"STAY AT HOME" MEALS

"STAY AT HOME" MEALS

With the “Stay at Home” orders in place, a lot of you may be having trouble sticking to your bariatric meal plans or just running out of ideas.

These are a few recipes that are easy, made with few ingredients, and are easily substituted to make the flavors change.

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 As a plus almost all of the meals listed are able to be meal prepped for the week and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Have fun with these dishes and remember “This too shall pass”.

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*Disclaimer: The meals below are a serving size of 6 and up, enough for the family or meal prep for the week.

-BREAKFAST-

Omelet Muffins:

7 Ingredients:

1/2 cup Baby spinach

1 cup Bell peppers

2 Scallions

8 Eggs, large

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of a nonstick muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, add eggs and milk. Whisk until uniform. Stir in cheese, bell peppers, spinach, salt, scallions and any other omelet ingredients you are adding.

Scoop batter into muffin tin, filling them almost to the rim. You should have enough batter for 12 muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until eggs are cooked. The muffins will initially be very puffy, but will sink back down when they cool.

Use a thin spatula to loosen edges of muffins to remove them from the pan. Eat while warm. Store uneaten muffins in fridge or freezer.

-SNACK-

BAKED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI STICKS:

9 Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Basil, dried

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Oregano, dried

2 tbsp Parsley, fresh leaves

1/2 tsp Thyme, dried

4 Zucchini

1 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Oils & Vinegars

2 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

 -LUNCH-

Chicken Taco Avocados:

INGREDIENTS:

-FOR THE FILLING-

1 c. black beans, cooked

1 c. canned corn

1 4-oz. can green chiles, divided

1 c. shredded rotisserie chicken

1 c. shredded Cheddar, plus more for topping

1 package taco seasoning

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, plus more for topping

3 ripe avocados

-FOR THE DRESSING-

1 c. light sour cream

1/4 c. lime juice

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat broiler. Make filling: In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, 1/2 can green chiles, shredded chicken, Cheddar, taco seasoning, and fresh cilantro. Stir until combined.

Halve and separate three avocados, removing pit and hollowing out insides. Mash insides in a small bowl and set aside.

Place avocado boats face up and fill each with 1/3 cup of filling. Sprinkle with more Cheddar and more fresh cilantro, then broil until cheese is melty, about 2 minutes.

Make dressing: In a medium bowl, combine ranch dressing, lime juice, remaining green chiles, cilantro, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Fold in mashed avocados and mix until smooth.

Remove avocado boats from oven and transfer to serving dish. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with more cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

-Dinner-

Lemon Chicken and

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli:

Ingredients:

-Chicken and marinade-

4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp minced fresh parsley and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

 -Broccoli-

1 1/4 lbs broccoli crowns, chopped into bite size florets (about 5 cups florets)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

2 Tbsp grated parmesan (the fine powdered stuff)

Directions:

Pound thicker portion of chicken breast with the flat side of a meat mallet to even out their thickness. Add chicken to a gallon size re-sealable gallon bag.

In a small bowl whisk together 3 Tbsp oil, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning and season with 1 1/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper.

Pour marinade over chicken, seal bag while removing excess air. Rub marinade around the chicken after sealing bag. Transfer to refrigerator and let rest at least 15 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

During those 15 minutes preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Place broccoli on baking sheet, toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil and the garlic and season with salt. Spread into an even layer covering about 2/3 of the baking sheet (as pictured).

Remove chicken from marinade in bag and transfer to the remaining space on the baking sheet in a single layer (I spooned the garlic from the marinade over the chicken as well).

Roast in preheated oven until each chicken breast registers 165 degrees in center and broccoli is tender and nicely browned in spots, about 16 - 22 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle broccoli with parmesan then sprinkle chicken with parsley if desired and garnish with lemon slices. Season chicken with more salt to taste as desired. Serve warm.