Chili. That’s what sounds good to us right now (it’s been rainy and cold in Austin lately) and that’s what we are focusing on for this edition of “Best Meal of the Week.” Some chili recipes simmer away all day on the stove; others can be tossed together quickly on a weeknight. For this post, we’re providing links to recipes from our website as well as tips and favorite additions from our team members. What’s your best chili made of? Let us know in the comments section below.

Chili Faves

My chili, whether I do a quickie version or an all-day cook, always includes a little bit of ground clove for depth of flavor. I also add some oregano or marjoram, but not too much or it will taste like spaghetti sauce! And I often use beer for some of the liquid.
—Susannah

Hmmm..chili with braised chunks of grassfed beef, plenty of veggies, like onions, carrots, peppers, rutabaga, and flavored with guajillo and pasilla peppers, soaked, pureed and strained. Add to that, if you must, some sort of huge bean…there used to be one called a Christmas bean…or chestnut beans. Anything huge and not too chalky. Amazing.
—Liz

I lighten up standard chili by using bison meat instead of ground beef. I also like to use some chipotles in adobo sauce and I add about a tablespoon of unsweetened chocolate shavings at the end for interesting depth. Or I go for White Chili with cubed chicken, cannellini beans, mild green chilies, lots of Monterey jack and cilantro.
—Allison

I just made chili using pork shoulder and stout that was amazing. It called for coffee too, but I just used Guinness for all of it. Next to my dad’s recipe (for a good old fashioned Texas Red, which I can never divulge), it’s probably my favorite.
—Jaye

My favorite veggie chili combines freshly cooked pinto beans with diced then roasted zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, red bell peppers, onion, shallot and corn. I love to serve chili over rice to get some grains in with all that protein. And when I eat a meat-based chili, I load on fresh toppings like cilantro, diced purple cabbage, red onion, red bell pepper, grated carrots or pico de gallo.
—Paige

Top-Rated Chili Recipes

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

White Turkey Chili

Colorful Turkey Chili

Seafood Chili Blanco

Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

Tofu Blanco

Tempeh and Bell Pepper Chili

Buffalo Bill Chili

What’s your favorite chili?

From Christine, a team member:

My best meal of the week was a new twist on an old favorite. Growing up, I cherished the days when I would come home from school to find the smells of stuffed peppers wafting through the house. Ahh… comfort food. I took this old favorite and mixed up the ingredients to make it a healthier and dare I say more delicious dish!

It’s pretty quick and easy too. Start with the ingredients: 4 large peppers (any color will do), plus 1/2 another pepper for chopping, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeño, 1 pound ground bison, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1 can diced organic tomatoes, 1/2 can tomato paste, 1/2 cup cooked spinach. Include whatever spices you desire. I prefer garlic, pepper, oregano and basil for this recipe.
I chopped the tops off and cleaned-out the 4 large peppers, then boiled them in salted water for 14 minutes. The bison was lightly cooked in a pan and set aside. Using the same pan, I sautéed the onion and peppers in olive oil. Finally everything was combined and mixed together in a bowl. The mixture was then stuffed into the peppers. That’s it! Heat the peppers in the oven at 350°F for 25 minutes and gobble up!

Most recently, I made the stuffed peppers quickly on a Sunday, stored them in the fridge, and then heated them up on Monday. It was a delicious, home-cooked weeknight meal that felt like my Mom had been cooking in the kitchen for hours. The smell was amazing!

Here’s a vegetarian version of Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa.

From Kate, a team member:

Farro, Kale and Caramelized Onions Topped with a Fried Egg was my best meal of the week because it was quick, used up some leftovers, and required only one pan-my trusty cast-iron skillet!

I started by caramelizing some onions. When they were nice and brown, I added several handfuls of shredded lacinato kale and stirred all this just until the kale wilted. I cleared all this over to one side of the skillet and added a few spoonfuls of leftover cooked farro and let this start to warm up. I cracked an egg into the remaining empty third of the skillet. When the white was set but the yolk was still a bit runny, I piled the farro on to a plate, topped it with kale and onions and then slid the egg on top of everything. Dinner was served-very satisfying meal, and minimal cleanup. My idea of a best meal!

