Recipe

Green Goddess Salad Bowls

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These Green Goddess salad bowls are all about flavor: tasty grains and grilled veggies smothered in creamy green tahini dressing.

Green goddess salad

You know that Saturday feeling? Where you have time to do all the things you’ve been putting off all week? Where you have the space to experiment in the kitchen, enjoy the cooking process, and not worry as much about cooking at lightening speed? (If your work is outside of the Monday through Friday tradition; just insert the day of the week that fits!) Our friend Sarah Copeland has just launched a gorgeous new book called Every Day is Saturday, and it’s all about how to have the Saturday mentality of taking pleasure in cooking food for your family, whatever the day of the week. And this Green Goddess salad is a scrumptious preview. Keep reading for more about the book and this recipe!

Every Day is Saturday cookbook

About the book: Every Day is Saturday

Sarah is a dear friend of Alex and me, former food director at Real Simple, genius recipe developer, and a serious light in the world of food. If you don’t follow Sarah already, head to her Instagram right now and do so. She shares sweet vignettes of her dear family: they’re picture perfect but at the same time real and relatable. (I’ve never met her kiddos and I feel like I’m a distant aunt!) The way that Sarah cooks and eats is simple and elegant, and her aesthetic is truly divine. We hope someday we’ll be able to visit Sarah and bask in the glow of her glorious food! In the meantime though, there’s her new book.

Every Day is Saturday is a brilliant compilation of recipes that shows you how to cook like it’s Saturday, every day of the week. At every step, Sarah guides you into more confident, strategic cooking. The photography is so beautiful that at first glance you might think something to be complex: but the recipes are simple and genius (Tahini Toast with Lemon and Honey, Baked Fish with Capers and Herbs, 3 ways to use Whipped Cream, etc). And we loved this Green Goddess salad bowl meal, which is intended for using up leftovers from weekend cooking throughout the week. You’ll absolutely love it; congratulations to Sarah on an incredible new volume of recipes.

Get it: Every Day is Saturday by Sarah Copeland

Green Goddess salad

How to make Green Goddess salad

Now! Let’s talk about this Green Goddess salad! This main dish salad “bowl meal” is incredibly flavorful and the perfect way to get your veggies and grains. We are all about the dressing of the same name: one of our fan favorite recipes is this Healthy Green Goddess Dressing. So Green Goddess anything always catches our eye: we love the savory creaminess of this light green drizzle.

This Green Goddess salad features a different sort of that dressing: a Tahini Green Goddess Dressing. And, man, is it tasty! The nuttiness of the tahini is a perfect offset for the yogurt and fresh parsley. Aside from a salad dressing, you could use it as a dip for all sorts of things: might we suggest oven baked fries or our best potato wedges? And it would be perfect with baked salmon or broiled salmon. To make the Green Goddess dressing, just whiz up plain yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon, and parsley in your blender! It makes quite a bit, so we’d suggest making a half recipe if you’re not sure you’ll eat that much. It’s perfect for using as a dressing and drizzle for meals throughout the week.

This Green Goddess salad is all about using up leftover grains and veggies from the week or weekend. You can literally make it with any grain: some of our favorites around here are rice, quinoa, millet, or farro. Pictured above is some pearl couscous we found in our pantry — it’s not technically a grain (it’s pasta!), but it’s very quick to cook. We love couscous when we’re in a rush! For the veggies, Sarah has specified to grill up some eggplant, zucchini and red onion: which was a fantastic combination! Mix those all with greens and some of the Tahini Green Goddess dressing, and you’re in business. It was a healthy lunch for us; it works as a bowl meal dinner recipe too — try it on the patio with frose this summer: you won’t be disappointed!

Green goddess salad bowls

Looking for bowl meal recipes?

Looking for bowl meal recipes? Aside from this Green Goddess salad, here are a few of our favorite vegetarian bowl meals (and one pescatarian one, too!):

  • Veggie Burrito Bowls
  • Seared Salmon Poke Bowls
  • Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Tahini Sauce
  • Vegetarian Cobb Salad
  • Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce
  • Baked Falafel Salad Bowl
  • Superfood Salad
  • Tropical Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp
  • Homemade Dolsot Bibimbap
  • Green Goddess Tortilla Bowl Salad
  • Go Green Bowls with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
  • Vegetarian Quinoa Bibimbap Bowls
  • Chickpea Fattoush Bowls
  • Vegan Buddha Bowl with Tahini Sauce
Bowl meal | Buddha bowl

This Green Goddess salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant based, and dairy free, use our Best Tahini Sauce instead of the Tahini Green Goddess dressing.

Green Goddess Salad Bowls

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

These Green Goddess salad bowls are all about flavor: tasty grains and grilled veggies smothered in creamy green tahini dressing.

