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This combination of sweet bell peppers, salty parmesan, and fresh basil might just convince you that orange is the new green when it comes to pesto. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information. Jump to Recipe Every summer I do a little garden... nothing crazy, just a few veggies and some herbs. This year I decided to try doing a "mini" garden where I grow smaller varieties of the veggies I normally grow... cherry tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, miniature eggplants, and lunchbox peppers (little bell peppers). Unfortunately the only seeds that made it to production stage were the lunchbox peppers. But let me tell you these babies thrived. I was bringing in bowls of peppers almost every morning. Crunchy and sweet, these are great for snacking on. Know what else they're good for? Not much. Most of them were too tiny to stuff with anything and they took forever to de-seed for cooking. After a few weeks, there were so many of them and they were starting to get soft, but I was just over raw peppers. With the timer ticking on their little lives, I decided to roast them. This was probably the most inefficient thing I could have done because I not only had to cut and de-seed them, but peel all of their skins off after they had cooked. Forty of these stinkers shrank down to just seven ounces, but it was enough to make some pesto for Game Night so I will consider it a victory. This is a great recipe if you're looking for a fun way to use grown-up sized bell peppers and you want something that freezes well and makes a great appetizer. What ingredients do I need to make roasted bell pepper pesto? Bell peppers- You can do all red peppers or add in a couple orange (skip green because it isn't as sweet) Parmesan cheese- fresh is best Nuts- walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts are all great options Extra virgin olive oil - using a good quality brand will make a huge difference in taste so spring for the good stuff! Fresh basil Garlic Salt Helpful products for making this recipe: Half sheet pan Silicone baking mat Food processor Air-tight container Liquid measuring cup Measuring spoons Can I prepare this recipe ahead of time? This will keep fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge. It will turn brown once it's exposed to oxygen so make sure you put it in a container with an air-tight lid. Can I freeze bell pepper pesto? You can freeze this for up to three months! Just store in an air-tight container and thaw in the fridge the night before you plan to use it. I recommend giving it a good stir and adding a tad more olive oil before serving. What goes well with roasted bell pepper pesto? This makes a great spread for crackers or bread (my favorite is a crusty baguette). You can also use it as a sauce for pasta or as a topping for pizza. Do I have to roast my own bell peppers? Nope! A jar of store-bought roasted red peppers will work just fine. How much does this recipe make? This makes about 1 ½ cups of pesto. If you're using it as a sauce this will give you six ¼ cup servings. This will serve many more people as a spread, it just depends on how much each person uses. Did You Make This Recipe? Let me know! Mention @preggkitchen or tag #preggokitchen Did You Like It? Please leave a comment and a five star rating! Ingredients: 7 oz jarred roasted red peppers or 4 red and/or orange bell peppers ½ cup parmesan cheese ¼ cup nuts- walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts are all great options 2- 2 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil 1 cup fresh basil 2 cloves garlic 1 ½ tsp salt Directions: To roast the peppers: Move your oven rack to the top position Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper Cut each pepper into 4 slices, discarding the stem and seeds, and place them on the baking sheet with the skin facing up Cook for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway Cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until the skins have wrinkled and begun turning black on the sides Remove and place them in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid for 10 minutes to let the steam loosen the skins Remove and discard the skins. Now you're ready for pesto! To make the pesto: Put all of the ingredients except for the olive oil into a food processor Begin pureeing the ingredients while slowly pouring in two cups of olive oil Blend until everything is well combined If you'd like your pesto thinner, you can add another ¼-½ cup of olive oil Store pesto in the fridge in an air-tight container until ready to serve **This will keep 2-3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer .

This hearty dinner provides 90% of your recommended daily folate intake, supporting your baby's hearing development as you continue cruising through the second trimester! This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information. Jump to Recipe At 16 weeks your baby is just starting to develop their hearing, so if you haven’t started talking to your baby bump now’s the time! At first, I felt a little weird talking to my own stomach, so I mainly just stuck to playing 90s music for him (I’m hoping MMMbop is his first word). But my OB/GYN told me that as a baby’s auditory system develops, they go from only hearing your heartbeat and the sounds of your stomach to being able to hear your voice, and they actually recognize it by the time they’re born! After she told me that, I played less Hanson and began reading books out loud and narrating what I was doing throughout the day. There’s a big emphasis on folate at the beginning of pregnancy because it helps prevent neural tube defects, but it plays a vital role in several developmental milestones throughout pregnancy, including your baby’s auditory system. Low levels of folate and B12 have been linked to hearing loss in babies, so it’s important to keep that intake up! Lentils are a super easy way to get a mean dose of folate- just one cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of your daily nutrient needs. These vegan sloppy joes are incredibly easy, with most of the ingredients probably already in your pantry. I like to double the batch and freeze the leftovers for a weeknight dinner when I’m too tired to cook. It’s also a great budget-friendly meal at less than $3 a serving (that’s more money for diapers)! What ingredients do I need to make this recipe? Lentils- any type are fine, but I prefer red as they provide a softer texture Broth- this can be vegetable or meat-based. You can also use water, but I like the flavor boost from using broth Bell pepper- any color you like! Yellow onion Garlic Yellow mustard Brown sugar Tomato sauce- make sure it’s plain, not seasoned pasta sauce Worcestershire sauce Canola oil Black Pepper Salt Hamburger buns- optional Pickled red onions- optional, but they make a great topping! Helpful products for making this recipe: Skillet Saucepan Colander Measuring cups and spoons set How do I freeze leftover vegan sloppy joes? After they have cooled to room temperature, pour the sloppy joes into a freezer-safe container and seal. They will keep for about three months in the freezer. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on the stove top, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You may need to add a little water or broth to thin it out. What if I don’t have red lentils? You can use green or brown lentils instead, they just provide a firmer texture and take longer to cook. If you’re using one of these instead of red lentils, follow the cooking instructions from one of my favorite blogs, Downshiftology. What’s the difference between red and green lentils? Red lentils break down more, making them softer, while green and brown lentils tend to have a firmer texture and take longer to cook. What other nutrients do lentils have? In addition to folate, lentils are a great source of protein, iron, fiber, and potassium. Did You Make This Recipe? Let me know! Mentions @preggokitchen or tage #preggokitchen Did You Like It? Please leave a comment and a five star rating below! Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained 2 cups broth or water 1 medium or ½ large bell pepper, chopped ½ yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves (2 tsp) garlic, minced 2 Tbsp Canola oil 1 tsp yellow mustard 1-2 Tbsp Brown sugar 15 oz tomato sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp Black Pepper 1 ½ tsp fine kosher or sea salt 4 Hamburger buns (optional) Pickled red onions (optional) Directions: **If you are using pickled onions for a topping, make these first so they will be ready when it’s time to eat For the lentils: Bring broth or water to a boil in a small saucepan Add the rinsed lentils and bring to medium-high heat Once the broth has returned to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the lentils simmer for 5-7 minutes. You want them soft but not mushy so they retain their shape Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside For the sloppy joes: While the lentils are cooking, prep your veggies Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat Add the bell pepper and onion, sautéing until they soften (about 4-5 minutes) Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds Add the mustard, brown sugar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, and cooked lentils and stir until combined Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until it's thick and warmed through Serve on toasted buns with desired toppings! To store: Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months Sources: Ajmera, R. (2023, March 8). 15 healthy foods that are high in folate (folic acid). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-folate-folic-acid Howland, G. (2023). Mama natural week-by-week guide to pregnancy and childbirth. Gallery Books. Lentils. The Nutrition Source. (2022, September 15). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/lentils/