Note: If you don’t happen to have leftover farro on hand, it’s easy to cook. Cover farro with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until farro is tender, about 30 minutes.

From Paige, a team member:

My daughter requested Chicken Noodle Soup, my husband asked for Chicken Rice Soup and I didn’t have time to make either from scratch. So I used leftover rotisserie chicken meat along with pantry and freezer staples for a quick yet satisfying soup. I started by sautéing a couple of cloves of garlic (minced), a diced onion and half a bag of baby carrots in a bit of olive oil. I then added a 32-ounce box of chicken broth, 2 cups of water, 2-3 cups of diced chicken from the rotisserie leftovers, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Add ½ bag frozen green beans and continue to simmer for about 10 to 20 more minutes. While the soup was simmering, I boiled noodles in a separate pot. I find that noodles get too mushy if you add them to the soup, so I always combine noodles and broth just before serving. I keep frozen brown rice in the freezer too, so my daughter got her Chicken and Noodle, my husband got Chicken and Rice, and I got peace of mind!

Here’s a Turkey Noodle Soup that uses leftovers and pantry staples in the same way.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been cooking up lately?

Note: Images are of similar recipes from our website, not specifically the reader’s best meal.

From Kate, a team member:

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes and Basil is simple and a great use for my garden basil! This pasta dish is very quick to assemble. Combines pantry staples with garden herbs, tomatoes and fresh sausage. Choose whatever sausage your family likes best for this.

From Marla, a team member:

We love “summer tacos,” especially when it’s too hot to cook: avocado, corn (sliced right off the cob), tomato, salsa and lime juice on a tortilla; sometimes we add sunflower sprouts or chopped peppers too. Once the chopping is done it’s safe for even little kids to help make them. Great sides for this are pineapple or watermelon; raw carrots, broccoli or cauliflower and, of course, chips.

From Betsy, a team member:

Shrimp stir fry with brown rice – I defrost some 365 Every Day Value frozen shrimp and frozen broccoli and then stir fry them with a little oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper and water chestnuts and serve with a side of brown rice. (365 Every Day Value frozen rice only takes minutes to heat up in the microwave!)

From Jessica, a team member:

On days that I’m really tired but don’t want to succumb to eating out, I like to make my “tortilla soup” salad. I get a bed of baby spinach (or any other greens I have on hand) and top it with chicken, grape tomatoes, corn, avocado and baked corn tortilla strips. Then, I make a lemon or lime vinaigrette dressing to go along with it.

From Paige, a team member:

My family likes pizza but flour crusts are a digestive problem for us. So last week I make individual “pizzas” using sprouted grain tortillas. They were delicious and simple. We topped the hearty tortillas with Muir Glen Pizza Sauce, grated mozzarella, fresh garden basil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Some got anchovies and others got pepperoni. Any favorite toppings would work. Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. We each ate two or three along with a large green salad. Everyone loved them! For a thicker crust, you can try the sprouted grain pita shells.

From Suzanne, a reader:

I learned this pasta dish in Catania, Sicily (Italy) and it is a great lower-fat alternative to Mac and Cheese. It can also be gluten-free depending on the pasta you use.

One package TInkayada Brown Rice Pasta – spirals or penne.

While the pasta is boiling in salted water on the stove, get a large mixing bowl and add:

the grated rind of one lemon

the juice of one half lemon (squeeze juice through the grater to filter seeds out) You can add more juice if you like it really lemony.

One good-sized blob of mayonnaise or Vegenaise…I don’t recommend fat-free mayo for this recipe, but reduced fat can be okay. (Maybe a half cup or a little more if you like it creamier).

One can (or two) of drained, salted Tongol Tuna.

Just mix this all together in the bowl lightly, so it makes a creamy, chunky Tuna sauce.

Just before the pasta is done, add 1/2-1 cup of frozen baby peas to the water to thaw the peas and heat them through. Drain the pasta and peas in colander. No need to rinse, just give it a good shake to get all the excess water out. When the pasta is well drained, but still steaming HOT, pour it over the tuna mixture in the bowl and toss. Serve immediately. The adults can add some cayenne or black pepper to their serving.

