Okay, friends – get your pen and paper out because this dinner was SO good we had every single kid at the table talking about this chicken! Listen, most nights are super busy, and we are always tempted to take the “quick” route and order in, I am guilty of that for sure. This Teriyaki Chicken though is the greatest example of how you can whip up dinner in less than 15 minutes by cutting a few corners!

What corners did I cut? Well, the side to this dish is frozen fried rice. Grain Trust makes a delicious Hibachi Fried Rice that is frozen, vegan, gluten free and only needs microwaved. If you cannot find that specific brand just look in your freezer section – the selection these days is quite impressive!

I also just warmed through Edamame and tossed those in salt for the kids, because they smash Edamame. So, the only real recipe is the chicken …. you ready?

Sticky, sweet, juicy chicken that tastes exactly like take-out but without all of the calories!

Let’s Cook!

Teriyaki Chicken

• 1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks (or chicken breast)
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch (or flour)
• 3/4 cup Heinen’s Island Soy Teriyaki Sauce (Or your favorite asian sauce)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced pineapple

1. Make the sauce, mix together the Teriyaki sauce, water and garlic clove – how simple is that?
2. Get a large saute pan going on medium-high heat
3. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch to coat (this will brown the chicken and make it crispy, and help thicken the sauce later!)
4. Pour a little vegetable oil or olive oil in the bottom of the pan and lay the coated chicken in a nice even layer – let these sit and brown for 4 or so minutes, and then toss around to brown all sides
5. Once all sides are browned, add the diced pineapple and pour in the sauce
6. Continue to cook over medium high heat, let that baby bubble away so that the sauce thickens and cook until chicken is cooked through (approximately 10-12 minutes total)
7. That’s it! Top with green onion and serve with the fried rice and edamame

What this recipe should be called, is “This is too easy to taste this delicious Tomato Tortellini Soup” Welcome, my friends – to me blowing your mind with the best soup hack to create an incredible tomato soup that will keep you warm all season long!

This soup is on the thinner side, perfect for soaking up crusty bread with, and is adorned with fresh cheese-filled tortellini. It’s a soup that you can whip up and let simmer for an hour, minimal ingredients and the left overs are even better the next day!

So, are you wondering – what’s the hack?

Using a 24oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce alongside chicken stock adds a “this soup has been cooking all day” flavor! We love Rao’s Marinara right now! Marinara sauce has all of the slow cooked, herbs and spices that do all of the work for you!

Make sure to save this recipe, friends! 
(I ended up cooking the tortellini separately, best for re-heating the next day!) 

Tomato Tortellini Soup

• An entire stalk of celery, diced 
• Two 1lb bags of carrots, diced
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 24oz Rao’s Marinara (or your choice)
• Two 32oz cartons of low sodium vegetable stock
• Two bulbs of roasted garlic, cloves squeezed out (recipe below) 
• 2 cups organic kale, chopped (optional) 
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Cheese Filled Tortellini 
• Grated Parmesan for garnish

1. Over Medium-High heat in a dutch oven or large pot, sauté the carrot, onion + celery with a good drizzle of olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper
2. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until veggies have softened
3. SQUEEZE out your roasted garlic cloves into the softened veggies
4. ADD the marinara sauce + vegetable stock 
5. STIR everything together and let simmer for 30 minutes on LOW
6. IF you want the kale, add it in now! 
7. LASTLY, cook the tortellini according to package, drain and set to the side. 
8. POUR your bowl of soup, add the tortellini + top with grated parmesan cheese 

ROASTED GARLIC:
Cut the top off of a bulb of garlic to expose the cloves. place onto a sheet of foil (exposed cloves facing up) and drizzle with olive oil.  create a tight tent around the garlic bulbs. BAKE at 375* for an hour 
You can make this on the weekend, squeeze out the cloves into an airtight container and add them to many dishes throughout the week!

Slap on your ugg boots, light your crisp-fall-leaves candle and buckle up buttercup, this cookie screams FALL!

Remember my Fruit Sugar Cookies? It is a twist on the famous Swig cookie recipe, and friends, the hype is real! They are thick, buttery, so soft, and quite honestly – the perfect sugar cookie that is made to be covered in frosting. Now, you must try this new spin with Pumpkin Spice!

