The deeper we get into quarantine, the harder it is to eat healthy. Yeah, you could make that big dinner, but a sleeve of Oreos is just so much easier, right? Maybe, but now more than ever it is important to keep eating healthy. You gotta support your body if you plan on fighting off COVID-19. This will be the first in a new series of quarantine recipes for you to enjoy. Today I’m going share with you two of my favorite recipes for healthy, delicious, and easy to make quarantine meals that won’t break the bank.

Herb Stuffed Roast Chicken:

Ingredients and Equipment –

· 1 Whole Chicken

· 1 Hand Full of Herbs of your Choice (I usually go for Thyme, Sage, and Marjoram)

· Water

· 1 Roasting/Cake Pan

· Tin Foil

· Butcher’s Twine (Optional)

Instructions –

  1. Preheat oven to 375˚.
  2. Remove chicken from packaging, don’t forget to take out the bag inside.
  3. Rinse chicken in sink.
  4. Stuff herbs inside body cavity. (Optionally, tie legs together with butcher’s twine.)
  5. Place chicken in roasting/cake pan.
  6. Fill pan with water, about half an inch deep.
  7. Cover with tin foil tightly.
  8. Roast in over for about 2 hours, or until meat is completely white and the internal temp reads above 160˚.

If you like a crispy skin, remove foil for the last 20-30 minutes of roasting. To serve, either slice of pick chicken apart, discarding herbs and bones. Serve with mash potatoes or another vegetable of choice. Leftovers are great for chicken salad!

Spaghetti Squash in Bacon-Garlic Cream Sauce:

Ingredients and Equipment –

· 1 Spaghetti Squash, halved and deseeded

· 2 TBSP Oil or Vegetable Oil

· 1 TBSP Floor

· 4 Strips of Bacon

· 1 Clove Garlic

· 1 Cup Heavy Cream

· ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

· Salt & Pepper, to taste

· Pinch of Chopped Parsley (Optional)

· 1 Backing Sheet

· Parchment Paper

· 1 Medium Sauce Pan

· 1 Large bowl

Instructions –

  1. Preheat oven to 400˚.
  2. Halve spaghetti squash, scoop out seeds, and brush olive oil on flesh, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Place a sheet parchment paper on baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash face side down onto the baking sheet and put in over for 45 minutes, or until flesh is fork tender. Remove and let cool.
  4. Cut bacon slices into half inch squares and finely chop or mince garlic.
  5. In a medium sauce pan, cook bacon and garlic on medium heat until the fat is rendered and the garlic is lightly toasted. Sprinkle in about 1 TBSP of floor, stirring constantly, adding more if needed, until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook this mixture between 30 seconds and 1 minute to remove floor flavor.
  6. Slowly and consistently pour heavy cream into the mixture, stirring constantly to remove lumps and add cheese.
  7. Continue to stir until the liquid begins to thicken, if too thick add a 1 TSP of water at a time until desired consistency is reached. Set aside and keep warm.
  8. And salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Once spaghetti squash is cool enough to touch, take a fork and begin to scrape out the sides of the squash, starting from the outside and working your way into the center.
  10. 10. Dump scraped squash into a large bowl and fold in cream sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley if so desired.

This dish is so warm and homey, but is still vegetable based. Great is you’re in the mood for pasta, but don’t want something so heavy.

Stay well everyone. Thank you for reading and happy cooking!