Courtney the RDN

 My favorite meal to cook is something that is fast. Fish cooks very quickly so its always my go to.  Time: 15 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients: 7 ounces fish- any will do I used Mahi Mahi     -cod, tilapia, salmon, anything will work Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika 4 tablespoon olive oil- separated 2 teaspoons butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 package shishito peppers- washed and dried Directions:   1. Heat 2 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a medium pan and 2 teaspoons oil in a wok over medium heat.  2. Season fish with Kosher salt, peppers, garlic powder, and paprika.  3. Add the shishito peppers into the wok stir occasionally until they start to blister.  4. Add fish to medium pan and add butter to pan, as it melts take a spoon and scoop up the butter and oil and pour over the top of the fish. After 2-3 minutes, flip the fish. Keep stirring the shishitos.  5. Once the fish has been flipped, add the garlic to the butter...

Breaded Ranch Chicken is yummy and a great option for the whole family to eat. Just be aware, if you are using the breadcrumbs for this recipe, that is your carbohydrate for the meal. Instead of pasta, rice, or potatoes, fill half your plate with a non-starchy vegetable.  Also, take a look at the picture here, this plate looks very full. It might seem like there is no way you could eat all this food after bariatric surgery. But, this is actually a tiny plate. The smaller the plate, the more full it will look. Your brain is then tricked into thinking you are getting more than enough food. Serves: 4 normal portions, 8 bariatric portions Time: 45 minutes Ingredients:  1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 3/4 cup panko 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix 8 chicken breast tenders Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Place butter in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the panko, cheese, and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in butt...

This meal takes about 30 minutes to cook, is gluten free, low carb, and my favorite part- made in one dish! It makes me sad to hear people are cooking one bariatric meal for themselves and something completely different for the rest of their family. TOO MUCH WORK. This recipe works for everyone. Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients:  2 teaspoon Extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 8 oz white mushrooms sliced (I used cremini mushrooms, use whatever you have and like) 2 cloves garlic minced 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, breast tenders 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4 oz reduce fat cream cheese 1/4 cup broth (chicken, vegetable, whatever you have on hand) 1/4-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese 1 cup steamed broccoli or 1 cup steamed peas ( I used peas, but any green veggie makes this dish pop. You could even stir in fresh spinach leaves at the end of cooking for another green option).  Optional- parsley to sprinkl...

Falafel is a Mediterranean dish that is vegan and gluten free. This dish from Cookie and Kate blog was super easy to make and friendly on the budget.  You can toss them on top of a Greek Salad for a vegan source of protein.  They were great in the refrigerator a couple days later as a quick snack or an easy breakfast. I reheated them for about 30 seconds per falafel ball in the microwave then dipped them in plain unflavored Greek yogurt.  Ingredients:  1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup dried (uncooked/raw) chickpeas, rinsed, picked over and soaked over night.  1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup fresh parsley 4 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions:  1. Preheat over to 375. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large, rimmed baking sheet and turn until pan is evenly coated.  2. In a food processor, combine the soaked and rained chickpeas, o...

Overnight oats are a great way to get breakfast in every morning. You don't actually need a fancy mason jar to make them either. I love their versatility- you can mix in multiple fruits to change up the flavor. I usually make three at a time, they stay good in the refrigerator for about three days.  Time: 5 minutes, plus overnight soaking Serves: 1 Ingredients: 1/2 cup milk ( you can use cow milk, almondmilk, oatmilk, or even a premier protein shake, there is no rule here).  3/4 Tbsp chia seeds 2 Tbsp nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter- again no rules, use what you like) 1 Tbsp maple syrup (honey works too, brown sugar, monk fruit, or stevia if you are really cutting back on sugar) 1/2 cup rolled oats (quick cooking oats might get too mushy, steel cut is fine, they are just a tad crunchier) Directions:   1. Find a bowl with a lid. Mix all ingredients together in bowl and stir well.  2. Cover with lid and let sit in refrigerator for at least 6...

Some days you just need a break from meat. Its great for the environment, easy on the wallet, and can be an awesome source of fiber to keep your colon cleaned out. Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce I was skeptical at first but I absolutely loved this dish and will be making it again. Total Time: 50 minutes Serves: 2-4 Ingredients:   Cauliflower: 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced into bite sized florets 2-3 tablespoons olive oil salt and ground pepper Lentils: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion (yellow or white) 2 large garlic cloves 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 3/4 cup brown lentils- rinsed and picked over 2 cups vegetables broth or water Chipotle sauce: 1/3 cup vegan mayo OR regular mayo OR sour cream OR and unflavored Greek yogurt (cooking is fun because there are so many different ways to make the same thing :-) 2 tablespoon lime juice ( I used lemons because thats what I had) 2-3 tablespoo...

