For probably 2 meals out of every 5, I serve some version of rice with a protein and veggie—and as much as I love a good rice bowl, sometimes it’s time to mix it up. (Although my all-time favorite lunch is leftover white rice with chopped or sliced cucumber and carrot on top, plus an egg or some leftover chicken.) I have been seeing lots of low-carb burger bowls online, and I used to be a big fan of what is basically a big salad with a bun-less burger on top, but lately that has not sounded good to me at all. Turns out it was missing one major ingredient: French fries.

Now, if you want to keep this lower carb, by all means feel free to skip the fries and add more lettuce or other veggies, but for me right now, some shredded lettuce and a generous handful of crispy fries is really working as a base for these burger bowls. If you’re feeling extra, you can make the fries from scratch but I have found that frozen ones thrown into the air fryer are just as delicious and a hell of a lot easier. I also decided to keep the beef ground instead of forming burger patties, and it made the entire thing much more satisfying to eat. The sauce I made is a little more In-N-Out than McDonald’s, but if you are specifically into that Big Mac sauce, there are plenty of recipes for it out there (my husband isn’t a big mustard fan, which seems to be a main ingredient). And one final customization: if you wanted to make these vegetarian-friendly, just swap out the beef for your preferred meatless protein source.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• A frozen bag of French fries (unless you want to make them yourself!)

• 1-2 heads of romaine or iceberg lettuce

• Optional toppings: chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, onions, pickles, diced onion

  For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of mayo

• About 1 tablespoon of ketchup

• 1-2 teaspoons of relish (or you can chop up whatever pickles you like if you don’t have relish)

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and mince so it is as fine or as chunky as you prefer (sometimes I like to use a spatula to press it down in a thin layer so it’s kind of like a smash burger). Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until fully browned.

2. While beef is cooking, prepare French fries according to package instructions. They are great in the oven but if you have an air fryer I always recommend using that.

3. Mix sauce ingredients together and stir well to combine. You can make this ahead of time to give it extra time for all the flavors to come together, just store it covered in the fridge until ready to use.

4. To assemble bowls, add a handful of lettuce and a generous portion of fries. Top with beef and cheese, as well as any other toppings you are including. Finish by drizzling the sauce overtop and serve right away.

One of my favorite snacks growing up were empanadas—my mom, aunt, and grandma used to make them and I didn’t really even realize they were a relatively labor-intensive traditional recipe until I was older and able to help make them. There are definitely short cuts you can take (like buying the tapas, or empanada wrappers pre-made), but if you have the time, it’s so fun to make them completely from scratch. My brother and mom came to visit for Thanksgiving and we made a bunch, and Sean put the leftover tapas in my freezer so I could easily make another round some other time.

You can fill these with whatever you like—ham and cheese would be great, you could do a veggie version, and one of these days I’m going to take a sharp turn away from more traditional flavors and make a batch of Buffalo chicken empanadas—but my all-time favorite are these classic beef empanadas. Many Argentinian recipes call for raisins, but we don’t always use them, so feel free to leave them out or throw some in however you prefer.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 3 cups of all purpose flour

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 stick of butter, grated or micro-planed

• 3/4 - 1 cup of milk

For the filling:

• 1 pound of ground beef

• Half of a white onion, finely chopped

• Half of a green bell pepper, finely chopped

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• About a tablespoon of olive oil

• Half a jar of green olives with pimentos, chopped (more or less or none of this depending on how much you love/hate olives)

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Kraft is best for this—don’t use your fancy stuff)

• 5-6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Before baking: 2-3 tablespoons of milk for brushing onto pastry

Instructions:

1. To make the dough and wrappers, bring the flour, egg yolk, salt, butter, and milk together in a bowl. Mix together until combined. Roll it out onto a clean, smooth surface with a little bit of flour and cut into even circles (you can use a big cookie cutter or a bowl, depending on the size you want).

2. Make the filling by sautéing onion and bell pepper in olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and vegetables are softened. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently to break down the beef into a thin, even mince. Add the olives, stir, and remove from heat.

3. Transfer the beef and veggie mixture to a large bowl and add the Parmesan and hard-boiled eggs. Stir well to combine and allow to cool slightly.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

5. To assemble empanadas, put a tablespoon or two of the beef filling in the middle of the dough circle. Wet the edges with water and fold it over gently, using a fork or your fingers to seal the edge. Repeat on remaining tapas with the rest of the filling and transfer to a baking sheet. Lightly brush each empanada with milk and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until brown.

I’ve been making this quick and easy salad for lunch every other week or so, and my whole family really enjoys it. You can prep the veggies and herbs ahead of time so they’re ready to go, but it’s best when served right after the pasta comes out of the water, so definitely save this dish for a time when you’re able to cook it right before you plan to enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• About a pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• About 3/4 of a box of orzo

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

• 1/4 of a red onion, diced

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus a few tablespoons to cook the shrimp

• The juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta

• A small bunch/handful of chopped parsley

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Optional: Half of an English cucumber

Instructions:

1. Heavily salt a pot of water and put it on the stove to boil. Cook orzo according to package directions (maybe a minute or two less).

2. While pasta cooks, heat a little of the olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic and stir. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they’re pink and fully opaque. Season with salt and pepper.

3. When the pasta is done, drain but don’t rinse. Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the olive oil as well as the lemon juice. Add the shrimp and toss to combine. Add cherry tomatoes, red onion, most of the parsley, and the feta. If you’re using cucumber, add that too. Toss everything well to combine. Season again with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, spoon into bowls or onto plates and top with a little more parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon and enjoy!