While it may not have felt much like spring this week with the temperatures we had, we are definitely in the thick of it. Weeds are growing and need to be mowed. Storms are brewing and causing limbs to fall. Trees are leafing out and pollen count is on the rise. Other than having allergies to deal with, this means we are moving outside more and spending less time indoors. Overall, that means less time you want to spend cooking! I know I just did a column a few weeks ago about spring, but it still applies and to be honest I am struggling with what to do in my column anymore so I have different recipes but the theme remains.

There are some easy ways to cut down on your kitchen time during the week. First, plan your meals so you aren’t wondering what to cook as soon as you get home. You already know if you planned your week and it’s far less stressful that way. After planning, check your ingredients on hand against the recipe and make a grocery list. You don’t want to be in the middle of cooking and realize you are out of a crucial ingredient.

Cook your meats on the weekend and just use leftovers to make your weeknight meals. Fix something that will take very little time to thaw or cook, like fish. Purchase precooked, frozen meats to make meals easier to put together or cook meats when you have time and freeze it yourself in portions you need for cooking.

Size matters! Whether meat or vegetables, the size of the pieces determines how long it will all cook. If you don’t have time to cut smaller pieces before you cook, chop what you can on the weekends when you might have more time. Just know what goes bad faster, some vegetables don’t last more than a day or two before they spoil. You can also purchase some pre-chopped vegetables in both fresh and frozen form.

Try boiling water in your kettle! Ever notice how long it really takes to boil water in a pot? If you don’t need much water, use a tea kettle instead. They are designed to boil water quickly!

Keep your kitchen well organized! It can take longer to find spices than to use them. Keeping them organized and clearly visible can help. The pan you use the most should never be at the back of the cabinet. Keep your utensils just as organized as the spices. Prep can be minimized using a food processor as well. Cooking can be minimized with a pressure cooker or use a slow cooker to keep from spending ANY time cooking after work. Anything that you want crisped can go in the air fryer for a much quicker cook time and such a nice crunch!

This week, I went with easy recipes that took very little time to put together regardless of what time I got home from work. I realized after I cooked it all, it had a very Tex-Mex theme to it. I assure you it was a happy accident though! This weekend make your grocery list and meet me in the kitchen for some easy recipes that will get you back out of the kitchen quickly!

---

Mexican Corn Salad with Chicken 4 ears of corn, husks removed 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 2 Tbsps. fresh lime juice 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. Mexican cream or nonfat plain yogurt 1 tsp. chili powder For Salad

6- 8 cups mixed salad greens 1-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved ⅓ cup crumbled Feta cheese 1 small onion, diced Salad dressing of choice Preheat grill or grill pan. Lightly grease grill with oil. Season corn and chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer corn and chicken to grill. Cover and cook 13 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and corn is lightly charred, turning chicken and corn once halfway through cooking. Remove from grill and let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting it strips. In the meantime, cut kernels from cobs and place in bowl. To kernels, add 2 tablespoons lime juice, minced garlic, mayonnaise, Mexican cream or yogurt and chili powder. Mix and stir until well combined. Set aside. Place mixed salad greens and tomatoes in individual salad bowls. Top each salad with corn mixture, chicken slices and Feta cheese. Serve with your favorite dressing.

Recipe adapted from diethood.com.

---

Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl 2 cups brown rice 2 Tbsps. butter 1lb chicken breast (about 2 large), cut into bite-sized pieces ¼ tsp. salt 2 tsps. chili powder, more or less to taste 1 Tbsp. cumin ¾ cup sweet onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 can Rotel 1 ½ cups frozen corn Sour cream Shredded cheese Cook rice according to package instructions. In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add chicken, salt, chili powder, cumin, onion and garlic. Toss to coat chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add corn and Rotel. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until chicken is hot and cooked through. Drizzle lime juice over top and remove skillet from heat. Assemble bowls by adding cooked rice, southwest chicken mixture, and toppings to each bowl. Give a big stir to combine and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from passmesometasty. com.

--- Fish Tacos

Small tortillas 1-2 tilapia filets per taco you make, depending on size of filets ½ tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. black pepper 1 Tbsp. avocado oil ½ cup unsalted butter, more or less as needed ½ small cabbage Avocado, sliced Roma tomatoes, diced ½ diced red onion 1 cup Feta cheese crumbles 1 lime cut into 8 wedges to serve Fish Sauce

½ cup sour cream ⅓ cup Mayo 2 Tbsps. lime juice, from 1 medium lime 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce, to taste Line large baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner. Preheat oven to 375°F. In small dish, combine cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Evenly sprinkle seasoning mix over both sides of tilapia. Lightly drizzle fish with olive oil and dot each piece with chunks of butter. Bake 20-25 min or until fish easily flakes with fork. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, lime juice, garlic powder and sriracha and whisk until well blended. Quickly heat tortillas on large dry skillet or griddle over medium/high heat. To assemble, start with pieces of fish then add remaining ingredients one at a time as desired finishing with a generous sprinkle of cheese and finally that awesome taco sauce! Serve with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze over tacos if desired.

Recipe adapted from natashaskitchen. com. ---

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

1½lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin 1 small onion, sliced thin 1½ Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground pepper 2 tsps. chili powder ½ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. smoked paprika Lime Fresh cilantro, for garnish, if desired Tortillas, warmed Preheat oven to 450°F. In large bowl, combine onion, pepper, shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper and all spices. Toss to combine. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Spread shrimp, peppers and onions on baking sheet. Cook for about 8 minutes. Then, turn oven to broil and cook for additional 2 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Squeeze juice from fresh lime over fajita mixture and top with fresh cilantro. Serve in warm tortillas with toppings as desired.