This blackberry simple syrup is so delicious in summer cocktails. I love it in mojitos and mules!
Ingredients

• 2 containers of blackberries
• 1 cup of sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• juice of one lemon
• 6 cups of water 

instructions

1. Pour your blackberries into a container with a splash of vinegar and let them soak for ten minutes. Berries get very gross and this pulls all the bugs and gunk out of them. Strain off the water and add them to a saucepan with the sugar, sea salt, lemon juice, and water.
2. Bring everything to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer.
3. Let cook for 2-3 hours until the mixture has reduced to a syrupy consistency and halved in volume.
4. Pour through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer. Enjoy with any cocktail of your choosing!

This soup is a great easy gluten-free dairy-free dinner. I love soups because they fill me up without making me feel bloated. 

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 6 cloves of minced garlic
• 4 pieces of bacon
• 1 green pepper
• one very large carrot (equivalent to about 3/4 cup of chopped carrot)
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 cup white wine (I love cupcake)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 can of white beans
• 4 cooked and chopped sausages
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup of roughly chopped kale (optional)

Instructions

1. Chop your bacon into small pieces and cook in a large stockpot. Mine is LeCruset , I love it, LeCruset really is the best quality and the pieces last you a lifetime. 
2. One the fat has started to separate and the edges of the bacon are browning add your chopped onion, chopped pepper, chopped carrot, minced garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt. Let the vegetables cook in the bacon fat for about 8 minutes until they're fragrant and starting to soften.
3. Add your white wine and chopped sausages and cook down for another 5 min.
4. Add your lemon juice, chicken broth, and beans and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 min.  If you want to can add kale and cook for another 2 min.
5. If you want it a little thicker you can just continue cooking on low for as long as you want, it will keep reducing and make your house smell amazing. Like most things it's also really good with some garlic bread!
6. This makes about four servings and you can freeze it for lunches or keep in the fridge sealed for up to three days.

These fish tacos are the best simple, no muss no fuss dinner. This recipe makes enough for two people 3 tacos each but you can scale it up!

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of tilapia or another white fish like cod
• 1 tbs chipotle powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbs avocado oil
• 6 corn tortillas
• 2 limes
• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's coleslaw mix
• 3 tbs chipotle mayonaise
• pickled onions and jalapeño to garnish

Instructions

1. Lay your fish out on some parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the chipotle powder, paprika, and cumin over the fish and drizzle with oil. Rub the seasoning blend into the fish and bake at 400 for 15 min.
2. Warm up your corn tortillas in a pan, exposing both sides to heat is the key to making them not crumble apart or break.
3. In a bowl add the juice of two limes, the chipotle mayonaise, and coleslaw mix. Mix it up.
4. Assemble your tacos with the fish, coleslaw, pickled red onions, and jalapeños if you want an extra kick!

ingredients

• 3 tbs neutral oil, I used grapeseed
• 1 bag Tj's chicken shawarma marinated chicken thighs
• 1 white or yellow onion
• 1.5 cups white rice (don't use jasmine)
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbs curry powder
  
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• minced green onion
• 1 handful of chopped white mushrooms
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a cast iron pan and add your marinated chicken thighs. Cook them till they're done, mine took about 10 min for the smaller pieces and 15 for the larger. 
2. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it sit while you cook the rice. Letting protein sit after you've cooked it helps make it super tender and juicy.
3. Chop your onion and mince your garlic. Add it to the remaining seasoned oil with the garlic salt curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook the onions for about 5 min until soft and fragrant. Add 1.5 cups rinsed rice and sauté for another minute or two stirring. 
4. Add your coconut milk and chicken broth, stir, bring to a simmer, and let cook for 15 min, most of the liquid should be absorbed.
5. Chop your chicken.
6. After 15 min add your chicken and mushrooms, continue to cook stirring occasionally for 5 more min.
7. Add your green onions and serve with lime juice, I really like the element the acid adds!

I made these for a dinner with friends, best served with margs!