Check out this super easy recipe that uses an Instant Pot, so its fast and clean up is easy.  Servings: 6 Prep: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients:  4 carrots- peeled and cut into matchstick-thin strips 1 medium red bell pepper cut into short thin strips (any color works) 5 oz of sliced shiitake mushrooms (I used regular mushrooms, that was what was on hand) 12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts ( I used 4 chicken thighs, again that is all I had) 2 TBSP Thai Red Curry Paste (green would also work) 2 TBSP sugar 1/2 teaspoon  kosher salt 4 cups chicken or vegetables broth 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 2 tbsp lime juice ( I used 2 limes) 1 tbsp grated lime zest ( I grated the 2 limes I used) chopped cilantro Directions: 1. Place the carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, chicken, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth into your Instant Pot.  2. Lock the lid and close the pressure release valve. Pressure Cook on High pressure setting the timer to 4 minutes (timer w...

I'm not sure why anyone would eat cauliflower unless it tasted like hot wings! This recipe is the only way I can get my family to eat cauliflower. I've tried many different recipes available online and the one from Food Network is my favorite. Here is the link if you want to read it from them:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/buffalo-cauliflower-with-blue-cheese-sauce-3362800 They include a yummy blue cheese sauce, but I cut the calories and just do a Ranch Dressing packet mixed with plain Greek yogurt.  Serves: 4 Time: 45 minutes Ingredients:  2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher Salt 1 head of cauliflower chopped into florets Directions:   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. Melt the butter, whisk into hot sauce with lemon juice. Set aside.  3. Mix olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water in a large mixing bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss u...

Rosemary Chicken This recipe is easy, quick, and has ingredients that are normally in my refrigerator. I also have a huge bush of rosemary that is ready to be used up, so I subbed fresh rosemary instead of the dried for this recipe.   Time: 20 minutes Serves: 2 (I doubled the recipe so I would have leftovers for lunch) Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 chicken breast or chicken thighs kosher salt and fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup Italian dressing  2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary Directions: 1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  2. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Cook in pan 5-6 minutes each side. Remove from heat and keep warm.  3. Mix Italian dressing, canola oil, dijon mustard, and rosemary in a bowl. Add sauce to pan and heat until it starts to bubble. Add the chicken back in and coat it well with the sauce.  4. Serve with a  side of your favorite vegetabl...

 I tend to use a lot of similar flavors during the week since they are already in my refrigerator. So here is a recipe using many of the same ingredients from yesterday's Turkey Tacos Serves: 2 Time: 15 mintues Ingredients:  2 Mahi Mahi filets (I used frozen and waited for them to thaw, fresh works well too) Kosher Salt Garlic Powder Ground Pepper 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce 2 Tablespoons Sriracha 1/4 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Directions:  1. Season thawed fish filets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 2. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Cook fish 3 minutes on each side or until it is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and keep warm.  3. Add the soy sauce, sriracha, and sweet Thai chili sauce to the pan and heat through. Add the fish back in and let it get covered well with the sauce. Serve with your favorite vegetable. Leave a comment if you need the recipe for these buttery garlic mushrooms. Enjoy!

I've been making quite a few chicken recipes and needed a change. These are super easy to make. You can take out or add any chopped veggies you have laying around. If you're not a vegetable lover, ground meat is a great place to hide vegetables. I had one carrot that needed to be used up and a little bit of a red onion. You could add diced mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeños, yellow or white onions. Really, there are no rules here.  Makes about 10 tacos or however many lettuce leave you have. Time: 20-30 minutes depending on what veggies you have to dice.  Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced ginger 1 pound ground turkey 1/4 red onion diced (optional) 1 carrot diced (optional) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sriracha about 10 leaves of butter lettuce (see picture below, I like to buy them in these containers with the dirt and roots, they last longer in the refrigerator) cilantro 1 diced tomato Directions: 1. Chop all ingredients....

Zesty Marinara Chicken Serves 4 Time: 20-30 min Ingredients: 1 Tbs olive oil salt and pepper 4 small chicken breast or 4 chicken thighs 2 cups marinara sauce 1 medium tomato chopped 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 garlic clove minced 1 bag of frozen zucchini noodles 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Directions:  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. 2. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.  3. Cook chicken in pan 5 minutes on each side until no longer pink.  4. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.  5. Add marinara sauce, tomato, Italian salad dressing, Italian seasoning, and garlic to pain. Stir well. Heat  through.  6. Cook zucchini noodles as directed on package- usually 5-6 minutes in the microwave.  7. Add chicken back to the sauce to make sure it is warm.  8. Plate zucchini noodles, which chicken on top and sauce from the pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Enjoy!

