini and eggplant.

Notes

*to keep vegetables warm while working in batches either places vegetables on indirect heat in the grill or keep covered on a plate

**if using charcoal you will just want to grill uncovered and a bit shorter to ensure the naan doesn't burn

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 7g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more grilling recipe? Check out my Grilled Flank Steak or my Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs.

Simple Vegetable Rice Soup

February 19, 2019 by Lauren Schmidt 30 Comments

Perfect for a light meal or a side dish this simple vegetable rice soup is made with classic vegetables, chicken broth, and rice. Reminiscent of chicken noodle soup but simpler and lighter.

At our house we call this ‘sick soup’ mostly because when I see the signs of a cold coming or when someone isn’t feeling well, I drop what I was going to make for dinner and fix this instead. Simple and comforting I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. So today I will be sharing this much loved family recipe, ‘sick soup’ or more commonly Simple Vegetable Rice Soup.

Now just because I call this ‘sick soup’ doesn’t mean I always make it when we are sick or you have to make it when you are sick. I make this soup as both a side dish and a main dish depending on the day. As a main dish I’ll often pair it with a salad or a simple sandwich like a grilled cheese, you know the deal ‘pick two’ soup, salad, sandwich… As a side I usually will pair it if I am making a meal based around meat to even the meal out, so I’ll pair it with a roast chicken or pork chops.

In my house I consider all the ingredients I have in this soup staples so I am able to make it at a drop of a hat, so let’s take a look at what is in this!

The Ingredients

Vegetables. The vegetables for this soup I consider basic and staples, onion, carrots, and celery. This trio of vegetables is also known as the ‘holy trio’ in some cuisines and in French cooking is called Mirepoix. A perfect base to a simple soup. Although a mirepoix is usually 2 parts onions, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery, for this soup I decided more carrots and celery was best.

The broth/water. So to be fair this part I definitely do a little different every time and feel free to use what works best for you. I either use my homemade chicken broth, bouillon with water, or store-bought broth. I also will sometimes use 4 cups broth and 4 cups water or when I want a richer flavor I will do all 8 cups broth.

Rice. I usually have Jasmine rice in my pantry so thats what I use, but almost any kind should work here. I would give your rice a quick doneness test before you serve it though if you do use a different kind.

Seasonings. I only season this with dried parsley because I like the simpleness of the soup and I don’t want to take away from that but you could also add a touch of salt or some bay leaves if you were looking for a little more flavor.

The Method

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until tender and translucent.

Add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil.

At a roiling boil add the rice and parsley. Cover, reduce to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

• You can add other vegetables you have on hand, mushrooms, chopped potatoes, or peppers would all be a lovely addition to this soup

• This soup doesn’t keep super well, the rice absorbs most of the moisture if it sits overnight, my kids still love to eat it this way but it won’t be as watery as it originally was

Yield: 4 servings

Simple Vegetable Rice Soup

perfect for a light meal or a side dish this simple soup is made with classic vegetables and rice

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups chicken broth*
4 cups water
1/2 cup rice
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Instructions

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until tender and translucent.
Add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil.
At a roiling boil add the rice and parsley. Cover, reduce to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve immediately.

Notes

*I almost always use Better than Bouillon to make this soup. You can also use a full 8 cups of broth for a deeper flavor.

I don't find that I need extra salt in this soup but depending on what broth you use you may want to add a little

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Summer Spaghetti Carbonara

August 7, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt 7 Comments

I am going to sheepishly admit something that is not a popular sediment. I am not a huge pasta person. What?! Lauren you crazy! I know. I am not saying I don’t enjoy a good pasta dish or that I don’t love homemade pasta but I don’t make it on a truly regular basis like so many others. Until my husband mentions that he really is craving pasta I generally won’t make it. Don’t worry I have a why for you…

First off I rarely crave pasta unless it is something special like a specialty ravioli or a fantastic lasagna. I know thats a little weird because don’t we all crave carbs all the time? Well yes I do I just don’t prefer pasta carbs.

Second carbs. I just see boxed pasta as a ‘nutritional waste’, and that is my personal opinion with no background in nutrition. I just personally don’t like the amount of calories and carbs it has for having little nutritional value plus I feel as though it never truly fills me up unless it is accompanied with something else.

My exception to this is often my compromise with the boys, I like 100% whole wheat pasta or the pasta made with vegetable puree that includes a full serving of vegetables, we will talk about this more below. My other exception is homemade pasta, I got a pasta press about 3 years back and I like making homemade pasta into a fun family activity.

