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Seriously one of the best 25-minute meals I’ve made in awhile! ♡

It’s no secret that we’re big blackened salmon fans in our house. But this is the first time that I’ve used bright and tangy ground sumac as the primary spice in the blackened seasoning. And wow — it couldn’t have been more delicious!

I decided to hit the easy button and just roast a big slab of salmon in the oven (with no messy pans to clean afterwards — major win). While the salmon cooked, I diced up a fresh and juicy citrus cucumber salsa to spoon over the top. Then we served everything warm over rice with a few slices of creamy avocado an an extra sprinkle of sumac on top. So lovely!

It was one of those meals that felt refreshingly light and fresh, yet still packed with protein and plenty of zesty, bold flavors. Definitely quick and easy enough for a normal weeknight, yet also beautiful enough to serve for a casual dinner party. I think you’re going to love it!

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New easy sheet pan dinner! ♡

This crispy honey mustard salmon received rave reviews all around the dinner table this month and couldn’t be easier to make. Tender salmon filets are brushed with a smoky honey mustard sauce and topped with a crunchy, buttery panko-parsley crust. Everything then roasts together with broccoli florets until golden, crispy, and absolutely delicious. So much flavor for so little effort!

We served our salmon and broccoli over fluffy rice with an extra squeeze of lemon, which was just perfect. But you could also easily serve this meal over quinoa, noodles, or with a hunk of crusty bread. Trust me, this recipe is a keeper!

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So many of you have made and loved my homemade pretzel recipe over the years. But as much as I love traditionally-shaped pretzels, I have to say that these cute little pretzel bites are what I tend to make most often in my kitchen! ♡

This bite-sized version of the recipe is even quicker and easier to make, with all of the same, buttery, crispy goodness in each bite. They have the perfect ratio of crispy golden exterior to soft and chewy center. They’re perfect for sharing and snacking. And best of all, this recipe comes together easily in about an hour with basic pantry staples — no stand mixer required!

Here in our house, we’re partial to traditional buttery pretzels sprinkled with chunky pretzel salt and paired with my favorite beer cheese dip, but feel free to customize your batch however you’d like! You could top the pretzels with everything from cinnamon sugar to everything bagel seasoning, asiago cheese or herbs. You could dip them in everything from ranch dip to honey mustard, white queso, marinara or garlic butter. There are endless ways to enjoy these pretzel bites, so have fun experimenting with your favorite combinations!

So whether you’re planning a game day spread, need an easy party appetizer, or you’re just craving a fun homemade snack, these buttery soft pretzel bites are guaranteed to hit the spot. Let’s start baking!

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I could happily make a meal just out of these roasted carrots. ♡

Seriously. I don’t usually rank carrots high on my list of favorite veggies. But the garlicky rosemary honey brown butter here is absolutely divine and helps the carrots to caramelize beautifully while roasting in the oven. Oh, and we’ll save half of the butter to drizzle on just before serving, creating a lovely finishing glaze for the carrots as well.

It’s a simple recipe that takes less than 15 minutes to prep, it’s naturally gluten-free (plus easy to make vegan if you’d like), and it can be paired with any number of entrées or holiday spreads. It’s on the menu here in our house for Thanksgiving this year and I already can’t wait to roast another batch. Just be warned — you can easily pop these little carrots like candy straight off of the baking sheet, so there’s no guarantees they’ll all make it to the table.

Let’s make some roasted carrots together!

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One essential technique that I highly recommend memorizing for easy entertaining — how to make crostini! ♡

These classic little toasts are the perfect appetizer or snack to serve a crowd and always taste a million times fresher when made homemade versus store-bought. And, since it’s so easy to whip up a batch in 20 minutes with just 3 basic ingredients, I’m convinced a homemade batch is always worth the extra effort!

They’re the perfectly crisp and versatile little vehicles to host any number of delicious toppings. So whether you’re craving classic tomato basil bruschetta, a spread of goat cheese drizzled with honey, fig jam layered with prosciutto and arugula, brie topped with apple slices, a scoop of pimento cheese or spinach artichoke dip — I could go on and on, the options really are limitless — a fresh batch of homemade crostini is pretty much guaranteed to make everything better.

