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Recipes

Simple Staples to Spice Up Weekday Meals

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Northwestern chapter.

Every Sunday, I find myself wondering what to cook for the week, and I always end up making the same few recipes on repeat. My spicy roasted sweet potatoes and balsamic glazed mushrooms are so simple and are a great way to add variety and flavor to any meal.

The spicy roasted sweet potatoes are great on salads or grain bowls. I love to toss them into scrambles with a big handful of greens. They’re even great as a side with a protein or as a snack with sriracha drizzled over. The balsamic glazed mushrooms are incredible on avocado toast or in an omelet. They pair well with the spicy roasted sweet potatoes, and the combination is a great addition to a steak dinner. They’re even delicious straight out of the pan.

Cook these recipes, and you’ll be set for a full week of delicious and flavorful meals. 

Spicy roasted sweet potatoes

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 min

Total time: 35 min

Servings: 4

simple
Sarah Kate Padon

Ingredients:

– 3 medium sweet potatoes

– 2 tbsp olive oil

– 1 tsp kosher salt

– 1/4 tsp black pepper

– 1 tsp smoked paprika

– 1/2 tsp cumin

– 1/2 tsp tumeric

– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

STEP 2

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into about 1 inch cubes.

STEP 3

Toss in a large mixing bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne until all the pieces are well coated.

STEP 4

Place them on a baking sheet making sure the cut side is down to promote browning.

STEP 5

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Balsamic glazed mushrooms

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 10 min

Total time: 15 min

Servings: 4

simple
Sarah Kate Padon

Ingredients:

– 16 oz. baby Bella mushrooms cleaned with stems removed and cut into 1/4 inch slices

– 1 tbsp olive oil

– 1 tbsp butter

– 2 cloves garlic minced

– 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

– 1 tsp soy sauce

– 1/4 tsp dried thyme (or fresh thyme if you have it)

– 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

STEP 1

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

STEP 2

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

STEP 3

Next, add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper.

STEP 4

Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms have stopped releasing water and they have reduced to about half their original size.

STEP 5

Add the balsamic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and thyme and continue cooking for about 2 minutes until the balsamic and soy sauce coat the mushrooms.

It’s amazing how a few spices or extra couple ingredients can transform basic vegetables. These recipes show that a few pantry staples are all you need to make exciting weekday meals.

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Sarah Kate Padon

Northwestern '23