Garlic Chili Oil Noodles with Shrimp

These spicy garlic chili oil noodles are quick and easy to make and tossed with the yummiest garlic ginger chili oil. Feel free to toss with shrimp or your choice of protein. Seriously cannot get enough of these noodles lately. ♡ My TikTok feed has been downright overflowing with Chinese-inspired chili oil noodles these past […]

These spicy garlic chili oil noodles are quick and easy to make and tossed with the yummiest garlic ginger chili oil. Feel free to toss with shrimp or your choice of protein.

Garlic Chili Oil Noodles with Shrimp

Seriously cannot get enough of these noodles lately. ♡

My TikTok feed has been downright overflowing with Chinese-inspired chili oil noodles these past few years. And after trying out a handful of different recipes and chili oil techniques, I’ve landed on this recipe as my personal fave.

It’s fabulously quick and easy to make with whatever type of noodles you might prefer. And the chili oil sauce that brings it all together is pure sesame, garlicky, gingery, spicy deliciousness. (Like, I could seriously put this chili oil on just about everything, it’s just so good.) It’s the perfect dish to whip up for a quick dinner with whatever protein or veggies you happen to have on hand. And while these chili noodles are absolutely delicious served nice and hot, I honestly look forward just as much to enjoying any leftover noodles cold for lunch the next day.

If you love spicy noodles, you’ve definitely got to give this one a try!

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Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

This roasted vegetable enchiladas recipe is easy to customize with your choice of veggies and baked to delicious cheesy perfection. One of our family’s all-time favorite ways to eat our veggies! ♡ These roasted vegetable enchiladas have been a fan favorite here on Gimme Some Oven for over a decade now. They’re super easy to […]

This roasted vegetable enchiladas recipe is easy to customize with your choice of veggies and baked to delicious cheesy perfection.

One of our family’s all-time favorite ways to eat our veggies! ♡

These roasted vegetable enchiladas have been a fan favorite here on Gimme Some Oven for over a decade now. They’re super easy to make with whatever leftover vegetables happen to be hanging out in your fridge. And after many years of serving these enchiladas to veggie-lovers and veggie-skeptics alike, I can vouch that everyone loves these enchiladas no matter which veggies you toss in. They all get extra caramelized and yummy while roasting in the oven anyway, and then once they’re rolled up in tortillas and baked with zesty enchilada sauce and melty cheese, I’m telling you — people just dive right in. They’re too good to resist!

I’m of course partial to making them with my favorite homemade red enchilada sauce, but feel free to use store-bought if you’re looking to save time. I’ve also included make-ahead instructions below if you’d like to make a pan in advance to refrigerate or freeze. And if you would like to make these gluten-free, just grab your favorite corn or gf flour tortillas and you’ll be good to go.

Let’s make a yummy pan of vegetarian enchiladas together!

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The Best Potato Salad

My go-to classic potato salad recipe is easy to make, perfectly zesty and creamy, and always a crowd fave! I’m returning to my Midwestern roots today to pay homage to the potluck dish that will forever be a nostalgic favorite…my classic potato salad recipe. ♡ There are of course a million different takes on how […]

My go-to classic potato salad recipe is easy to make, perfectly zesty and creamy, and always a crowd fave!

The BEST Potato Salad

I’m returning to my Midwestern roots today to pay homage to the potluck dish that will forever be a nostalgic favorite…my classic potato salad recipe. ♡

There are of course a million different takes on how to make potato salad. But if you grew up in the Midwest or South and spent any amount of time at backyard barbecues, church basement dinners, or summertime picnics, you know exactly what I’m talking about when it comes to a “classic” creamy potato salad. We start with freshly-diced potatoes, boiled until perfectly tender and then tossed with a hint of vinegar. Then to the potatoes, we add the classic building blocks of hard-boiled eggs, crisp celery and tangy red onion. A big scoop of pickle relish adds a deliciously briny kick, although some may argue it’s optional. Then everything gets tossed with a rich and creamy dressing spiked with mustard, celery salt, vinegar, and paprika to bring everything together. Potato salad perfection.

