Super Easy Recipes to Finish Out the Year

Here’s what to cook in December, even when you’re crazy busy. (Hint: It’s all about the easy recipes.)

With December being exhausting (and wonderful all at the same time), offering up all of these extra to-dos, it is always nice to fit in a sit-down dinner whenever you can. I’ve been craving warm, comforting meals. Think easy recipes built around roasting, sheet pans and one-bowl dinners.

Call on these super easy recipes to finish out the year.

Spicy Lentil Soup

Modified from Half Baked Harvest
I have been trying to fit in one or two meatless main easy recipes per week with the focus on beans and lentils. This is a relatively light meal, albeit still filling, flavorful and pretty easy to throw together. Its got big spices that make for big flavor.

For the Squash:
1 medium acorn squash, seeded and cubed (1¾ to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon raw honey
2 teaspoons garam masala
fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Soup:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups veggie broth
3/4 cup red lentils
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake squash by combining squash, olive oil, honey, garam masala, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 25-ish minutes, tossing midway through. Next, combine olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, then add butter, ginger, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and lentils. Cook on medium until the lentils are soft ~20 min. Last, stir in the coconut milk and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve on its own with chopped cilantro as the topper. This is good by itself as a one-bowl meal, but you can serve over rice with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt for more heartiness.

Really Easy Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

A Healthy Nest Nutrition Fave
This is a three-step dinner: 1. Spice the shrimp 2. Chop the veggies 3. Prep the toppers. Literally, there’s 15 minutes of active kitchen time and then passive time in the oven. A great busy weeknight dinner.

1-2 pounds Shrimp (fresh or frozen), peeled and deveined, patted dry
2 bell peppers, red, yellow, orange or green, sliced 
2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp for shrimp, 1-2 tbsp for veggies
1 med red onion, sliced
½ tsp chili powder (to taste for heat)
1 tsp each of cumin, oregano, paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Toppers: Chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, sliced lettuce, salsa, spritz of lime

Pat shrimp dry and toss with most of the seasoning and oil. Then, toss veggies with seasoning and oil. Place veggies on a sheet pan and cook for 10-15 min until getting soft. Add shrimp and cook until they are no longer pink ~8 minutes. Top with lime juice. Wrap with lettuce leaves, tortillas or serve over rice.

Pan-Seared Scallops over Zucchini Noodles

Inspired by asweetpeachef.com
This slightly fancy, really easy recipe is a fast stove-top dinner that’s done in three simple steps. Make the scallops, saute the spiralized noodles (OR sub in baked spaghetti squash). Top with toasted pine nuts and herbs.

8 jumbo scallops, patted dry
½ teaspoon sea salt and ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup raw pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup low sodium veg broth
2 zucchini, spiraled
1 tablespoon chopped parsley and or basil, for topping

Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the olive oil to coat the pan. Dry the scallops with a cloth and then lightly season each side of the scallops with sea salt and ground black pepper. One at a time, add the scallops to the hot pan. Take care not to overcrowd the scallops and place the scallops in the pan with at least 1-2 inches between them (so they don’t steam one another). Allow scallops to cook for three minutes without touching them. After three minutes, the bottom should be browned nicely. Carefully, flip the scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes or until well-browned. Remove from heat and set aside. That’s it on the scallops. So quick. 

Additionally, in the same pan, add the pine nuts and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Once the pine nuts are golden and the garlic is fragrant, add broth and deglaze the pan, scraping off any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the zucchini noodles to the pan and toss, cooking for just 2-3 minutes, until slightly tender and heated through. Quickly remove from the pan and serve, topped with the pan-seared scallops, chopped parsley and or basil.

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