Scale

Ingredients

For the Green Goddess salad bowls

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked red or brown rice
  • 1/2 cup uncooked red or white quinoa
  • 1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 large zucchini (about 2 pounds total)
  • 2 red onions
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon za’atar or ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 3 cups baby kale or spainch
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds
  • Any dry, semisoft cheese, such as ricotta salata, cotija or feta, for serving

For the Tahini Green Goddess Dressing (makes 3 1/2 cups)

  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice and quinoa together in 4 cups water, in a rice cooker, or on the stovetop until just tender.
  2. Cut the eggplant and zucchini into 2-inch pieces. Cut the red onions into eighths.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and onions with the oil, za’atar, and salt. Grill, turning once, until tender and nicely charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Make the Tahini Green Goddess Dressing: Puree all the ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a blender until smooth and uniformly green. Serve or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (This recipe uses only about 3/4 cup of the dressing, so feel free to make a half recipe if you don’t think you’ll eat it all!)
  5. Toss the vegetables, kale, and about 1/2 cup of the dressing together in a large bowl. Spoon the warm rice and quinoa into bowls. Scoop the dressed vegetables over the grains. Serve warm, topped with almonds and cheese, with extra dressing on the side.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/green-goddess-salad-bowls/

BBQ Soy Curls

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Soy curls are a vegan meat substitute that’s gaining steam, and guess what? They’re seriously good. Get convinced with this tasty BBQ soy curls recipe.

BBQ Soy Curls

“Have you ever made anything with soy curls?” My friend sent me a What’s App message about a new food she’d discovered. I had no idea what they were, but I did know one thing: they were in need of a serious PR makeover. Who wants to eat something called soy curls? (Ew.) But Alex was intrigued. He bought a bag, we tried them, and lo and behold: they were actually good. Like, really good! “Tastes like chicken!” we said.

A few days later, we walked over to a new BBQ restaurant near our house. The menu was straight up of Texas barbecue: except for one dish. “Vegan option: BBQ soy curls!” the menu exclaimed. Inspired by the restaurant, we whipped up a version of our own, and we’re now officially obsessed with this healthy meat substitute. These curls are savory, tangy, and have a texture a little like chicken. Slathered in homemade BBQ sauce, they’re pretty darn amazing. Here’s our BBQ soy curls recipe, what they are, and why you should eat them!

What are soy curls?

What are soy curls?

So: what are they, exactly? Soy curls are a meat alternative that’s made by boiling and dehydrating soybeans. The process is totally natural, which makes them a whole food and not a processed fake meat product. We know it might sound a little ify if you’ve never heard of them, but we promise these are legit good. This comes from two verrrry skeptical taste testers (us).

Of all the meat substitute products that exist, Alex and I have found that soy curls are one of the best ones at emulating meat. They have a texture similar to chicken, honestly. For a family who eats mostly vegetarian and vegan, they’re very satisfying. (The only thing they rival? Our “famous” vegetarian meatloaf.)

Butler soy curls

Get some soy curls

Are you convinced yet? Butler soy curls is another term you might see for this tasty treat: Butler is the company that makes soy curls. We buy ours online; the link is below.

As a note: You may have heard of something called tofu skins: this is similar, but not quite the same (the methods to make each are a little different).

Get them: Butler Soy curls (3 8-ounce bags) (enough for 6 batches)

Soy curls recipe

How to make this soy curls recipe

Soy curls are very easy to make. Here we’ve combined them with our homemade BBQ sauce to make the legit best BBQ faux chicken tenders. They are savory, tangy, and oh so delicious. And the texture? It’s kind of like chicken, honestly. But it’s all plant-based! It’s kind of amazing. We promise: you’re going to love it!

The only thing you need to know is that the curls require soaking before cooking them. You’ll only need to soak for 9 minutes, then squeeze out all the water. That’s it! Then you can cook them in whatever way you’d like.

Here’s how to make this BBQ soy curls recipe:

  1. Make the homemade BBQ sauce (our recipe takes just 10 minutes to simmer).
  2. Soak the soy curls for 9 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the liquid.
  3. Saute the curls: heat olive oil and saute the curls for 3 to 4 minutes, then add a bit of BBQ sauce and cook another minute until start to lightly blacken.
  4. Remove from the heat and mix in more BBQ sauce.
  5. Serve with extra sauce for dipping!
Barbecue vegan chicken tenders

How serve ’em

So, these BBQ soy curls are like a comfort-food style appetizer, kind of like vegan chicken tenders. However, Alex and I also like to eat them when we’re looking for a filling snack or as part of a main dish dinner for the 2 of us with our toddler Larson. (He LOVED them, by the way, making them one of our top recs for vegan recipes for kids.) Here’s what we’d do to dress up them up into a meal:

  • Oven Baked Fries or Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges: Add fries or potato wedges as a side, and these curls are basically dinner!
  • Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich Substitute the curls for the jackfruit in this Jackfruit BBQ sandwich as a super satisfying main dish!
  • Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich Another sandwich option is substituting curls for the cauliflower in this tasty sandwich.
  • Radish Chopped Salad Recipe Add them to this radish chopped salad with blue cheese dressing, and you have a tasty main dish salad!