Maple Dijon Chicken The weekend is almost here! I made this dish last night and I was surprised at how yummy it was! Now, there is maple syrup involved, so you'll want to make sure you pair this chicken with a non-starchy vegetable. I has a salad, but green beans would probably be really good mixed in with the sauce in this dish. I hope you enjoy it, I know I did.  Serves: 2 Time: 20 minutes Ingredients:  2 tablespoons olive oil 2 chicken breast or chicken thigh ( I made three to have lunch for the next day) kosher salt fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup maple syrup 2.5 Tablespoons dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch Directions:  1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.  2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken. Place chicken in pan, Cook 5-6 minutes on each side, until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm (I normally put it on a plate in the microwave).  3. Add dijon mustard and syrup to the pan, whisk until smooth. Add...

 Meal of the Day!  Garlic Chicken with Thyme Gravy Today's recipes is inspired by this recipe:  https://juliasalbum.com/garlic-thyme-chicken-thighs/ I've made a few changes in this recipe so that it fits better with a bariatric diet. Plus the original recipes used the oven and its too hot for that here in the desert right now. I hope you enjoy.  Servies: 2 Time: 30 minutes Ingredients:  2 tablespoons olive oil 2 chicken breast or chicken things (skin and bone removed) pinch of kosher salt fresh ground black pepper 10 garlic cloves (whole) 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons cornstarch (sub flour if you don't have it) 10 springs of fresh thyme leaves Directions:   1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken. Place in pan and cook each side 5-6 minutes until it is no longer pink. Remove from pan and keep warm ( I usually with keep them in the microwave for warmth).  3. Toss garli...

 Buffalo Chicken Bites Time: 15 minutes Serves: 2  Ingredients:  https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/buffalo-chicken-bites/ 2 TBS canola or extra virgin olive oil 2 chicken breast or 2 chicken thighs, cut into bit sized pieces 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 2 TBS Franks Red Hot Sauce (or other buffalo sauce, but this is my favorite) Directions:  1. Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan.  2. Toss chicken in salt and pepper.  3. Cook chicken in oil until no longer pink, about 3 minutes on each side.  4. Add Franks Red Hot sauce. Turn off heat and stir well.  5. Eat chicken with a side of you favorite vegetables or on top a salad with a light ranch dressing.  delish.com Note: You could also bake you chicken which would reduce fat intake since you wouldn't need to oil. But, it is too hot in my kitchen and I didn't want to use the oven. 

"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. -   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”. - *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 ot...

Spicy/Savory Cottage Cheese Dip: -Makes 5 servings- | calories 122 | fat 5g | carbs 7g | protein 13g  |   Ingredients: 2 cups low fat cottage cheese 6 slices turkey bacon 2 green onions ¼ c. fresh parsley 1 cucumber, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped Red pepper flakes to taste Instructions: Cook turkey bacon until crisp, blot off grease allow to cool Finely chop green onion and parsley Finely chop cooked turkey bacon Stir cottage cheese, green onion, bacon. Parsley, cucumber and red pepper together Garnish with red pepper flakes to taste Dip your favorite veggies and enjoy! Some of my favorite dippers: Carrot sticks Cucumber slices Bell Pepper Celery Sticks Cherry tomatoes Snap Peas

Sausage and Peppers: Non-Bariatric Servings: 4 | Bariatric Servings: 6 Today's #mealoftheday is a very easy but very tasty sausage and pepper dish! The longest cook time you will have will be the veggies! This is a great dinner for the family or a meal prep  for the rest of the week.  Try  this and tel me what you think! Ingredients: 1 Package sliced turkey or chicken sausage 1 medium onion sliced 2 different colored bell peppers sliced *optional: ground pepper, garlic powder to taste. Stove-top Directions: Heat sliced sausages in pan to release juices.  Add onions and peppers, cook until onions are translucent or smell sweet.  Grill Directions: Place foil on top grill rack add onions and peppers. Cool until onions are translucent or smell sweet.  Cook sausages until heated through.  Enjoy!! 

Pan-seared Cod Fillet Prep:  15 mins |  Cook:  10 mins Yields:  2 Servings Ingredients 2 (3 oz. each) Atlantic Cod fillet 1 tbsp. of olive oil 1 clove of garlic, minced 2 lemon wedges (about ¼ of lemon each) 1 branch fresh thyme (optional) 1 branch fresh rosemary (optional) Pinch of salt and black pepper Directions 1 Season fillet with minced garlic, a pinch of salt and black pepper (optional: sprinkle thyme and rosemary leaves). 2 In a preheated skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil. 3 Place the fish fillets and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until fully cooked in the center. 4 Remove fish from heat and serve with lemon wedges if desired. * recipe adopted from:  https://newhopesurgical.com/recipes/pan-seared-cod-fillet/

Creamy white chicken chili prep: 10 minutes cook: 40 min serves: 4 normal sized portions, more bariatric portions Ingredients:  1 large chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 small onion chopped 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder (or three fresh garlic cloves minced) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup chicken broth 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1.2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream shredded cheddar cheese to top chili sliced seeded jalapeño pepper to top chili                                                                              Directions:   1. In...