Wanna know a secret? I used canned frosting for this beauties (GASP!) Sure, feel free to whip up your own cream cheese frosting but sometimes in the kitchen it’s nice to take a shortcut. Hell, whipping up cookies from scratch earns you an A+ already – don’t sweat having to pull out your mixer again!

These cookies not only have the pumpkin spice within the dough, but are rolled in a pumpkin spice and sugar mixture like a snickerdoodle before baking. It is a ticket to flavor town!

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 5 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• FOR SUGAR MIX TO ROLL IN….
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

Preheat oven to 350* Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

1. In a large bowl, with a handheld mixer, mix together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (3 minutes)
2. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla to the bowl, and continue to mix until everything is incorporated
3. Pour in the flour, cream of tartar, salt, pumpkin spice and mix together until everything is evenly distributed and fully incorporated
4. Using your hands, scoop out roughly a large golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball. 
5. Roll the cookie dough ball around the sugar/pumpkin spice mix
6. Place onto baking sheet …..
7. With the bottom of a drinking glass, press down on each of the cookie balls, to flatten them out to be 1/4” thick.  The edges will appeared crinkled, and that is just right! 
8. BAKE at 350* for 9-11 minutes, depending on size of cookie.  Bottoms should be barely golden, let cool on a wire rack before frosting.

I used Pilsbury Cream Cheese Frosting – because, well – 2020. Time wasn’t on my side the day I whipped these up, and guess what? This frosting is delicious and I will probably use it again and again!

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Gorton’s Seafood

Worried about “what’s for dinner?” on those crazy school + sports nights?

Look no further than to your freezer aisle at your local grocer! Gorton’s Seafood has a wide variety of seafood options that make dinner so simple, and truly delicious!

I fell head over heels when learning more about Gorton’s mission of sustainability – just check out this….

“Now more than ever, it is our mission to spread the goodness of the sea by making quality seafood accessible to everyone. In doing so, we carry great passion and responsibility for the planet that provides us such things. That is why we are constantly exercising our curiosity to discover new and agile ways to minimize our environmental impact. It’s why we are collaboratively raising the bar for the seafood industry and all that it stands for. It’s why, above all else, we are committed to sustaining our global resources for future generations to enjoy. Because when our oceans are healthy and fruitful, so too are the family dinner tables we provide for. To us, that’s the only way forward – the Gorton’s way.”

How cool is that!?

Also, this fact just had me so smitten with Gorton’s attention to detail, I am now a forever fan …

“Nearly all of our products are made with wild-caught fish from the waters of Alaska, the Barents and Bering Seas and the North Pacific, caught by fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. We elect to work with suppliers who share our sense of responsibility for protecting the world’s marine resources, habitats, and ecosystems.”

Beyond the brand and what they stand for, their seafood really is delicious. My kids go CRAZY for fish sticks, which warms my heart because I was a big fan of fish sticks as a kiddo too! Creating these colorful fish tacos are not only a quick 20 minute meal, but they are light and packed with flavor!

Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw + Homemade Tartar Sauce

• 1 bag of Gorton’s Fish Sticks
• 1/2 Red Cabbage, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Pinch of black pepper

For the Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sweet relish

Let’s whip up the easiest week-night meal ever!

1. Bake Gorton’s fish sticks according to the package –
2. Whip up the slaw, add the finely sliced red cabbage to a bowl and toss it together with the mayo, vinegar and seasoning, set to the side
3. Make the tartar sauce, simple stir the mayo and relish together

To assemble, warm up a flour tortilla, pile the red cabbage on the tortilla high, add the crunchy Gorton’s fish sticks, and a healthy dollop of tartar sauce!

Enjoy!!

My friends, this recipe is incredible!

Mediterranean cuisine is hands down one of my favorite cuisines. I admire the lifestyle and traditional foods of those countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Clean, fresh and simple!