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

BBQ Soy Curls

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (57 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 as a snack, 2 as a main 1x
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Description

Soy curls are a vegan meat substitute that’s gaining steam, and guess what? They’re seriously good. Get convinced with this tasty BBQ soy curls recipe.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons Homemade BBQ Sauce, plus more for serving (required: no cheating with other BBQ!)
  • 2 cups soy curls (available here)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Make the Homemade BBQ Sauce (or try our Vegan BBQ Sauce, Mustard BBQ Sauce or Sugar Free BBQ Sauce.) Don’t even think about using another purchased BBQ sauce: this one is absolutely worth the 10 minutes it takes to simmer while you wait for the soy curls.
  2. Place the soy curls in a bowl and cover with several inches of water. Soak for 9 minutes. Then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium high. Cook the soy curls for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned, stirring often. Add 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and continue cooking 1 minute until starting to blacken.
  4. Remove the soy curls to bowl and stir them together with 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Serve warm, with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/bbq-soy-curls/

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

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These grilled shrimp tacos are a perfect dinner party recipe or healthy weeknight meal, featuring spiced shrimp, Mexican slaw and a spicy mayo drizzle.

Grilled shrimp tacos

Ready for our new favorite shrimp recipe? Grilled shrimp tacos with slaw! Oh YES. Imagine: smoky shrimp spiced with cumin and chili powder, served atop a crunchy Mexican slaw and drizzled with spicy mayo. Top with a spritz of lime juice and torn fresh cilantro, they’re pretty heavenly. They’ve got a festive vibe that works for entertaining, but they’re just as good for an easy dinner in. We made them for a dinner party and with a frozen daiquiri in hand, life felt pretty great.

Don’t want to grill? Go to Easy Shrimp Tacos.

How to make grilled shrimp tacos (basic steps!)

The grilled shrimp is quick to cook: the longest lead time in this tacos recipe is thawing the shrimp and preheating the grill. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):

  1. If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw it.
  2. Preheat the grill to medium high direct heat (375 to 400 degrees).
  3. While you’re waiting, make the toppings (Mexican slaw and spicy mayo).
  4. Mix the shrimp with olive oil and seasonings (cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder). Toss them on the grill and grill 1 to 2 minutes per side, until bright pink and cooked through.
  5. Serve in a tortilla with the coleslaw, spicy mayo, cilantro, and lime juice.
Mexican coleslaw

Make the Mexican slaw, or here’s a shortcut!

The other main part of these grilled shrimp recipe is making the Mexican coleslaw! It takes a bit of time to chop up the veggies and mix them together with olive oil, vinegar, and spices. You can do this while the grill preheats.

But if you’re in a time crunch, here’s a shortcut! Simply shred the cabbage, then squeeze it with lime juice from a few wedges and a pinch of kosher salt. It’s a shortcut we use again and again and it tastes almost just as good!Spicy mayo: the icing on the cake!

The final component to these grilled shrimp tacos: spicy mayo! It’s an easy version of a taco sauce. All you do is mix together mayonnaise and Mexican hot sauce (use Cholula brand if you can find it). You don’t even really need to measure: just use the amounts to taste. Here’s the approximate ratio we like to use: 1 tablespoon mayonnaise plus 1 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce.

Spicy mayo

What to serve with grilled shrimp tacos

Alex and I served this healthy grilled shrimp tacos recipe at an outdoor dinner party. Looking for some ideas on how to serve your tacos? Here’s what our dinner party menu looked like:

  • Grilled Shrimp Tacos
  • Refried Bean Dip with tortilla chips
  • Mexican Coleslaw (left over from the tacos!)
  • Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
  • Lime Frozen Daiquiris (or try Frozen Margaritas or any of our Best Margarita Recipes)
  • Chopped Pineapple, for dessert

It was the tastiest lineup: and our 2 year old Larson gobbled it all up! He especially loved dipping chips in the bean dip (of course!).

Elote recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
Throw Elote right onto the grill with the shrimp!

How to thaw frozen shrimp

Wondering whether to get frozen or raw shrimp for grilled shrimp tacos? A myth about fish is that “fresh is best” — but frozen is good too! If it’s frozen right away, it can be fresher than raw shrimp. What’s the best way to thaw shrimp? Here are a few options:

  • Thaw by placing in the refrigerator overnight. Of course, this requires thinking ahead so…
  • Thaw under running cold water the day of. Place the frozen shrimp into a large bowl with very cold water. Stir the bowl every 5 minutes to break up clumps of shrimp that freeze together. The shrimp should be defrosted in about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Grilled shrimp tacos

How to keep tortillas warm?

