Combine shrimp and pesto for perfect weeknight dinner
These shrimp and pesto bowls are delicious, healthy and pretty — and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they’re basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.
Charred shrimp and pesto bowls
Makes: 4 servings
⅓ cup prepared pesto
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (16-20 count), patted dry
4 cups arugula
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, diced
1. Whisk pesto, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Remove 4 tablespoons of the mixture to a small bowl; set both bowls aside.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until just cooked through with a slight char, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
3. Add arugula and quinoa to the large bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide the arugula mixture between 4 bowls. Top with tomatoes, avocado and shrimp. Drizzle each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the reserved pesto mixture.
A breakfast casserole might be something you think of for serving a crowd, but with our scaleddown version, it’s the perfect breakfast for two.
One of the best things about making a breakfast casserole for a crowd is that you can make it in advance. But we were willing to do a little hands-on work in the morning as long as it wasn’t too much.
To keep the work and time to a minimum, we kept a tight ingredient list and sped up the cooking process by starting the casserole in a skillet before finishing it in a hot oven.
To make up for the flavor that a breakfast casserole develops overnight and to add some crunchy texture to the custard, we frontloaded it with bacon, cheese and scallions and toasted half the bread in some reserved bacon fat left over from frying our bacon. We also used cream to add richness.
The result? A delicious, supremely satisfying contrast of custardy, savory interior and crisp, toasty top that goes from prep to table in less than 45 minutes.
Ready for fast foodstyle french fries in the comfort of your own home, no deep-frying required? Yeah, you are. Thanks to the air fryer, it’s never been easier to turn a humble spud into crispy-on-theoutside, creamy-on-theinside fries — and you only need 15 minutes and one teaspoon of oil. Here’s how it’s done.
The key to evenly browned and crispy fries is spreading them in a single layer in your air fryer basket. It’s no big deal if they’re touching, but avoid stacking them, which will prevent the hot air in the fryer from evenly crisping all the edges. If you want to make more fries than what will fit in a single layer, transfer the first batch to a sheet tray and keep them warm in a 200 degree oven. Repeat with as many batches as you’d like.
When it comes to seasonings, you can keep it simple with salt and pepper or go bold: Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and cayenne are all great options.