I love cooking bone in chicken. It doesn’t dry out like a chicken breast so you can forget a little bit and not have to worry. That’s a great thing with this dish because sometimes the potatoes aren’t quite done but if you had boneless chicken - then it would be super tough and gross when the potatoes were finally done.

Make sure you use some sweet apples for this recipe too - I prefer Honeycrisp apples because they have the best flavor of all the apples. Cosmic Crisp are a close second. I don’t recommend Granny Smith’s, they are way too bitter.

I love this for a weeknight dinner. You can get it started and help with homework while it finishes cooking. And you can let it sit too - we’ve done this dinner when we know we have ‘late plates’ for kids at activities. It’s just as delicious several hours later!

Apple Roasted Chicken

with bacon and potatoes

Serves 4

4 lb bone in chicken breasts

1 onion, sliced

4 strips bacon, chopped

2 large honeycrisp apples, sliced

2 cups chopped baby potatoes

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup white wine

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 425

In a large pan, cook onion and bacon together until onions are translucent.

STEP 2

Place chicken, bone side up, in the pan and let sizzle until browned.  Flip over and season with salt & pepper.

STEP 3

Pour in white wine and top with apples, thyme, and potatoes.

STEP 4

Bake 20-25 minutes until a thermometer reads 160 when inserted into the meat.

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I’ve been making this chili for an eternity. It is literally the oldest recipe in my entire collection which is why I was shocked that I hadn’t already posted it! If you’ve been around a while and have my book - then you’ve seen it in there.

Otherwise, here’s her debut! The relaunch of an old favorite. It’s that recipe that you completely forgot about and then when you see it again, you’re beyond excited. This is that one. It’s so simple because I just cook the chicken in the broth. Let it go as long as you want, it will just shred easier.

Need a short cut? Buy rotisserie chicken and shred that. Buy the already shredded version. You do you. Just don’t leave out the sour cream topping. It’s the perfect creamy contrast. If you are non-dairy (we are here!) then just use the non-dairy sour cream. Yes, there’s a weird flavor sometimes - no worries. You’re adding cilantro and lime which will cover up any odd flavor. I’ve found the sour cream made from tofu seems to do the best with these sauces.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ onion, finely diced

1 tbs cumin

1 tsp oregano

6 cups chicken stock

1 - 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 – 15 oz can cannellini beans

1 pound chicken breasts

8oz sour cream

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

STEP 1

In a large stock-pot cook jalapeno, garlic, and onion in butter and olive oil.  Cook until soft.  Add cumin and oregano, cooking until fragrant – about a minute.

STEP 2

Pour in stock and both cans of beans – undrained.  Bring to a boil and add chicken.  Cook on medium/low for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

STEP 3

In a blender, combine sour cream, lime zest, juice, and cilantro.  Pulse until combined.

STEP 4

Before serving, shred chicken with two forks.  Serve with cilantro cream.

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This time of year we are ridiculously busy. Between baseball games, tournaments, practices, robotics, scouting, and just trying to survive - dinner starts to take a back seat. I start relying on sheet pan dinners more and more and this one is a great spring time option. We don’t eat a lot of dairy at our house so I often use vegan pesto instead of traditional pesto and let the kids add their own parmesan cheese. I also HIGHLY suggest picking up the pesto at Costco. It’s not expensive and it tastes great - especially if you are baking it anyway.

Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken

serves 4

2 lb chicken breast, cut into strips

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 onion, sliced

½ cup pesto

¼ cup fresh basil

½ cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 450.

 Toss asparagus and zucchini with half of the pesto. 

STEP 2

Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan and pour pesto vegetables around them. 

STEP 3

Sprinkle the top of the vegetables with onion and tomatoes.

STEP 4

Spread the top of each chicken breast with the remaining pesto.

STEP 5

Sprinkle half of the parmesan over the top of everything and pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes until thermometer reads 160 degrees.  Serve with extra cheese.

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This goes perfectly with…

A lemon infused vodka soda that you are going to LOVE! Click here for the recipe.

I have been super interested in the Banza noodles - they are made with chickpeas instead of regular flour - which means they are packed with protein, fiber and have less carbs. There are definitely a few applications where these noodles aren’t exactly like their wheat filled counterparts, but when they are cooked in the sauce, they are perfect!

This soup is one of those dinners that I make when I have no idea what I’m doing for dinner. I almost always have carrots, celery and onion in the house. This goes even faster if you use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it. I’ve gone that route before too as well and it’s just as delicious. And it cuts out about 10 minutes - which when you’re talking about 30 minutes total - that’s quite a bit of time.

Serve it with a big green salad, bread if you have teenagers, and enjoy!

One Pot Chicken Soup with Banza

serves 4

3 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1 bouillon cube

1/2 lb chicken breast, sliced

1 - 8oz box Banza cavatappi noodles

2 cups water

salt & pepper to taste

STEP 1

In a large stock pot, cook down carrots, celery and onion until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2

Pour in chicken stock and stir in the bouillon cube (or equivalent - I like the paste version). Bring to a boil.

