Under 30 Minutes

June 17, 2021 Dairy-Free

Steamed Potatoes with Herbs

These steamed potatoes are irresistibly soft and buttery! In a few simple steps you’ll have a healthy side dish that pairs well with virtually any meal. Make these steamed potatoes the next time you’re craving something quick, easy, and delicious!

close up image of steam potatoes on a plate with a lemon

What Makes These Steamed Potatoes So Good

They’re cooked to soft, buttery perfection! Steaming is one of the best ways to guarantee deliciously tender potatoes every time.
They require barely any effort at all. Simply add to a steamer basket, then remove and toss in butter and fresh herbs – that’s it! Leave these steamed potatoes to cook while you work on the rest of your meal and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time.
They’re super easy to customize to your liking! Use your favorite fresh herbs and add as much or as little salt as you’d like.

Key Ingredients for Steamed Potatoes

Baby Potatoes – There are a few kinds of baby potatoes out there, and any kind will work in this recipe. These steamed potatoes are also a great dish to throw together when you have any leftover potatoes lying around. No need to peel or chop these potatoes either. Simply give them a good rinse then toss them straight into a steamer basket!

Fresh Herbs – I used fresh parsley and chives, but you can use a few tablespoons of whatever fresh herbs you’d like! Fresh dill, cilantro, thyme, and basil are all delicious options as well. Have fun with this part of the recipe, get creative and make it your own.

Chef’s Tips

Depending on the size of your potatoes, they may take longer to cook. At the 20 minute mark, check on the potatoes to see how they’re progressing. Do this by gently piercing one with a fork, if the fork glides through the potato easily then they’re ready to eat!
If you don’t have a steamer basket, then simply add the potatoes to a medium pot with one inch of water. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Turn this into a complete meal by adding some broccoli to the steamer basket in the final 4-5 minutes of cooking. When done, toss potatoes and broccoli in the butter and herbs then serve alongside a protein for a healthy weeknight meal!

overhead image of steamed potatoes on a plate with a fork and lemon

More Easy Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love

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Print Recipe

Steamed Potatoes with Herbs

These steamed potatoes are irresistibly soft and buttery! In a few simple steps you'll have a healthy side dish that pairs well with virtually any meal. Make these steamed potatoes the next time you're craving something quick, easy, and delicious!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy side, fewer than 5 ingredients, weeknight dinner

Servings: servings

Calories: 157kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Medium pot
Steamer basket

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter see Notes
2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs see Notes
Additional salt to taste

Instructions

Add about one inch of water to a pot with a steamer basket. Once simmering, add the potatoes and salt into the steamer basket, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
Transfer steamed potatoes to a large bowl with the butter and fresh herbs, tossing to coat. Taste and season with additional salt as desired.

Notes

Make it Vegan: Use vegan butter or olive oil in place of the butter in this recipe.
Fresh Herbs: I used fresh chives and parsley, but you can use any fresh herbs you’d like in this recipe.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines, and reflect information for one serving. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific types and brands of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

June 10, 2021 Air Fryer

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

These air fryer turkey burgers are simple, juicy, and delicious! Throw this easy meal together on a busy weeknight or whenever you’re craving something quick, yet healthy. A perfectly seasoned turkey burger patty is cooked in the air fryer in no time!

What Makes This Air Fryer Turkey Burgers Recipe So Good

Ground turkey, a few very simple ingredients, and an air fryer is all you’ll need to make these air fryer turkey burgers! Lightly seasoned, then cooked to perfection and you’re free to serve them however you’d like.
This recipe includes three different turkey burger options, allowing you to pick the one you like best! Choose from either making the patties yourself, buying them pre-made from the store or cooking up that box of frozen turkey burger patties in your freezer. Each method is equally as simple and delicious!
The air fryer takes all the guesswork out of cooking these air fryer turkey burgers. Simply add the patties to the air fryer, cook for 15 minutes, pause to flip halfway through, and then you’re done! I love cooking up a double batch of these turkey burgers at the start of a busy week for an easy grab-and-go lunch or dinner.

Key Ingredients for Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

Ground Turkey – This ground meat has less calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium than ground beef. I use and recommend 90%-95% lean ground turkey for this recipe. However, if you can’t find ground turkey you can easily substitute it for ground chicken instead.

