Weekend Cooking: 3 Quick and Delicious Weeknight Dinners

Happy Saturday! This is an especially happy day because it's the first weekend in almost 8 weeks that I don't have to work. To say I'm grinning is an understatement.

I was wondering what to post today because, as you might imagine, I have a big case of weary brain. In addition, this is a week of holidays (Passover and Easter), and most people will be cooking traditional dishes for family and friends.

Just to give myself a break and because I wonder how many of you will be online today, I'm going to share three successful dinners from the last few weeks. I guarantee these are all doable after a long day of work. They are BFR tested!

Mediterranean Chicken and Bulgur Skillet (Cooking Light)

We really liked this Mediterranean Chicken and Bulgur Skillet from this month's Cooking Light. For a change, I followed the recipe exactly, but I'd make it again with whatever quick-cooking grain or pasta I had on hand. We like bulgur, but I think quinoa or couscous would be good too. The red onion, chopped herbs, and red pepper add color and flavor, and the feta is the perfect salty finish.  (Photo is from the Cooking Light website.)

Herbed Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart (Cooking Light)

I also made Cooking Light's Herberd Ricotta, Asparagus, and Phyllo Tart. I know a lot of people shy away from phyllo, but I'm not sure why. It's not all that difficult to work with, and nothing else will give you that delicate shattering crust. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. First, I used melted butter instead of olive oil. Second, I mixed an egg into the ricotta because I wanted the tart to set after baking. This was delicious and made a nice dinner with a tossed salad. It would also be a good side dish with grilled meat or fish. (Photo is my own.)

Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew (Rachel Ray Every Day)

The third recipe we liked was Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew from Rachel Ray's magazine. Lentils are so quick and easy to cook and sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals. If you don't like cilantro, just leave it out or substitute parsley. I made this dish in the pressure cooker, but lentils are usually done in under a half hour, so stovetop cooking on a weeknight won't slow you down. I added a poblano chili (I had one on hand to use up), and we topped ours with some of my homemade plum chutney. (Photo is from the Rachel Ray Every Day website.)

I've pinned all of these to my Tried and Liked Pinterest board so you (and I) can find them later.