Tom-Tom Shrimp (or Tofu) with Garlicky Bok Choy

Stop whatever you're doing and make this right now. It comes together shockingly quickly, is healthy, and is absolutely delicious. I was a little hesitant at first since the Tom-Tom sauce advertises that it's spicy (I'm not a fan of spicy) but it's barely spicy at all. I suppose this is bad news for some, but if you're like me, it means you can take advantage of this incredibly flavorful meal without worries.

I served the shrimp over fonio, an ancient whole grain, but any other whole grain would work equally as well. Go with some simple brown rice (buy pre-cooked, like the boil in the bag kind, for fast prep) or get creative with cous cous, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, or any other grain you have sitting in the cupboard. If you are feeling creative, though, the creaminess of fonio was very good in this recipe.

Time: 20 min

Mint-Pistachio Pesto Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes

Mint? Pistachio? In pesto? I know, it's a bit odd to consider if every time you think pesto, you think basil, but while I'm a huge fan of basil pesto you'll be missing out on all sorts of delicious flavors if you don't branch out. In this case, mint replaces basil and pistachios come in for pine nuts. The combination produces an incredibly flavorful topping that would pair well with a variety of proteins and vegetables. If pistachios are too expensive toss in pine nuts instead, but if you can spring for the pistachios they are quite delicious with mint.

I paired this with some roasted potatoes with Cajun spice to round out the meal, but let me know in the comments if you find a delicious alternative that can't be missed.

Time: 20 min

Roasted Delicata Squash

Not familiar with delicata squash? It's one of my favorite winter squashes - and it's incredibly easy to prepare! As you can see it's a smaller squash and it's a creamy yellow color with green stripes. Best of all, the skin is very tender and thin so you can just eat this entire thing with no need to peel like you would need to do with butternut or acorn squash. The flesh inside is yellow, a bit more delicate than it's heartier cousins, and quite sweet when roasted. What's not to love? In the past I've served it stuffed (you can see in the picture to the right that it makes convenient boat-shaped vessels when cut in half) but here I just roast it, letting the natural flavors shine.

I served this with some salmon topped with freshly cracked pepper (black and pink just for fun) and cous cous, but this versatile dish will go with nearly everything. Or - stuff it with a whole grain, dried fruit, and nuts and make it a stand-alone vegetarian meal.

Time: 35 min

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas and Brussels Sprouts with Tomato Pesto

I love mushrooms. I have for as long as I can remember and they remain one of my all-time favorites today. They tend to get a bad rep - they are a common food to dislike - and even among those who like the food I so often hear that they're "nutritionally void." This simply isn't true. While mushrooms do contain a lot of water, they also have other essential vitamins and nutrients. A single portobello cap, the mushroom featured in this recipe, has 3 g of fiber and 5 g of protein. It also has decent amounts of iron, potassium, and numerous other minerals and vitamins. To be fair, though, while they do in fact have health benefits, I think I'd eat them regardless. They are simply delicious! In this recipe mushrooms are the feature with the giant portobello standing in as a hearty base for a very healthy pizza. So dive right in and enjoy.

To pair with the mushroom pizzas I made brussels sprouts with tomato pesto and walnuts, but "made" is used loosely here. While in the past I would have shunned it, as regular readers know, I've had a few life changes recently! I actually purchased this pre-made kit from Wegmans which meant all I had to was open a cap, stir, and bake. Feeling guilty about not making the side from scratch? The good news is that while it might have a tad more salt than making your own pesto from scratch, it's still far better than anything you'll get in a restaurant or for take-out. You're still making dinner for less money and with more nutritious content than eating out. So give yourself a break and dig right in!

Don't have a Wegmans nearby? Have a little extra time? You can find Wegman's recipe, duplicating their efforts in the pre-made kit, right here.

Time: 25 min

Fresh Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

It may not be the healthiest, but nothing beats fresh pasta. It's hard to ever imagine going back to the dried stuff once you've tasted it - and when you've tasted truly delicious fresh pasta you won't even settle for run-of-the-mill stuff ever again. But perhaps that's for the best... if you're going to engage in some useless, processed carbs you may as well go for the gold and truly, truly enjoy your meal.

In this case, I pair some fresh pasta with fresh farmer's market veggies - the tail end of this summer's tomato crop, crisp-tender baby spinach, and mushrooms direct from Kennett Square - the mushroom capital of the world! They come together in a fresh, simple meal that may even satisfy some picky children (or adults!) out there. After all, it might have a few extras, but it's really just spaghetti with tomato sauce... As extra incentive to eat your veggies, pair it with some fresh garlic bread picked up from your neighborhood bakery - or even frozen at Whole Foods or Wegmans if you don't live tantalizingly close to Philly's Italian Market like I do!

Time: 15 minutes

Pesto Whole Wheat Gnocchi with King Oyster Mushroom-Kale Saute

Wow. It's hard to believe that this delicious, healthy meal truly comes together in just 20 minutes. And what's not to love about it? Gnocchi, one of the best foods on the planet. Fresh pesto. King Oyster mushrooms (I LOVE mushrooms). Superfood kale. This easy-to-prepare meal not only comes together faster than ordering take-out, but it's also full of nutrients and *may* even just satisfy the pickier eaters among us since gnocchi is really, really hard to turn down.


This meal does make use of some pre-existing ingredients, like you'll see among many of my other super-fast posts these days. It's true - vacuum packed gnocchi, even this whole wheat variety, has some flaws. Most brands have a decent amount of salt. It's definitely worth reading the labels and ensuring that you get the best of the options available. However, I see it this way... this is a 20 minute meal that is still, overall, quite healthy. It's certainly a lot healthier (and cheaper) than ordering take-out. Yes, you could make things from scratch (like I love to do and did often pre-baby) but most families won't have the time, or even the interest, in doing so. So give yourself a break and do your best. Putting out a vegetable-filled home-cooked meal for your family is a success in any form - and just moderate out the salt elsewhere (you'll see my pesto includes no added salt) to make sure you're staying in reasonable daily limits!

Time: 20 minutes

Egg-Topped Black Bean Burgers and Mediterranean Grains and Tomato Salad

Another night, another fast, delicious, healthy meal. What's not to love? This wholesome dinner includes protein (black bean burgers, eggs), whole grains (a blend of garbanzo, quinoa, and orzo), and tons of veggies. It also provides a little room for improvisation, which is always useful when trying to get dinner out quickly since it means you can make use of whatever is in your fridge.

Starting with this post, you'll also start finding notes, whenever relevant, on prep that can be done ahead. As my husband and I adjust to this whole "new parent" thing, we're also learning that anything that can be done the night before is amazing. We've developed a bit of a routine where one of us is doing bedtime and the other is cleaning up dishes from the current night and doing all the prep work for tomorrow's dinner. This is one of the ways we stay sane when weeknights involve getting home from work, getting dinner on the table, and actually getting to see our daughter before her bedtime!

Time: 30 minutes