Egg – The egg in this recipe helps to bind the air fryer turkey burger patties together during and after cooking. Without the egg, you’ll have a more crumbly turkey burger that risks falling apart when eaten. If you want to go without the egg, you can, though I do not recommend it for this recipe.

Worcestershire Sauce – Just a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce packs so much flavor into these air fryer turkey burgers! Often found in beef burgers and a variety of other grilled recipes, the Worcestershire sauce helps these burgers mimic that delicious, slightly tangy flavor.

Chef’s Tips

Ground turkey is stickier and slightly more challenging to handle than ground beef. Lightly coat your hands with oil before forming patties, in order to avoid sticking. It’s also useful to keep in mind that the less you mix and handle the ground turkey, the less sticky it will be!
Leave the turkey burger patties in the freezer for no more than 10 minutes before transferring to the air fryer. The goal here is to get the patties solid enough to handle, but not too frozen to cook all the way through.
Feel free to serve these air fryer turkey burgers however you’d like! I kept things simple with a toasted bun, a thick layer of mashed avocado, as well as some lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Fresh cucumber, pickles, or a slice of cheese would also make a great addition to these burgers!

air fryer turkey burgers place on one half of a bun

More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

These air fryer turkey burgers are simple, juicy, and delicious! Throw this easy meal together on a busy weeknight or whenever you're craving something quick, yet healthy. A perfectly seasoned turkey burger patty is cooked in the air fryer in no time!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings: servings

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Large bowl
Air Fryer

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, then divide and shape into four patties. Place the turkey burger patties in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.
Add patties to the air fryer and cook at 360° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Pre-made Turkey Burger Patties:

If not already seasoned, evenly season both sides of pre-made turkey burger patties with salt and black pepper.
Add to air fryer basket and cook at 360° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Frozen Turkey Burger Patties:

Add frozen turkey burger patties to air fryer basket and cook at 375° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes

Depending on the thickness of your patties and the intensity of your air fryer, these turkey burgers may take a few more or a few less minutes to cook. When pausing the air fryer to flip the burgers, take a moment to evaluate how slowly or quickly they’re cooking and adjust the time from there.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines, and reflect information for one turkey burger patty, not including a bun or any toppings. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific types and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

June 3, 2021 Air Fryer

Air Fryer Squash

An air fryer is all you need to get perfectly tender, crisp summer squash in no time at all! This recipe for air fryer squash uses olive oil and a little salt & pepper to highlight the natural flavors of the vegetables without overpowering them.

What Makes This Air Fryer Squash So Good

It’s a quick and easy recipe that fits almost any dietary need – low calorie, low carb, keto, gluten free, grain free, no added sugar, paleo, vegan, vegetarian… Everyone can enjoy this tasty snack or side dish!
If you don’t like mushy squash, this is the recipe for you. The air fryer gives you perfectly tender-crisp summer veggies in less than 10 minutes. There’s no messy clean up, no standing over a hot stovetop, no turning and tossing to keep things from burning. Just perfectly cooked squash at the touch of a button.
Any leftover squash can easily be reheated in the microwave, under the broiler, or in the air fryer again for just a couple of minutes. Refrigerate your leftover squash in an airtight container and it’ll keep up to 4 days.

Key Ingredients for Air Fryer Squash

Yellow Squash – Yellow squash is pretty iconic. It’s got a beautiful color (hello, gorgeous yellow) and an interesting shape (roundish and bulbous on one end but skinnier toward the other end).

Zucchini – Another summer squash, zucchini doesn’t look like yellow squash. It’s a straight squash with uniform thickness from one end to the other, and it’s got a rich green color. Both zucchini and yellow squash have a similar taste and texture, and you can use them interchangeably in recipes. I like to use them together, like in this air fryer squash recipe, for some added color.

Chef’s Tips

Like any other air fryer recipe, you want to make sure you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The yellow squash and zucchini should lay in one flat layer, not stacked or overlapping. If they’re stacked, the air won’t circulate around the discs like it should. If the air can’t circulate, they won’t cook evenly. You may have to cook in two batches if you have a small air fryer or if you’re cooking a lot of squash.
For extra flavor, you can mince a little garlic and toss it with the squash and oil. You could also try soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of olive oil.
For crunchy squash and zucchini, try our recipe for Air Fryer Zucchini Chips. The veggies are sliced thin to crisp up nicely, and they’re topped with a little parmesan for a wonderful cheesy flavor.