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 tbs chipotle powder
• 1 tbs cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 9 corn tortillas
• one bag of shredded cheese of your choosing (I like monterey jack)
• lots of neutral oil
• 1 large tomato or two roma tomatoes
• juice of two limes
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 white onion
• one jalapeño
• 2 tbs minced cilantro

Instructions

1. Chop your chicken into small pieces and add them to a bowl with the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and chipotle powder. I have noticed that when I use higher quality seasonings that are ground more finely it turns out better than when I use cheaper seasonings it can get a bit grainy.
2. Add your neutral oil to a pan, I like the cast iron one from Our Place. Heat to medium and cook your seasoned chicken for about 12 minutes until it's white all the way through.
3. While your chicken is cooking chop your tomato, onion, and jalapeño. Add that to a bowl with your lime juice, cilantro, and sea salt to make your pico de gallo.
4. Pour a little of your seasoned oil into a non-stick pan and add your tortilla. Flip so both sides are coated and top with your cheese. Add your cooked chicken and fold in half. Let cook in the oil for 3-4 min on each side till crispy. Repeat this process.
5. Top with pico de gallo and salsa and enjoy!

This soup is creamy, a little bit spicy, and surprisingly filling. It's dairy-free and gluten-free but if you're not it's delicious with grilled cheese! I served this with a little bit of gluten-free garlic bread. Soups are very forgiving so feel free to change ingredients if you don't like something (I've included notes about what you can and can't change)

Ingredients

• 4 roma tomatoes (other kinds are fine, I also love heirloom)
• 1 white or yellow onion
• 1 head of garlic
• one red bell pepper 
• 2 carrots
• 1 spring of thyme
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine: my favorite cooking wine is Cupcake, Trader Joe's also carries some good cheap white wines
• 1 qt chicken broth
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 can full fat coconut milk (can substitute for 1 cup of heavy cream of half and half if dairy isn't a issue)
• 5 chicken thighs or two large breasts
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp parsley
• more olive oil to sauté

​Instructions

1. Roughly chop your tomatoes, onion, carrots, and bell pepper. In a cast iron pan or ceramic baking tray add your chopped vegetables, garlic salt, thyme, and olive oil. Rub everything together so it's fully coated. Chop the head off your garlic bulb and place it in the tray.
2. Bake at 400 for about an hour regularly mixing the vegetables so they don't burn, they edges should be crispy and brown. 
3. For the seasoning blend mix together the garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, and parsley in a little bowl. Pour that over the chicken and rub it around so it's fully coated. 
4. In a large stockpot or enameled cast iron, I use this one from Le Cruset add the remaining olive oil and turn the heat up to high (about an 8). 
5. Add your chicken and cook for about 3.5 min on each side, you want a brown crust to form. It's okay if it's not cooked fully because it's going to cook more when we add it to the soup. 
6. Remove the chicken from the pot leaving the seasoning and oil and chop the chicken and set it aside (I know it may seem a little gross and pink inside, if raw chicken makes you uncomfortable you can cook it fully in the pan and add it later to the soup)
7. Deglaze the pot with the white wine (if you'r omitting the wine just use the broth). Let that simmer down for a minute of two then add your chicken broth and roasted vegetables. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb into the pot. 
8. Add your coconut milk and tomato paste to the mixture, give everything a stir and let it cook on med-low for for about 10 min. I love this because it makes your apartment smell amazing. I could literally smell it from the lobby.
9. Using an immersion blender blend the vegetable broth mixture until creamy, this one from amazon is my favorite and only $20. I prefer immersion blender because it's much easier to clean than a regular blender and less dishes. But you can also transfer to a regular blender and blend there, just be careful about sealing the lid on because the heat will make the soup explode all over your kitchen.
10. Add the chicken to the soup and let it simmer for another 10 min. The chicken should be cooked fully. Serve with garlic bread, grilled cheese, or on it's own and enjoy!

This turkey chili is high protein, super simple to make, and easy to scale up or down for a crowd! This batch makes about 4 bowls and it is pretty spicy.

