From the CURowd: Easy Recipes for your Week (Reader Roundup!) (2024)

Happy MONDAY, friends! How was your weekend? Didja get your Weekend Reading in? This ended up being one of the more *relaxing* weekends we’d had in a loooong time, praise the sweet Lord Baby Jesus. Sometimes ya really just need a nearly-blank calendar to hit reset + restart again fresh for the week! Can I get an amen???

In other news, I’m SO STOKED for today’s post. First off, it’s been in the works for a hot sec. Like,a hot sec. I had asked you guys on Instagram Stories for your personal favorite quick n’ easy recipes and meal recommendations that are user friendly for those of us non-Martha Stewarts in the kitchen (so, me. HA.). And you guysdelivered.

Speaking of you guys, WE HAVE A TEAM NAME NOW, FRIENDS.

Introducing, the CURowd. AKA, The Coming Up Roses Crowd. The CURowd. Get it????

The one thing I lovelovelove + want more than anything is for CUR to feel like a true *community* for you guys. A place to not only come + connect with ME, but with each OTHER, too. I mean, why have one friend when can you can have thousands amiright?!?! 😉 SO, in the spirit of connecting us + having all of your fabulous responses/recommendations go further than my own inbox, HERE WE ARE. I’m hoping to make this a more frequent-ish thing around these rosy parts for all SORTSA roundups, as a way to crowdsource (or CURowd-source? 😉 ) your awesome ideas + recommendations for all to see. So if you like this and want more in the future, pleasepleaseplease let me know what kinda roundups you’d wanna see – podcasts? TV shows? beauty products? YOU NAME IT.

As for today, we’re talking easy recipes + meals. Because it’s Monday. And we need all the easy we can get on a Monday. 😉

Lisa’s Kale-quinoa-chickpea-lentil soup

• Saute 3/4 cup chopped onion, 3/4 cup chopped carrots, 3/4 cup chopped celery until softened
• Generously sprinkle with Italian seasoning – add red pepper flakes + garlic powder (to taste)
• Add 1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
• Saute an additional 1-2 minutes
• Add water (5-6 cups approx). Bring to boil
• Stir in heaping tablespoon of vegetable-flavored Better Than Buillion
• Bring up to simmer, cover, cook for 15 min
• Rinse and drain 1 can of chickpeas and 1 can of lentils (and set aside)
• After 15 min, turn off heat, stir in beans and one bag of kale (stems removed)
• Optional: Stir in 2 Tbs soy sauce, omit if gluten free!
• (serves 5)

Courtney’s EASY Tortellini soup

Mix…

• One carton chicken broth
• One packet Italian dressing seasoning (found in the dressing aisle)
• One package frozen chopped spinach
• One cup water
• One package frozen or fresh tortellini (add after the rest simmers)
• S & P to taste
• Optional: White beans (1 can, rinsed + drained), parmesan cheese for garnish, chicken buillion cube for taste

Natalie’s Healthy Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

“OMG OMG OMG YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS VEGAN BUFFY DIP RECIPE. I make this basically every week as a snack with my lunches and it is TO DIE FOR.”

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 12 oz. bag frozen cauliflower florets, steamed to package directions
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked + drained
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 3/4 cup original Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Tortilla chips + veggies for serving!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place cashews in bowl of warm water for at least 30 minutes (or overnight)
2. Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray
3. Add to the bowl of a food processor the steamed cauliflower, cashews, chickpeas, hot sauce, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder. Process until smooth and creamy.
4. Transfer dip to baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, turn the oven to broil, and cook for 5 minutes longer.
5. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping!

Amanda’s Roasted Veggie Pork Chops

• Choose broccoli, cauliflower, whatever veggies you want! (Break/cut into small florets)
• Put on a little EVOO, salt + pepper, and put in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes
• Serve with pork chops from the grill or on a grill pan
• BOOM, dinner!

Iulia’s Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS:

Put in a Ziploc bag:

• 2 sliced up green bell peppers
• 1 sliced up onion
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook on low for 5-6 hours
• Shred the meat after, serve on tortillas!

Leah’s One-pan Pork Chops

“This is the easiest and best pork chop recipe ever, plus you can cook the sides with it! The hubs asks for this recipe all the time.”

Gabby’s Crockpot Mexican Chicken

“It freezes really well and is great for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, just over rice…I prepack in individual freezer bags and it’s life saving! Just de-frost and choose your toppings.”

• Throw in 3 to 4 large chicken breasts and a large can of your favorite salsa + taco seasonings
• Let cook 4-6 hours, then shred the chicken

Jillian’s Zucchini Boats

“This is one of my favorites that’s low carb, and really easy to make!”

INGREDIENTS:

Taylor’s Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15 oz. can of black beans (drained)
• 1 15 oz can of pinto beans (drained)
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1 15 oz can of sweet corn (drained)
• 1 12 oz can of white chicken breast (drained)
• 1 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 10 oz can of green enchilada sauce
• 1 14 oz can of chicken broth
• 1 packet of taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all together in a large pot until rolling boil, then let cool for 5-7 min. Serve with tortilla chips and corn bread.

Optional: Top with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Rachel’s Sausage Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Egg

• Brown or cook some kind of sausage (“My fave is chorizo, but I’ve done this with any kind!”),drain the grease
• Add diced onion + minced garlic, saute until veggies are tender
• Peel + slice some sweet potatoes; EVOO + roast in oven at 400-450 for approximately 30 minutes (making fries here!)
• After the sausage is cooked, throw in some greens, salt + pepper
• Saute your favorite greens down (kale, spinach, collard greens, etc) until wilted + tender
• Toss the cooked sweet potato fries in
• Serve the whole mess with a runny fried egg on top!

Mrs. T’s Pierogies

ICYMI, I shared 5 different ways to whip up your fave Mrs. T’s – and it’s basically the QUEEN of easy recipes. This is a post J and I go back to repeatedly ourselves for some quick meal inspo! The General Tso’s pierogies are our personal favorite. 😉

Erica’s Chicken Piquante

Throwing my own personal fave in the mix of easy recipes to tie everything up! This is marked as a big fat “A+” in our family recipe binder (we collect our favorite recipes that we’ve made together for future reference – I recommend!). When it comes to easy recipes, as long as you can cut some veggies, you’re golden! This went SO fast in our household; I had made a big pan’s worth, thinking we’d have leftovers, but J loveloveloved it so much he finished his own dish and then went back straight to the pan to finish the rest. HA. It’s a winner winner chicken dinner – literally!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 12 cup celery, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 3 lb. chicken pieces
• 1 (1 lb) can of whole tomatoes, crushed
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp. parsley
• Tabasco to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Make a roux with the oil + flour. Add onions, celery, peppers, garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add chicken pieces, tomatoes, 1 cup of hot water, sugar, salt, cayenne, + thyme.
• Reduce heat to low, cover + simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. (*note: it doesn’t actually take that long at all, so just watch it!)
• Adjust seasoning, stir in parsley + add tabasco.

Thoughts on this format for reader recommendations + roundups? And the CURowd?!?!?!

Sending you the best of vibes today – let’s make it happen this week, peeps. *fist bump*