While You’re Here, Check Out These Other Air Fryer Recipes

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Squash

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: easy cooking, summer food, veggie chips

Servings: servings

Calories: 81kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Air Fryer
Large bowl

Ingredients

1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
Slice squash and zucchini into quarter-inch-thick discs.
Place discs in bowl. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
Transfer squash to air fryer. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender but crisp.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 2 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving. Actual macros may vary slightly based on specific types and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

June 1, 2021 Air Fryer

Air Fryer Falafel

This air fryer falafel is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and incredibly flavorful throughout! Chickpeas and a variety of fresh herbs are what make this plant-based recipe delicious. This air fryer falafel is a healthier take on a much-loved classic!

What Makes This Air Fryer Falafel So Good

It packs all of the traditional falafel flavors, without the extra oil. The air fryer replaces deep-frying in this recipe, making it all the more light and healthy!
It’s packed, and I mean packed, with flavor! Fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, and fresh dill are just a few of the incredible flavors you can expect from this recipe. It’s almost hard to believe that something so healthy, could taste so good!
The air fryer doesn’t only make this recipe healthier, but it makes it easier too! Simply transfer your falafel to an air fryer basket, then leave them to cook and return to perfectly crispy falafel every time.

Key Ingredients for Air Fryer Falafel

Chickpeas – This bean is the base to every traditional falafel recipe. I made this recipe extra easy for you, by using canned, instead of dried, chickpeas. Start by draining the liquid from two cans of chickpeas, then give them a rinse before they’re ready to use in this air fryer falafel recipe. Chickpeas are high in vitamins and rich in plant-based protein, making them a super healthy and nutritious ingredient!

Baking Powder – This may seem like a strange ingredient in this recipe, but trust me when I tell you that it is key to the best falafel ever. Baking powder makes the interior of this falafel super light and airy! Without it, this falafel would be far too dense and less enjoyable.

Spray Cooking Oil – Since we eliminate the need to deep-fry in this recipe, we do need to add just a bit of oil to keep things from sticking. Start by coating the bottom of your air fryer basket or baking sheet with spray cooking oil, and finish by also lightly spritzing the top of each falafel before cooking. I use and recommend spray avocado oil in this recipe, but really any spray cooking oil will work.

Chef’s Tips

Whatever you do, do not skip refrigerating the falafel mixture in step 2. Refrigeration gives the mixture time to set and will aid in binding the falafel together while it cooks!
There is no limit to how you can serve this falafel! It’d be delicious in a pita, over a salad, or simply dipped in hummus. Sometimes I even find myself eating this falafel entirely on its own, it’s that good!
This air fryer falafel can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. To preheat, transfer back to the air fryer set to 375° Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes or until heated through.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.

Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!

air fryer falafel on a plate with hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh parsley, and dill

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Falafel

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: air fryer, easy vegan, plant based

Servings: servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Food processor
Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 cup parsley chopped
1 cup cilantro chopped
½ cup fresh dill chopped
5 garlic cloves minced
1 small yellow onion chopped
4 tablespoons all purpose flour see Notes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

For air frying:

spray cooking oil

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, but not pureed.
Refrigerate falafel mixture for at least one hour.
Remove from fridge and scoop two tablespoons of falafel mixture into your hands then roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Coat the basket of your air fryer with spray cooking oil and transfer falafel to the basket. Lightly spray falafel with cooking oil and set the air fryer to 15 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit.
Flip each falafel and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Notes

Make it Gluten-Free: Use 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour in this recipe.

Recipe yields approximately 12 falafel. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect the information for four falafel out of 12. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

May 25, 2021 Appetizer

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Roasted grape tomatoes are a simple but delicious side dish or appetizer, perfect with pasta, crostini, or all on their own. Seasoned grape tomatoes tossed in extra virgin olive oil and roasted with fresh garlic, ready to eat in roughly 30 minutes with minimal effort.

What Makes Roasted Grape Tomatoes So Good

Roasted grape tomatoes come together quickly and easily, and there’s not a lot of hands-on cooking involved. Sure you have to stir a couple of times, but for the most part, the oven does all the work!
You can serve these tomatoes on their own as a side dish, on crostini with a little mozzarella or goat cheese as an appetizer, or on avocado toast as a snack. You could also use them in baked feta pasta or turn them into a roasted tomato sauce.
This recipe is naturally low carb, dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan!
Got leftover roasted tomatoes? Refrigerate them in an airtight container, with as much liquid from the pan as possible. They’ll keep up to 1 week!

