In today’s busy world, people are always on the go and tend to neglect healthy eat. People often look at fast food or ordering out as an easy way to eat during their busy schedules. Growing up, my family has always prioritized eating home-cooked meals, and we try our hardest to eat healthily. Recently, I have been getting into cooking myself, and I’ve been looking for recipes that are easy to follow but also are relatively healthy. I’m going to share with you some of my favorite recipes that are easy to follow for beginners, below are five of my go-to recipes.

Having a busy schedule does not always allow me to make meals when I want, but what I love about these recipes is they all are more than one serving size so I can make the recipe over the weekend, and I can have the leftovers throughout the week. Another thing I love about these recipes is several involved using an air fryer, which I find to be a healthier and tastier alternative to frying food. These recipes are not only delicious and healthy, but they are also easy to follow for people who do not cook often.

1. Mediterranean Rice Bowl

Ingredients (Serving for four): 1 1/4 cups of quick-cooking brown rice (I prefer Uncle Bens 10 minute rice), 1 medium cucumber (sliced into bite-sized pieces), 1 orange bell pepper (cut into 1-inch slices), 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, 20 pitted Kalamata olives, feta cheese (add per your liking), 1 tbsp hummus, 1 bag of spring mix lettuce, grilled chicken (season based on your liking) **note: (these ingredients are based on my preferences you can add or subtract different ingredients based on your taste).

Recipe: In four separate bowls, add the spring mix first. Next layer the cooked brown rice on top of the lettuce. Add the cucumber, olives, bell pepper, feta, and hummus on top of the brown rice. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and add on top. Finally add your choice of salad dressing (I use olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.)

2. Greek Turkey Burgers

Ingredients (makes 4 burgers): 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 tsp Cavenders Greek Seasoning (this seasoning is hard to find here is the link to it on amazon), 1/3 cup of crumbled feta, 1/4 a cup fresh parsley (chopped), salt and pepper.

Recipe: Add all ingredients together in a bowl and form into burgers. Can be cooked in the air fryer on 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes (use meat thermometer to check when its done) or they also turn out well on an outdoor grill.

3. Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients for Chicken meatballs: 1lb. ground chicken, 1/3 a cup of breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Recipe for air fryer chicken meatballs: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, take a handful of the ingredients and roll into a ball (it is better if the meatballs are on the smaller side). Spray olive oil or pam into the air fryer before placing the meatballs in. Cook at 375 degrees for 7 minutes (may need to make two batches), shake the meatballs around half way through. If you do not own an air fryer you can also cook them in the oven for 10-12 minutes on 375 degrees.

Ingredients for the soup: 1 Small onion (diced), 4 carrots (diced), 3 garlic cloves (chopped), 2 cartons of chicken broth, 1 lemon (juice), 2 cups of spinach (chopped), 1 tsp of chicken bouillon, 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped), 1 pound of orzo pasta.

Recipe for soup: Saute onions and carrots in a pot with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to the saute until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add bouillon base, spinach, lemon, parsley and meatballs. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (sometimes it takes longer for the carrots to soften). Add a few pinches of parmesan cheese as the soup is simmering. Cook orzo separately per the directions on the box.

4. Simple yet delicious pasta sauce

Ingredients (serving size of 6): 2 large cans (49 oz) of huntz sauce, 1/2 cup of Locatelli Pecorino Romeno cheese (grated), 1/4 cup of fresh basil or more depending on your taste (chopped), 2 small cloves of garlic (minced), 1 tsp of dried oregano, 2 tbsp of olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper, 1 lb of spaghetti (I use homemade pasta heres a link to an easy to follow homemade pasta recipe I like)

Recipe: In a sauce pot suate garlic and olive oil for 2 minutes. Simply add all other ingredients into the pot (the sugar, salt, and pepper can vary based on your taste personally I use 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 a tsp of both salt and pepper). Bring sauce to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour. Add more basil at the end for more flavor. Boil spaghetti in a separate pot based on instructions on the box. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper over top.

5. Pasta Broccoli

Ingredients (serves 4): 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp butter, 2 cloves of garlic (chopped), 1 head of broccoli (chopped and steamed), 1/2 lemon (juice), 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romeno cheese (grated), 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (add more based on taste), salt and pepper, 1 lb rigatoni or ziti pasta.

Recipe: Boil the pasta first make sure to keep 1/2 a cup of the pasta water (before draining). Steam broccoli before starting recipe. Saute garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan. Mix cooked noodles, butter, broccoli, the 1/2 cup pasta water, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper together in the pan. Next sprinkle cheese on top and mix around. Finally at the end add the 1 tbsp remaining olive oil. Put lemon juice on top of each plate before serving.