This is a lemony, savory, delicious dish. I have served it to many kids and they love it. Enjoy!

Now it’s your turn. Tell us what you’ve been eating this week!

As regulars of this blog know, we have a popular feature called Best Meals of the Week where readers and team members share our culinary creations. In honor of the kids in our families heading back to school – now or soon, depending on your state! – we thought it’d be fun and helpful to share our Kids’ Best Meals.

We’ve included a few from team members below, and we would really love to hear what your kids eat for breakfast, pack in their lunchbox or gobble down for dinner after a long day of learning!

Since I work with the team that creates recipes for our website, we test a lot of our website recipes at my house. My 6th grade daughter’s current faves are Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese and Carnitas (Pork) Tacos. She’s been requesting the carnitas tacos and I’ll probably make it for the first week of school. The pork is simple and you can pick up prepared pico de gallo and tortillas to save time on this recipe. Lots of leftovers that heat up simply on busy school nights!

Breakfast idea from Dee Dee:

My son is starting 8th grade and is very active with hockey and baseball. Here’s his favorite breakfast smoothie:

• 1 cup 365 organic orange juice
• 365 organic frozen strawberries (small handful)
• 1 organic banana
• Scoop of Vega berry protein (or any other protein powder you like)

Put in the blender for a great morning smoothie! I also have “Perfect Food Bars” available for him to snack on.

Lunch from Ieva:

My 3rd grader, Linnea, likes throwing pots on the wheel and thinking up new robots. Her favorite lunch is: Stonyfield Farm Organic Raspberry yoghurt, a poppyseed bagel toasted and cut into wedges and one or more of the following fruits: mangos, strawberries, raspberries, and/or watermelon.

My 6th grader, Kendra, likes writing and exploring the natural world. Her lunch consists of Rudi’s Organic Multi-Grain Oat bread, sliced provolone cheese and one or more of the following fruits: strawberries, apricots, plums. Fruit choices, of course, change with what is in season.

Dinner from Ari, 6th grade daughter of Bill:

My family loves Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls. This simple, delicious meal is very easy to make. It includes fresh vegetables and a mix of tempeh, vegan mayonnaise and chili pepper oil. Each roll is quickly made to each person’s preferences, and it is gluten-free, casein-free and vegan. We like to make a lot of rolls and serve with sesame noodles.

Dinner or Lunch from Jeremiah:

My 3 1/2 year old has entered the picky “I don’t want anything but carbs and cheese” phase. This after the first 3 years of her life were spent devouring large plates of vegetables, tofu and brown rice. So here is my quick alternative to meet her “needs” (read preference) and still get her full of nutrition.

“Cheese” Quesadilla

2 365™ Whole Wheat tortillas
3 rice cheese slices (American Flavor)
light coating of Organic Earth Balance spread

Spread each tortilla with Earth Balance then put the Rice slices inside and gently pan fry on medium heat until both sides are lightly browned. It is a nice alternative to the dairy version and sometimes we sneak in some help with seeds for extra nutrition. The Quesadilla is accompanied by the:

Mega-Chocolate Smoothie Milk Shake
(The super secret parent tip is that this is CHOCK full of veggies, but don’t tell the 3 year old!)

5-6 pieces of organic frozen broccoli
1 cup organic spinach
1 cup 365™ frozen berries
1 cup rice milk
1/2 dropper liquid Stevia (to sweeten)
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Rice Protein (or Hemp or Soy, anything for a little added protein)
1 Tablespoon organic unsweetened cocoa (for chocolatey flavor)

Honestly, each time this shake is a little different except for the veggies… Again, whatever it takes to get them in her and she LOVES this special smoothie!

Okay, now it’s your turn. What are your kids’ best meals?

Note: Images are of similar recipes from our website, not specifically the reader’s best meal.

From Hannah, a reader:

My favorite meal this week was a really simple, tasty wrap! First, I sliced a zucchini with a carrot peeler into long, thin strips. Then I chopped up a red bell pepper. I sprinkled both with a little olive oil and crushed garlic and roasted in the toaster oven. Yanked out the zucchini before the red bell pepper, since it cooked much faster. Then I made a wrap with a tortilla. I filled it with the zucchini, red bell pepper, shredded lettuce, crumbled feta, and a handful of cranberries. Then a spritz of vinegar and oil on top. It actually surprised me how good it was!

