17 of the Easiest Dinners on 101 Cookbooks

A collection of the easiest dinners on 101 Cookbooks. These are some of my personal favorites - the ones that are super weeknight-friendly, with reasonable ingredient lists. And I'm pulling some long-time favorites from deep in the archives. I'll update and add to it over time with bonus recipes. Enjoy!

1. Pasta with Baby Kale, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Pesto -
Literally, just six ingredients in this awesome pasta bowl. Get the recipe here.

2. Golden-crusted Sesame Seeded Tofu -
In the April 1998 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine there was a recipe for Sesame Asparagus and Tofu. I ripped it out, and cooked it a hundred times in the twenty years since. Get the recipe here.

3. Spicy Tahini Noodles with Roasted Vegetables -
This is my favorite kind of weeknight meal. Noodles tossed with a quick sauce, topped with an abundance of vegetables, and kissed with chile feistiness courtesy of the condiment shelf. Get the recipe here.

4. Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff with Vodka -
My most popular Instant Pot recipe. Make this stroganoff your dinner tonight, seriously! Made with caraway-spiked vodka, and a hearty mushroom base, you get all of what you love about mushroom stroganoff, without the all the butter and cream. Get the recipe here.

5. Mushroom Scallion Tartine with Poblano Yogurt -
A substantial, delicious, mushroom sheet pan sandwich recipe. You roast a bunch of mushrooms and scallions in a hot oven, whip up a simple poblano yogurt while those are roasting. So good! Get the recipe here.

6. Last Minute Red Lasagna -
This is a true weeknight lasagna. No pre-cooking sauces, no pre-cooking noodles. You, literally, stir the first five ingredients together into a vibrant crushed tomato sauce, and start layering. Get the recipe here.

7. Quick Vegan Enchiladas with Sweet Potato Sauce -
Knock-out delicious, you'll have these in the oven in less that ten minutes, They're also a healthful alternative to all the heavy cheese versions out there. With black beans, sweet potatoes, and a stealthy turmeric boost. Get the recipe here.

8. Garlic Lime Lettuce Wraps -
I love these! Ginger and garlic tempeh rice, folded into lime-spiked lettuce wraps with lots of herbs, cucumber, and carrots. A one-pan meal that comes together in no time! Get the recipe here.

9. Hazelnut Chard Ravioli Salad -
Plump raviolis tossed with toasted hazelnuts, lemony chard, and caramelized onions are at the heart of this ravioli salad recipe. The colorful platter is finished off with a dusting of cheese, snipped chives, and lemon zest. You can prepare most of the components ahead of time. Get the recipe here.

10. Ultimate Vegan Nachos -
When you need a nacho fix, this is how you should roll. At least once. Nachos are always a crowd pleaser, and this is no exception. Oozy, cheesy, loaded vegan nachos everyone loves. Get the recipe here.

11. Harissa Spaghettini -
I link to this whenever possible. Eight ingredients - most of which you definitely have on hand, between you and this flavor-punched tangle of kale-flecked goodness. That harissa in your refrigerator? This needs to be its destiny. Get the recipe here.

12. Classic Stuffed Shells -
Everyone loves these. The best part about stuffed shells is that you can prepare them days ahead of time. These are topped with red sauce, and filled with ricotta. Crowd pleaser for kids & adults. Get the recipe here.

13. Weeknight Ponzu Pasta -
This is the pasta preparation to make when you want to keep it light, clean, and healthy. Lots of bright green broccoli, green beans, garlic, and pasta tossed with a simple ponzu sauce. Trade in roasted winter squash as the seasons shift from away from tomatoes. Get the recipe here.

14. Walnut Strozzapreti -
Inspired by Mona Talbott's recipe in the new Coco cookbook, a pounded walnut pesto with marjoram and parsley, tossedwith farro pasta and Pecorino cheese. Get the recipe here.

15. 10 Minute Instant Pot Mushroom Broth -
You can use this Instant Pot mushroom broth a thousand different ways. If you have dried porcini mushrooms, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of thyme, you're in business. This broth, your favorite pasta, and whatever toppings you have on hand make an A+ on-the-fly meal! Get the recipe here.

16. Quick Shredded Tofu Stir-fry -
This is a snappy little stir-fry, it comes together in a flash, and is the perfect way to kick off the new year. Use it as a spring roll or lettuce wrap filling as well! Get the recipe here.

17. Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh -
This is a snappy little stir-fry, it comes together in a flash, and is the perfect way to kick off the new year. Use it as a spring roll or lettuce wrap filling as well! Get the recipe here.

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Meyer Lemon Focaccia with Hemp Seeds and Herbs

You can make this. I promise. Even if you don't think you're much of a baker. It's a golden crusted focaccia draped with whisper thin rounds of Meyer lemon, studded with black olives, and a showered with sliced almonds. The dough is herb-flecked with a generous boost of hemp seeds, and a percentage of rye flour if you happen to have some on hand. It's the same one I posted to my Instagram feed. I've been on a bit of a focaccia bender lately after making Nigel Slater's Cranberry Focaccia for New Years Eve (from The Christmas Chronicles). I forgot how simple and satisfying it is to make, and all the different ways you can top it based on what you have around the kitchen.