Okay okay, so I am sitting here bad mouthing pasta and I have a summer spaghetti carbonara recipe for you. So lets talk about this recipe, why I love this recipe, and why I have been okay with making it almost weekly this summer for my family.

Summer Spaghetti Carbonara

The first time I made carbonara it was because I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store. Somehow I just happened to have everything you needed (well sort of I had enough substitutes that would work). The sauce for carbonara is actually incredibly simple, and I had spaghetti and some uneaten veggies.

So let’s start with the summertime part of this pasta, the delicious vegetables. Summer time favorite zucchini, asparagus, and onions. Probably the best part of this dish is that it is equal parts vegetables and pasta. So when your garden is overflowing with zucchini and you need something else to make when your sick of zucchini bread and ratatouille, give this Summer Spaghetti Carbonara a try!

Pasta, now hold your thumb to your fingertips, left your arms in the air, and with a fun accent say “I make the spaghetti”…. Sorry couldn’t resist. For the spaghetti noodles I like to upgrade to healthier options. Instead of using plain spaghetti I either choose a whole wheat option or the veggie option (the kind Barilla sells with the vegetable puree in the pasta, sooooo good, plus a whole serving of extra veggies). This way I know that the carbs are at least more nutrient dense then if I choose a plain spaghetti noodle.

Now the prosciutto. I attempted to make this without it, did not taste as good. The little pieces of salty, crispy prosciutto really help make this dish absolutely delicious. It helps offset the fresh vegetables but does not over power them.

Cheese, can you even make pasta without cheese? I love using romano (pecorino) cheese in this dish, but parmesan works just as well. Do you know the difference between the two? They are similar but pecorino romano is actually traditionally sheep milk and slightly saltier, while parmesan is made from cow’s milk and more mild tasting.

Lastly the star of carbonara, EGG YOLKS! I love how you can get such creaminess without cream or milk. To turn egg yolks into delicious silky creamy sauce you have to temper them. Don’t worry if you haven’t done it before it is not that hard. All tempering really is is slowly bringing the eggs up to temperature without scrambling them (think hollandaise sauce). You’ll mix the yolks with the lemon juice, then you’ll take some of the hot pasta water and slowly mix it in, that’s it!

Even with all of these different parts the dish comes together fast. It is as simple as boiling the pasta, crisping the prosciutto , cooking the vegetables, and tempering the yolks. You will then combine it all and viola dinner is ready!

So this dish has a lot of things to love, like a ton of healthy vegetables and a creamy sauce. How can you go wrong with something with so many vegetables that is also so easy to make?!? I guess maybe I do love pasta after all.

TIPS & TRICKS:

• the recipe asks for 6oz (half a box of spaghetti), if you are cooking for more people, you can use a whole box and just add more pasta water to the sauce

• carbona is one of those dishes that becomes so much more easier to make the more you make it, the tempering of the eggs can seem intimating at first, but you got this!

Yield: 4 servings

Summer Spaghetti Carbonara

a vegetable filled creamy pasta made from the simplest of ingredients

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

6 ounces spaghetti* (half a box)
3 slices prosciutto
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Romano cheese, shredded (parmesan works great too) (plus more for topping)
(1 cup reserved pasta water)

Instructions

Add 5-6 quarts of water to a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Add pasta to boiling water. Boil pasta for 8-9 minutes stirring occasionally. Reserve AT LEAST 1 cup of the pasta water, keep the water hot, it will be for the sauce. Drain pasta.
Meanwhile add prosciutto to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat. Cook 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway until slightly crispy. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly then cut/rip into small pieces.
Add olive oil to the hot skillet, scraping up any brown bits if necessary. Add the onion**, zucchini, and asparagus to the skillet. Cook 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the vegetables cook get the sauce ready. Whisk the yolks and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Now you'll temper the eggs with the hot pasta water. With one hand slowly whisking the eggs slowly pour a 1-2 tablespoons into the eggs. Whisk quickly to combine. While continuing to whisk continue to add the pasta water until you've added about 1/4-1/2 cup. Make sure to continue whisking until a nice smooth sauce begins to form.
Once vegetables have cooked until just tender turn off the heat on the stove top. Add the spaghetti to the vegetables and toss together. Add the cheese to the top.
Ensure that the stove is off, if you add the egg mixture too fast to a hot of pan it will turn into scrambled eggs. With a spatula or tongs ready to toss, slowly add the egg mixture to the top of the cheese. Immediately start tossing to coat the sauce. Turn the heat back on to low. If the sauce is seeming like it is not enough to cover everything add a little bit of the pasta water until you have a good amount. Keep tossing as the skillet heats back up, the sauce will start to thicken. Once you have reached a good consistency remove from the heat. Add the prosciutto and give one more final toss.
Plate and top with more cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

*I like to use a veggie infused or whole wheat pasta with this dish to make it healthier

**In this recipe the onions are slightly undercooked, in this dish I think they are good this way, if you are not a fan of very slightly crunchy onions, cook them 4-5 minutes by themselves until slightly translucent before adding the zucchini and asparagus

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 12gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 498mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 18g

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more dinner recipes like my Summer Spaghetti Carbonara? Check out my Korean Ground Turkey & Rice Bowls or my Rueben Stuffed Baked Potatoes.