Now I know that there are strong opinions out there on the topic of Miracle Whip versus mayo, so you do you! Feel free to also add in any extras you might like, such as bacon, avocado or fresh herbs. And while I personally love leaving the potato skins on for extra texture and nutrients, you’re totally welcome to peel the potatoes here if you prefer.

Let’s make some potato salad together! (more…)

Crumbled Falafel Bowls

These crumbled falafel bowls are easy to make with crispy “falafel” crumbles, your choice of rice or greens, and lots of fun toppings! My new favorite thing…crumbled falafel bowls! ♡ A few months ago, I had a major falafel craving but couldn’t summon the energy to make the mix, form it into dozens of little […]

These crumbled falafel bowls are easy to make with crispy “falafel” crumbles, your choice of rice or greens, and lots of fun toppings!

My new favorite thing…crumbled falafel bowls! ♡

A few months ago, I had a major falafel craving but couldn’t summon the energy to make the mix, form it into dozens of little patties, and fry each one until perfectly crispy. So I decided to test out a little shortcut instead, simply adding the crumbled falafel mix directly to a skillet with a bit of oil and giving it a slow toss until all of those crumbly bits turned golden and crispy. And not only did the method work well…the crumbled falafel was absolutely delicious.

We’ve made this recipe many times since, especially since our toddler has turned out to be a big fan of this recipe too, and it has quickly become a new family favorite. The key is, of course, to begin with a delicious falafel mix. I’m partial to loading mine up with lots of garlic, fresh herbs and seasonings, and a hint of lemon. If you have the time, dried chickpeas soaked overnight will also yield a better texture, but canned chickpeas can work too if needed in a pinch. Then the key is to let the falafel mix sauté in a few tablespoons of hot oil until the bottom layer is golden and crispy, then toss and wait for the new bottom layer to crisp up, toss and wait, toss and wait. It’s quite easy and comes together much quicker than a traditionally-shaped batch of falafel, yet you still get some of those crispy golden bits that we all love. A win-win!

I love piling this crumbled falafel into rice bowls with lemony-sumac veggies (so fast and yummy), crumbled feta, and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce. But there are about a million variations you could try with these bowls, so please don’t hesitate to get creative and add whatever greens, grains, veggies, toppings, or sauces sound good. Let’s make some! (more…)

Tahini Sauce

This homemade tahini sauce recipe is quick and easy to make with 5 ingredients and tastes amazing with everything from falafel to roasted veggies, grilled meats, wraps, salads and more. The sauce that makes just about everything better. ♡ Seriously. From grilled veggies to meats, salads to sandwiches, falafel to kebabs and beyond, tahini sauce […]

This homemade tahini sauce recipe is quick and easy to make with 5 ingredients and tastes amazing with everything from falafel to roasted veggies, grilled meats, wraps, salads and more.

Tahini sauce

The sauce that makes just about everything better. ♡

Seriously. From grilled veggies to meats, salads to sandwiches, falafel to kebabs and beyond, tahini sauce is one of those magically versatile recipes that can be used in a million different ways. And its classically creamy, nutty, rich flavor never fails to make any dish taste amazing.

All you need are 5 simple ingredients (tahini, lemon, garlic, salt and cumin) and about 10 minutes to whip up a quick batch of this Middle Eastern-inspired sauce. This homemade tahini sauce recipe also happens to naturally be vegan and gluten-free. And while we most often stick to the classic ingredients here in our kitchen, there are countless fun variations that you can try to add some extra herbs, spice, heat, sweetness to customize your own tahini sauce recipe.

So grab some tahini and let’s make a quick batch!

Tahini sauce ingredients (more…)

Homemade Tahini

This homemade tahini recipe is easy to make with 3 ingredients and tastes so deliciously nutty and creamy. Ever tried making homemade tahini? ♡ This beloved creamy and nutty Middle Eastern condiment is actually very easy to make from scratch with just three ingredients — sesame seeds, oil and salt. It comes together quickly in […]

This homemade tahini recipe is easy to make with 3 ingredients and tastes so deliciously nutty and creamy.