Here are all of my best tips and tricks for how to make a quick batch of crostini, plus tons of ideas for fun seasonings and toppings to try!

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Say hello to our latest favorite 30-minute meal!

I’ve been on a ginger scallion sauce kick these past few months, sizzling up a quick batch of the Cantonese-inspired, 5-ingredient sauce to drizzle on everything from veggies to steak, salads, noodles, and more. But one of my favorite pairings has been this simple honey-roasted salmon and green beans situation, roasted up on a single sheet pan, served over rice, drizzled with the ginger scallion sauce and finished with a generous squeeze of fresh lime. The blend of sweet, salty, umami, tangy flavors here is just perfect. And it all comes together easily in just 30 minutes…always a win!

We’re quite partial to the pairing of salmon and green beans here in our home, but you could easily swap in a different protein or veggie here if you prefer. We’ve also made this one successfully on the grill, if you don’t feel like heating up the oven this time of year. And while the dish is lovely served over rice (I take a shortcut by heating up frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s), you could just as easily serve it over noodles or another grain, or just enjoy the fish and veggies on their own.

Enjoy, enjoy!

Honey Salmon Recipe | 1-minute video

Honey Salmon Ingredients

Here are a few brief notes about the ingredients you will need to make this honey salmon recipe:

• Salmon filets: When shopping for salmon, look for filets that are fresh, firm, moist, and vibrantly colored (no browning), ideally with an even thickness so that they will cook uniformly.
• Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce adds salty, umami flavor to the marinade to balance out the sweetness of the honey.
• Honey: Honey brings a natural sweetness to the dish and forms a sticky, caramelized glaze when roasted.
• Lime: The bright and tangy flavor of lime juice helps to cut through the richness of the salmon and brighten up all of these yummy flavors. Highly recommend serving the dish with extra limes for squeezing.
• Green beans: We love roasting up a batch of French green beans (haricots verts), whose thin and tender texture cooks perfectly alongside the salmon filets.
• Rice: We’ve been saving time by heating up a frozen bag of pre-cooked brown rice (I buy mine from Trader Joe’s!), but feel free to serve this dish over whatever rice or noodles that you love best.
• Ginger scallion sauce: Easy to make with 5 classic ginger scallion sauce ingredients — scallions (both the green and white parts), fresh ginger and garlic (grated or finely minced), soy sauce (I used low-sodium), and a mild-flavored high heat oil (such as avocado, sunflower, grapeseed or vegetable oil).

Recipe Tips

Full instructions for how to make this dish are included in the recipe box at the bottom of this post, but here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:

• Please be sure to use a heatproof bowl when mixing the sauce. It’s *critical* to use some type of heat-proof bowl, measuring cup or saucepan that can withstand the heat of the oil when making the ginger scallion sauce. (Please don’t use a plain ceramic or glass bowl — it can break or explode!)
• Or…just use mix the sauce in the saucepan. If you’d rather not risk any accidents with pouring hot oil, you can also just remove your saucepan from the heat and add the scallion, ginger, garlic and soy sauce directly to the oil in the saucepan.
• Use an instant-read thermometer for the salmon. As always, I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature of the salmon. I generally pull it from the oven once the thickest part of the filets reaches 135°F, as the salmon will continue to cook slightly more as it rests, but feel free to cook more or less to taste. (The FDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F.)
• Add plenty of lime juice. The tangy flavor of freshly-squeezed lime juice is essential for finishing this dish, so I recommend serving each bowl with extra wedges for squeezing over the salmon, green beans and rice.

