To-the-Point Recipes & Meal Planning

Tag: dinner

How to Make Pesto Affordably with Cashews and Walnuts
Homemade pesto and pasta with an overly generous amount of shaved parmesan on top is one of the most reliably delicious dinners in existence. Coupled with a nice garden salad and a glass of wine, it’s undeniable. Kids devour it, too (the pesto, not the wine, duh).

There are two downsides to making pesto: pine nuts are prohibitively expensive, and making it is a slightly involved task. This recipe eliminates one of those two negatives by swapping out pine nuts for cashews and walnuts. Please note, a food processor is required.

Ingredients
1. 2 cups of fresh basil (you can use less than 2 cups, but you will have less pesto)
2. 1/3 cup of cashews and walnuts
3. 2 cloves of garlic, each cut in half
4. 3/4 cup of shaved parmesan (or, omit the cheese and this is a vegan meal)
5. 1/2 cup of olive oil
6. Salt and pepper
7. Cooked pasta of your choice (use gluten-free pasta if needed)
Instructions
1. Pick only the basil leaves from the stems, and wash them. No stems allowed. I recommend using a salad spinner.
2. Measure out 1/3 of a cup of nuts. A good option is 70% cashews, 30% walnuts. If you have pine nuts, use 70% pine nuts and 30% walnuts.
3. At this point I usually start boiling the water to make the pasta.
4. Put the basil leaves and 1/3 cup of nuts in the food processor, and run it for about 20 seconds, pulsing a few times.
5. Add the 2 cut-in-half cloves of garlic and 3/4 cup of shaved parmesan to the food processor with the basil and nuts, and pulse again for 20 more seconds, stopping to scrape down larger bits from the sides with a rubber spatula.
6. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the 1/2 cup of olive oil. This technique is called “emulsification,” and it makes pesto creamy. Turn off the food processor when finished pouring.
7. Add some salt and pepper (I recommend grinding the pepper) and run the food processor for a second or two, then taste a little smudge of pesto. If it isn’t tasty enough, add another round of salt and pepper. Keep doing this until it tastes yummy.
8. When your pasta is drained and ready, put the amount for a portion or two in a large bowl. Spoon in some pesto and mix it together with a fork, until all of the pasta is covered. It’s up to you how green you want to make it.
9. Put the pasta with pesto on a plate, and add more freshly shaved parmesan on top. If you’re like me, you put lots of it on there. Enjoy!
January 24, 2025
Creamy Chicken
This is a tasty chicken dish that’s served on a bed of white rice. It’s grown-up adult food, but children devour it. People usually have seconds and thirds at a meal. Creamy Chicken rules.

I usually make Creamy Chicken using leftover meat and skin from cooking Tasty Baked Chicken Thighs for dinner a few nights beforehand. You can cook fresh chicken to make Creamy Chicken, it will just take longer.

Ingredients
1. Bone-in or boneless chicken thighs (I prefer bone-in, it’s cheaper and tastier. Hello.)
2. White rice (I almost always use Indian Basmati rice from Whole Foods. It’s not cheaper, but super tasty.)
3. 1 tbs of butter
4. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
5. 1 tsp thyme
6. 1 cup of chicken broth
7. 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half
8. A little white wine (optional)
9. 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Make your rice first. I usually cook 1 cup of rice.
2. In a frying pan, either heat up your leftover chicken on low, or cook fresh chicken in the pan. If cooking fresh, shake salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken, put heat on medium, and cook skin side down for 6 minutes, flip over, and cook the other side for 6 minutes. When the leftover chicken is warm throughout, or the fresh chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and put it in a bowl, but do not clean the pan. When cool, break the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Put the 1 tbs of butter in the pan, and start to melt it on medium-low.
4. When the butter is melted, add the 3 cloves of minced garlic, then add 1 tsp of thyme. Only let it cook like this for 45-seconds to a minute. Just until the garlic starts to sizzle.
5. Add the 1 cup of chicken broth, and if you have white wine, add a 1/4 cup or more.
6. Let it cook like this for a few minutes, and use a utensil or a wooden spoon to scrape the chicken residue off of the base of the pan. This adds tastiness.
7. Add the 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half.
8. Let it simmer and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Add the 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir, and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Taste a sample, and if needed, season to your liking.
10. Add the chicken. Let the sauce warm the chicken up for a minute or two.
11. You’re done. Turn off the burner. Put a pile of rice in the middle of a plate and spoon the creamy chicken onto the rice, and drizzle some sauce over the rice, too. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and serve.
January 17, 2025
Tasty Baked Chicken Thighs
This is a simple and easy recipe for baking chicken thighs. It’s delicious for adults, and kids love it, too. If you intentionally cook more than you can eat, you can use the extras to make the delightful Creamy Chicken for dinner in a night or two.

Ingredients
1. 4 or more bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, not frozen
2. Olive oil (3 or 4 tbs)
3. Salt (a decent shaking, I recommend corse salt)
4. Pepper (a moderate amount, I recommend grinding it)
5. Soy sauce (a healthy splashing)
6. White rice (I usually cook 1 cup)
Instructions
1. Cook your rice according to the directions.
2. Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
3. In a glass casserole dish, pour a couple tablespoon’s worth of olive oil across the center of the dish.
4. Place the chicken thighs on top of the olive oil in the dish.
5. If the skin is bunched up anywhere, smooth it out with your fingers so it covers the meat.
6. Pour a couple more tablespoon’s worth of olive oil onto the chicken thighs.
7. Rub the olive oil so it covers most of the chicken, this step should only take a minute, no need for perfection.
8. Pour around 1 or 2 tablespoon’s worth of soy sauce onto the chicken. Don’t over do it, but don’t be stingy. A good amount of soy sauce tastes yummy, too little will be lacking.
9. Sprinkle a decent amount of salt and pepper over the chicken.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. It’s finished when the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F (74°C).
11. Serve with rice, and spoon a good amount of the juice from the casserole dish onto the rice and onto the chicken.
January 15, 2025