It’s about to get crazy up in here!
Since all of this food drama started, I’ve had to revamp my previous interpretation of a meal. No more sandwiches for lunch and heavily processed stuff like pasta and canned foods went right out the window for dinner. When you combine that with the fact that Will doesn’t eat pig or cow {nor do I like either of them– bacon included!}, we need to be creative with our cooking.
Fortunately, Will and I both love seafood with a healthy dose of chicken in the mix, so there are plenty of options. I’ve never been someone who enjoyed cooking but I’m starting to sing a different tune. Not sure why, but I’m beginning to think it’s kind of fun!
That said, I still don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, nor do I have the time. And when our company re-opens for the season in March, I will have even less time to spare for my culinary prowess. This means that I want recipes that involve minimal work!
Through this process, I found two concoctions that Will and I both love and we make them once a week. What is a concoction, you may ask? It’s basically a recipe, only without the instructions! I scour the internet for recipe ideas but without fail, I always forget where the recipe idea came from or never have the full list of ingredients. Instead of putting in the effort to assemble the meal as written, I always come up with my own version based on what we have. Thus far, they’ve all been a success….but cooking them a second time poses a problem since I don’t always remember what I did!
Concoction #1: Chicken with Apples {For 2 people}
4-6 chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks
4 apples {two apples per person}
Random veggies from the fridge
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Salt/Pepper
By far, this concoction has become a staple in our house because it is stupid easy–and surprisingly tasty! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, slice the apples and remove the cores. Place them all in a casserole dish. If you have other veggies you want to add {leeks or carrots are really good too!}, chop them up and throw them in as well. Mix some olive oil in there with salt and pepper. Then, cover the chicken in olive oil, salt and pepper and nestle the pieces in the apples. Put a few sprigs of rosemary on top. Throw in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Done.
Stupid easy, right? The apples tend to sweeten the chicken and the rosemary makes your house smell like the best thing ever! Plus, I try to make extra so I can pack leftovers for Will’s lunch the next morning. It reheats pretty well!
Concoction #2: Breaded Tilapia with Citrus
I originally got the idea for this concoction from PaleOMG. A lot of her recipes are beef/pork-based which obviously doesn’t work for our household, but she gives me some fantastic ideas. And, even if her recipe is more elaborate than I want, I always manage to find a way to dumb it down….like this concoction.
3 tilapia filets {I eat one, Will eats two}
~1 cup of pecans
a handful of coconut
1 egg white
Citrus fruit of your choice {we like oranges, blood oranges, or grapefruit}
Leafy greens
Olive oil/coconut oil
Throw the coconut and pecans in a food processor and pulse until they have a bread-like consistency. Then, coat both sides of your tilapia with the egg white before covering each side with your newly-acquired bread crumbs. {I tend to dump all of the bread crumbs on a plate and roll the fish around.} Heat up some coconut oil {or olive oil} in a cast iron pan on the stove and throw your fish on. Cook for ~3-4 minutes on one side before flipping. Once the tilapia is cooked, place the filets on a bed of leafy greens. Finally, chop up whatever citrus you chose and put on top of the fish. If I have leftover breading, I’ll sprinkle that on as well. This dish takes maybe 20 minutes and has been a huge hit with both Will and me. Voila!
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Obviously, one needs groceries in order to make all of these recipes, amiright? Whole Foods has stepped up to offer one reader a $100 gift card! Check out the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!
This post is sponsored by Garmin and Whole Foods Market as part of their #PathtoFit program. The views and opinions expressed above are my own. This is post five of six. If you want to join in on the fun, use the above hashtag on social media to share your upcoming goals!