Crockpot Minestrone

January 10, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Warm and cozy homemade Crockpot Minestrone is an easy dump and go soup filled with healthy vegetables and beans! Filled with fiber and protein packed beans this is a soup that will keep you warm and full for hours!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Table top with black bowls and crockpot filled with minestrone soup and garnished with parmesan cheese.

This post was originally published 01/10/2018 and updated on 01/12/2022 with updated photos and post copy.

Minestrone in the Slow Cooker

Delicious veggie packed Minestrone soup! I like to think this soup is made famous here in America thanks to Olive Garden. I mean no offense to Olive Garden but homemade Minestrone soup is about 1000 times better.

Minestrone soup comes from Italian origin, I mean the word minestore literally translates to thick vegetable soup. There really is no set recipe like so many other famous Italian dishes, more of a guideline to a soup containing vegetables, pasta, and beans.

Some of the more common vegetables you will find in Minestrone include tomatoes, carrots, onions, and of course garlic. So as you get ready to make this recipe remember as far as veggies goes, anything goes! Feel free to add more or different veggies!

Now that we have covered how amazing this soup is let me mention how easy it is! Such a dump and go meal!

I feel like a superhero every time I dump everything in the crockpot and later that night we have a super nutritious dinner! And this is one of those meals!

Crockpot with a ladle of minestrone soup showing off vegetables, beans, and pasta.

Ingredients

Diced Tomatoes – At the base of the soup is tomatoes, because this is an easy slow cooker meal we are just going to dump in some diced tomatoes.
Tomato Sauce – To go with the diced tomatoes at the base of the soup, the tomato sauce helps flavor the base of the soup.
Red Kidney Beans – Drained and rinsed well, the red kidney beans are classic to minestore and hold up really well in the slow cooker.
Cannellini Beans – Also drained and rinsed well, these softer beans offset the kidney beans but still withstand the heat of the crockpot really well!
Carrots – Diced up.
Celery Stalks – Also Diced.
White or Yellow Onion – Either white or yellow onion will be mild enough for this recipe, I would stay clear of red onions though.
Garlic – I like to use a generous 4 to 5 cloves!
Pesto – Okay so this is the secret ingredient in my soup, so don’t skip it. Although as I say that it is important to note. Keep in mind that not all pesto is vegetarian friendly, because many use parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese is not technically vegetarian because of rennet. Rennet is an enzyme that is typically used in the cheese making process, and it typically comes from the stomach of ruminant mammals. If you are looking for a true vegetarian dish, you will need to find vegetarian friendly pesto or make your own with no cheese, I happen to have a Sunflower Seed Pesto that fits that criteria.
Vegetable Stock – Obviously it would be cool if you had your own homemade vegetable stock but buying a container at the store works really well, and in a pinch you could use better than bouillon vegetable base.
Dried Spices: Oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves are the seasonings in this dish. I just chose to use handy dried ones I had on hand already but you can use fresh ones if you have that available to you.
Zucchini – I chose to add this at the end of the cooking time because if it was put in at the beginning they would turn completely to mush. If you don’t have the time to add the zucchini in you can either skip it or steam it separately and then add it to the soup.
Ditalini Pasta (tubular pasta) – If you can’t find the little tube pasta feel free to use small shells as a second option!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients laid out on a black table for making minestrone in the slow cooker.

Instructions

This is a pretty easy dump and go soup! Of course there is a little bit of vegetable cleaning and dicing but not an overwhelming amount.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pesto, vegetable stock, water, oregano, rosemary, & bay leaves into the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.

About 45 minutes to an hour before you are ready to eat add the diced zucchini.

About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat add the pasta, once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately. Top with parmesan or other cheese to serve.

A crockpot with the ingredients from making minestrone soup including vegetables, beans, and pasta.

Collage showing the steps of adding ingredients and cooking the minestrone soup in the slow cooker.

Close up of a black bowl with minestrone soup garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley.

