As promised, here is my favorite easy veggie pizza! While it can be made on homemade pizza dough, I often opt for our favorite flatbread crusts from Trader Joe’s. And I always keep a jar of Costco’s basil pesto on hand (it freezes well!). You can mix up the veggies but this is our favorite combination, inspired by a favorite at our local pizza place: chopped baby spinach, cremini mushrooms, sliced tomato and black olives. And then, of course, lots of cheese!
Pesto Veggie Flatbread Pizza
INGREDIENTS
flatbread pizza crust (or pita, naan, pizza dough, etc., our favorite flatbread crusts pictured above are from Trader Joe’s) basil pesto (we love the Costco brand, or homemade) chopped baby spinach sliced cremini mushrooms thinly sliced tomato sliced black olives freshly grated mozarella cheese freshly grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place flatbread pizza crust (or pita, naan, etc.) on a large baking sheet. (Or if making pizza dough, prepare it according to recipe directions.)
Top the pizza crust with a thin layer of pesto, a bit of mozzarella cheese, some spinach, mushrooms, slices of tomato, and black olives, Top with more mozarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Slice and serve with crushed red pepper flakes (optional).
These crispy sheet-pan roasted potatoes (and peppers and onions) make for an easy breakfast/brunch or dinner side dish. I served them with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, ketchup on the side. They’d also make a great base for a breakfast burrito (with scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa, etc. wrapped in a tortilla) or a hash (add meat/herbs/veggies and top with a fried egg).
Our current home has a convection oven and I’ve began using it nonstop lately for roasting veggies. You have to be careful because it cooks things hotter and faster (so I usually reduce the temp by 25 degrees) but it’s awesome because it results in extra crispy edges! Perfect for any potatoes (especially sweet potato fries). So if your oven has convection capabilities, I recommend using it here.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Breakfast Potatoes (Home Fries)
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. red potatoes, diced (or another potato such as Yukon or Russet) 1/2 yellow or red onion, diced 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced (or yellow/orange/green bell pepper) 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. paprika freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 F. (I baked mine on convection at 400 F which I recommend for getting them extra crisp!)
Place the potatoes, onion, and red pepper on a large baking sheet. (I line mine with parchment or foil for less mess.) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings (garlic powder, salt, and paprika) and toss until vegetables are well coated. Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast until potatoes are crispy, 30- 45 minutes. (Mine only took about 25-30 minutes with the oven on convection.) Serve warm.
How about a fresh healthy veggie dish to start the new year? This skillet-roasted version is my favorite new way to eat broccoli! I often roast broccoli in the oven but it usually ends up extra charred and steaming it is just a bit boring, so this recipe is a happy middle ground. Plus, it’s FAST! You’ll heat a bit of oil in a skillet, add the broccoli and crisp it for about a minute. Then you pour in some water (or chicken/vegetable broth if you wish), cover it with a lid, reduce the heat, and continue cooking it for just a few more minutes. Salt and pepper (and crushed red pepper for some heat) to taste and you’re done! It’s tender yet crisp and just delicious!
Skillet-Roasted Broccoli
INGREDIENTS
1- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or other cooking oil ~1 lb. (about 6 cups) broccoli florets kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste crushed red pepper flakes (optional- to taste) 1/2 cup water (or chicken or vegetable broth)
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Add the broccoli in a mostly single layer and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let the broccoli “roast” in the hot skillet for 30 seconds or so and then give it a good stir. You can let it keep browning for a minute for more flavor or move on to the next step. (I cooked mine or a little over a minute during the first step.)
Pour in the water/broth, immediately cover the skillet with a lid (or foil), and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the broccoli simmer for 2-3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Add additional time if you want the broccoli more tender. (I found 3 minutes to be pretty crisp, 4 minutes to be a bit more tender.)
Remove from the heat, add seasonings (salt/pepper/crushed red pepper) to taste and serve.
There is the most delicious little Italian Pasta Shop in Pike’s Place Market called Pasta Casalinga. The 4/5ths of our family that is pasta obsessed has tried many of their dishes, and especially loves their house lasagna. And this is their signature recipe! Or rather I should say, my attempt at recreating their incredible white lasagna. The chef actually shared her recipe on a local news station here and so I had a very reliable source for this one.
“Alla Boscaiola” translates to something like “the woods” so this hearty lasagna is stuffed with mushrooms (any variety will work but I chose cremini), fennel pork sausage, and green peas (don’t skip them! they add just the right amount of sweetness to this dish). Because it’s a white lasagna the noodles and filling are layered with a creamy white sauce called besciamella (made with a butter and flour roux, milk, and a pinch of nutmeg). And there’s no mozzarella or ricotta, just generous amount of Parmesan and/or Pecorino (I recommend using both).
I will always be true to our favorite red sauce lasagna (and thankful to our friends for sharing their amazing recipe). But this one is a little less work (no ragu!) and nothing like it as far as flavors go. This will be the other lasagna our family makes on repeat!
Lasagne alla Boscaiola (White Lasagna with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Peas)
INGREDIENTS
Besciamella: 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed 1/4 tsp. sea salt pinch ground nutmeg
1 lb. fennel pork sausage (I used Whole Food’s ground Italian pork sausage that has fennel as an ingredient) 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 white onion, diced 8 oz. cremini or mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 tsp. dried oregano pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 cups frozen peas (I prefer petite peas) ~1/2 tsp. sea salt ~1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Barilla no-baked lasagna noodles (~1 box- I used 12 sheets total, 3 for each layer) 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or a combination of Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano)
DIRECTIONS
To make the besciamella, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat (being careful not to brown it). Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Slowly pour in the milk, a little bit at a time, while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Once all of the milk is added, add the nutmeg and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, still whisking frequently, until thickened. (The besciamella will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.) Remove from the heat and set aside. (It can be prepared up to several days ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.)
Brown the sausage in a large saute pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once it is just cooked through, drain the grease and set the sausage aside on a plate.
Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the parsley, oregano, vinegar, water, and peas. Return the sausage to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook for about 5 minutes to warm the peas. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of besciamella on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Then place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with another thin layer of besciamella, 1/4 of the filling, and 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat for the remaining 3 layers (you will have 4 layers in all) adding noodles, sauce, filling, and cheese. The top layer will end with any remaining besciamella and cheese. NOTE: Lasagna can be assembled 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake or frozen and baked at a later time.
Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for approx. 45 minutes (possibly shorter if your lasagna is already warm, or longer if your lasagna has been refrigerated/frozen before baking) until golden brown and bubbling. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
I love this easy honey cashew chicken stir fry! It’s packed with veggies and has a tangy sweet sauce that you’ll want to scrape every last bit of from the pan to pour over rice. As for the kids- one really liked the chicken, one devoured her broccoli first, and the smallest one preferred the cashews and rice. But there’s something here for everyone!
Honey Cashew Chicken with Vegetables and Rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 2 cups broccoli florets (I lightly steam mine first so it’s not too crisp) 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (I used another cup of broccoli instead) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted (or use salted and decrease the salt in the recipe slightly) 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 2 1/2 Tbsp. honey 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce up to 1 Tbsp. Sriracha or another hot chile pasta (I used 1 tsp. Sambal Oelek for a medium kick, use 1/2 tsp. for mild)
steamed jasmine rice, for serving green onions, sliced for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Combine chicken, cornstarch, and salt and pepper in a bowl; toss to coat.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oils. Add chicken mixture, and sauté until just cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet to a plate. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli and the next 4 ingredients (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and cooked chicken.
Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat. Bring to simmer and cook several minutes until sauce thickens. Sprinkle with green onions (optional) and serve with rice.
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