Tender eggs cooked in a savory tomato sauce create a dish that’s great for any time of day! As a bonus, it’s also packed with antioxidants and brain-boosting choline. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information. Jump to Recipe Today I’m singing the praises of choline, both figuratively and literally. Whenever I’m reading up on choline, I end up singing the word to the tune of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and it stays stuck in my head for days. But I’m willing to make that sacrifice in order to tell you all about this amazing nutrient. It’s important throughout your entire pregnancy, but for this post I’m focusing on its impact during the third trimester. Once you get to the third trimester, you may think your baby is pretty much finished cooking, but there is still plenty going on. Many of your nutrient needs actually increase at this point because your baby is pulling from your reserves as they grow. Keeping up with your prenatal vitamin helps with this, but there are some nutrients like choline that aren't typically included in prenatals, so you need to get them from other sources. So what is choline? Choline is a nutrient that helps your baby develop their brain functions including memory, reactivity, and information processing. The recommended daily intake of choline for pregnant women is 450mg, but studies have found that only 10% of pregnant women actually get this much. Adequate choline intake has been found to positively affect children’s brain development long after birth, so you don't want to skimp on it. Cornell researchers studying the long-term impact of choline on infants found that babies with mothers who took twice the recommended amount of choline had significantly faster thought processing, better spatial reasoning skills, and longer attention spans at 4, 7, 10 and 13 months of age than the babies whose mothers took the minimum daily recommended amount. But, that same study also found that the longer infants were exposed to just the minimum amount, the faster their reaction times were. So even if you are only getting 450mg a day, you are still giving your baby a huge brain boost. Not many prenatal vitamins contain choline so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough in your diet. Eggs are one of the best dietary sources, with just one egg providing 147 mg (about a third) of your daily recommended intake. Eggs were not my friend during the first trimester thanks to morning sickness, but once I got to about six months I was all about them. One of my favorite things to make when I was feeling brunch-y was shakshuka, a food that’s just as fun to say as it is to eat. Shakshuka is a popular dish in North Africa and the Middle East and it involves poaching eggs in a savory tomato sauce that’s full of spices and aromatic veggies. What ingredients do I need to make this recipe? Canola oil Eggs Yellow onion Red bell pepper Garlic Cumin Paprika Chili powder Cayenne pepper- optional Diced tomatoes- canned or fresh Kosher salt Black pepper Fresh cilantro - optional Pasteurized feta cheese - optional Helpful products for making this recipe: Skillet with lid Garlic press What are the health benefits of shakshuka? In addition to choline, you get a hefty dose of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that’s in tomatoes. It’s also low in carbs, making it a great meal option for anyone with gestational diabetes. What goes well with shakshuka? Some of my favorite toppings include feta cheese (make sure it's pasteurized if you're pregnant), avocado, and fresh cilantro. You can also stir in some fresh spinach right before adding the eggs. I highly recommend serving it with a thick slice of crusty bread. Can I use a cast iron skillet? I don't recommend using cast iron because the acidity from the tomatoes can cause iron to leach out from the skillet and into the food, making it taste metallic. How long should I cook the eggs? This depends on how firm you like your egg yolks to be. For a runnier yolk, cook for about five minutes, and for a firmer center cook for closer to eight minutes. How do I store leftovers? You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat them on the stove, but this dish is tastiest immediately after cooking. Did You Make This Recipe? Let me know! Mention @preggokitchen or tag #preggokitchen Did You Like It? Please leave a comment and five star rating below! Ingredients: 2 Tbsp canola oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp chili powder ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 28 oz can of reduced-sodium diced tomatoes (or about 4 cups of fresh, diced tomatoes) 1 ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp black pepper 6 eggs 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) 4 oz pasteurized feta cheese (optional) Directions: Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat Add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté until they are soft and the onions are translucent (usually about 5 minutes) Stir in the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne (if using) and cook for another 30 seconds Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and stir to combine Let the tomato