Finally: let’s talk tortillas! A warm tortilla is key to a good taco. Usually we warm our tortillas over a gas flame on the stovetop (see How to Warm Tortillas). But for this recipe, since you already have the grill fired up, you can heat your tortillas right on the grill! It also gives them a bit of charred essence to the flavor.

But once you take them off the grill, how to keep tortillas warm? Try a tortilla warmer! Alex and I don’t buy many gadgets that have only one purpose. But we have not found a better way to keep our tortillas warm! It’s basically an insulated pouch traps in the heat and keeps them perfectly heated. At the rate that we eat tacos around here, it’s a godsend. Get it: Tortilla warmer $14

Grilled shrimp tacos

This grilled shrimp tacos recipe is…

Dairy-free, gluten-free and pescatarian.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (27 votes, average: 4.41 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings (8 tacos) 1x
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Description

These grilled shrimp tacos are a perfect dinner party recipe or healthy weeknight meal, featuring spiced shrimp, Mexican slaw and a spicy mayo drizzle.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (we used 26–30 per pound size)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups Mexican Coleslaw (1/4 recipe; or 2 cups shredded red cabbage)
  • 8 tortillas
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce (such as Cholula)
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high direct heat (375 to 400 degrees).
  2. Thaw the shrimp and peel it (if it’s in the shell). In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and kosher salt.
  3. Make the Mexican Coleslaw (or shred the cabbage and sprinkle with lime juice and a bit of kosher salt).
  4. Mix together the mayonnaise and Mexican hot sauce.
  5. Warm tortillas on grill for 10 seconds per side. Then grill the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until bright pink and cooked through.
  6. To serve, place the coleslaw into a tortilla and top with grilled shrimp. Drizzle with the spicy mayo and top with torn cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/grilled-shrimp-tacos/

Grilled Garlic Shrimp

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This grilled garlic shrimp recipe is full of big flavor! Toss the shrimp on the grill with an easy marinade of lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Garlic Grilled Shrimp

Is there anything more delicious than succulent, garlicky shrimp right off the grill? Here’s a seriously easy recipe for grilled garlic shrimp, using a zesty lemon herb marinade. It’s simple to whip up: just give it a 30 minute marinade and it’s good to go on the grill. And it takes only 2 to 4 minutes! There’s really nothing faster on the grill, and it makes for a simple, healthy dinner. After Alex made this for me, I took one bite and said “WHOA.” Yep, it’s that good. Here are all our tips for the best grilled shrimp, and what to eat with it!

Related: Best Shrimp Dinner Ideas

Grilled shrimp marinade

What’s in this grilled shrimp?

You don’t need many ingredients to make seriously flavorful grilled shrimp. Our homemade grilled garlic shrimp marinade packs in lots of fresh flavor without using any special ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for the marinade:

  • Fresh herbs
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Kosher salt
  • Red pepper flakes

Note that you should use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. The red pepper flakes are optional, but we like the kick they give to this grilled shrimp marinade. Leave it out if you’re sensitive to spice!

Garlic grilled shrimp

How to make grilled shrimp

Grilled garlic shrimp is one of the easiest things you can make on the grill. It’s fantastic for entertaining, or just a simple evening on the patio. Now, for the bare bones easiest recipe, you can grill it with just olive oil, salt, and pepper — and a few squeezes of lemon. Go to Easiest Grilled Shrimp.

But if you have time for the marinade—and we hope you do—this recipe is absolutely worth it! This recipe features our grilled shrimp marinade made with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and garlic. It adds huge flavor to this shrimp. The only thing is that you’ll marinade the shrimp 30 to 45 minutes before you’d like to grill it. Try not to go any longer than this, because the marinade almost “cooks” the shrimp, similar to a ceviche.