Homemade Tahini in Jar

Ever tried making homemade tahini? ♡

This beloved creamy and nutty Middle Eastern condiment is actually very easy to make from scratch with just three ingredients — sesame seeds, oil and salt. It comes together quickly in about 10 minutes using either a food processor or high-speed blender. And while there’s definitely nothing wrong with store-bought tahini, I have to say that nothing rivals the fresh flavor that comes with making a homemade batch with freshly-toasted sesame seeds. So rich and delicious!

I’ve included all of my best tips below for how to make tahini, plus a list of suggestions for all sorts of delicious ways to put it to use. I’m of course a huge fan of using it in classic dips like hummus or baba ganoush, but it’s also fantastic in everything from salad dressings to smoothies, baked goods, marinades and beyond.

So the next time you’re craving a recipe that uses tahini, round up some sesame seeds and let’s blend up a quick batch of DIY tahini together!

Tahini ingredients including sesame seeds, salt and olive oil (more…)

Brown Butter Shortbread Bars (Ted Lasso Biscuits)

This 5-ingredient brown butter shortbread recipe is easy to make and wonderfully rich and delicious. These brown butter shortbread bars are downright swoon-worthy. ♡ Seriously. I’ve baked up a record amount of shortbread during this season of Ted Lasso, inspired by his famous biscuits that he gives to Rebecca week after week. And after playing […]

This 5-ingredient brown butter shortbread recipe is easy to make and wonderfully rich and delicious.

These brown butter shortbread bars are downright swoon-worthy. ♡

Seriously. I’ve baked up a record amount of shortbread during this season of Ted Lasso, inspired by his famous biscuits that he gives to Rebecca week after week. And after playing around with various takes on classic shortbread recipes, and getting lots of feedback from friends who have been more than happy to taste test, we’ve finally settled on a winning recipe that I’m certain would be Ted-approved.

Like most classic shortbread recipes, this one features the 4 usual ingredients — butter, flour, sugar and salt. But I’ve amped things up by browning the butter, which adds an irresistibly nutty, toasty and rich notes to the shortbread. I’ve also added a hint of vanilla to the batter, which rounds out the flavors and brings everything together nicely. Then I’m absolutely going to insist that you sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt on top to finish — the salty-sweet combo is works so well here and really makes the brown buttery flavors sing!

Just like Ted, I’m convinced that these shortbread bars (or “biscuits” as they would say in the UK) are best for sharing. So I hope you’ll bake up a quick batch to share with those you love and enjoy, enjoy!

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Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing

This Thai-Inspired chopped salad is made with loads of fresh veggies and greens, crunchy peanuts and wonton strips, your choice of protein, and a creamy peanut dressing. One of those salads I could eat every single day. ♡ This Thai-inspired chopped crunch salad is perfectly balanced with a delicious mix of fresh veggies, greens, herbs […]

This Thai-Inspired chopped salad is made with loads of fresh veggies and greens, crunchy peanuts and wonton strips, your choice of protein, and a creamy peanut dressing.

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing

One of those salads I could eat every single day. ♡

This Thai-inspired chopped crunch salad is perfectly balanced with a delicious mix of fresh veggies, greens, herbs and peanuts, and brought together with the absolute yummiest sesame peanut dressing that you’re going to want to drizzle on everything. I love adding in a big handful of crispy wonton strips too for some extra crunch. And while some shredded chicken works great as a protein here, you’re welcome to sub in some cooked shrimp, salmon, ground pork, or roasted chickpeas, or just leave out the additional protein altogether — the salad will still be delish!

This salad also holds up nicely in the fridge for up to a day or so. So if you’re looking to do some meal prep the night beforehand, or you need a great salad to bring along to a picnic or bbq or potluck, this one is a fantastic recipe to have in your repertoire. Just do yourself a favor and make a double batch of that peanut dressing while you’re at it — you’re definitely going to want to drizzle it on everything.

Let’s make some salad together!

