Weeknight Dinner Solutions: Easy, Healthy Meals to Try

eeknight dinners can be a challenge when you're short on time and energy, but eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult. These easy and nutritious dinner recipes are perfect for busy weeknights when you need something quick and satisfying.

Grilled Salad with Romaine, Peaches, Garlic Scapes, and Steak

If you're looking for a healthy, quick meal that will leave you feeling satisfied and not bloated, try this grilled salad with romaine, peaches, garlic scapes, and steak.

The best part? You can make this meal in less than half an hour!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar - for balsamic reduction
• 2 small heads of romaine lettuce
• 6 garlic scapes, tips trimmed
• 4 to 6 peaches, halved (for clingstone varieties, leave pits intact)
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. To make the balsamic reduction, pour balsamic vinegar in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stirring all the while, maintain a constant but gentle bubbling, edging the heat down a bit as needed. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until mixture has reduced by half. Reduction should be thick, but it should still easily drip off the back of a spoon. Set it aside while you grill the vegetables.
2. Prepare a hot grill.
3. Prep the romaine. Leave the core intact, but slice the reddish tip off the very end of the bunch. Next, working from end to top, halve the romaine. Immerse in water, and shake to dislodge any sand, paying close attention to the very base. Shake out and pat dry. Set aside.
4. Grill the garlic scapes over the hottest part of the grill, cooking each side for 1 to 2 minutes. Slice into 4-inch sections and set aside.
5. Grill the peaches on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a sharp paring knife to slice out the pits and then cut each half in half (to make quarters).
6. Grill the romaine for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Cut out the core and chop the leaves into bite-size pieces.
7. Arrange grilled vegetables on plates.
8. Next up, season both sides of the skirt steak with a generous pinch of sea salt. (Adding salt just before cooking leaches less moisture from the meat and makes for an excellent sear.) Cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice into 1/4-inch slices.
9. Lay several slices of steak on each plate and finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and several twists ground black pepper (Source: Food 52).

Tortellini With Mortadella & Peas

If you're looking to feed yourself and your loved ones, but don't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, this is the recipe for you.

This recipe is simple, easy to make, and delicious—a perfect combination for anyone who wants to eat well without spending hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
• 4 ounces sliced mortadella
• 1/2 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 16 to 20 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups (10 ounces) frozen peas

Directions:

1. Cut the butter into small pieces and stick it back in the fridge. Coarsely chop pistachios. Cut mortadella into 1/2-inch pieces. Finely grate Parmesan.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, toast the pistachios in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Zest lemon over the nuts and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat another tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet over medium. Add fresh cheese tortellini in a single layer and cook, untouched, until golden brown underneath, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock, frozen peas, and the mortadella. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the peas and pasta are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter along the edges of the pan and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Add the Parmesan, stirring until meted. Off the heat, stir in the juice of half the lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons). Season to taste with salt and pepper, then top with pistachios and more Parm (Source: Food 52).

Amagansett Corn Salad

Are you looking for a quick and healthy dinner? We've got you covered! This easy, breezy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

Ingredients:

• 8 ears of white corn
• 2 quarts cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 quart sugar snap peas (optional)
• 1 handful roughly chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• Salt, preferably a large, coarse sea salt like Maldon.

Directions:

1. Strip raw corn from ears. Yep, raw. You can use a fancy corn stripper or just run your chef's knife down the side of each ear about 8 times.
2. Slice all cherry tomatoes in half or quarters depending on your preference.
3. Chop the red onion into a large dice.
4. If using the sugar snap peas (they can be hard to find when the corn and tomatoes are available -- their seasons barely overlap, and even then you're likely getting corn and tomatoes from the south and sugar snaps from the North.) Anyway, if using them, cut in half or thirds to make more bite-sized. If you're not using them, and you want a little green for visual appeal, some roughly chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley will do the trick.
5. Toss all vegetables in a bowl, along with the vinegar, salt, and pepper.
6. That's it. Enjoy! (Source: Food 52)

Healthy recipes can fit into any lifestyle.

We hope you’ve found inspiration in these healthy meal recipes. Whether you’re looking for something quick and easy, or something more indulgent, there are so many options out there that can fit your lifestyle and taste buds. We know how hard it can be to eat well, but with these tips and tricks, we hope that you feel more prepared than ever before!

Learn More:

• More quick and easy meals: Easy Weeknight Meals
• Air Fryer Snacks: Easy, Tasty, and Healthy!
• Snacking for Seniors: Healthy Ideas and Recipes
• Breakfast Smoothies to Jumpstart Your Morning