Stress-Free Family Weeknight Meals They'll Love!
Does this illustration resemble your family dinners during the school year? It certainly bears no likeness to mine, or those of any other family I know! Once the school year kicks in, it feels like all hell breaks loose: conflicting and complicated schedules; endless time spent shuttling others hither and yon; homework help needs; demands at work amping up... And somehow we still have to find a way to get the household fed, ideally with nutritious, delicious, and easy dishes that satisfy every picky palate and dietary requirement in the household. Feels like a Herculean effort...
Make it easier on yourself by stocking your home with items that are quick and easy to serve, but not overprocessed or mass produced; it'll both lighten load and prevent the familiar "quick-but-crappy takeout" guilt. The other secret is to have a repertoire of quick recipes that you can batch cook and use for lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Our mission at Pinwheel is to help you do both. Check out our examples of easy family-friendly weekday dishes and recipes below!
Broccoli Pesto Pasta (nut free)
A refreshing, kid-friendly dish that allows you to introduce broccoli (or sneak it in!) in a whole new context. Any leftover pesto sauce can be used as a sandwich condiment, to dress couscous, or as a topping for chicken breast. For a heartier dish, add frozen peas, toasted pine nuts, diced cherry tomatoes and/or canned tuna (the Italian variety in olive oil is best) or chicken breast chunks.
Serves: 4-6; 15 minutes prep
Ingredients
1.1 lb. DiMartino Paccheri pasta (or tubular pasta of your choice), cooked, with 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water reserved
1 lb Pinwheel Broccoli Florets (frozen)
50-75g grated Parmesan (to taste)
8 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large / 5 small fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Microwave the broccoli on the High setting with 1 Tbsp of water, covered, until it’s tender enough to stick a knife through the stalks (about 1-2 minutes, depending on strength of your microwave)
Add the broccoli to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blitz until smooth.
To make pesto pasta, mix a few spoons of the pasta cooking water into the pesto paste until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste & adjust seasonings if necessary. Mix the pesto into the pasta and top with Parmesan and any additional toppings (peas, tomatoes, pine nuts, tuna, chicken breast, etc.). Serve hot or at room temp.
The pesto can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Chicken Club Sandwich with Bacon Jam & Avocado
As satisfying as a burger, but healthier and quicker and easier to make! Use top quality, humanely-raised chicken for the best flavor. Serve with a side salad or our Seasoned Potato Wedges.
Serves: 1; Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients (per serving)
1 small chicken all-natural breast/serving, pounded thin (or use leftover rotisserie chicken pieces)
salt and pepper
1 sandwich bun, sliced in half (toasted, if preferred)
1 Tbsp mayo
2 leaves lettuce
2 slices tomato
2 Tbsp TBJ Sweet Chili Bacon Jam
1/2 small avocado, sliced or mashed
Instructions
Season the chicken with salt & pepper and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-4 minutes per side, or poach in salted water 5-7 minutes until no longer pink inside. Allow chicken to cool for 5 minutes.
Assemble the sandwich with the bacon jam spread on the top bun and avocado spread on the bottom bun; sprinkle avocado with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and enjoy!
Slow Cooker (or Instant Pot) Greek Chicken & Orzo
A set-it-and-forget-it method of producing a hearty but summery one-pot dish without turning on the stove. Healthy and low fat!
Serves: 6; Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 3 hours, 30 min.
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar (white or brown)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 chicken stock cube , crumbled
2 bay leaves
400 g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes
250 g (1 cup) fire roasted peppers (can or jar), diced
3 large Locust Point Farms All-Natural chicken breasts, diced
10 Greek Kalamata olives (whole or diced)
210 g (1 cup) uncooked Agorzimi spelt orzo (or other dried orzo or pearl couscous)
1 cup freshly boiled water
Feta or grated Parmesan cheese to serve
Basil or oregano leaves, to garnish
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in your slow cooker Instant Pot if it allows for searing. Add the garlic, salt, sugar, and crumbled stock cube until garlic just begins to color.
Stir in the Flavor Burst, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes, diced peppers, chicken and olives. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (or on Low for 6) in a Slow Cooker (or on Medium in an Instant Pot.)
Stir in the orzo or cous cous and water and cook for a further 20-30 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Remove the pot from the slow cooker/Instant Pot (otherwise the pasta will continue to cook).
Discard the bay leaves, taste and season. Garnish with chopped oregano or basil leaves and top with feta or grated Parmesan.
Chickpea Salad With Fresh Herbs and Scallions
Adapted from Lidey Heuck’s recipe in the New York Times, this is a lighter, healthier version of classic potato salad, using ready cooked chickpeas in place of potatoes and Greek yogurt to reduce the quantity of mayonnaise. The trick to achieving the creamy texture of traditional potato salad is to mash some of the chickpeas lightly with a fork. It travels well, so it deserves a spot at your next picnic or desk lunch! See optional toppings for a more substantial version.
Serves: 4-6; Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 15 min, plus 30 min. marination time
Ingredients
½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving
4 (10-ounce) pouches Your Organics Ready to Use Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
½ cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (2 to 3 scallions)
Optional Toppings:
sliced boiled egg
diced cucumber
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth, then add the dill and parsley and stir to combine. Set aside.
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and using a fork, lightly mash about 1/3 of them. Add the celery and scallions and toss.
Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more dill and parsley and serve. (If you’re not serving the dish immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)
Hatch Chile Salmon Burgers
Serious Foodie Hatch Chile Cooking Sauce is one of the most versatile condiments we’ve come across. It’s tangy and bright, but has just the mildest “bite”- kids love it as a salsa. Paired with our no-filler Salmon Burgers, the Chile sauce adds a lively zest that balances the sweetness of the salmon perfectly.
Serve with a black bean salad on the side and you’ll have a high-protein, low calorie totally satisfying meal! You can omit the bun if you prefer a lower-carb option.
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: approx. 15 minutes
Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray
Salt & pepper
4 hamburger buns (toasted brioche buns are a nice option)
Optional Toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, avocado slices, thinly sliced red onion or caramelized onions, sliced bell peppers
Instructions:
Heat grill over medium-high heat. Coat grate with cooking spray. Brush the salmon patties with the Hatch Chile Sauce; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.
Brush a little additional Hatch Chile sauce on the burgers and season with salt and pepper. Serve in toasted hamburger buns with desired toppings.