Here are the steps for how to grill shrimp:

  1. Defrost the shrimp (if frozen) and shell it: the marinade soaks in best if the shrimp is shelled.
  2. Mix up the grilled shrimp marinade: lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, minced garlic, fresh herbs, soy sauce, and salt.
  3. Place the shrimp in a bowl with the marinade and let it stand in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes.
  4. Preheat a grill to medium high. Grill the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side, until bright pink and cooked through.
What to eat with grilled shrimp

10 side dishes for grilled garlic shrimp

Now that you’ve got this beautiful grilled shrimp, what to eat with it? Here are a few ideas:

  1. Pesto Quinoa: Shrimp looks beautiful with quinoa; for this one we make up our Perfect Quinoa and stir in some basil pesto. Yum!
  2. Easy Bean Salad: The perfect easy side, this one is full of protein with beans, chives and feta cheese.
  3. Best Steamed Broccoli: This really is the best way to eat broccoli, crisp tender and served with feta (or try it in the Instant Pot).
  4. Grilled Romaine Lettuce: If you have the grill fired up, grill up some romaine and top with Parmesan as a smoky salad.
  5. Parmesan Potato Wedges: Oven roasted potatoes covered in crispy Parmesan? Sign us up!
  6. Grilled Avocado: Grilling avocados takes only 4 to 6 minutes: they’re a delicious and healthy side dish! Top them with something Mediterranean inspired, like the caprese topping for these mushrooms.
  7. Strawberry Spinach Salad: This tangy and sweet salad would be a fitting contrast to savory shrimp.
  8. Incredible Chopped Salad: An Italian-style chopped salad would accessorize well with the lemon and garlic in the shrimp marinade.
  9. Favorite Potato Salad: Go American classic and accessorize with potato salad! This French potato salad and vegan potato salad are also great choices.
  10. Creamy Polenta: Grilled shrimp are delicious atop a bowl of creamy polenta (for dairy-free, use Creamy Vegan Polenta). It’s very similar to American shrimp and grits.
Marinade with fresh herbs

How to grow fresh herbs

This grilled garlic shrimp recipe uses a handful of fresh herbs: and it’s so much more fun to grow them yourself! We grow herbs all summer long, and it’s one of the most satisfying things to run out to the garden and harvest a few herbs. You don’t even need garden space: you can just grow herbs in pots as long as you have a sunny ledge! And adding herbs to your cooking is a healthy flavor addition, without adding calories.

For this recipe, we used a mixture of dill, basil and chives: but you could use any that you like. We loved the dill though: it’s a natural complement to the grilled shrimp! So if can find dill, it’s absolutely worth it.

For all of our tips on fresh herbs, see this post on How to Grow Herbs.

Herb garden

How to buy sustainable shrimp

Finally, a little note on how to buy sustainable fish for this grilled garlic shrimp. Alex and I try to buy sustainable seafood where possible. We eat a mostly plant-based diet, but flex occasionally to eat sustainable fish. In researching how to buy sustainable seafood, Alex and I have learned to look for wild-caught fish if possible.

Also, frozen shrimp is good too! A myth about fish is that “fresh is best.” As soon as an animal dies it begins to decompose; freezing suspends this process. If a fish is frozen when it was caught and stays frozen until it gets to your kitchen, it will be higher quality than a raw fish that has taken a week to get to your plate.

Grilled shrimp

This grilled garlic shrimp recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and pescatarian.

Grilled Garlic Shrimp

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (16 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
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Description

This grilled garlic shrimp recipe is full of big flavor! Toss the shrimp on the grill with an easy marinade of lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (we used 26–30 per pound size)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as dill, basil and chives
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. Defrost the shrimp and peel it, as necessary.
  2. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the herbs.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients: lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, soy sauce, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, and herbs.
  4. Add the shrimp to the bowl with the marinade. Let sit in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes.
  5. Preheat a grill to medium-high direct heat (375 to 400 degrees).
  6. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until bright pink and cooked through.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/garlic-grilled-shrimp/

BBQ Grilled Cauliflower

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This tasty grilled cauliflower is slathered in tangy homemade BBQ sauce. Serve it as an easy side dish or on a sandwich!

Grilled Cauliflower

Are you cauliflower addicts like we are? Cauliflower has gotten a major makeover in the past few years. Growing up, Alex and I only saw it raw on veggie trays. But these days there are so many creative ways to eat this tasty cruciferous vegetable. For summer, might we recommend this grilled cauliflower? It infuses irresistible smoky flavor into this tasty veggie: and painting it with our tangy homemade BBQ sauce puts it over the top. Serve it as a side dish or in a sandwich like our Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower sandwich!

Grilled cauliflower with BBQ

How to make grilled cauliflower (basic steps)

Unfortunately making grilled cauliflower recipe isn’t as simple as popping raw cauliflower on to the grill! Because it has a tough texture, you’ll need to cook the florets prior to grilling. If you try to grill raw cauliflower, it comes out blackened but still very tough. The best way to cook prior to the grill is steaming it. We use the technique of cooking veggies before grilling them for hard veggies like potatoes and carrots. Here’s how to make roasted cauliflower on the grill (or go right to the recipe):

  1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat.
  2. Cut the cauliflower into florets.
  3. Place the cauliflower in a pan with water, cover, and steam it for about 5 minutes until fork tender.
  4. Place the florets on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.*
  5. Grill for about 4 minutes per side, until tender.

