One-Pot Quarantine-Kitchen Chicken & Vegetable Skillet/Bariatric Cookery Pantry+ Recipe 2

Our first Bariatric Cookery Pantry + Recipe was very well received which I hope demonstrates there is a need for some quick and easy, nutritious recipes using store cupboard and freezer standbys to make a main meal for yourselves and family at this tricky time. The first one was a canny affair using 3 cans of beans to make a curry. Today I am heading to the freezer to make a one-pot meal from some things you are also likely to find in yours. My freezer for now is still well stocked so I am using up some things in there before returning to the shelves for ambient ingredients – they might well be needed a little further down the line.

This one-pot recipe uses some chicken meat (mine just happened to be breasts but you could use thigh meat); frozen onions and broccoli with cauliflower and carrots (but use another vegetable that you like or a mix that you have stashed away); a can of tomatoes, some dried herbs and grated Mozzarella (again use another grated cheese if preferred or to hand).

I shall eat as is, but some non-WLS diners might like a little bread, pasta, rice or potatoes to go alongside. Salad would also make a good side dish if you can find the fresh components.

Even though the original items in the recipe have previously been frozen when cooked again in a recipe they can be frozen as leftovers or re-purposed in another dish again (I might use some in a burrito type meal or to layer in a lasagne).

Anything else you might like to see? Just leave in the comments and I’ll see what I can come up with …

QUARANTINE-KITCHEN CHICKEN & VEGETABLE SKILLET

Ingredients

METRIC/US

low-fat cooking spray or mist

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, about 450 g/1 lb (I used frozen, defrosted ones), cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large onion, chopped (I used frozen chopped onion)

½ tsp dried Italian herbs or Herbes de Provence

salt and freshly ground black pepper

400 g/14 oz can chopped tomatoes, undrained

450 g/1 lb frozen mixed vegetables (I used a broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mixture)

100 g/1 cup grated or shredded reduced-fat Mozzarella

Method

Generously spritz a large (about 30-cm/12-inch) non-stick skillet or deep frying pan with low-fat cooking spray or mist. Heat, add the chicken, onion, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink and browning. Reduce the heat to medium.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and frozen vegetables. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and heated through but not totally fallen.
Sprinkle with the cheese, cover again and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.