HCG Recipe Of the Day and Make Ahead Meals for the Weekend! 8/27/2010

Bake-Ahead Meal Packets

Pairing a protein and a vegetable together for a serving makes it feel like a meal. Preparing a few day's worth of these meals is convenient. Many of the vegetables on the diet lend themselves well to the packet cooking method. Using different combinations of vegetables and proteins with different seasoning blends creates variety.

Wash, cut and measure:
3.5 ounces lean protein (chicken, white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp)
3.5 ounces vegetables (spinach, chard, tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, fennel/anise)

Assembling the Packets for Cooking:
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Cut pieces of parchment or aluminum foil for the packets (about 14 inches off the roll)
Place one serving of vegetables on the parchment/foil
Lightly salt and pepper the vegetables
Place one serving of protein on top of the vegetables
Season with 1 tsp of any sugar-free seasoning blend
Fold parchment/foil to create a packet
Arrange packets on a large cookie/baking sheet, and place on the center rack in the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes
Allow to rest for 5 minutes and drain off any excess liquid before serving. Dense vegetables, such as fennel and cauliflower, will be crisp-cooked. If softer vegetables are desired, cook packets with these vegetables an additional 5-10 minutes.

Suggested combinations:
Chicken and zucchini with Singapore seasoning.
Shrimp and tomato with tandoori seasoning.
Tilapia and asparagus with fajita seasoning.
Cod and spinach with Italian seasoning.
Lobster tail and fennel with seafood seasoning.

If you have trouble finding more seasoning blends, there are many specialty retailers that you can order from, such as Penzey's Spices.

Tired of Whole Apples?

To give apples more variety, cut into sections and dust with cinnamon.

For a warm apple dessert:
Cut one apple into cubes, put in a microwave-save dish
Dust with ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cardamom, and a pinch of clove
Heat in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds

For a FRESH apple salad:
Cut one apple into fine slivers
1 tsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Toss together and serve