Key Ingredients for Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes – These are smaller and less sweet than the cherry variety, and taste more like the classic red tomato you know and love. They’re pretty much the heart and soul of roasted grape tomatoes! Since they’re meatier, with less juice than other types of tomatoes, they’re perfect for roasting. That being said, you can use this same method with cherry tomatoes or even plum tomatoes if you’d rather.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Made from olives, ground into a paste then pressed without heat, extra virgin olive oil is a pantry staple in most kitchens. The antioxidants in EVOO give it a slightly spicy flavor that makes it sting a little, but in a good way. Don’t have extra virgin olive oil? You can use regular olive oil, or another neutral oil, like avocado oil.

Chef’s Tips

If you want to dress it up a little, add sprigs of oregano or thyme to the baking dish before you put it in the oven. Basil would be wonderful, too!
Since you’re only using a few ingredients in this roasted grape tomatoes recipe, it’s important to make sure you’re using the freshest ingredients possible! Look for brightly colored tomatoes with smooth skin – no wrinkles or soft spots! Also, use a high quality olive oil and fresh garlic, not garlic from a jar if you can avoid it.
You may need to roast the tomatoes a little longer, depending on your oven and the size of your tomatoes. Keep an eye on them and adjust the time as needed!

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

More Easy Veggie Recipes

Print Recipe

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tomato sauce, vegan, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Large bowl
Large spoon or silicone spatula
9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

4 cups grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic smashed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
In large bowl, mix together all ingredients, stirring until tomatoes are thoroughly coated in oil, salt, and pepper.
Transfer tomatoes to baking dish. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir.
Return baking dish to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Tomatoes are ready when they've burst and started to caramelize.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect the information for one serving. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire finished recipe. Divide the total weight of the recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

May 13, 2021 Appetizer

Vegan Shrimp with Vegan Sriracha Mayo

This vegan shrimp tastes just like the real thing! Oyster mushrooms are coated in Panko breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning, then quickly fried until golden brown and crispy. This vegan shrimp is a total crowd-pleaser and will even have non-vegans reaching for more!

Vegan shrimp being dipping in sriracha mayo.

What Makes This Vegan Shrimp Recipe So Good

It’s seasoned exactly how regular shrimp is, therefore tasting almost identical to the real thing! Oyster mushroom provide the perfect texture and a crispy coating gives them that irresistible crunch.
Everyone loves this vegan shrimp, even avid seafood-eaters! Fool your friends, family, and even yourself with this vegan alternative to a much-loved classic.
The vegan sriracha mayo is the perfect pairing to this delicious “shrimp.” While they taste great on their own, the simple vegan sriracha mayo takes this recipe to the next level!

Key Ingredients for Vegan Shrimp

King Oyster Mushroom Stalks – Not only do these mushrooms provide that shrimp-like texture, but when sliced they look especially similar to little shrimps! We use just the king oyster mushroom stalks for this recipe, therefore you can either discard the caps, use them in a stir-fry, or any other recipe you’d like.

Flour – Flour is used to create a batter as the base layer to these crispy vegan shrimp. I recommend using all purpose flour for this recipe, but if you’d like you could use gluten-free flour instead.

Panko Breadcrumbs – This light and airy breadcrumb is ideal in helping us achieve that incredible crispy exterior on our vegan shrimp. Panko breadcrumbs have a buttery flavor without containing any butter, making them a vegan’s best friend!

Vegan Mayonnaise – There are quite a few vegan mayonnaises on the market these days, and any one will work in the vegan sriracha mayo recipe! If you’re not vegan, but would still like to try this recipe, feel free to use regular mayonnaise instead.

Chef’s Tips

Keep a close eye on the vegan shrimp as it fries. Since they’re so small, they will fry quite quickly – a couple minutes per side is all they’ll need!
Make sure none of the “shrimp” touch while frying, otherwise they risk getting stuck together. Just 1/4-inch apart is enough space for each piece to fry up evenly without disturbing one another.
Adjust the vegan sriracha mayo to your spice-level! Start with just 1/2 tablespoon of sriracha for a mild dipping sauce, give it a taste and then work up from there.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Vegan shrimp sprinkled with fresh parsley, served with lemon.