Here’s another simple wrap recipe for Turkey and Cucumber with Ranch Dressing.

From Jennifer, a reader:

I threw this together in the rice cooker, and yum! I started with 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in the rice cooker, and started it up. Whisk together 1/4 c peanut sauce and 1/4 c roasted tomato salsa (blended style). Cut up 1 lb tofu in 1/2 inch cubes and 2 cups frozen green beans, and toss in salsa/peanut sauce mix. After about 10-15 minutes of the quinoa cooking, toss the tofu/green bean mix into the rice cooker, and let all of it finish cooking. When finished, mix together, and toss it in a bowl for a yummy, healthy, easy dinner!

If you like Jennifer’s quinoa and green bean medley, you may also like this Three Bean Salad with Quinoa that’s received rave reviews.

From Evan Thomas, a reader:

My best meal of the week (and I have this quite a lot) has been a Whole Foods tuna burger on Whole Foods organic whole wheat sesame bun topped with smokey peach salsa and baby spinach. And on the side I add some Kettle Cooked Lightly salted potato chips.

From Nona, a team member:

It’s been really, really hot here and summer salad for dinner seemed the right solution. Our store has an in-house seafood smoker, so I got two small pieces of smoked Atlantic salmon & bought an ear of chili lime roasted corn from prepared foods. When I got home I piled a plate full of fresh spinach greens, flaked the salmon, sprinkled on a little feta & the corn kernels cut from the cob. And at JUST the right moment, one of my facebook friends suggested some toasted pine nuts – whew I had some sitting on the counter. A lemon tarragon dressing was the perfect thing to bring it all together. Scrumptious!

From Amanda:

I made WONDERFUL halibut kabobs for my in-laws. Serve with a box of couscous; it is yummy and quick!

2 lb cubed halibut (the seafood guys can cube it for you so you’re ready to go)

1 red pepper, cut into squares

Pineapple chunks, in produce section

Marinade

1/2 cup 365 Organic balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Wild Oats Apricot preserves

1/4 cup 365 Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Marinate for 4 hours, put on skewers, grill for 7 minutes. Serves 4.

Note: You can also try our Grilled Tuna Kabobs with Peach and Mango Salsa.

From Barry:

I call this my grilled veggie muffaletta. Thinly slice, season and grill eggplant on medium heat. Melt your favorite melting cheese (mozzarella is good) on one half of a ciabatta roll. Mince your favorite olives into a spreadable paste and place on the other half of bread. Layer with grilled eggplant, tomato, lettuce and any other condiments you like. Combine both sides and serve with chips, fruit salad or green salad.

From Nona:

I’m not sure how the planets are aligned, but something caused my mint to go CRAZY last week. I harvested an ENORMOUS bunch of mint, which meant that some homemade pesto was in order. It’s SOOOO easy. 1/2 cup of pine nuts, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of feta, 2 tablespoons of parmesan, a big pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper whirred in the food processor until smooth. Add 2 cups of fresh mint leaves and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Whir some more. Drizzle in 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.

I sautéed some of the frozen Whole Catch uncooked shrimp in a little olive oil and then tossed them in the mint pesto and served them atop a big green salad. The pesto is also good as a spread for sandwiches, tossed into pasta or served as a dip with hearty tortilla chips.

From Dana:

Last week I made chicken enchiladas with verde sauce and I love, love, love making this meal because it’s fast and delicious and totally NOT complicated! Plus, since I’m a single gal, this makes great leftovers. You use a rotisserie chicken, a jar of tomatillo sauce (I’m a huge fan of our 365 Everyday Value variety), a can of green chiles, a bag of shredded jack cheese, a couple of chopped tomatoes, a half of an onion, chopped, and some corn tortillas. Just shred up the chicken and mix in everything else, saving some of the sauce and the cheese for the top.

Scoop up the mixture into a tortilla, roll, throw into a baking dish, and line them up tightly side by side. The tortillas curl up better and don’t tear as much if you zap them in the microwave for about 15 seconds prior to stuffing them. Spread the rest of the sauce over the top and then the rest of the cheese as well. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Voila! Easy AND cheesy! And I like to add sour cream and jalapeños for simultaneous heat up and cool down.