*Note: If you’d like to use BBQ sauce for your grilled cauliflower, paint BBQ sauce on the cauliflower florets instead of olive oil before you put them on the grill. Then remove them and paint another coat on after they are grilled.

Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
Use this BBQ grilled cauliflower in our Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich

How to serve grilled cauliflower

How to serve this grilled cauliflower? Here’s what we do:

  • It’s a great easy side dish recipe for summer cookouts and potlucks! Serve it alongside Grilled Shrimp, Greek portobello burgers, or Best grilled veggie burgers.
  • Make it a main dish: serve it as a sandwich! Substitute it for the cauliflower in this Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich, which adds a blue cheese sauce and celery leaves. Or, simply place it on a bun and slather it with our Blue Cheese Dressing.
Healthy BBQ Sauce
Using our Homemade BBQ Sauce puts this grilled cauliflower over the top

How to cut cauliflower

Wondering how to cut the florets for this grilled cauliflower but not sure the best way? Alex and I use a genius method for cutting cauliflower that doesn’t end up with crumbles all over the counter! (Anyone have that issue?) We use this method all the time, like when we make our crispy cauliflower tacos or our delicious party favorite buffalo cauliflower with blue cheese dip. Here’s what to do:

  1. Remove the large leaves from the base of the cauliflower so that the stem is exposed; discard the leaves.
  2. With a paring knife, cut around the stem of the cauliflower.
  3. Break the cauliflower into large florets with your fingers.
  4. Remove any large stems, cutting the cauliflower into smaller florets as needed for the recipe.

That’s it: all you need to know to make delicious grilled cauliflower! Let us know if you make it in the comments below.

Looking for cauliflower recipes?

Are you as cauliflower obsessed as we are? Here are a few more cauliflower recipes we couldn’t live without:

  • Cauliflower Tacos with Yum Yum Sauce These tacos with breaded cauliflower, refried beans and silky Yum Yum sauce are all about one thing: big flavor!
  • Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower As irresistible as French fries, baked in a hot oven until browned and crisp.
  • Perfect Roasted Cauliflower The best way to cook cauliflower? Baked in the oven! This roasted cauliflower recipe makes it taste so irresistibly good, you can’t stop eating it.
  • Roasted Cauliflower Pasta This cauliflower pasta is loaded with flavor, packed with caramelized roasted cauliflower, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil!
BBQ sauce

This grilled cauliflower recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

BBQ Grilled Cauliflower

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (24 votes, average: 4.46 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

This tasty grilled cauliflower is slathered in tangy homemade BBQ sauce. Serve it as an easy side dish or in a grilled cauliflower sandwich!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 medium cauliflower head
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • About 1/2 cup Homemade BBQ Sauce (or Vegan BBQ Sauce or Sugar Free BBQ Sauce)

Instructions

  1. Heat grill to medium high (375 degrees Farenheit).
  2. Cut the cauliflower into large florets.
  3. Place the florets in pan with 1 1/2 cups water and heat to high until bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium and cover; steam for 5 minutes until the water cooks out and the cauliflower is slightly tender when pierced with a fork.
  4. Place the steamed cauliflower on a baking sheet. Sprinkle it with garlic powder, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Then use a brush to paint the BBQ sauce on both sides of each floret.
  5. Place the cauliflower on the grill and cook until tender and blackened, about 4 minutes per side.
  6. Remove the cauliflower from the grill and place it back on the tray. Use the same brush to brush each side of the florets with another coat of BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/bbq-grilled-cauliflower/

Creamy Instant Pot Pasta

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Can you cook pasta in an Instant Pot? You bet. This recipe is a seriously creamy Instant Pot pasta recipe that you’ll make again and again.

Creamy Instant Pot Pasta

Ever tried making Instant Pot pasta? Alex and I have owned our Instant Pot for a year, but it wasn’t until recently that we’ve tried cooking pasta in it. Honestly, we were a little wary of pasta: would a pressure cooker be able to cook pasta without turning it to mush? Turns out, it works: and it’s absolutely delicious! Here, we’ve made a creamy Instant Pot pasta with a marinara sauce mixed with creamy goat cheese. It’s so seriously flavorful, it might just be one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes yet. And it’s a perfect easy weeknight dinner recipe: as simple as throwing a few things in the pot and cooking for 5 minutes. Our toddler Larson is obsessed…and so are we!

Want a stovetop version instead? Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

Instant Pot pasta

How to make Instant Pot pasta

If you’re looking for fast and easy dinner recipes, this one is for you! This vegetarian Instant Pot pasta recipe could not be easier: the concept is to cook the pasta and make a homemade marinara sauce at the same time: directly in the pressure cooker. Then you’ll stir in goat cheese to make the sauce creamy: kind of like a vodka sauce, but using goat cheese instead! The cool thing is that it takes only 5 minutes of cook time! If you’re familiar with Instant Pot cooking you’ll know it takes a few more minutes than just the cook time: but not much!