Recipe Variations

This recipe is quite flexible, so please feel free to customize it as you wish! For example, feel free to…

• Make it spicy: Add a spoonful of sriracha, chili crisp, or crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
• Add sesame: Add sesame seeds or a drizzle of toasted sesame oil to the sauce.
• Add herbs: Serve the dish topped with chopped fresh chives, cilantro, mint or Thai basil.
• Use a different protein: Use chicken, steak, pork, shrimp or scallops in place of the salmon. (Cooking times will vary according to the protein.)
• Use different veggies: Roast a different type of vegetable alongside the salmon, such as asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, or zucchini. (Cooking time will vary according to the type and cut of vegetables used.)
• Cook it on the grill: We’ve also cooked this recipe outside on the grill and it’s extra-delightful with that hint of charred flavor! I recommend using a grill basket to cook the green beans.

More Easy Salmon Recipes

Looking for more easy salmon recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

• Blackened Salmon
• Green Curry Salmon
• Salmon with Burst Tomato Sauce
• Greek Salmon Salad Bowls
• Honey Mustard Salmon

Honey Salmon with Ginger Scallion Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Honey-roasted salmon is topped with a sizzling ginger scallion sauce and served over rice with a squeeze of lime. So fresh and flavorful and ready to go in 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

Salmon Ingredients:

• 4 salmon filets
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces French green beans
• 2 limes
• 4 cups cooked brown or white rice

Ginger Scallion Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup avocado oil (or another mild high-heat oil, such as sunflower, grapeseed, or vegetable oil)
• 6 scallions (~75 grams), thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely minced or grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

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Instructions

1. Prep the oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prep the salmon. Place the salmon filets skin-side-down at the end of the prepared baking sheet. Whisk together the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl until combined, then brush it evenly on top of the salmon.
3. Prep the green beans. Lay the green beans in a tight pile on the other end of the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss until evenly coated, then arrange the green beans in an even layer covering the rest of the baking sheet. Season the green beans and the salmon generously with salt and pepper.
4. Roast. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. (I prefer to remove my salmon when the internal temperature measures 135°F, as it will continue to cook slightly more as it rests. Please note that cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon filets.) Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and drizzle the salmon and green beans with the juice of 1 lime.
5. Make the ginger scallion sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles begin to form around the sides of the pan. (If you drop a scallion in the oil, it should sizzle vigorously.) While the oil is heating, combine the white parts of the scallions, ginger and garlic in a small heat-proof* (see note below) bowl or measuring cup. Once the oil is hot, very carefully pour it on top of the scallion mixture (it will sizzle and sputter!) and gently stir to combine. Add the soy sauce and the green parts of the scallions stir to combine. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve. Serve the salmon and green beans over rice, topped with the ginger scallion sauce and served with extra lime wedges for squeezing, and enjoy!

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Notes

Heatproof bowl: It is essential to use a heatproof bowl (or measuring cup, saucepan, etc) when working with hot oil so that it does not accidentally break or explode. Or if you would rather not risk any accidents with pouring hot oil, you can also just remove the saucepan from the heat and add the scallion, ginger, garlic and soy sauce directly to the hot oil.

Tens of thousands of you have made my favorite traditional meatballs since I first shared that recipe a few years ago. So I’m pleased to be back today with my favorite recipe for baked chicken meatballs! ♡

Let’s get right to the core issue of this recipe — chicken is a considerably leaner meat than pork or beef, which too often leads to sub-par meatballs that can be dry, tough, or disappointingly bland. Which, of course, will not do! So today, we’re going to employ a few easy tricks to make sure that your meatballs are 5-star winners every single time.

First off, you’ve gotta start with a panade (puh-NOD), which is just a fancy French word for a starch-and-liquid mixture (in our case, breadcrumbs and milk soaked together while you prep the other ingredients) that helps prevent the meat from shrinking and toughening during cooking. It requires almost zero extra time yet makes a huge difference in keeping the meatballs moist and tender, so don’t skip it! Second, we’re going to be extra-gentle when forming the meatballs, so that the mixture doesn’t get overworked and accidentally become too tough. We’re also going to bump up the oven shelf and cook the meatballs near the top of the oven so that they can brown more quickly during their short baking time. And finally, we’ll add a generous amount of seasoning to make sure each bite is legit-delicious and full of flavor.