More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love

Print Recipe

Vegan Shrimp

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: entertaining, finger foods, fried food

Servings: servings

Calories: 234kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Small bowls (2)
Large pan

Ingredients

For the Vegan Shrimp

8 ounces king oyster mushroom stalks
½ cup almond milk see Notes
½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

For the Vegan Sriracha Mayo

¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
½ – 1 tablespoon Sriracha
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Slice oyster mushroom stalks into ½-inch discs, then slice each disk into shrimp shapes (similar to slicing it into a yin-yang symbol).
Mix together the almond or soy milk, flour, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the Panko breadcrumbs and Old Bay seasoning.
Dip each “shrimp” into the flour and milk mixture, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
Heat ½-inch of oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry each vegan shrimp for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Make the vegan sriracha mayo by adding all ingredients to a bowl and mixing until combined, then serve with vegan shrimp.

Notes

Almond Milk: Any non-dairy milk will work here, you could even use water instead of milk.
Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour and gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular Panko breadcrumbs.
Baking Option: Preheat an oven to 400° Fahrenheit and bake vegan shrimp for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, instead of frying.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Total number of vegan shrimp per serving will vary based on size of mushroom stalks. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving of vegan shrimp including the vegan sriracha mayo. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

May 11, 2021 Dairy-Free

Instant Pot Asparagus

This Instant Pot Asparagus will be your new favorite quick and easy method to cooking this delicious vegetable! Asparagus is lightly seasoned with garlic and lemon, then perfectly cooked in under 10 minutes.

What Makes This Instant Pot Asparagus Recipe So Good

The Instant Pot takes all the guesswork out of cooking asparagus! Simply set the timer and walk away, then return to tender asparagus every time.
It’s lightly seasoned making it a perfect addition to virtually any meal. Serve this easy veggie alongside salmon, chicken, or whatever protein you’d like for an easy and healthy low-carb lunch or dinner.
It’s the fastest, most efficient way to cook asparagus! This recipe doesn’t only ensure quick cooking, but quick clean-up too.

Key Ingredients for Instant Pot Asparagus

Asparagus – Be sure to trim the bottom 2-3 inches off each asparagus stem before cooking. The reason for this is because the bottom part of asparagus can be rather tough and chewy, even after cooking. To prepare the asparagus for this recipe, simply wash then chop off the ends.

Butter – Feel free to leave out the butter in this recipe, if you’d like. The butter just adds a bit more delicious savory flavor, but is not necessary in cooking this Instant Pot asparagus.

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a bit of brightness to this recipe. The acidity brings out the freshness of the asparagus, and gives it that delightful citrus flavor.

Chef’s Tips

Set the timer on your Instant Pot to 0 minutes – yes, 0 minutes! It will take about 10 minutes to warm up, and it’s during that time that the asparagus will cook.
Although a steamer rack is not required to cook this Instant Pot asparagus, if you have a steamer rack then feel free to use it! I have tested this recipe both with and without a steamer rack, and noticed no difference between the two variations.
Add any other seasonings you’d like to this recipe! Some red pepper flakes would taste great in addition to the spices in this recipe. You can even top the asparagus with some shredded parmesan cheese after cooking for a delicious keto side dish!

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Asparagus

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy vegetable, less than 10 minutes, low carb

Servings: servings

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus ends trimmed
1 cup water
¼ cup butter
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add all ingredients to an Instant Pot, close lid and set steam release knob to sealing position.
Pressure cook on high for 0 minutes, then quick release the steam.
Remove asparagus and serve immediately.

Notes

Make it Vegan: Use vegan butter or olive oil in place of the butter in this recipe.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving of asparagus. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

April 29, 2021 Easy

Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes

These rich, garlic butter parsley potatoes are just incredible! Baby potatoes flavored with garlic and specks of parsley make the most delicious side. Naturally vegetarian, but with a vegan option, too!

What Makes These Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes So Good

Creamy and perfectly seasoned, these garlic butter potatoes are a serious upgrade to your usual potato salad.
These potatoes are a fabulous side with steak, bratwursts and sauerkraut, meatloaf, and other hearty dinners.
They require just five ingredients! Potatoes, butter, garlic, parsley, and a dash of salt is all you’ll need to throw together this tasty side dish.