The ingredients required for this Instant Pot pasta are simple:

  • Crushed fire roasted tomatoes: using fire roasted tomatoes is helpful for their sweet flavor; if you can’t find them, use the best quality crushed tomatoes you can find!
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Spices (garlic powder, dried oregano, salt)
  • Spinach leaves: baby spinach is easiest, or you can use chopped spinach
  • Whole basil leaves
  • Penne pasta, or any short pasta shape
  • Goat cheese, to make the creamy sauce

Now, to make the Instant Pot pasta, you literally dump all the ingredients into the Instant Pot (except goat cheese) and pressure cook on High for 5 minutes. If you’re experienced with cooking with a pressure cooker you’ll know there’s a “preheat” time to add to that where the Instant Pot is heating up. For this recipe it takes about 10 minutes to preheat (a bit longer than most recipes, since there is so much volume inside the pot). Then you’ll do a quick release, where you immediately let out all the steam in the Instant Pot. Stir in the goat cheese and the pasta is ready to go!

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This one got VERY high marks in our household: from all of us, and our toddler Larson! I know we’ll keep making it for years to come.

Related: This pasta calls for fresh basil — and it’s easy to grow at home! We’ve also got a trick for storing it. Here’s How to Grow Basil and How to Store Fresh Basil.

Creamy Instant Pot Pasta

Does pasta cook to al dente in an Instant Pot?

Good question! If you’re rigorous about your al dente pasta like we are, take note: Instant Pot pasta does taste a bit softer than the al dente you can achieve on the stovetop. If you’re a stickler for perfectly al dente pasta, this might not be the recipe for you. However, we tested this against a stovetop version: Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta. And we loved the Instant Pot pasta almost even a little more! While the stovetop pasta was firmer, the pressure cooker pasta had the flavor of the sauce really soak in: which was just as satisfying for us.

Leftovers of this Instant Pot pasta do become quite soft, so that’s another difference that you’ll notice versus leftovers of stovetop pasta. You’ll want to eat your pasta as soon as possible, or just be ready for softer than normal leftovers. However, knowing both of these caveats, the Instant Pot pasta was as huge hit in our household.

Instant Pot pasta

What Instant Pot do you use?

Alex and I use an Instant Pot brand Instant Pot, though there are lots of other great pressure cookers out there! The Instant Pot we use is the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker. 

There are some variations between pressure cooker brands, so we can’t speak to the way that other brands cook. For example, we’ve heard that the Instant Pot Mini is pretty different and does not work as well as the standard size. So, only use the Instant Pot Mini for this recipe at your own risk!

Instant Pot pasta

Looking for Instant Pot recipes?

Outside of this Instant Pot pasta recipe, here are a few more of our Instant Pot recipes:

  • Basics: Sweet Potatoes | Chickpeas | Lentils & Rice| Eggs | Quinoa | How to Cook Rice: White Rice & Brown Rice | Lentils | Refried Beans
  • Instant Pot Spaghetti
  • Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
  • Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
  • Thai Sweet Potatoes
  • Chickpea Couscous Bowls
  • Lentil Tacos
  • Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
  • Granola Instant Pot Apple Crisp
  • Instant Pot Stuffed Acorn Squash
  • Best Vegan Nachos

This Instant Pot pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian

Creamy Instant Pot Pasta

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (216 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
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Description

Can you cook pasta in an Instant Pot? You bet. This recipe is a seriously creamy Instant Pot pasta recipe that you’ll make again and again.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (or best quality crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves, tightly packed (or chopped spinach)
  • 8 fresh basil leaves
  • 8 ounces penne pasta (regular, not whole wheat)
  • 4 ounce goat cheese log

Instructions

  1. Place the following ingredients into the Instant Pot: water, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, spinach, whole basil leaves, and penne. Stir until combined.
  2. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
  3. Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid.
  4. Open the lid and crumble in the goat cheese; stir until a creamy sauce forms. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/creamy-instant-pot-pasta/

Vegan Pesto Pasta

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This killer vegan pesto pasta gets big flavor from emerald green basil pesto, ripe cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. It’s perfection on a plate.

Vegan pesto pasta

Pesto pasta without cheese? Yes, it’s possible! While emerald-green pesto sauce traditionally gets its flavor from Parmesan cheese, Alex and I decided it was high time for a simple vegan version in our life. And once we created a fabulous vegan basil pesto, then why not put it on pasta? We tried out a vegan version of our favorite pesto pasta recipe, and I must say: we liked it almost more than the original! The silky smooth, savory basil pesto coats the tender pasta, punctuated by the pop of the cherry tomatoes. In short, it’s summer perfection. Keep reading for the recipe!