Note: Looking for a vegan version of enchiladas? Look no further than these superb Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas.

What have you been up to in the kitchen lately? Let us know. If you want to peruse more ideas, check out our Best Meal of the Week archives.

I’m always looking for fresh meal ideas. Some excellent ones have come from this ongoing “Best Meal of the Week” post where we get to help each other figure out what’s good for dinner. Remember, “best” is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious – or a combination of all that and more. Post your “best” in the comments below.

Here are a few tasty ideas from Whole Foods Market team members.

From Joe:

My best meal of the last few weeks is the traditional shrimp boil. We had one on Mother’s Day, another one two weeks ago at the beach, and yet another one this past weekend for my birthday. Why is it the “best?” Well, first off, it’s utterly delicious. It’s festive, summery and an alternative to grilling. It’s cheap, since the only expensive part is the shrimp; the rest is just veggies and spices. It’s healthy – low fat and veggie-packed, really just shrimp and veggies cooked in water. It’s adaptable – you can throw in or leave out ingredients as you like, choose sausages based on preference, etc. And it’s easy – instructions are basically “Boil water. Dump in stuff. Serve.” It’s my new favorite summer meal.

From Juan Pablo:

Here’s a fun, healthy version of paella but using couscous (and it’s vegetarian). You season the water you are going to use to cook the couscous with a pinch of saffron, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and olive oil. Then you add the couscous, cover it and let it sit. Once the couscous is done, you toss in cooked chickpeas, fresh blanched or frozen green peas and green beans. You can use chicken stock or vegetable stock as the base instead of water, too. It’s colorful, tasty and easy to do! You can serve as a vegetarian entrée along with a salad.

From Anna:

Have you tried the air-chilled chicken yet? I’m a believer. I bought a few pounds when it was on sale last month and froze portions I would eat in one or two meals. Because it hasn’t been injected with a fluid cocktail of salt and water (and whatnot), the texture of the meat when thawed is both smoother and more mouth-friendly. And leftovers are every bit as tender. At the end of the workday commute, I looked at my fridge and pantry options. Leftover tomatillo sauce. Two thawed air-chilled chicken breasts. Six small red potatoes. Part of an onion. Three garlic cloves. The garden still offered cilantro, basil, rosemary, and the heat-hardiest of the chard, spinach and kale. Using my toaster oven and a small covered skillet, in just over twenty minutes I sat down to a meal of broiled chicken breast with tomatillo sauce and chopped cilantro added during the last three minutes. I sprinkled the quartered red potatoes with cracked pepper and rosemary and sprayed them with olive oil before roasting along with the chicken. I rinsed the greens while the thin-sliced onion and garlic were flavoring the olive oil, and, after patting them dry, lightly sautéed for a few minutes. Once on the plate, a half of a small lime squeezed over the greens and the chicken added more flavor without resorting to the salt shaker. I had plenty for a delicious lunch the next day.

Your turn! What was your “best” meal of the week? Comment below and we may feature your dish in the next edition of this post.

Photos by Russell T. Clayton

Remember, “best” is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious – or a combination of all that and more. Post your “best” in the comments below.

My fellow teammates said some of their faves have been Gazpacho (Whole Foods Market Cookbook version), Chicken Lo Mein with Whole Wheat Pasta and Red Cabbage and “the first basil of the season from my own garden minced with a little fresh garlic and spread on a veggie burger with goat cheese mozzarella and fresh tomato on a whole wheat bun.” Yummy!

Want more detailed recipe ideas? Try these:

From Betsy, a team member:

A couple weeks ago, one of my co-workers, Susannah, (aka our very own value guru) generously shared her recipe for spinach & artichokes with spicy tofu. As a huge fan of spinach artichoke dip (I’ve been known to eat it by the bowl), I knew I had to give it a try. I made a couple minor recipe tweaks based on the ingredients I had on hand, and served it up over brown rice for dinner last week. It was a big hit. The savory, mildly spicy flavors were kind of a cross between spinach artichoke dip and saag paneer, and the crisp chewy texture of the broiled tofu made it a hearty yet light vegetarian dinner. A couple days later, I heated up the leftovers and served them wrapped in a warm whole grain tortilla for an equally satisfying breakfast. Two best meals of the week for the price of one recipe!

