6 Things I’ve Made For Dinner Recently + Love My Ninja Foodi Oven

Happy new week friends. After a few rough nights of sleep last week, I really focused on getting rest over the weekend while Finn was with his dad. I napped on Friday afternoon and then slept 9.5 hours on both Friday and Saturday night. It was pretty magical! I spent the weekend completing a module for my 300-hour yoga teacher training on the sacred teachings of yoga for women so it was also a spiritually/mentally nourishing weekend.

My weekend ended with lots of fresh air and sunshine with Finn and the dogs in the backyard.

And YAFO takeout with Virginia. I did a half grain, half salad bowl with rice and spinach and kale. Toppings included hummus, babaganoush, beets, red cabbage slaw, cucumber and tomato salad, feta, tahini cauliflower, cilantro yogurt sauce and lemon tahini sauce. It was a filling and delicious end to the weekend and a nice break from cooking.

For today’s post I wanted to share six things that I’ve made for dinner recently in case you’re looking for some ideas for your own dinner menu!

1. SALMON + COUSCOUS BOWL WITH TZATZIKI & ROASTED VEGGIES

Here’s a loose recipe:

SALMON
Sitka Salmon Shares wild Alaskan coho salmon seasoned with kosher sea salt, Trader Joe’s lemon pepper grinder and 21 seasoning salute. Drizzled with olive oil and topped with lemon slices. Baked at 375 degrees in my Ninja Foodi Oven for about 12 minutes, until internal temp was 120.

QUINOA
Steamed quinoa in chicken broth and then stirred in a splash of white wine vinegar, chopped kalamata olives, quartered cherry tomatoes, feta, fresh basil and fresh mint. Gave it a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

VEGGIES
Roasted broccoli crowns and stems alongside baby portobello mushrooms in olive oil and kosher sea salt on 375 in the Ninja Foodi Oven for about 25 minutes.

2. PERUVIAN CHICKEN + POTATO STEW OVER CAULIFLOWER RICE

This was based on a recipe that my friend Angie shared with me. Here is a screenshot:

I served mine over cauliflower rice with avocado and cilantro.

3. GREEK MEATBALL RICE BOWL + SAUTÉED ZUCCHINI & CHERRY TOMATOES

This was such an easy and delicious dinner! Here’s the recipe that I based the meatballs on. I served them over rice with sautéed zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, hummus and tzatziki. Bonus: Finn liked this one too!

4. VEGGIE PASTA

For the pasta, I sautéed mini bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, onions, artichoke hearts (from a frozen bag) together in olive oil. Once it was almost done cooking, I added spinach and garlic. Tossed the veggie mixture with cooked penne pasta and jarred vodka sauce from Whole Foods. Topped with cheese and fresh basil and served with homemade toasted sourdough with butter.

5. AIR FRYER CHICKEN BREAST OVER RICE WITH SAUTEED SPINACH & TZATZIKI

I seasoned a chicken breast with a few things from my spice rack (I wish I could remember what!) and cooked it in the air fryer for about 15-20 minutes on 350 until internal temp reached 160. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes and then sliced it and served over rice with sautéed spinach and cherry tomatoes, feta and tzatziki sauce.

I know you’ve seen a ton of tzatziki sauce in these meals and that’s because I bought a container of it at ALDI (I like their spinach and artichoke tzatziki)!

6. CHICKEN NUGGET + SPINACH SALAD

I cooked Trader Joe’s gluten-free chicken nuggets in the air fryer on 400 for about 15 minutes. While it was cooking, I assembled the salad. Baby spinach with carrots, toasted pecans, mini bell peppers, avocado, shredded cheddar and ranch dressing. The ranch was an organic from ALDI.

I LOVE MY NINJA FOODI OVEN!!!

I received a Ninja Foodi Oven last fall when I did an Instagram partnership with Ninja. Little did I know that it would become my FAVORITE kitchen appliance! I am not kidding you when I say that I use this every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. It air frys, air roasts, air broils, bakes, dehydrates and toasts.

One of the best features is that it preheats in under 60 seconds!!! This is a lifesaver when I need to get a meal together for Finn quickly. My traditional oven takes 15 minutes or more to preheat. Things also cook much faster in the Foodi Oven because it’s such a small contained environment.

It’s important to know that it’s small. That’s good in that it doesn’t take a up a ton of space on your counter. (It’s actually designed to be flipped up after you’re done using it to minimize the counter space it uses, although I never do that.) It’s not so good if you’re trying to cook food for more than 1-2 people. It’s also not very tall so you can’t fit bigger pots/pans in it. My parents have a CuisinArt that they love and it’s significantly bigger.

But if you’re in the market for a compact convection oven with an air fryer feature, I 10/10 recommend the Ninja Foodi Oven!

QUESTIONS

How was your weekend? 

What are you making for dinner this week?

What’s your current favorite kitchen appliance?