I’ve included my favorite all-purpose seasoning for these meatballs in the recipe below (garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and Worcestershire), which honestly works with just about any type of recipe you may be craving. But please feel free to customize the seasoning to taste and add in whatever herbs, spices, or other flavor boosters that you love best. Then serve these meatballs up however you prefer — with Italian marinara and pasta, Swedish gravy, American buffalo sauce, Thai curry, Japanese teriyaki, Greek tzatiki, you name it. This chicken meatballs recipe is here for all occasions and is always a winner!

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With so many fun crackers on the market nowadays, I can generally never be bothered to make homemade crackers from scratch…except when it comes to these magical seed crackers. ♡

I owe the credit for this recipe to my friend, Angela, who so kindly brought me a batch of crackers along with a lovely homemade meal a year or so ago when I was stuck in the hospital for a week with a sick kiddo. After taking a bite of one cracker…and then another…and another and another (couldn’t stop!), I immediately texted her begging for the recipe. These seed crackers are absolutely divine!

They’re made with a simple mix of three seeds (sesame, sunflower and pepitas), flax meal, and dried seasonings. Then Angela introduced me to the magic of psyllium husk powder to bind all of the ingredients together. (I know it may be a special buy, but one bag of psyllium husk powder will last for dozens of batches and it’s by far my favorite binding ingredient for this recipe!) Simply add boiling water to the ingredient mix to bring everything together, spread it out evenly on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and bake until crispy. Then the absolute yummiest batch of seed crackers will be yours to enjoy.

They also happen to be naturally gluten-free and vegan. They’re packed with protein, fiber, omega-3s and other great nutrients. And they are perfect for snacking, dipping, serving with cheese boards, you name it. We seriously make a batch at least once a week and the whole family absolutely loves them. So if you love a good cracker as much as we do, I hope you’ll give them a try!

Seed Crackers Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Seed Cracker Ingredients

Here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make this seed cracker recipe:

• Seeds: I like using equal parts of white sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and raw pepitas in this recipe. But feel free to adjust the proportions if you prefer more of one type of seed to another.
• Flax meal (ground flax seeds): I prefer using flax meal (ground flax seeds) in this recipe, which are easier for the body to digest than whole flax seeds. But you are welcome to use either.
• Psyllium husk powder: As I mentioned above, psyllium husk powder is by far my favorite binding agent for these crackers. (I experimented with quite a few!) All you need is one tablespoon per batch, so one bag will last you quite awhile, and it does a beautiful job holding all of the ingredient together.
• Seasonings: I like using a simple mix of garlic powder, onion powder, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper. But please feel free to play around with the seasonings and use whatever blend of spices you love best!
• Boiling water: Finally, you will need 1 cup of boiling water to bring the seed cracker mix together.

How To Make Seed Crackers

Full instructions are included in the recipe box below, but here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when making seed crackers:

• Use the correct size of baking sheet: This recipe was developed for a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches, which is quite large), which allows for the crackers to be nice and thin. If you only have smaller baking sheets, I would recommend spreading the batter out onto two different baking sheets.
• Use parchment: It’s essential to bake these seed crackers on parchment so that they do not stick to the pan! I’ve unfortunately not had luck baking these without parchment even on non-stick baking sheets, so I strongly recommend using parchment.
• Aim for even thickness: The trickiest part of this recipe is trying to spread out the batter into an even thickness. It can be a bit finicky since it’s so sticky, but it’s worth it to try and take a few minutes to spread it out as evenly as possible. (I use both a silicone spatula and my hands to do this!)
• Bake until mostly crispy: The goal is to avoid underbaking these crackers (which makes them soft and bendy) or over-baking them (which will make them taste burnt). So keep a close eye on them during the final 15 minutes of cooking and carefully test the very center of the cracker to see how soft it is. You want to pull them out of the oven with the center is nearly but not perfectly hard, since it will continue to harden up a bit more as the crackers cool. All ovens cook differently, so be sure to do this test!
• Store in an airtight container: In order for the crackers to stay crispy, it’s best to store them in an airtight food storage container or zip-top bag for up to 1 or 2 weeks. (Although good luck keeping them around that long.) ;)

