Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes

 

Today I’m excited to share some of my go-to easy weeknight dinners in partnership with Safeway and featuring Open Nature® products. We always like to have somewhat healthy meals during the week so we can indulge with whatever we want on the weekends — it’s all about balance right? Because I’m usually alone with the girls for dinner time a few nights a week I like to have a repertoire of quick, tasty meals that Piper will eat, too! Generally speaking I try not to modify her meal too much but sometimes I do since she’s become such a picky eater.

Safeway is one of our go-to spots for groceries, especially since it’s literally right up the road and we pass it every single day! We’ve been stocking up on Open Nature products for years – we love that they are composed of minimally processed ingredients, are non-GMO and have the same quality as some of the pricier equivalent brands on the market. 

Here are a few of my QUICK + simple weeknight meals that our whole family loves.

Let’s start with the Open Nature Rotisserie Chicken which is free from added hormones- I became obsessed with eating rotisserie chickens when I was breastfeeding Piper and on a dairy & soy-free diet for a year. They were my go-to when I was too tired to cook- I love them with fries and a salad or to use in recipes like tacos, salads, burrito bowls, soups and more. The Open Nature chicken is so delicious – moist but not greasy and is great on its own or in recipes. I also love to sneak shredded Open Nature Rotisserie Chicken into Piper’s meals – anything from pasta to rice and beans.

Here’s how I make my tacos, it literally takes 10 minutes and is such a satisfying and delicious meal. If only I always had margarita ingredients on hand! 

Quick & Easy Chicken Tacos

2 cups of shredded Open Nature Rotisserie Chicken
2 tbs taco seasoning
Corn tortillas
½ cup Open Nature Plain Greek Yogurt
½ cup Pico de Gallo
1 cup of warmed refried beans
Sliced avocado
Optional: Shredded cheese + lettuce

1. After shredding the rotisserie chicken place it in a bowl and sprinkle with taco seasoning until it’s all coated.
2. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds and then spread a layer of beans, top with shredded chicken, pico de gallo, sliced avocado and sour cream!

*Usually I make a quesadilla for Piper with the same ingredients (minus the avocado which I serve her on the side).

We always have pesto in our fridge – I use it on any and everything and two of my favorite dishes to make with it are baked salmon and pasta, of course! Since I’m currently on a dairy and nut free diet because of Flora’s allergies I’ve been making my own pesto but this would be just as good (and easier) with store bought!  When I was dairy free I loved making “parmesan” with cashews but recently discovered that hemp seeds are a wonderful alternative! We love Open Nature’s Salmon and their raw frozen shrimp that are already de-tailed and peeled make weeknight cooking a BREEZE! I love the petite shrimp for mixing with pasta because they are the perfect bite size – and Piper will even try them if I’m lucky!

Pesto Pasta With Shrimp

1 cup pesto (add according to your sauce preference)
1 tbs red wine vinegar
Package of Open Nature Wild Caught Petite raw frozen shrimp THAWED
1 box of pasta
1 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt + pepper
Parmesan to top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Evenly layer shrimp on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Once oven is preheated roast shrimp for 12-15 minutes until no longer pink. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions (FYI – we like to use gluten free pasta that has more protein and nutritional value, something like quinoa, brown rice or lentil pasta is what you’ll find in our cabinet).
4. Once pasta and shrimp are done toss the pasta with pesto, red wine vinegar and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Top with roasted shrimp and parmesan — enjoy!

Nut & Cheese Free Pesto

1 large container of basil leaves
Handful of spinach
¼ cup + 1 TBS olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs vegan parmesan (you can make your own using this recipe or buy pre-made vegan parmesan that’s made with soy protein)
Salt + pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until finely ground. If you find the pesto is too thick just add a little more olive oil or lemon juice. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Pesto Salmon

Wild Caught Open Nature Sockeye Salmon

½ cup pesto

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet, and place salmon on top. Spread a thick layer of pesto on top of the salmon.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked through in the middle.
4. Serve with a side of rice, pasta (chopped garlic, tomatoes, olive oil with salt & pepper is my favorite) and a veggie!

    

I buy my Open Nature products at my local Safeway, and you can also find them exclusively at all of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, and Carrs/Safeway. Visit Safeway.com to find a store near you and discover more meal prep tips and recipe ideas

Thanks to Safeway for sponsoring this post!