Vegan pesto pasta

How to make vegan pesto pasta

The most involved part of this vegan pesto pasta is making the homemade vegan pesto! Of course if you can find purchased vegan pesto, feel free to use that — this recipe will be even quicker. (And be surer to let us know in the comments below what brands you enjoy!) But for the very best pesto pasta without cheese: you’ve got to make the pesto at home.

Making vegan pesto requires a healthy amount of basil, and a food processor. You can also use a blender, but we’d try it with a smaller blender or immersion blender because of the quantity of ingredients. The old fashioned way, of course, is to use a mortar and pestle: so if you have one of those, you could try that too!

Here’s how to make vegan pesto pasta:

  • Blend up the pesto: In a food processor, combine cashews, miso, garlic, fresh basil, lemon juice, and olive oil until a thick sauce forms.
  • Boil the pasta: Boil the pasta until al dente, then drain.
  • Combine: Combine the pesto with the pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of pasta water to create a loose sauce. Enjoy immediately!
Vegan cashew pesto

The magic ingredient in our vegan pesto

In a vegan pesto, it’s difficult to mimic the savory flavor of the Parmesan cheese. That’s the reason Parmesan exists, right? However, we found a plant-based ingredient that works like a charm. The magic in our vegan cashew pesto is…drumroll…miso!

Miso is a Japanese ingredient: it’s a fermented soybean paste. If you’ve never had miso it might sound odd to include in a vegan Italian recipe. But before you write it off: the flavor is incredible. Ever had a miso soup? It’s tangy, savory, salty, and super complex. If you eat a vegan diet, you’ve probably cooked with it before because it mimics a meaty flavor so well. It’s full of umami, the so-called fifth flavor that is the definition of savory. You’ll find umami in meats, mushrooms, cheese…and of course, miso!

The other ingredient of top importance in vegan pesto is, of course, fresh basil! Keep reading for more…

Basil

How to grow and store fresh basil

Pesto recipes call for a lot of fresh basil: and it’s no wonder, because traditionally in Italy everyone had basil plants on their property. Alex and I highly recommend planting basil if you can. You don’t even need garden space: just a pot and a sunny ledge! It is much, much cheaper than buying basil at the store: especially when a recipe calls for 2 cups of basil leaves!

Here are a few of our basil resources:

  • How to Grow Basil: If you’re looking to grow your own basil plant, we have a step by step guide.
  • How to Store Basil: When you harvest branches of your basil plant and bring them inside, they’ll wilt very quickly. For easy storage, find a large ball jar and place a little water in the bottom. Then place the basil stems inside, cut side down. Add the top and it will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator!
Vegan pesto pasta

How to cook pasta to al dente

When Alex and I visited Italy on our honeymoon, we tasted pasta that was truly al dente for the first time. And it was mind blowing! This wasn’t the limp, gooey stuff we were used to tasting in the US. The pasta was firm enough that you had to really bite through each piece: making it infinitely more satisfying. When we returned home, we knew we had to figure out how to do this for ourselves.

Many of the package directions on pasta call for cooking it much too long! To cook pasta to al dente for this vegan pesto pasta recipe, do the following:

  • Boil it in a large pot of boiling water.
  • Always start taste testing a few minutes before the package instructions indicate to. The pasta should be tender, but still firm on the inside so that it has a little bite. Stay vigilant: pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in minutes!
Vegan pesto pasta

Looking for more vegan pasta recipes?

This vegan pesto pasta is one of our favorite vegan pasta recipes; here are a few more that we love:

  • Instant Pot Spaghetti
  • The Best Vegan Meatballs & Spaghetti
  • Vegan Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
  • Spaghetti with Kale
  • Golden Vegetable Noodle Soup
  • Vegan Italian Pasta Salad

This vegan pesto pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

Vegan Pesto Pasta

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
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Description

This killer vegan pesto pasta gets big flavor from emerald green basil pesto, ripe cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. It’s perfection on a plate.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces bucatini pasta (or spaghetti)*
  • 1/2 cup homemade Vegan Cashew Pesto
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Make the Vegan Cashew Pesto.
  2. Heat a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, checking for doneness a few minutes before the package instructions indicate (the pasta should be tender but still slightly firm). Drain, making sure to reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
  3. When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the pesto, olive oil, reserved pasta water, sliced cherry tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir. Taste and add additional salt if needed (the exact amount depends on the pesto and your pasta water, so it will vary — salt until the flavor pops!). If you’d like it to be a looser sauce, you could also stir in another splash of reserved pasta water. Serve immediately.

Notes

*This quantity makes 3 to 4 modest servings, so you may need to double based on your eaters hunger level.

You can read Full Here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/vegan-pesto-pasta/