Thai Chopped Salad Ingredients

Thai Crunch Salad Ingredients

Here are a few brief notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Thai-inspired crunchy chopped salad recipe:

  • Cabbage: I really love using shredded Napa cabbage for this recipe, but feel free to use any other type of shredded cabbage, cole slaw blend, or salad greens that you love best.
  • Chicken (optional): I just shredded a rotisserie chicken to keep things quick and easy, but you could also dice or shred my baked chicken breasts recipe or read on below for alternatives to chicken.
  • Crispy wonton strips: I absolutely love the flavor and crunchy texture that a handful of crispy wonton strips adds to this recipe and highly recommend tossing some in! You can either purchase store-bought crispy wonton strips or make your own by cutting wonton wrappers into strips and frying in oil until crispy.
  • Fresh herbs: I highly recommend adding a generous amount of fresh cilantro and mint to this salad, which really freshens up the flavors. If you happen to have some fresh Thai basil on hand, it would be wonderful here too!
  • Veggies: We’ll use a simple mix of carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, which I recommend thinly slicing or julienning for a nice chopped salad texture.
  • Scallions: We’ll slice both white and green parts to add to the salad.
  • Peanuts: Finally, we’ll toss in lots of salted peanuts (plain or dry-roasted) to add extra peanut flavor and crunch. Although if you cannot eat peanuts, please see below for some delicious nut or seed alternatives!

Peanut Dressing in bowl with spoon

Peanut Dressing Ingredients

Here are the ingredients I recommend using to make a perfectly-balanced Thai peanut dressing:

  • Natural creamy peanut butter: I wrote this recipe using natural peanut butter made from 100% peanuts, which is what we keep on hand in our house. You’re welcome to swap in traditional creamy peanut butter, but you will likely need to thin the dressing out with a bit of extra water.
  • Lime juice: Freshly-squeezed lime juice serves as the acid in this dressing and adds such delicious, bright flavor.
  • Soy sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce, or you can use tamari as a gluten-free alternative.
  • Ginger and garlic: I recommend grating (or very finely mincing) fresh ginger and garlic so that they mix easily into this dressing.
  • Toasted sesame oil: A little goes a long way here, so I recommend adding just a teaspoon to perfectly round out the flavors of the dressing.
  • Water: Finally, feel free to add as much or as little water as needed to thin out the dressing to your desired consistency.

Thai salad ingredients in bowl

Recipe Variations

Here are some more yummy variations that you’re welcome to try with this Thai crunch salad recipe:

  • Use a different protein: Swap cooked shrimp, salmon, ground pork or roasted chickpeas for the chicken.
  • Use different nuts/seeds: Swap cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds or pepitas for the peanuts.
  • Use different veggies: Swap or add in any other salad-friendly veggies you love, such as avocado, broccoli, shredded Brussels or sugar snap peas.
  • Use chow mein noodles: Swap crispy chow mein noodles for the crispy wonton strips.
  • Add fruit: Add in some chopped mango, pineapple, or fresh mandarin slices.
  • Add some heat: Add some sliced jalapeño, serrano or Thai bird chiles for heat.

Thai Crunch Salad in bowl drizzled with peanut dressing

More Chopped Salad Recipes

Looking for more chopped salad recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

Thai Crunch Salad drizzled with peanut dressing in bowl with fork

Print

Thai Crunch Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

  • 4 cups thinly shredded Napa cabbage
  • 2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded cooked chicken
  • 2 cups fried wonton strips, homemade* or store-bought
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2/3 cup julienned carrots
  • 2/3 cup julienned English cucumber
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts

Peanut Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 large cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Make the peanut dressing. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until evenly combined. If the dressing seems too thick, add in a tablespoon of water at a time to thin until it reaches your desired consistency.
  2. Toss the salad. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with the dressing, and toss to combine.
  3. Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Currently

This post has been a bit of a surreal one to write. Because, to be honest, I still can’t quite believe where life has us currently. Nine months ago, we were newly pregnant and over the moon to be expecting a second IVF baby around my birthday at the beginning of May. We were celebrating […]

Ali, Barclay and Teo in a Kansas City shirt

This post has been a bit of a surreal one to write. Because, to be honest, I still can’t quite believe where life has us currently.

