Do you ever get in a rut about what to make for dinner? Sometimes I find myself in a rotation of the same recipes over and over again. However, I love to cook and have a plethora of recipes I’ve saved on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
I’m here to share some of my favorite IG accounts and five tried and true recipes to help shake up your recipe rut! These fabulous women inspire their followers and bring yummy, innovative, or plain comfort food to their tables weekly. I’m a big foodie and love to recreate recipes or restaurant items at home. I’ve tried dozens of recipes from these ladies and am happy to share some of my favorites for your next picnic or regular weekday meal!
Diane Morrisey:: Best Baked Salmon
A super mom to six kids from our very own Trumbull, CT, makes feel-good recipes reminiscent of what your mom or grandma would have cooked up, and most are made on a budget!
This dish comes from an unclaimed Food Network chef but is brought to life by Diane for her million+ followers! This can be partially prepped in advance and only takes 20 minutes to cook. It’s a fan-favorite of my husband and daughter, who loves this sweet, savory, crunchy, yet creamy salmon dish. This pairs perfectly with rice and some garlicky green beans. Check out the Food Network for the full recipe.
Kat Can Cook:: Pesto White Bean Salad with Croutons
This salad is so simple and delicious. Thankfully, we have Kat, who puts recipes with staples in most of our cabinets with fresh greens perfect for a light dinner, picnic, or lunch with your lady friends. I bet this would be delicious with chicken or shrimp. I’ve also added some fresh mozzarella (because I am addicted to cheese).
Two Peas & Their Pod:: Spring Tortellini Salad
Don’t let the name fool you; this is a perfect summer dish! I love a good pasta salad, and this one adds some fresh, simple ingredients to make a standout side or main dish to your next meal. Add a protein if you’d like to make it a bit heartier, or serve as-is.
Kathy Quadrato:: Zucchini “Meatballs” with Pink Sauce
I was devasted to see that this video was somehow deleted; thankfully, because I make it all the time, I have it memorized! I’m sharing one of my second favorite recipes here so you can follow her but see below for this phenomenal vegetarian-friendly, feel-good dish.
- 1 cup shredded zucchini – place in a bowl lined with paper towels and lightly salt. After 15-30 minutes, wring out excess water
- Half-cup grated parmesan
- Half cup ricotta
- Half cup shredded fresh mozzarella
- Four eggs
- Half cup breadcrumbs
- Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil
- One jar of tomato sauce
- 1/2-1cup heavy cream
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly
- Using your favorite jarred or homemade sauce (I like Carbone’s Garlic Sauce), combine over a large skillet with ½ -1 cup heavy cream (depending on your preference). Heat until simmering.
- Once the sauce is simmering, drop meatball size dollops (use two spoons, one to scoop, one to scrape) of the zucchini mixture into the sauce, spacing out an inch or so apart. I can usually make about a dozen dollops.
- Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until cooked. Once cooked, our zucchini meatballs will be light, fluffy, and perfectly paired with your favorite pasta. I recommend spaghetti.
Cooking With Shereen:: Peach Crostata
This peach crostata is a quick and easy dessert that will impress your guests (or kids). This delicious treat can be whipped up relatively quickly and is a great excuse to use that fruit starting to brown or, in my case, the never-ending supply of frozen fruit I saved. Shereen uses homemade pie dough, which sounds ambitious to some but is quite easy. Although having made my own and store-bought, I have a hard time telling the difference other than one makes less mess. I also love this with peaches or most other fruits!