Spinach & Artichokes with Spicy Tofu

Press extra-firm tofu all day in the fridge to remove excess moisture. (Short on time, I drained my tofu in the sink for an hour.) Cut into cubes, toss with Cajun or Indian seasoning mixture. Broil until brown and starting to crisp at edges, turning once.

Meanwhile…Sauté minced onion and garlic in 1-2 tsp ghee or butter. Add 1 bag frozen chopped spinach and cook until thawed. Add 1 can halved artichoke hearts and heat until warm. Add about 1/4 cup Mexican salsa, 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream or Greek yogurt, lots of dried dill, some garlic granules and a little ground nutmeg (I subbed a little curry powder).

Heat through over medium heat (not high heat or sour cream might curdle). Stir in broiled tofu cubes. Serve with brown rice or whole wheat pita or naan.

From Jaye, a team member:

Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms, Asparagus and Garlic Scapes, Topped with Seared Scallops

This serves one, and honestly, I’d like it better with morels, but we didn’t have any morels in the store that day

5 dried porcini mushrooms

2 oz Whole Foods Organic fettuccine

2 sea scallops

Salt & pepper to taste

1 TB canola oil

1 garlic scape, chopped (stem from the garlic bulb)

1 TB chopped shallot

1 chopped garlic clove

3 regular sized asparagus spears cut into bite-sized pieces

1 TB half and half

Place the mushrooms in a bowl of warm water. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions.

Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Add scallops and sear about 2 min. on each side (or to desired doneness). Remove scallops, turn heat to medium.

Add shallot, sauté until wilted. Add garlic and sauté a bit longer. Use about 1/3 cup of the liquid from the mushrooms to deglaze the pan. Add mushrooms, garlic scape and asparagus. Sauté until asparagus is done, adding more liquid if needed. Remove from heat. Swirl in the half and half. Put fettuccine in pan and toss to coat. Serve topped with the scallops.

You can check out our archived “Best Meal” posts with lots of great ideas.

What great meals have you made lately?

Remember, “best” is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious – or a combination of all that and more. Here are a few featured Best Meal ideas to get those creative juices flowing. Post your “best” in the comments below.

From Cindy, a reader:

For a super quick and easy meal, I like baked quesadillas. Simply take whole wheat tortillas put shredded cheese of your choice on half of each tortilla, include small amounts of other ingredients like black beans, chicken, shrimp, caramelized onions, red peppers or jalapeños. You can use whatever you have as leftovers that sounds good. Just keep it to small amounts so you don’t over power the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and place on a cookie sheet. Place in oven at 350°F until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly golden. Top with sour cream and salsa. Using low fat cheese makes this a very healthy dish.

From Paige, a team member:

I’ve found that fresh spinach is the perfect base to help use up leftovers. Simply fill a bowl with fresh baby spinach and top with warmed up beans, lentils or soups – anything with a liquid base. If you have some grains, like quinoa or rice, warm them up too. The heat gently wilts the spinach and it all works perfectly for a one dish lunch or quick dinner.

Initially, I came up with this when I had a large clamshell container of spinach that was about to go bad, and now I make sure to have spinach on hand all the time. I made this dish this weekend using red quinoa and my adapted version of Moroccan Pan-Roasted Seafood (from the Whole Foods Market Cookbook). The curry and turmeric seasoning is perfect in the seafood-flavored broth. My family will have this for dinner several times this week.

Moroccan Spiced Seafood

1 red bell pepper, large dice

1 onion, large dice

6 – 8 garlic cloves, minced

4 TB olive oil

1 TB curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

3 TB tamari

2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled

1 lb small scallops

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine all ingredients in a large baking pan, except the shrimp and scallops. Roast for about 20 minutes. Add the seafood and roast for about 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the seafood is opaque and cooked through.

Serve over fresh spinach and red quinoa. Enjoy!