STEP 3

Add the chicken and cook until done. Then add noodles + 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until the noodles are done. Season with salt & pepper.

Serve hot with a big salad.

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I cannot believe I haven’t shared these tots before! I am obsessed with tater tots AND obsessed with buffalo wings. It’s the perfect football snack - and this weekend the Seahawks have a very big game so you’ll need something to eat. Here it is. This is the best mash up of football snacks ever.

Pearl and I devoured this batch of them as soon as I made them. The real trick is to get the tots extra crispy. If you have an air fryer, use that! If you don’t, make sure our tots are on one even layer when you put them in the oven- and make sure your oven is extra hot (like 450 degrees). The crispier the tots, the longer you have with these being delicious. If your tots are soggy to start, then they will only get mushier as you serve them.

These are so great on a football game day because they take almost no time to pull together. I started at Town & Country stores for the groceries - it’s one of my favorite new stores.

I am obsessed with grocery stores. It’s actually my favorite activity when we’re on vacation, in a new city, or if I have time to kill. I love to see what other cities have on their shelves. I love to see local products. I love the adventure of finding new things.

Town & Country does not disappoint. It’s such a great store!

It’s also really fun in this big city we live in to travel across town and see the store that is totally different from the store down the block. I found a few things at Town & Country that I now exclusively drive across town to find! Let me know what your favorite grocery store find is and where you find it!

Buffalo Chicken Tots

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank’s)

1/2 cup butter

2 cups shredded chicken (I buy rotisserie and shred it)

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

Blue cheese dressing

Blue cheese crumbles

STEP 1

Cook the tots in the air fryer until very crispy but not burned.

STEP 2

Melt together butter and wing sauce in a large pan. Toss in shredded chicken and cook until warmed.

STEP 3

Spread the tots out on a serving platter. Top with the chicken and pour any extra sauce on top. Sprinkle over celery, onion, and blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle blue cheese dressing on top and serve hot!

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Every spring I make a salad like this at least once a week. We have three kids on three different baseball teams that each play at least two games a week - sometimes three games a week! It means we don’t eat dinner at home all spring. If we do eat dinner at home, it’s at 4:30pm or at 9pm. None of those options seem great.

A few year ago I started packing a picnic basket with dinner for the family. My Ultimate BLT sandwiches came out of that era - and now another option. We stopped eating bread a few years ago and it can make picnicking really challenging. Most picnic food is sandwiches (because that’s what’s easy) or it’s a “light salad” that doesn’t really hit the spot.

This last year I focused in on creating something that was filling, full of protein, and had enough vegetables to count as “full of vegetables.” This salad has been the perfect solution. I usually make it with the soba noodles but you can swap out rice noodles or just spaghetti if that’s what you have on hand.

SOBA NOODLE SALAD

serves 4

STEP 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to package instructions

STEP 2

Chop the cilantro and green onions and shred the carrot.

STEP 3

Drain the noodles – saving some of the water - and reserve them in the strainer.

In the hot pan, combine the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sriracha, and ¼ cup of pasta water.  Whisk the sauce then toss the noodles into the pan.  If they appear dry, add more pasta water.

STEP 4

Add the vegetables, bean sprouts, and shredded chicken (or tofu) and serve immediately.  

2 bundles soba noodles

¼ cup tahini

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tbs fresh ginger, grated

½ tsp sriracha

1 carrot, shredded

3 green onions, greens & whites chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 cup bean sprouts

2 cups shredded chicken

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Happy Summer!  Are you celebrating something?  You should be, there's lots to celebrate.  Celebrate the kids who have graduated from school; celebrate the parents who made it through another school year; celebrate the baseball teams/soccer teams/volleyball teams that had a great season.  

You did it!  

We made it to another summer.  

To celebrate, I leaned into the pineapple trend that everyone is loving and turned it into an edible trend.  If pineapples are cute, then eating them has to be freaking adorable.  Right?  I made a simple little menu with teriyaki chicken burgers that can cook on the grill while everyone sips delicious coconut pineapple cocktails that can be spiked or un-spiked for the younger celebrators.  

TERIYAKI CHICKEN BURGER

serves 4

STEP 1

In a microwave safe bowl, combine soy, pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, and sugar.  Set aside.  If you’re making rice, start it now. 

STEP 2

Pour half of the pineapple mixture over the chicken.  Let rest 5 minutes, but no longer or the pineapple with begin to ‘cook’ the chicken.

STEP 3

Grill chicken about 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.  

STEP 4

Whisk cornstarch in the pineapple mixture and microwave at one-minute increments whisking between each minute.  Continue until slightly thick.  

STEP 5

Whisk together mayonnaise and sriracha.  Spread mixture on one side of the Hawaiian buns.

STEP 6

Layer chicken, pineapple, and lettuce on top of each burger.  Serve with rice.

4 chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets

1 can sliced pineapple rings

¼ cup soy sauce

Pineapple juice from the can

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tbs corn starch

8 Hawaiian hamburger buns

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tbs. sriracha

Iceberg lettuce

PINA COLADA SPARKLERS

In a tall glass scoop two to three scoops of coconut sorbet.  Top with Pineapple Dry Sparkling until the glass is full.  Float 2 oz. of dark rum on top for the adults in the group.

