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These are my lazy summer dinners for the nights when it’s too hot to think about cooking. Quick pastas, crispy tacos, easy chicken, and a few no-cook meals that still feel like a real dinner. Most of them take 20 to 30 minutes and use ingredients I always have around.
I keep coming back to these all summer long. Some are on the table in minutes. Others take a little more time but the kind where you just let the oven or grill do the work.
Angel Hair Chimichurri Pasta
Angel hair pasta tossed in chimichurri butter. Light, herby, and ready in about 15 minutes. Works with homemade or store-bought chimichurri.
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Angel Hair Chimichurri Pasta
Angel hair pasta with rich, tangy, and herbaceous chimichurri butter. It's delicate and silky, and such a simple recipe. You can also make this with an authentic chimichurri olive oil based recipe.
Mini chicken quesadillas with shredded chicken and melty cheese. Great for snacking, dinner, or feeding a crowd.
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Mini Chicken Quesadillas
These Mini Chicken Quesadillas are a fun, shareable take on the classic, with shredded chicken, melty cheese, and plenty of dipping options. Perfect for snacks, parties, or weeknight dinners!
Crispy mini chicken taquitos filled with seasoned chicken and melted cheese. Serve with guac, salsa, or pickled cabbage.
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Mini Chicken Taquitos
These mini chicken taquitos are filled with seasoned chicken and melted cheese, rolled up in crispy tortillas. Serve with toppings like guacamole, salsa, and pickled cabbage for an easy meal everyone will love!
Spinach and feta quesadillas with sauteed spinach and mozzarella in a crispy tortilla. Quick enough for any night.
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Spinach and Feta Quesadillas
These spinach and feta quesadillas are made with sautéed spinach, crumbled feta, and mozzarella inside a crispy tortilla. Quick, easy, and great for any meal.
Black bean pasta salad with sweet corn, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and a yogurt lime dressing. Cold, fresh, and ready in 20.
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20-Minute Simple Black Bean Pasta Salad
A simple and quick black bean pasta salad packed with fresh ingredients like fusilli, arugula, sweet corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, and a yogurt lime dressing. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s great as a meal or side dish!
Bang bang chicken skewers with a quick homemade sauce. Mayo, sweet chili, and sriracha. Grill or oven, your call.
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Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
These bang bang chicken skewers are easy to cook on the grill or in the oven and come with a quick homemade sauce made with mayo, sweet chili, and sriracha.
Grilled chicken skewers with a garlic lemon marinade and parmesan on top. Quick to prep, great on the grill or under the broiler.
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Garlic Parmesan Grilled Chicken Skewers
These garlic parmesan grilled chicken skewers are quick to make and can be grilled or broiled, with a simple garlic-lemon marinade and parmesan on top.
Chimichurri chicken thighs marinated in fresh herbs and garlic. Serve with cilantro lime rice, yuca fries, or arugula salad.
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Chimichurri Chicken Thighs
Chimichurri chicken thighs are marinated in a fresh herb and garlic sauce, then cooked and topped with more chimichurri. Serve with cilantro lime rice, crispy yuca fries, or a balsamic arugula salad.
Shrimp cilantro lime pasta salad with a zesty dressing and pan-seared shrimp. Bright, fresh, and ready in 20 minutes.
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Creamy Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad
This creamy cilantro lime pasta salad comes together with fusilli pasta, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and sweet corn, all mixed with a tangy cilantro lime dressing.
Bruschetta pasta salad with tomatoes, basil, garlic, marinated mozzarella, and balsamic dressing tossed with fusilli.
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Bruschetta Pasta Salad
This bruschetta pasta salad is made with tomatoes, basil, garlic, marinated mozzarella, and a balsamic dressing, all mixed with fusilli for a simple and delicious meal.
Mexican street corn potato salad with roasted corn, golden potatoes, lime, and cotija cheese. Great for cookouts.
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The Best Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
This Mexican street corn potato salad is made with roasted corn, golden potatoes, mayo, lime, scallions, and crumbled cotija — great for cookouts or weekday meals.
Hi, I’m Olga! I love cooking from scratch with simple, fresh ingredients. The recipes here are inspired by the flavors I grew up with and the places I’ve traveled to. My hope is to share some of my favorite dishes and inspire you to try something new in the kitchen.
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