This one-pan orzo is one of my favorite weeknight meals because it’s simple, fresh, and comes together in about 30 minutes. Toasting the orzo first gives it a delicious nutty flavor, while spinach, lemon, dill, and feta make every bite bright and satisfying. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian dinner or pair it with grilled chicken or salmon for a complete meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry orzo
• 1 ¾ cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more for serving
• ½ cup chopped fresh dill (or parsley)
• Mint and basil (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the scallions and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
3. Add the dry orzo and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and golden in spots. This simple step adds incredible flavor.
4. Put the handfuls of spinach in there until just wilted- a couple minutes.
5. Pour in the broth and stir in the lemon zest, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook, covered, for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is nearly tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Stir peas in (if using).
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, feta, and fresh dill until everything is well combined. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or another squeeze of lemon if you’d like.
8. Serve warm with extra feta, fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Chef Joanna’s Tips

• Add protein: This pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, or chickpeas.
• Meal prep: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Add a splash of broth when reheating to loosen the orzo.
• Mix up the herbs: Basil, parsley, mint, or cilantro all work well depending on the flavor you’re after.
• Make it your own: Stir in chopped artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted asparagus for even more vegetables.

Shape Up Fridge Tip

One-pan meals like this are a great way to build a balanced dinner without spending hours in the kitchen. You have whole grains from the orzo, leafy greens, healthy fats from the olive oil, and plenty of flavor from fresh herbs and lemon. Pair it with your favorite protein and dinner is done!

Warmly,
Joanna

IG: @chefjoannas

Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

1. Take out chicken 15 minutes before baking so it is not super cold when it goes in the oven 

2. Preheat oven to 425 F

3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper

4. Place chicken breast on parchment. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and garlic powder if you like. Use your hands to coat chicken breast on each side or use tongs to rub them on each other.

5. Place in middle of oven for 20-25 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 F in the thickest part of the chicken

6. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Pour juice over chicken for storage and moisture. 

with basil, brown butter + sweet little pops of corn

This is one of those dinners that tastes way fancier than the effort it takes. Sweet summer corn gets blended into the silkiest sauce — no cream needed — and tossed with pasta, fresh basil, browned butter, and plenty of Parmesan. Cozy, fresh, and exactly the kind of meal you make when the farmers market corn is calling your name.

Serves 3–4

You’ll Need

• 12 oz orecchiette or farfalle
• Fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for finishing
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
  (keep the whites and greens separate)
• 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
• ½ tsp black pepper, plus more to finish
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more if you love it cheesy
• ⅓ cup torn basil, mint, dill or combination
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• Fresh lemon juice

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Let’s Cook

1. Boil the pasta

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil — it should taste like the sea. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Before draining, save about ½ cup of the pasta water. That starchy water is what makes the sauce glossy and clingy instead of heavy.

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2. Make the creamy corn sauce

While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and sweet, about 3 minutes.

Add all but ¼ cup of the corn kernels along with ¼ cup water. Let everything simmer for a few minutes until the corn is bright and tender.

Transfer the mixture to a blender with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. If needed, add a splash more water to loosen it — you want a sauce that pours but still feels velvety.

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3. Brown the butter + build flavor

Using the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the reserved corn and cook for 1–2 minutes until tender and a little golden.

If the butter browns slightly, even better. It adds this nutty, cozy flavor that makes the whole dish taste restaurant-level.

Pour the corn purée back into the pan and stir for about 30 seconds just to bring everything together.

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4. Toss it all together

Add the pasta to the skillet along with half the reserved pasta water. Toss well so every piece gets coated. If it feels too thick, add another splash of pasta water until glossy and silky.

Stir in:

• Parmesan
• scallion greens
• basil or mint
• red pepper flakes
• remaining salt + pepper

Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to wake everything up.

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To Serve

Spoon into warm bowls and top with:

• extra herbs
• more scallions
• cracked black pepper
• Parmesan
• a drizzle of good olive oil

And that’s it. Simple ingredients, peak summer flavor, and the kind of pasta you’ll crave again before you’ve even finished the bowl.

If you’re looking for tender, tasty chicken the whole family will love then you’re in the right place. And NO air fryer is needed thank goodness.

The trick to this tender chicken is an old Chinese trick. You use a slurry of cornstarch and egg white to coat the chicken before frying it. This creates a barrier and prevents the chicken from drying out. It also helps to thicken the sauce. And might I add, it adds protein too since we’re all about protein now. You can skip the step but I highly recommend it.

The rest is pretty simple- just add all the sauce ingredients and boil them a little bit until it thickens. Then add your chicken back to the pan and that’s it.

It’s super tasty and makes for a great meal prep recipe since it heats up so well.

I’ve been a personal chef for over 10 years now and I always get requests for a healthier orange chicken probably thanks to Panda lol. This one is so much healthier and feels good eating it. Hope you and your family enjoy it as much as I do!

Why you’ll love it:

• The sauce keeps the chicken tender

• All clean ingredients

• No deep-frying and no air-fryer needed

• One pan meal

Healthier Orange Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken:
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 3 Tbsp. corn starch or tapioca starch

• 2 egg whites

Sauce:

• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

For serving:
• 4 cups steamed broccoli or green beans
• 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions
Cook green beans and rice according to package directions.

1. Combine the corn starch and egg whites with a fork to make a slurry. Then chop chicken in small pieces and place into bowl with slurry.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat half the avocado oil and half the butter over medium high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 7-10 minutes until the edges are brown and slightly crispy. Don’t crowd the pan. You may need to do this in two batches.

3. While the chicken cooks, stir together all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked remove it from the pan and set aside in a clean bowl.

4. Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
Bring the sauce mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken. You will know the sauce has thickened when you scrape the pan with a spatula and the sauce pulls away from the pan. The sauce should be bubbling the entire time.

5. Once the sauce has thickened, add the cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.

Serve over steamed vegetables and rice.

I found this recipe online and adapted it but need to credit her :Nagi@RecipeTin Eats

I’ve made this for a couple of clients and it has gotten rave reviews. So here it is.

Make it to feel better becasue its super nourishing.

Servings: 6

Calories: 311cal

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (white, brown, yellow)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 celery ribs , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cups / 400g dried lentils , green or brown, rinsed
• 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
• 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock / broth, low sodium
• 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 lemon (zest + juice)
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each

To Serve

• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Warm bread, to serve

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
• Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir. 
• Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread.

Warmly,
Joanna

IG: @chefjoannas

So. . . I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t know this trick before, as a chef. If you bake gnocchi they are incredible! I always thought you had to boil them. But, turns out they bake up perfectly. And they are so addicting!

I tried it for the first time for a client and have made it 3 times since.

I also took it to a football party and the kids there absolutely loved it. So, it’s kid-approved, too.

If you buy already-made gnocchi and pesto this is an extremely short recipe. But if you are extra ambitious and want to make them from scratch, you can try my recipe here: Homemade Gnocchi

I’d recommend with pesto, so you can make that recipe here: Pesto recipe

Baked Gnocchi

1 package refrigerated gnocchi

Olive oil

Pesto

Directions:

1. Line a baking tray with parchment. Place gnocchi on tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss well with your hands.
2. Bake at 375-400 F turning once until golden brown.
3. After they’re done toss in a bowl with pesto.
4. Keeps well couple days in fridge.