1./ 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6. / 7. / 8. / 9. / 10. / 11. / 12.

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Before I had children I hosted a Chinese New Year dinner every year!  I loved it.  It's a great excuse for a party and not one that most people in Seattle seem to think of.  Or we remember the day of because the kids come home from their assembly super excited about dragons and envelops with coins inside.  

I don't entirely know why I stopped.  Probably being overwhelmed by three kids did it.  But I'm determined to bring it back.  Even if it's just for the five of us - I will bring it back.  If you are more ambitious (or if I get more ambitious?) host a few friends and enjoy.

This dinner is one of the simplest dinners you can make - and it's so good.  Like addictive good.

CHINESE CHICKEN WRAPS

serves 4

STEP 1

Cook chicken with garlic and onion until chicken is browned. 

STEP 2

Mix hoisin, soy, vinegar, honey, ginger, chili oil, and stock in a bowl.

STEP 3

Add chestnuts, scallions, zucchini, and bell pepper to the pan then pour over the sauce.

STEP 4

Cook until veggies are softened. 

STEP 5

Serve on butter lettuce

2 lb ground chicken

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

¼ cup hoisin

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs grated ginger

2 tbs honey

1 tbs chili oil

¼ cup chicken stock

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 head butter lettuce

Shop the gear

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Over on Weeknight Society, I regularly post a recipe so I can share what I'm cooking on the app with people who can't download the app (Android).  When I'm finally willing to pop for the Android build (it's almost $20,000!) I may not post as often, but I like to be able to offer all of the people my recipes.  

This week I'm going on Q13 FOX News with my fun ideas for a fabulous Super Bowl party.  This salad is the centerpiece of the party - well, the chicken strips on top are the centerpiece.  The lettuce is like the greenery around the roses.  It also makes this feel a lot healthier than a big pile of chicken wings (which are my very favorite thing in the whole world).  I also baked these chicken strips adding another level of healthiness that traditional wings just don't have.  There is a bit of butter on these chicken strips so they aren't "health food" by any means.  Just slightly better than the greasy fried version at the bar.

Speaking of the greasy fried wings, where are your favorite wings?  I'm on a mission to eat them everywhere. Currently, our neighborhood dive bar has my favorite.  They serve them naked, but with a side of Franks for dipping + the blue cheese.  I'm getting hungry writing this, so I probably can't tell you about the ones I had last month that were rolled in a blue cheese dust before frying.  They were awesome.  A hint of blue cheese flavor without even dipping them.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

Seves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 375

Toss all tenders in milk then bread in panko.  Bake 20 minutes until cooked through. (30 mins)

STEP 2

Combine dressing ingredients and set aside. 

STEP 3

Remove tenders from the oven.  Melt together franks and butter in a small sauce pan.  Dip each tender through the hot sauce. 

STEP 4

Toss lettuce, celery, tomatoes and dressing.  Top with blue cheese crumbles, buffalo chicken, and dressing.

1 lb chicken tenders

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup milk

1 cup franks wing sauce

¼ cup butter

1 head butter lettuce

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2  cup blue cheese crumbles

1 cup blue cheese

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 clove grated garlic

salt and pepper

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This is the time of year when my attempt at healthy eating has evaporated.  I usually start out great in the morning with granola and coconut milk.  I plan a lunch to take with me that's generally filled with vegetables.  But after that, it takes a nose dive.  The remaining Halloween candy beckons me.  Then a cocktail.  Then tacos.

This week I'm reigning it back in with a version of tacos that's way healthier.  Here's why

- I swapped out ground beef for ground chicken.

- Instead of traditional taco shells, I used lettuce.

- Eliminated cheese and added more vegetables 

my photographer hates photos of raw meat, so I use them a lot.

The great thing with these wraps is that they are generally family friendly.  My kids eat them.  The youngest still prefers a traditional tortilla instead of the lettuce, but everyone else is on board with the lettuce thing.  I've been known to add rice to this dinner too in the event my kids seem like they need extra carbs.  They are all so athletic, they need carbs way more often than I do.  

Thai Chicken Wraps

serves 4

2 lb ground chicken

1 tbs sriracha

1 lime – zested and juiced

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 clove garlic

1 tbs ginger

2 tbs soy

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

1 cucumber

1 cup basil

1 head butter lettuce

½ cup mayo

1 tsp sriracha

1 tsp cilantro

1 tsp honey

STEP 1

Mix the chicken with 1 tbs sriracha, the juice of ½ lime and the lime zest, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Let it sit for a few minutes.  (5 mins)

STEP 2

Mix together mayo, 1 tsp sriracha, 1 tsp chopped cilantro, 1 tsp honey, the juice of ½ lime.  (5 mins)

STEP 3

Cook the meat over high heat until browned.  (10 mins)

STEP 4

Serve in butter lettuce cups with vegetables on top + dressing on the side.