easy + semi-sophisticated feeling meals

i've lost all will to cook

Hi all,

I’ve been coating the inside of my nostrils with Aquaphor and have lost all will to cook. This rut has brought with it some low-lift, potentially inspiring discoveries and I’d love to share them with you.

Italian vacation yogurt

Ingredients:

• greek yogurt

• trader joe’s rosemary nuts: pick out some almonds and pecans if there are any left (those are the first ones I go for and I usually pick them all out in one sitting. are pecans more expensive? and I don’t that cashews mix well with yogurt, but that’s just my highly specific opinion).

• trader joe’s rosemary nuts bottom-of-the-tin seasoning. scoop out with your grubby hands or with a small spoon.

• honey

Remember those yogurts with the sprinkles or chocolate chips in the cap that you dump in? This is the adult version of that. There is a major opportunity here and yes, I should be in the food business.

Chicken soup, with a twist

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken thighs

• bullion or chicken stock

• 3-4 carrots

• some celery. i hate buying celery because it only comes in large packs and i end up using 2-3 stalks for soup and then the rest goes limp in my fridge. i always think i’ll maybe eat the rest with peanut butter but i never do. so, i started buying pre-cut snack packs for soup. feels a little wasteful, but i think i even out in the end since i don’t waste any of the celery this way.

• kale or spinach

• a russet potato or two if you feel like it

• rice if you feel like it

• lemon

• parmesan cheese

This is a traditional chicken soup, the twist is a squeeze of lemon juice and parmesan for serving. a Jewish/Greek/Italian lovechild.

Turkey burger delights

Ingredients:

• turkey burgers. the ones from trader joe’s are phenomenal and something tells me i don’t want to know why.

• feta cheese

• broccoli and/or asparagus

• ketchup (sorry)

How to assemble: cook the turkey burger (6ish min on each side), asparagus (blanch or roast) and broccoli (i prefer steamed, but do as you please), plop on a plate. sprinkle feta over everything. squirt some ketchup just on top of the turkey burger, on top of that dusting of feta cheese you just laid down. enjoy.

Everything but the kitchen sink pasta

Ingredients:

• rigatoni (short rigatoni is my new favorite pasta shape)

• chicken sausage (i like this spinach and feta one best)

• parmesan

• roasted tomatoes and kale OR frozen peas and broccoli (the fun thing about frozen veggies is you just cook it with the pasta)

Cottage cheese “bagels”

This is the first recipe i’ve seen on instagram reels that i’ve actually made and it did not disappoint.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 1 tsp salt

• 1.5 tsp baking powder

• egg wash + salt or whatever seasoning you want on top

Kind of heaven and shocked this counts as backing. i ate mine with butter and apricot jam. would be delicious with cream cheese, but i have to take a break from dairy right now.

x Ariella