Recipe Variations

This recipe is inherently quite flexible, so please feel free to customize it to your liking! For example, feel free to:

• Use different seasonings: There are so many different spice blends that would taste delicious with these seed crackers. I also occasionally love adding in some smoked paprika or a hint of cayenne. Or you can go a totally different direction and use more Italian seasonings, taco seasoning, za’atar, or furikake.
• Make them “cheesy”: Add in a touch of Parmesan or nutritional yeast to make these crackers a bit cheesy.
• Score the crackers: If you would like the crackers to have a more uniform shape, you’re welcome to pull them out of the oven halfway through baking and use a paring knife to lightly score the crackers into your desired shapes and sizes, which will make them easier to break apart once they have finished baking.

Ways To Serve Seed Crackers

Feel free to serve these seed crackers:

• On their own: They make for a fantastic quick and healthy snack just on their own!
• With dips: I recommend softer dips, since these seed crackers can be a bit fragile, such as homemade hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, guacamole, or French onion dip.
• With cheese: Layer on your favorite cheeses, such as a good sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, a soft blue or warmed brie.
• With salad: Layer on your favorite chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad and use the crackers to add some crunch.
• With charcuterie: Serve these crackers with your favorite charcuterie mix — I find they are especially lovely paired with prosciutto or smoked salmon.

Seed Crackers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 20 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 16 servings 1x

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Description

This healthy seed crackers recipe is easy to make, packed with nutrients, and irresistibly delicious!

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw pepitas
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal (ground flax seeds)
• 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup boiling water

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Instructions

1. Prep oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches*) with parchment paper.
2. Make the seed batter. Whisk together the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, flax meal, psyllium husks, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in a medium heat-proof mixing bowl. (I used a metal mixing bowl.) Add in the boiling water and stir until combined. Stir occasionally for 1 more minute until the mixture has thickened.
3. Spread out the batter. Turn the batter out onto the parchment-covered baking sheet. Then use a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon (or your hands) to spread the batter out into a very thin layer, ideally as even as possible, to cover the entire baking sheet. This process can be a bit finicky, but have patience and spend a few minutes trying to make the batter as even as possible.
4. Bake. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the center of the batter is no longer soft and has mostly hardened. (It will continue to harden slightly as it cools.)
5. Cool. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and let the crackers cool to room temperature. Break them up with your hands into your desired size and shape of crackers and enjoy! Leftover crackers can be stored in an airtight container for 1 to 2 weeks.

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Equipment

Flax Meal

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Half Sheet Pan

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Psyllium Husk Powder

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Notes

Baking sheet size: If you only have smaller sheet pans, I recommend dividing the batter into two batches so that the crackers are not too thick. Keep a close eye on the baking time if you use a different size of pan so that the crackers do not overcook.

One of those low-effort, high-reward recipes you are going to want to make again and again. ♡

Seriously, we’ve been completely obsessed with this recipe over the past few months and can’t get enough of this gorgeous mix of flavors. The cauliflower steaks are seasoned with an earthy mix of smoked paprika, cumin and black pepper, then briefly pan-seared and baked in until tender. While those are in the oven, we mix up a bright and zippy pine nut gremolata made with lots of fresh mint, parsley, lemon and garlic. The hot cauliflower steaks are then served over a swirl of hummus (homemade or store-bought), sprinkled with the gremolata, and finished with an extra drizzle of olive oil. And just like that…an absolutely delicious vegetarian dinner will be yours to enjoy.

This recipe actually happens to be both vegan and gluten-free too, and can easily be prepped ahead of time if you’d like to make a larger batch for entertaining or a small batch for a normal weeknight. We typically serve ours with a simple side salad and a loaf of good crusty bread to mop up any extra hummus. And it always, always hits the spot.

Let’s make some cauliflower steaks!

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