Key Ingredients for Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes

Baby Potatoes – Either red or yellow baby potatoes will work! This particular type of potato holds its shape after cooking, making it great for this recipe. Baby potatoes are also incredibly buttery and creamy on their own.

Garlic – Three cloves of minced garlic in this recipe contribute a ton of flavor. This entire recipe is very simple, allowing each ingredient to shine through. If you’re garlic-obsessed, then feel free to add an extra clove to this recipe.

Parsley – Fresh parsley brightens up this savory side dish. Remove parsley leaves from their stem and chop into small pieces before using in this garlic butter parsley potatoes recipe. You can even chop some extra fresh parsley for sprinkling on top of your finished dish!

Chef’s Tips

To make these potatoes vegan, then sub out the butter for a vegan, plant-based butter.
Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes after boiling and draining before adding back into the pan with the other ingredients – this will help them hold their shape!
The potatoes are tender when a fork inserted through the center of one slices through easily. If you cannot easily puncture the potatoes, then they are not done cooking and need to be left to boil for a few more minutes.

What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”

Garlic butter parsley potatoes in a serving dish with a wooden spoon.

More Vegetable Recipes

Print Recipe

Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy side, vegetables, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Medium saucepan

Ingredients

1 ½-2 pounds baby potatoes cut into half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons salted butter sliced
¼ cup parsley chopped
black pepper
3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

Place potatoes in medium saucepan. Fill with water 2 inches above potatoes.
Bring water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and reduce heat to simmer water. Cook about 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain. Add potatoes back to pan. Add garlic, butter, and parsley. Stir with wooden spoon, slightly mashing potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Remove and serve.

Notes

Vegan: Sub butter with vegan butter.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving out of 4. Macros may vary slightly based on specific brands or types of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire recipe when finished. Divide the total weight (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

April 22, 2021 Air Fryer

Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer

This frozen shrimp in the air fryer is the quickest and easiest method to cooking frozen shrimp! Simply toss frozen shrimp straight into your air fryer, cook, and then it’s ready to eat. Enjoy this shrimp in whatever recipe you’d like, or simply on its own!

Close up image of a pile of cooked shrimp.

What Makes This Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer Recipe So Good

It’s ridiculously simple! Three ingredients and 10 minutes is all you’ll need to both defrost and fully cook your shrimp.
You can use it in a variety of different ways! Add this shrimp to your favorite pasta recipe, on top of a salad, or serve it with some cocktail sauce for an easy appetizer.
It completely removes the long and sometimes complicated step of having to defrost frozen shrimp before cooking with it. This frozen shrimp in the air fryer will be ready to eat before you have time to set the table!

Key Ingredients for Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer

Frozen Shrimp – Either raw or cooked frozen shrimp will work, just follow the recommended cook times in the recipe below! Use whatever size, shell-on, shell-off, etc. shrimp you’d like.

Spray Cooking Oil – I used avocado oil spray on my frozen shrimp, though any spray cooking oil will work in this recipe. You will also only need just a quick spritz of oil for this frozen shrimp.

Chef’s Tips

When you pause the air fryer to flip the shrimp halfway through, you don’t actually have to flip each individual shrimp – you can really just give the whole basket a quick shake. The point of flipping the shrimp is to make sure every shrimp is evenly cooked on each side, so a simple toss of the shrimp will do.
It’s important to remember that not all air fryers are created equal. Therefore, keep an eye on how quickly, or maybe slowly, your shrimp is cooking and adjust the cook time as needed!
Use as much or as little salt and pepper as you’d like! You can even get creative with this recipe and add whatever seasoning you’d like to this shrimp.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

Close-up image of cooked shrimp with a lemon wedge.

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Print Recipe

Frozen Shrimp in the Air Fryer

This frozen shrimp in the air fryer is the quickest and easiest method to cooking frozen shrimp! Simply toss frozen shrimp straight into your air fryer, cook, and then it's ready to eat. Enjoy this frozen shrimp in the air fryer in whatever recipe you'd like, or simply on its own!

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Basics

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 3 ingredients, easy recipe, quick recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 113kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

1 pound frozen shrimp raw or cooked
spray cooking oil see Notes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For raw shrimp:

Add frozen shrimp to air fryer basket, evenly coat with spray cooking oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook at 400° Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, pausing to flip shrimp halfway through.