From Melissa, a reader:

Shrimp Pasta

My husband and I LOVE this recipe! I love the freshness and aroma that the lemon adds to this dish! It is delicious and still healthy! It is also a pretty simple recipe since it only has 9 ingredients. It makes a great lunch or dinner! We both love a lot of garlic, so if you’re not a big fan, feel free to reduce the amount you put in your recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 large tomato, diced (I like to de-seed mine too)

2 tbsp low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

About 1/2 pound shrimp

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped

4 ounces whole wheat pasta

Pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Sauté for several minutes until lightly browned. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Cook pasta per package directions. Drain. Add shrimp to pan and cook for several more minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Add lemon zest and juice, pepper, and basil. Toss shrimp mixture with cooked pasta. Enjoy!

From Meenakshi, a reader:

Best, like you said, is subjective, but there indeed was one meal that was a well rounded one this week. It was healthy, inexpensive, super delicious, minimal effort and hence, the best. It was my ten bean soup. It doesn’t require even a drop of grease, making it very low in fat. The beans provide the proteins and carbs and the veggies the vitamins and fiber. The Italian herbs make it savory and lip smacking yum!

Now it’s your turn. Give us your best!

From Joyce, a reader:

It was one of those evenings where it’s 7pm and no idea what’s for dinner. My 17 year old son and I created a fantastic, tasty, inexpensive, beautiful dinner in 20 minutes! Here it is: store bought cheese tortellini with swiss chard (the red chard made it beautiful). We boiled the tortellini for less time than the instructions say, about 4 to 5 minutes. At the same time, we made a chiffonade of the swiss chard and sautéed it in olive oil with garlic, thinly sliced onion, salt and pepper. Added the drained tortellini along with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, tossed and sautéed another minute or so. Served with freshly baked french bread (store bought refrigerated dough, which we popped in the oven first). He wasn’t even hungry and he had 2 helpings, there were no leftovers! We’ll be making this often.

For a recipe along these lines, try our Grilled Vegetables with Cheese Tortellini.

From Pete, a reader:

I pulled this one out of thin air: Cilantro and lime grilled chicken with a blond jalapeno sweet relish, served with summer squash medley. The chicken (I used half breasts w/ bone) marinated for about 15min in lime, cilantro, salt, pepper, coriander, a couple of drops of Tabasco. Then it was grilled. I roasted the blond pepper on the grill until it sweated, then I seeded and cleaned it, chopped it into a bowl with lime juice, cilantro, about a tsp of vinegar, and a tsp of sugar. The relish gave the chicken some very nice kick (sweet, sour, spice). The squash was a mixture of yellow, grey, and zucchini sautéed in a little olive oil with copped onions, garlic, lime and cilantro. I served it up with a South-West style salad (mixed greens, cucumber, red bell peppers, corn, and toasted tortilla chips). My wife was raving about it.

From Christine, a team member:

My best: Farmer’s Market Soup. Really…soup on a sunny day? That’s right. My best meal of the week was a magical recipe that my husband named “farmer’s market soup.”

I followed my usual Saturday morning ritual of going hiking with the dog and then strolling through the open-air farmers’ market. On this particular expedition, the kale was bountiful, the carrots exquisitely bright and the fragrant smell of the onion jumped out at me as if to say, “buy me and I will make you very happy, never mind the tears.”

Armed with fresh, organic produce, I arrived at home and pondered my endless culinary possibilities. I decided to take a risk and conjure up a one-pot hodgepodge recipe to incorporate all of my finds. Well, actually, I just made soup. But darn, it was delicious!

I began with a chicken broth base (vegetable broth will do). Then, I sautéed my farmers’ market masterpieces in some olive oil including kale, carrot, onion and corn. In the pot they went. On the side, I cubed and cooked a Yukon gold potato, a couple farm-fresh chicken sausages and even chucked in some turkey bacon. These got added to the pot along with fresh parsley from my garden. Yum – farmers’ market soup!

Next time, who knows what will turn up in my soup…okra in the summer or turnips in the winter? But one thing is for sure – local, in-season vegetables from the farmers’ market always make the best meal and get the creative juices flowing!

Like this idea? Check out our recipe for Hearty Greens Soup for something similar.

So what was your “best meal” this week?