The pre-bake: The shot above is what the focaccia looks like prior to baking. I used an enamelled cast-iron baking pan, but(!) you can absolutely make the focaccia free-form (just shape it on a standard baking sheet). A third option is a cast iron skillet. I baked the last version I did in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Experiment and have fun with it!

The yeast: This recipe calls for instant yeast, and I'm including a shot of the exact yeast I used for reference below. You can add it directly to the dough. Different than active dry yeast.

If you make this focaccia, or a riff on it, tag me on Instagram (heidijswanson) so I can see :)!

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13 Inspiring Instagrammers to Follow for Healthy, Feel-Good Food

I'm so excited about this post, I'm not sure why I didn't do it sooner! I love being able to use my site not only to share the recipes I'm excited about cooking, but to highlight other cooks who inspire me. Many of them have Instagram accounts, so I thought I'd pull together a list of a few favorites. My hope is that they'll all inspire you to want to jump into the kitchen. They tend to celebrate lots of plants and vegetables, and generally integrate food, cooking, balance, and wellness into their lives in a way that inspires others. I actually have a much longer list, so think of this as the first installment. And, if you're into it, I'll share more!

- Ellen Fisher / @ellenfisher - I love this family. Watching the kids grow up on Ellen's You Tube channel has been amazing, their love for good food and nature from the time they were tiny is inspiring to all. One love! :)!

- Alaina Sullivan / @alasully - She's on design over at Bon Appétit Magazine, but she's actually one of my favorite cooks to watch.

- Candice Kumai / @candicekumai/ - Excited for her new book! - Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit

- Heidi Swanson / @heidijswanson - My Instagram, just in case you're not already following!

- ABCVNYC / @abcvnyc - Top of my list the next time I'm in NYC. I just wish they posted more! :)

- Andy Baraghani / @andybaraghani - I met Andy at a dinner at David Tanis's house a few days days before he started as Senior Food Editor at Bon Appétit Magazine and I couldn't wait to see what he'd be up to. He's just got that je ne sais quoi, and his recipes are are, so often, exactly what you want to be eating. Color, texture, flavor - he's just one of those cooks who has the good spidey sense.

- Beatrice Valenzuela / @beatricevalenzuela - Known for her clothing, shoe, and jewelry designs, Beatrice is actually one of my favorite cooks to watch. Catch glimpses through her watch Insta-stories for a peek into her Echo Park kitchen & life.

- Botanica / @botanicafood - The Instagram feed for Botanica Food & Market in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. If you can't be there, you can at least see what is coming out of the kitchen ;)...

- Camille Becerra / @camillebecerra - Chef at DeMaria in New York, all around inspiring person. Only wish Camille was West Coast :)!

- INDAY / @inday_nyc - Energizing Food + Good Karma, wish there was an INDAY in San Francisco.

- Nourished Journal / @nourishedjournal - a great wellness gateway with lots of wonderful profiles - for ex: alaalison, allylwalsh, and mynewroots.

- Sprouted Kitchen / @sproutedkitchen - Real life, real food. Love Sara.

- Anna Jones / @we_are_food - One of my favorite U.K. cookbook authors.

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Creamy Four Ingredient Chili Mac (Instant Pot / Conventional)

Chili mac is a thing. And I suspect it's a thing for a few good reasons. Namely, it's a family-friendly dinner solution, something nearly everyone can get behind. Chili + macaroni, what's not to like? I decided to a take a stab at it last week, in part because I was working on this Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili with Kahlua, and I had to go a few rounds to get it just right. So much leftover chili. So much. This chili mac combines four ingredients: your favorite chili, a beer (or broth), elbow pasta, and a splash of cashew, coconut milk, or other nut milk. It's as healthful as the chili you use. The last thing I'll say before jumping into the recipe is this, I know of no other dinner that takes less effort than the Instant Pot version of this. It's literally for nights when calling in take-out takes too long, and is too much effort. Seriously.

Pile on toppings to boost the chili mac nutritionally, and to flair it out in general. I mean, treat it like a taco bar, or a chili bar - anything you would on those things is fair game here. Also, if you don't have leftover chili on hand - a good canned chili will absolutely work here. I'll put some related thoughts in the head notes.

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Quick Shredded Tofu Stir-fry

This is one of my favorite recipes from my last cookbook, Near & Far. It's a snappy little stir-fry, and it comes together in a flash. It's the perfect kind of recipe to kick off the new year. You get freshness from bright pea shoots (or other greens), substance from the tofu, and some crunch from the pepitas and sesame seeds. It's an easy crowd pleaser, and I often use the leftovers as a spring roll filling (perfect for on-the-go lunches). Rice paper or lettuce wraps do the job!

You'll need to use a box grater for this; finer Microplane graters will shred the tofu too thinly to maintain the right amount of structure.

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