ThePrep: Fast 5-Ingredient Spring Dinners I Can't Wait to Make

Fresh, fast and easy, I can't wait to make these tasty 5-ingredient dinners this week!

bowl of pasta

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This time of the year I’m always reminded how some of the most delicious recipes also happen to be ones that use just a few ingredients. These fresh and flavorful dinners that use five ingredients or less (not including basics like salt, pepper and oil) prove that you don’t need much to make a great meal. Plus, they’re ready in about 30 minutes, which means more time to relax each evening—something we could all use a little more of nowadays!

Your Meal Plan

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The Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil is a favorite of mine in the warmer months, especially when I get to use tomatoes and basil from my garden. But store-bought will be just fine for this week! And Thursday’s Roasted Cherry Tomato & Goat Cheese Tartines is a recipe I love to riff on using different in-season veggies, like roasted beets in the winter and summer squash in the summer. Plan on upping the serving to two tartines to make for a more filling meal, or serve with a simple side salad.

Sunday: Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil over Easy Whole-Wheat Couscous

Monday: Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Pesto & Eggs

Tuesday: Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms with whole-wheat baguette slices

Wednesday: One-Pot Pasta with Tuna

Thursday: Roasted Cherry Tomato & Goat Cheese Tartines

Friday: Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta

As always, if you have trouble finding ingredients, feel free to make swaps—capers would be as good as the olives in the one-pot pasta, any toppings will work in the baked potatoes, and you can easily swap in other roasted or grilled veggies in Thursday’s Roasted Cherry Tomato & Goat Cheese Tartines dinner.

Get the shopping list.

Meal-Prep Snack

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I’ve gotten into the bad habit of working through my morning snack, so come lunchtime I’m absolutely starving. Meal-prepping these high-fiber Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups, which are basically mini-banana breads, means I have no excuse not to take a break and enjoy this tasty snack.

Get the Recipe: Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Watch me make these tasty oatmeal cups! Plus get some tips for kick-starting healthy habits.

Treat Yourself

two glasses of whipped frozen lemonade
Casey Barber

How refreshing does this new Whipped Frozen Lemonade look? YUM! This looks like a great way to end a day of working in the garden—and I may just top it off with a little something extra (aka vodka).

Get the Recipe: Whipped Frozen Lemonade

I hope you all have a safe week and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com!

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