Since we are normally very social on the weekends, we try to cook healthy meals at home during the week. AND since everyone is staying home these days, I thought it would be fun to share a few easy meals to keep you going. These are some of our go-to protein packed dinners we love to cook during the week.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Mixed Greens
- Feta
- Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- Scallions
- Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing
- Diced Butternut Squash
- Olive oil and kosher salt
- Protein of choice
There are few fresh things in the grocery store that I will buy pre-prepared, and one of those is butternut squash. I hate cutting them, and since we make this almost every week it is worth the extra buck to me.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil. Add butternut squash, season with kosher salt and sautee for 5 minutes tossing frequently. Then bake on 400F for about 10 minutes. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can bake these at 425F on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile toss the greens, feta, sunflower seeds, and dressing. Cook your protein while the squash bakes. We usually do chicken breast on the grill and have extra for leftovers throughout the week. Lastly sauté the scallions in a little butter until crispy. Top your salad with the roasted butternut squash and scallions.
Seared Tuna Sushi Bowls
- 2 8oz Tuna Steaks
- Olive oil
- Sushi Rice
- Mixed Greens
- 1 Avocado
- 2 tbsp Mayonaise
- Siracha
- Sesame Seeds, salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Eel Sauce
Cook sushi rice as directed first. Season tuna steaks evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sesame seeds. In a shallow nonstick pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Once the pan is simmering hot, add the steaks and sear about 3 minutes on each side. Once cooked, set the steaks aside on a cutting board and let rest about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile prep your bowls with half sushi rice, half salad greens. Make the spicy mayo in a medium bowl with mayonnaise and siracha. Slice the tuna steaks in two directions to make large diced size bites. Toss the tuna in the spicy mayo sauce and add to your bowl. Top with fresh avocado and eel sauce and a little extra sesame seeds.
Spicy Chicken Wraps
- Chicken Breast
- Tortillas
- Shredded Cheese
- Tomato
- Mixed Greens
- Almond Butter
- Siracha
- Lime Juice
I typically use leftover chicken for this and love the low carb tortillas from Trader Joes. Heat tortillas on medium and add cheese. While the cheese melts make the sauce. Mix 3tbsp of almond butter, 1 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tbsp of siracha, and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. I know almond butter may sound weird, but I promise it is delicious! Add the chicken, sauce, lettuce, and tomato.
Perfect Salmon
- 2- 8 oz Salmon Filets
- 1 Lemon
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Butter
I used to be so intimidated by cooking salmon at home until I learned to cook it this way. Preheat oven to 375F, line a baking sheet with foil with excess at the ends. Wash and slice lemon and place filets on foil. Season with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly. Place two lemon slices and slice of butter on each filet. Cover with a second piece of foil and seal the edges by folding the bottom foil over the top to create a “packet”. Poke three holes in top foil to vent. Bake for 18 minutes. Increase or decrease bake time between 15-20 minutes based on salmon size. Serve with your favorite veggies or salad.
Taco Salad
- 1lb Ground beef or ground chicken
- 1 can green chiles or mild rotel
- 2 tbsp Chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin- for more spice add cayenne pepper
- Mixed Greens
- Tomato
- Shredded cheese
- Plain greek yogurt
- Avocado (plus lime juice if making guacamole)
- Pinto beans (optional)
- Onion (optional)
Brown the meat over medium heat in a nonstick pan. Add seasonings about halfway through the browning process. Add one can of Rotel or green chiles and let simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Season to taste as needed.
While the meat is cooking, prepare two salad bowls with greens. Make guacamole with one whole avocado, onion powder, salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, and tomato. Add meat to prepped bowl, top with cheese, greek yogurt (as a sour cream substitute), and guacamole.
My Favorite Kitchen Items
I hope you found something new to try at home for a few healthy meals. Since there are a lot of repeated ingredients in these, it makes grocery shopping easy too. Well except during these times where grocery shopping is miserable. But we will all get through it and I hope to give you some inspiration along the way!