Ingredients

• 1 large white onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 5 roma tomatoes (the kind of tomato isn't super important)
• 1 spicy pepper like jalepeno
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 can adobo peppers
• 1 small can of corn
• one can of black beans
• one can of white beans 
• 1/2 a quart of chicken broth, you can also use chicken buillon and water
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1 tbs cumin
• Limes and cilantro to serve

Instructions

1. Chop up the onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and pepper. This is the knife I use
2. Add the olive oil to a large stockpot, I love this one from Le Cruset I use it constantly!
3. Add your bell pepper, onion, garlic, pepper, and seasoning to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium for about 5 min the onions should should start to cook down. Add your tomatoes, turkey, and adobo peppers and cook for another few minutes mixing while cooking. The turkey should be broken up into chunks and start to break down.
4. Let the cook on super low for about 45 min, check on it occasionally and make sure there's enough liquid. Just add a little more water or broth if there isn't.
5. Add both cans of beans and corn to a metal strainer and rinse them. I learned from the tiktok comments that the liquid around the beans is actually what makes you gassy so do what you will with this info.
6. Add your rinsed beans and mushrooms to the chili and let cook for another 10 min. 
7. I love the serve it with lime juice and cilantro, you can also add cheese and sour cream if you want!
8. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and is great reheated for lunch

Night two of my week of budget meals!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs minced ginger
• one large white onion
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• pinch of paprika
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs curry powder
• one can of full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 4 green onions
• 1 tbs minced cilantro (optional if you don't like cilantro)
• limes to juice over the top

Instructions

1. in a little bowl mix together the curry powder, cumin, garlic salt, and turmeric, Cover your chicken thighs in the seasoning blend.
2. In a large cast iron pan heat up the olive oil and sautee your chicken thighs so they're brown on both sides and mostly cooked (it's fine if they're not completely cooked bc they'll cook more later). 
3. Remove the chicken thighs and set aside. Chop the onion and add to the oil with the garlic, ginger. Let everything brown and soften cooking on medium low for about 4 minutes. 
4. Add your rice (you can always add more oil if things seem dry). Sautee it a little then add your chicken broth to the pan along with the paprika, remaining curry, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and let cook covered for 10 min.
5. Add your coconut milk, chicken, and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer again and let cook until your rice is done about 10 min.
6. Top with the green onions, cilantro, and lime juice and enjoy!

Day one of my meal plan for two under $100, gluten-free, dairy-free meals! Chicken adobo taco bowl are super simple to make and easy to scale up or down for your family or friends if you want.

Ingredients
(makes enough for 2 people with a little leftover)
- 1 can of black beans 
- 1 cup of rice
For the pico
- 1 large white onion
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño
-  juice of one juicy lime of two less juicy limes
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbs minced cilantro
For the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 can of abobo chiles in sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 ts p garlic salt
- pinch crushed red pepper
- some neutral cooking oil (grape-seed or canola)
Instructions
1. Rinse your rice and cook using a rice cooker, this is my favorite and only $24!
2. While the rice cooks make the pico. Start by chopping the onion and tomato and add that to a bowl. Finely mince your jalapeño, if you want it super spicy keep the seeds, add it to the bowl. Mince your cilantro and add that to the bowl with the tomato, onion, and jalapeño. Add the juice of the lime and sea salt. Mix everything together and let it sit while you cook the chicken. Note: letting it sit lets the salt draw out some of the liquid so you don't have soggy pico.
3. Heat the neutral oil in your favorite cast iron pan. The one I used in the video is from Our Place.  Add the chopped up chicken thighs, cumin, paprika, garlic salt, rushed red pepper, and adobo sauce. Cook for 8-10 min until the chicken is white all the way through. 
4. Scooch the chicken over to one side of the pan if you're lazy like me and don't want to make more dishes dirty and add the beans to the pan. Let them heat up for 2-3 min. 
5. Assemble the bowl with the rice, pico, chicken, and beans. You can also add your favorite salsa or hot sauce!