For cooked shrimp:

Add frozen shrimp to air fryer basket, evenly coat with spray cooking oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook at 400° Fahrenheit for 5 minutes, pausing to flip shrimp halfway through.

Notes

Spray Cooking Oil: Any spray cooking oil will work in this recipe, I used avocado oil spray and had amazing results!

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving of shrimp. Macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

April 13, 2021 Asian

Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Japanese curry in the Instant Pot is a fast-but-delicious dinner option for busy evenings when you don’t really feel like cooking. With juicy chicken thighs and lots of veggies, you can serve it on its own or with a side of rice for a total meal.

What Makes This Instant Pot Japanese Curry So Good

There’s not a lot of hands-on, active cooking with pressure cooker Japanese curry, which makes it a perfect dinner idea when you don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have a ton of time on your hands.
The overall flavor of this recipe is a little spicy but also a little sweet. Serve it with a side of rice (like our Instant Pot Sushi Rice) to balance out the flavors even more.
If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container. They’ll be good for 2 to 3 days. You could freeze them in an airtight container, too!

Key Ingredients for Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Japanese Curry Roux – Definitely don’t skip this ingredient! The roux thickens up the liquid so it’s not as soup-like. You can use store-bought curry roux (or curry sauce mix) in this recipe if you want, but I actually recommend making your own! My favorite homemade Japanese curry roux is this easy 5-ingredient recipe from Just One Cookbook.

Chicken Thighs – We’re making a Japanese chicken curry here, so we’re using chicken thighs! Chicken thighs are a little fattier than chicken breasts, which means they’re also juicier and more flavorful. They’re typically less expensive, too. If you’d rather use another protein (beef, pork, etc.) or even just chicken breasts instead of thighs, you totally can, but you may need to adjust your cook time.

Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Chef’s Tips

The curry will thicken as it stands, so don’t worry if it seems a little thin or liquidy at first.
If you’re used to making Indian curry, pay attention to the instruction card below. With Indian curry, the spices are added at the beginning. For Japanese curry, though, you’ll add the curry roux at the end!
Adding a little milk gives your mixture an extra creaminess, but it’s totally optional. If you’re dairy free or just don’t want to use it, don’t! You can skip it altogether or try a little coconut milk or coconut cream.

What Do We Mean By Healthy?

An angled view of a bowl of Instant Pot Japanese curry

Other Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love

A bowl of Instant Pot Japanese curry with a spoon

Print Recipe

Japanese Curry in the Instant Pot

Japanese curry in the Instant Pot is a fast-but-delicious dinner option for busy evenings when you don't really feel like cooking. With juicy chicken thighs and lots of veggies, you can serve it on its own or with a side of rice for a total meal.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Keyword: easy dinner, one pot meal, pressure cooker

Servings:

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral oil avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc.
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks
1 1-inch piece ginger grated
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 carrots sliced
1 onion sliced
2 Yukon gold potatoes cubed
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
⅓ cup Japanese curry roux see Notes
3 tablespoons milk optional, see Notes
salt and pepper to taste
vinegar optional, to taste
tamari or soy sauce optional, to taste

Instructions

Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Once hot, add oil then chicken thighs. Brown chicken thighs on each side, then remove from Instant Pot.
Add ginger and garlic to Instant Pot. Sauté until fragrant, then add tomato paste and mix until combined.
Add chicken thighs, carrots, onions, potatoes, water, chicken stock, and bay leaves to Instant Pot. Cover with lid and cook 10 minutes on Manual High Pressure.
When timer is up, Quick Release pressure. Remove bay leaves. Stir in curry roux and milk (optional) until liquid has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in vinegar and tamari or soy sauce to taste.
Divide into portions and serve hot.

Notes

The milk adds an extra creaminess to the mixture, but it’s totally optional, so feel free to skip it if you want or need to.
Highly recommend using the Japanese Curry Roux recipe from Just One Cookbook for this recipe! It’s super easy to make, with only 5 ingredients.
Make it Dairy Free: Skip the milk completely, or use a little coconut milk or coconut cream.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving out of 4, not including any optional ingredients or additional sides. Macros may vary slightly based on specific brands or types of ingredients used.

Nutrition