Whether eating healthier is part of your New Year's resolution or simply a necessity after feasting with friends and family over the holidays, these dinner recipes will leave you feeling nourished and satiated with minimal ingredients and effort.
Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's secret to using spice blends to enhance everyday dishes like tomato sauceWhile "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White was skinning down to his skivvies for a new Calvin Klein campaign, "Good Morning America" Food was taking a page from his character's book and sorting through a fresh assortment of dinner recipes to cook this winter season.
Check out the recipes below and be sure to tag GMA in your home cooked creations.
This easy weeknight dinner idea is packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and the one-pan method makes cooking and cleaning a breeze.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 pound baby yellow potatoes
1/2 pound green beans
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnishing
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lined a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the potatoes until fork tender, about for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and parsley.
Place the salmon, potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet, and season them with salt and pepper. Then, brush the prepared sauce over the salmon and the vegetables.
Bake in the oven until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
Tips:
Pat the salmon fillets dry before seasoning to remove excess water.
If using frozen salmon, be sure to thaw it fully.
Ingredients
For the teriyaki sauce:
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
For the stir-fry:
1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Steamed white rice for serving
Sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
To make the teriyaki sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and water and whisk until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the tamari mixture, then set aside.
Add 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil to a wok or large skillet and set over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add onion and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the broccoli and water, then cover pan tightly and steam for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp tender.
Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from the skillet and set aside. Add remaining oil. Once shimmering, add the steak and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the steak is just cooked through.
Add sauce and reserved vegetables back to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve over white rice.
Suzy Karadsheh, an Egyptian-born cookbook author and the food blogger behind The Mediterranean Dish, regularly shares modern, easy and wholesome Mediterranean recipes that fit both the diet and lifestyle.
Karadsheh shared a few of her favorite recipes below, but first up is her gluten-free, nutrient-dense lentil soup, which she said "is just the kind of reset" she craves after the holidays.
"Lentils are a traditional part of an Italian New Year celebration: Their coin-like shape expanding as they cook is said to bring good fortune. But this hearty, healthy, veggie-packed lentil soup is useful well beyond your end-of-year menu! Nourishing and comforting in all the best ways, this flavorful recipe is easy to make, comes together in 40-ish minutes, and freezes well."
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
28-ounce can whole tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup green lentils, rinsed (or brown lentils)
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup chopped parsley leaves
Splash red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Saute the aromatics: In a large Dutch oven, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are fragrant and somewhat tender, about 5 minutes.
Simmer: Add the tomatoes and lightly crush with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Stir in the vegetable broth, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and lentils. Season with another pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and partly cover the Dutch oven, leaving a little opening. Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are very tender and cooked through, but still intact.
Finish and serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach, parsley, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Taste and season with more vinegar, salt, and pepper to your liking. Transfer to serving bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan cheese, if using.
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 shawarma pitas
Ingredients
For the chicken shawarma
3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 tablespoon turmeric powder
3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more if you prefer
Salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large lemon, juiced
1/3 cup Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
To serve
6 pita pockets
Tahini sauce or Greek tzatziki sauce
Baby arugula
3-ingredient Mediterranean Salad
Pickles or Kalamata olives (optional)
For the tabouli
1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat
4 firm Roma tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 English cucumber (hothouse cucumber), very finely chopped
2 bunches parsley, part of the stems removed, washed and well-dried, very finely chopped
12-15 fresh mint leaves, stems removed, washed, well-dried, very finely chopped
4 green onions, white and green parts, very finely chopped
Salt
3-4 tablespoon lime juice (lemon juice, if you prefer)
3-4 tablespoon Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil
Romaine lettuce leaves to serve, optional
Instructions
To make the tabouli:
Wash the bulgur wheat and soak it in water for 5-7 minutes. Drain very well (squeeze the bulgur wheat by hand to get rid of any excess water). Set aside.
Very finely chop the vegetables, herbs and green onions as indicated above. Be sure to place the tomatoes in a colander to drain excess juice.
Place the chopped vegetables, herbs and green onions in a mixing bowl or dish. Add the bulgur and season with salt. Mix gently.
Now add the the lime juice and olive oil and mix again.
For best results, cover the tabouli and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. If you like, serve the tabouli with a side of pita and romaine lettuce leaves, which act as wraps or "boats" for the tabouli.
To make the chicken:
In a small bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, sweet paprika and cloves. Set aside the shawarma spice mix for now.
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt on both sides, then thinly slice into small bite-sized pieces.
Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the shwarma spices and toss to coat. Add the onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss everything together again. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight (if you don't have time, you can cut or skip marinating time)
When ready, preheat the oven to 425 F. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for a few minutes.
Spread the marinated chicken with the onions in one layer on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes in the 425 F heated oven. For a more browned, crispier chicken, move the pan to the top rack and broil very briefly (watch carefully). Remove from the oven.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the pita pockets. Make tahini sauce according to this recipe, or tzatziki sauce according to this recipe. Make 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad according to this recipe. Set aside.
To serve, open pita pockets up. Spread a little tahini sauce or tzatziki sauce, add chicken shawarma, arugula, Mediterranean salad and pickles or olives, if you like. Serve immediately!
Recipe reprinted with permission from The Mediterranean Dish.
Karadsheh kept the velvety, luscious quality that makes butter beans so tasty but added layers of spicy, garlicky, fresh and lemony flavor to brighten up this plant-based dish.
This recipe, which can be served as a main dish or a side, is also fully vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and Mediterranean diet-friendly.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Urfa pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Two 15-ounce cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Juice of 2 lemons
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley
1/3 cup roughly chopped dill
Instructions
Toast the seasonings: Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once it begins to shimmer, add the red pepper flakes, Urfa pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, minced garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown or the oil will taste bitter).
Simmer the beans: Add the drained butter beans and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer until the beans are warm and the broth is just slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
Finish and serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, green onions, and fresh herbs. Serve warm, with your favorite crusty bread, rice, or tossed with cooked plain pasta.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The Mediterranean Dish.