Nine months ago, we were newly pregnant and over the moon to be expecting a second IVF baby around my birthday at the beginning of May. We were celebrating our 5th anniversary of living in Spain, applying for permanent visas to be able to stay much longer, and looking into purchasing our first home in the city. We found ourselves in such a sweet spot of daily life here in Barcelona surrounded by dear friends (including the cutest little circle of buddies for Teo), fulfilling work we both loved, and a happy return to post-pandemic traveling around Europe.

But shortly thereafter, our hearts broke when our doctor suddenly went quiet during an ultrasound one day. We ended up having a d&c just down the hallway from where we delivered Teo, which was unfortunately followed by months of additional complications, a barrage of doctor’s appointments, some truly awful medications, and ultimately one additional surgery. For months it felt like we were stuck in this frustrating grief time warp, finding it difficult to move forward emotionally while my body was still clinging to the pregnancy physically. Thankfully we eventually made it to the other side of things and were given the green light to continue again with fertility treatments if interested. So after talking with our doctor and giving things a lot of thought, we decided this spring to undergo a second full round of IVF in the hopes of bringing one more babe into our little family. (More on that below.) But in the midst of all of that, life took another sharp left turn that we didn’t see coming…

Our family is now moving back to Kansas City in June. ♡

To say this move is unexpected and bittersweet would be a understatement. I have to admit I’m still working to wrap my mind around it most days, since it’s just such a complete 180 from what we had envisioned for these next few years ahead. But Barclay and I have always said it would likely be our parents’ health that ultimately drew us back to the United States. And when things recently took a difficult turn for one of our families, it felt clear to us that we wanted to be back as soon as possible to help. So after taking turns making a number of trips back to the States over the past few months, we now have one-way tickets booked for our entire family in less than two months.

Our days are currently spent swimming in a sea of logistics, trying to piece together the puzzle of an international move with two adults, a toddler, our sweet elderly pup, and all of our belongings. It has been…a lot. (Especially in the midst of IVF plus everything else going on.) But our friends and family back in the States have gone above and beyond to help us sort through various details of getting resettled and have so generously welcomed us back with such open arms. And our wonderful crew here in Barcelona has firmly decided it’s not a forever good-bye and that we’re simply going to squeeze in as many good times as possible together here before we leave. So emotions are running quite high in our home right now, but we’re trying to remind ourselves when logistics get overwhelming that everything will somehow eventually sort itself out, and above all, we are counting ourselves enormously lucky to be surrounded by such a loving crew around the world right now.

Anyway, clearly, lots to catch up on! So for anyone interested in reading more about the latest chapter of our IVF journey, adventures in purchasing a house (and all the things!) from overseas, plans for our remaining seven weeks here in Europe, plus a special garden update from Mali, here’s the latest and probably final update I’ll probably sharing from here in Barcelona.

Our embryo transfer in Barcelona

Our embryo transfer two weeks ago was such a happy day.

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One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

This one pot creamy sun-dried tomato pasta recipe is easy to make with the most delicious garlic-basil cream sauce. This pasta. ♡ I almost hesitated to share this recipe, because it was one of those clean-out-the-fridge meals that is anything but fancy. But the combination of flavors here ended up being SO rich and cozy […]

This one pot creamy sun-dried tomato pasta recipe is easy to make with the most delicious garlic-basil cream sauce.

One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

This pasta. ♡

I almost hesitated to share this recipe, because it was one of those clean-out-the-fridge meals that is anything but fancy. But the combination of flavors here ended up being SO rich and cozy and delicious that I have a hunch you’ll instantly love it too.

The sun-dried tomatoes are definitely the star of the show here, intensifying the sweet-tart tomato flavor in the pasta, plus we’ll use the leftover oil to sauté the chicken and veggies for extra flavor. I’m also partial to a good chewy small pasta shape in this recipe, such as the gnoccheti sardi pictured here, which adds such satisfying texture to each bite. I went big on the garlic and basil for the sauce and light on the cream, since it doesn’t need much, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes adds the perfect hint of heat. Then I definitely recommend adding a generous handful of freshly-grated Parm to each bowl just before serving. So delicious!!

Everything here comes together in one pot in just a little over 30 minutes. So the next time you’re craving a cozy bowl of pasta, grab a jar of sun-dried tomatoes and let’s make a quick batch of this one together! (more…)