TIPS, TRICKS, & QUESTIONS:

This does make quite a bit so it is great for a large group or be prepared to have leftovers
- If you are making this for a smaller crowd and know for sure there will probably be leftovers I suggest cooking and storing the pasta separately. By doing this you won’t have the pasta absorb all the liquids while the soup is in the fridge.
The secret ingredient in this Crockpot Minestrone is the pesto, I think it truly makes the soup
While you are dicing up the celery, carrots, and onion, dice up the zucchini at the same time at place it back in the fridge to save you more time later

Is Minestrone Soup Healthy for You?

While the word heathy is objective and means a little bit different thing to everyone I would say YES! It is filled with a ton of vegetables with fiber and beans with protein!

What to Eat with Minestrone?

A crockpot and bowl both filled the minestrone soup garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley.

If you like this Crockpot Minestrone Soup you might also like:

Yield: 8 servings

Crockpot Minestrone

Easy to throw into the slow cooker, this soup simmers for hours and is full of healthy vegetables and beans! Perfect for a cozy and healthy meal on a busy night!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pesto*
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 ½ cups ditalini pasta (tubular pasta)

Instructions

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red kidney beans, great northern beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pesto, vegetable stock, water, oregano, rosemary, & bay leaves into the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.
About 45 minutes to an hour before you are ready to eat add the diced zucchini.
About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat add the pasta, once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately. Top with parmesan or other cheese to serve.

Notes

*Keep in mind that not all pesto is vegetarian friendly, as well as parmesan cheese. If you are looking for a true vegetarian dish, you will need to find vegetarian friendly pesto (or make your own with no cheese) and a different kind of cheese that is vegetarian friendly. Parmesan cheese is not technically vegetarian because of rennet.

FIY, this makes a large amount of soup!

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Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 549mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Original Post:

This winter has been filled with blizzards, sub zero temperatures, and couch ridden colds. So I have been using my crockpot so often it has actually just started living on the countertop. One of my favorites I have been making this winter is Crockpot Minestrone.

I have actually made this Crockpot Minestrone so many times my husband asked me to give it a rest for a week or two… Seriously though I made this probably 4 times in a 2 week time span, and this soup makes a ton so that meant a lot of Minestrone for lunch as well as dinners. Minestrone seriously rules our life.

So I love this soup because it is seriously jam packed full of healthy vegetables. Throughout the holidays it became my go to for a healthy meal. As far as crockpot meals go, this one does take me an extra few minutes to throw together, mostly just because it is so full of delicious ingredients there is just a lot to add to the pot, but it is so worth it. Infinity times better then any store bought variety and this recipe makes a large amount of soup. Perfect for a large family, friend get together, or leftover lunches for the week.

11 Awesome Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners For Busy Weeknights

April 13, 2017 by Lauren Schmidt 4 Comments

We are all busy these days, and weeknights are the busiest! It can be a challenge to keep up with life while maintaining a healthy diet. So to help out I have made an 11 Awesome Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners Roundup for busy weeknights. Full of healthy veggies and tasty chicken, these dinners are all made on one sheet pan! (say hello to less dishes) Happy eating!

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Veggies – The Schmidty Wife
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Lemon Pesto Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes – Healthy Ideas Place
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken & Vegetables – Culinary Ginger
Sheet Pan Chicken And Sweet Potatoes – Stay Snatched
Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken – The Brooklyn Cook
Sheet Pan Herbed Lemon Chicken and Sweet Potato Dinner – Vitamin Sunshine
Low-Carb Chicken Stir-Fry Sheet Pan Meal – Kalyn’s Kitchen
Healthy Maple Mustard Chicken – The Clean Eating Couple
Sheet Pan Parmesan-Herb Chicken with Poblano Potatoes Recipe – Cooking on the Weekends
Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Herbs – The Hungry Bluebird

I hope you enjoy this Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners Roundup!

Peace & Love

Lauren ‘The Schmidty Wife’

P.S. If you are looking for even more sheet pan meals check out Sheet Pan Winter Chicken Dinner or Sheet Pan Chicken with Spring Vegetables.

Grilled Vegetable Platter

Ingredients for the Marinade & Suggested Vegetables

Instructions for Marinading & Grilling Vegetables

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Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

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Best Grilled Artichoke Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Prep the Olive Oil

Prep the Artichokes

Steam the Artichokes

Grill the Artichokes

Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Tips, Trick, & Questions

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For Balsamic Dipping Sauce:

Instructions

Prep the Olive Oil

Prep the Artichokes

Steam the Artichokes

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Creamy Balsamic Dipping Sauce:

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Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter

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Veggie Stir Fry with Rice

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Delicious Vegetarian Grilled Stuffed Peppers

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