The idea behind this dish was inspired from one of my favorite wraps from a local bar. Their Mediterranean wrap is packed with all of the ingredients listed above, served warm with feta cheese and packed into a wrap. However, theirs does not have Tzatziki sauce, and you know how I feel about sauce – every dish needs it (haha)

Everything goes onto a sheet pan and baked. Once the chicken is cooked through, you simply cut it up, and while warm, toss some feta cheese on top and with tongs toss everything together right on the tray. The warmth will soften the feta slightly, and the juices from the lemon, and olives will cover the rest of the ingredients. It is so flavorful!

Take a big helping of arugula that has been tossed in garlic expressions dressing (OR just olive oil, salt and pepper) in a wrap or pita, and then pile on the chicken and additions, and pour over the tzatziki sauce. That is it! Wanna know how to make it? Check it out below!

Mediterranean Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

For the chicken:

• 1 1/2 pd Chicken Tenders (or boneless chicken thighs or breasts. just remember to adjust cooking time)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Good pinch of kosher salt
• Bit of Black Pepper
• Drizzle of Olive Oil

Simply toss chicken with the ingredients listed above, and let sit in the fridge 30 minutes, or just put it right onto your baking sheet.

The other items to add to your sheet pan ….

• Chop up the following into bigger chunks ….
• Kalamatta Olives
• Green Olives
• Roasted Red Pepper
• Red Onion
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• And then …..
• Smash a few Garlic Cloves
• Slice up one Lemon

Let’s put this together!

Pre heat oven to 425* Line a baking sheet with foil, and nonstick spray.

• Add the chicken tenders first, and then add all of the olives, peppers, onion, artichokes into the open spaces.
• Lastly, toss on the garlic cloves, and place lemon slices on top. Finish with a pinch of dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
• BAKE at 425* for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove from oven, and slice up the chicken on the tray –
• Toss everything together and build your own pita!

I like to make my quick Tzatziki sauce to add to these pitas. Simply stir all of the ingredients together and keep it in the fridge. It is delicious!!

• 2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Cucumber, seeded and diced
• Zest + Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 tsp dill weed (dry)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of Kosher Salt + Black Pepper

Snickerdoodle Cookie Apple Pie Bars

Fall is just weeks away and apple picking season will be tailing right behind.  This dessert is a fun twist combining two of my favorite desserts, apple pie and snickerdoodle cookies.  A snickerdoodle cookie crust is piled high with juicy apples, and then covered with a buttery crumble crust, baked to golden perfection and sliced when cooled.  

These snickerdoodle cookie apple pie bars are absolutely insane, great alone, or even better paired with Heinen’s vanilla ice cream! 

Three simple steps to this recipe, a quick moment to layer and 40 minutes later you will have the most decadent twist on apple pie ever!

Snickerdoodle Cookie Base

• 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 3/4 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda

Apple Pie Filling

• 5 1/2 cup Diced Apples ( I used 4 small Gala Apples + 4 small Granny Smith)
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch

Crumble Topping

• 1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, cold + cubed
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

Let’s bake!

Pre heat oven 375* Line a 9×13 rectangular baking dish with parchment paper so the bars are easy to remove after cooling

First – The Snickerdoodle Cookie dough Base

1. In a large bowl, we will start the cookie dough base.  With a handheld mixer, mix together the butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy.  
2. Add in the salt, flour, cream of tartar and baking soda.  Mix together until flour is fully incorporated.
3. Press cookie dough into the bottom of the 9×13 parchment lined pan.  Sprinkle a little sugar on your hands to help push the dough down into a flat even layer.

Next – The Apple Pie Filling

1. Peel and dice your choice of apples (preferably one sweet and one tart type of apple) into 1/4 inch chunks.
2. Place diced apples into bowl and toss with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.  Pour the apple pie filling in an even layer on top of the cookie dough base.

Lastly – Crumble Topping

1. In a small bowl, pour in the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cold-cubed butter.  
2. Using your hands, pinch together everything until a crumbly-sand like mixture forms. 
3. Pour the crumble topping over the apple pie filling, and press down the crumble topping to adhere to the apple pie filling.

BAKE  at 375* for 40-45 minutes, just until the crust is slightly golden.  Let cool completely to slice into neat squares, or dig in while warm and serve with ice cream.