mixture simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened Use a large spoon to make six small wells in the sauce and gently crack an egg into each one Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the eggs with a lid and let them cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on how runny you like your yolks. Serve with desired toppings and/or fresh bread Sources: Caudill, M. A., Strupp, B. J., Muscalu, L., Nevins, J. E. H., & Canfield, R. L. (2018, January 5). Maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of ... https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1096/fj.201700692RR Dasher, E. (2021, June 25). Choline in pregnancy. BabyCenter. https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/diet-and-fitness/choline-in-your-pregnancy-diet_10325647

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full disclosure for further information. Fresh ingredients and a quick marinade come together for a healthy dinner that requires minimal planning. Jump to Recipe Did you know that week 11 of your pregnancy is when your baby goes from being called an embryo to being called a fetus? When my doctor told me this, it made my pregnancy feel so much more real. Whenever she used the word “embryo” I would think of a tiny amorphous blob, but when she started using the word “fetus” I would picture a more defined (though still slightly blobby) shape that was starting to resemble an actual baby. It's also around this time that your baby has all of its organs and you’re SO close to being done with the first trimester. So many things to celebrate at this point in pregnancy! I say this calls for an easy, protein-packed dinner to give your li’l fetus some extra fuel to continue developing those organs. This recipe solves a long-time dilemma of mine. I love a good marinated meat. But so many recipes require marinating overnight or for 24 hours, and I am rarely organized enough to remember that far in advance. Using Italian salad dressing results in flavorful chicken that needs as little as 30 minutes to marinate before it’s ready for the oven. Pasta, tomatoes, red onion, and fresh pasteurized mozzarella are done marinating as soon as the chicken is finished baking. Combine everything together and dinner is ready! What ingredients do I need for bruschetta chicken pasta salad? Fresh mozzarella - make sure the mozzarella you use is pasteurized. Unpasteurized cheese can contain E.coli or Listeria, which can make you sick with food poisoning. This can be very serious, especially when pregnant. Red onion Boneless skinless chicken breasts Zesty Italian salad dressing (I used Wishbone) Tomatoes- I use fresh during the summer and canned diced tomatoes when they're not in season Fresh basil Pasta- I prefer penne or bowtie Helpful products for making this recipe: Baking sheet Colander Can I make this pasta salad with grilled chicken? Yes! This is a great option in the summer. To use grilled chicken: Follow marinating instructions and then heat grill to medium heat. Place chicken breasts on the grill and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Follow the rest of the directions as normal. Can I make this recipe ahead of time? You can definitely make this a day ahead of time. If you're not eating this right away, you may need to stir in an additional 1/2 cup of Italian dressing before serving to keep it moist. How many servings does this recipe make? If this is your main entree you'll get about six hefty bowls. If this is being served as a side, you'll get about 8-10 servings. Did You Make This Recipe? Let me know! Mention @preggokitchen or tag #preggokitchen Did You Like It? Please leave a comment and five star rating below! Ingredients: 8 oz pasteurized miniature mozzarella pearls (or chopped fresh mozzarella) ½ small red onion 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 ½-2 cups zesty Italian salad dressing 2 medium-large sized tomatoes (or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained) ½ cup chopped fresh basil 12 oz penne or bowtie pasta Directions: Place the chicken breasts in a small glass baking dish or large Ziploc bag and mix with 1/2 cup Italian dressing. Make sure each chicken breast has a nice coating of dressing Seal the bag (or cover with plastic wrap if using a baking dish) and let them marinate in the fridge for 30 min- 2 hours When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 350 degrees While the oven is preheating, cook pasta according to the box directions. Strain and set it aside to come to room temperature Lay the chicken breasts out on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees While the chicken is baking, chop the tomatoes, onion, fresh basil, and mozzarella (if using a large ball). Add everything but the basil into a large bowl along with the cooled pasta and 1 cup of Italian dressing. Give it a good stir to combine, cover and set it in the fridge Once the chicken is done, let it cool to room temperature and then dice into cubes Combine the diced chicken with the pasta mixture, top with chopped basil, and serve Sources: Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2020, September 25). People at risk: Pregnant women. FoodSafety.gov. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women