Who doesn’t love comfort food? Crunchy chicken, crispy potatoes, and tacos have a way of firing our pleasure centers when we’re tired, hungry, and just plain not in the mood to cook! Even chefs won’t cook a big dinner after a long day on their feet. They go straight for pleasure foods that are fast. So can you. This week, I’ve got three fast recipes you can throw together that your whole family will love that you can feel great about making fast.
I used to think chicken fingers were only for kids. I created this recipe while teaching teens in New York City, and now even my husband requests this recipe from time to time. The trick with my Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken Tenders is high heat, parmesan cheese mixed in with the gluten free breadcrumbs for extra flavor, and the acid in the buttermilk that makes the chicken extra moist. These are great with my homemade honey mustard dressing or on top of my Strawberry Kissed Spinach Salad.
Fish tacos in 35 minutes? Oh, yes! When I was asked by Whole Foods Market’s Northern California team to create a fun recipe for families that used a fish called Paiche, I dug deep into my playful toolbox to come up with these simple, yet so delicious baked fish tacos. The trick is that we roll the tacos in an avocado coating and then through some crushed blue corn tortilla chips before they bake for 10 minutes in the oven. If you thought fish sticks were your only fast fish option, this recipe will help you think again!
On our dinner table, there’s always a protein, and at least two vegetables. One of those is almost always roasted, since that’s a quick and very satisfying way to work in a starchy veggie that will cure our savory cravings. This fall, I created a new take on the roasted potato with my Rosemary Roasted Celery Root and Red Potatoes for my Joyful 12 Kitchen Learning Lab. If you have never tried celery root, this recipe is a great one to get you started and you can make it in 25 minutes end-to-end.
- celery roots, 2
- red potatoes, 4
- olive oil, 2 tablespoons
- salt, ½ teaspoon
- garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon
- rosemary (fresh), 2 big sprigs
- Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
- Wash all produce. Celery roots are especially dirty. Be sure to wash them well and when removing their outer skin with a knife, you may need to rinse them again after peeling off their dirty outer skin.
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Peel celery root, cut into two halves, and cut each half into 3 planks of medium thickness. Then cut each plank into 3 equal sized pieces.
- With the skin on, cut red potatoes into six even pieces, by cutting them into halves and then cutting each half into three wedges.
- Tear needles off of rosemary stem and rough chop into smaller pieces.
- Toss celery roots and potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt, rosemary and garlic powder.
- Spread out celery roots and potatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping them over about half way through the cooking time, to allow both sides to brown.
Chef Hollie Greene
Read more about Hollie