27 Meals For Staying Home

Sear the pork

• cut the tenderloin into 4 portions and season with salt and pepper. In a stainless steel pan on medium heat, sear the pork portions on all sides in 2 tbsp olive oil. Remove pan from heat, set aside.

Roast the vegetables, finish the pork

• Place a baking pan in the oven and preheat to 400.
• Toss the onion, asparagus and squash together in a bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil and a few pinches each of salt and pepper. Quickly slide the vegetables onto the preheated baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven, toss the vegetables around, then place the pork portions, along with any cooking juices in the pan, on top. Place a meat thermometer inside and continue to roast the vegetables with the pork on top until the pork reach an internal temperature of 145. Remove from the oven at that point.

Make the dressing

• Add the olive oil to the pan the pork was cooked in and warm it over medium low heat. Add the garlic and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil and garlic with the chopped parsley, lemon juice and zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir together.

Serve

• Cut each portion into 4 slices. Place the roasted vegetables on a serving sheet, topped with the sliced pork, and then top with the parsley dressing.

• Make the dressing by first warming the garlic over medium low heat in the olive oil. Add it to the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
• In a large bowl, add the arugula and top with the bacon, cheese and almonds. Add the dressing 2 tbsp at a time and toss until coated sufficiently. You may not use all of it. Plate the salad and serve.

Roast the potatoes

• Place a baking pan in the oven at 400 degrees while you prep the potatoes
• Toss together the potatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil. Quickly slide onto the preheated baking pan and roast for 20 minutes.

Sear and roast the chicken

• While the potatoes roast place a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Season the quicken quarters with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the heated pan and sear the chicken, skin side down.
• Once the potatoes are finished, turn the oven down to 375, set the chicken quarters into the pan skin side up, and place in the oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 173.

Make the potato salad

• Whisk together the dressing ingredients with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the raw, red onion to a bowl and, when you take the potatoes out of the oven, add them immediately to the bowl, atop the red onion, for 5 minutes.
• Add the fresh dill and toss together. Add the dressing 2 tbsp at a time and toss until sufficiently covered. You may not use it all.

Serve

• Place the potato salad in the middle of each plate and top with a chicken leg quarter.

• In a large cast iron pot over medium heat, sear the Italian sausage on both sides in the olive oil. Remove from pot and set aside on a plate.
• Add the zucchini, peppers, onions, thyme and oregano to the pot (add more olive oil if needed) and season with salt and pepper. Sweat, stirring occassionally. If the pan starts getting too dry and the fond begins to burn, add a little of the chicken stock at this stage to break it up.
• Once the vegetables have started to soften, add all the remaining ingredients. Slice the sausage into 1/2in slices and add to the pan, along with any juices that may have escaped. Stir, cover, and simmer on medium low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, another 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve over top noodles or riced vegetables.

• Make the dressing by whisking together the mayo, lemon juice, sugar, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
• Combine the chicken, celery, and apple. Toss with the dressing until coated evenly.
• Put a small scoop of chicken salad into each lettuce cup and serve cold.

For the Ham

• Preheat the oven to 300. Unwrap the ham and place it in a roasting pan large enough that you will be able to get a spoon underneath the ham easily to baste the ham later in cooking.
• Make the glaze by whisking together the marmalade, chicken stock, whole grain mustard, and ground cloves. Pour the glaze over the ham evenly.
• Cover the entire ham with tin foil, making sure the foil doesn't hug tightly to the ham - there should be room between them.
• Bake the ham at 300 for 4-6 hours. About 2-3 hours before dinner, remove the foil. Baste the ham every 30 minutes by spooning some of the glaze liquid from the bottom of the pan over top the ham. Do this until it's time for dinner.

For the mashed potatoes

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves to the water, along with a large pinch of salt. Boil for 20 minutes.
• While the potatoes boil, microwave the chicken stock for 2 minutes. Melt the butter separately. As the potatoes finish, reserve 1 cup of the boiling liquid and set aside.
• Drain the potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl with the butter. Use a hand mixer to beat the potatoes until they start to clump together. Add the mayo and continue to mix for a couple minutes.
• Add the garlic powder, a couple pinches each of salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup of chicken stock and continue mixing. Add the stock every 30 seconds, 1/4 cup at a time, until you reach a consistency you like. If the potatoes are too dry, use some of the reserved boiling liquid. Season with salt and pepper to your preference. Use some of the ham jus in place of gravy (you can even thicken the jus if you want).

For the asparagus & mushrooms

• Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the asparagus and mushrooms to the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Toward the end of cooking, add the garlic and lemon zest and toss to mix evenly. Turn off heat, squeeze lemon over, and cover until ready to serve.

• In a large pot, sweat the leeks and carrot in the olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chickcne stock, water, bay leaves, and a couple pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until velvety in texture. Add the navy beans and chopped ham, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
• Serve topped with thinly sliced green onion and chili oil, if you have either.

• Preheat the oven to 350. Put a large cast iron pot over medium heat. Season the drumsticks with salt and sear on all sides in 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• While the chicken cooks, toast the cumin seed (if using), coriander seed, and peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat. Once they become fragrant, grind the toasted spices in a mortar and pestle as finely as you can. Add the cinnammon and turmeric (and ground cumin if using that instead) and mix together.
• Remove the drumsticks to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and saute (add more olive oil if needed to keep the pan from turned too dry). Add the spices and garlic and mix together. Add the raisins, and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, ginger paste, quartered lemon, and mix together. Add the drumsticks, cover and place the pan in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, then add the olives and parsley, cover again and cook for 30 more minutes.
• Serve over top rice, topped with cilantro.

• Beat the eggs and cook in a nonstick pan with 2 tbsp olive oil. Scramble them until done, remove and set aside.
• Cut the bacon into 1/2in pieces. In the same pan, cook the bacon and render out the fat. When it starts to brown, spoon the grease out of the pan until there's only a residual amount remaining, then add the celery, carrots, and the white parts of the green onion. Cook until the bacon is almost crispy.
• Add the rice, sprinkle with soy sauce and season with pepper. Toss to coat evenly and add a couple tablespoons of water to soften up the rice.
• Once the rice is done, chop of the scrambled eggs and add back in with the rice, along with the green parts of the onion. Mix evenly and serve warm.

• Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium high heat.
• In a bowl, toss the wing segments with the salt, black pepper and onion powder until coated evenly.
• Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the wok (or pan) and cook half of the wings until just done, tossing frequently. Keep it moving so it doesn't burn. Remove and cook the other half.
• Just as the second half is finishing, add the first half in with the second, drizzle with 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp lemon zest and sprinkle with crushed red peppercorns (if desired). Remove from heat.
• Add 2 cups of greens to each plate, drizzle with olive oil, honey, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, add the wings to the plate, and serve.

• In a stainless steel pan on medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside.
• Season the the salmon with salt and pepper (even on the skin side). Add 1 tbsp olive oil in with the rendered bacon fat and add the salmon to the pan, still on medium heat, skin side down.
• Cook until the salmon looks cooked 3/4 the way up the sides. Flip, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, making sure to set it with the skin side up.
• To the pan add the onions and sweat until translucent. Add the cabbage, a couple pinches of salt and pepper, the chicken stock, and cover.
• After about 5 minutes, stir the cabbage. Check on it every couple of minutes until it's cooked through but not mushy. Serve a portion of cabbage topped with the salmon, skin side up. If you have a lemon lying around, squeeze some juice on it, but it's not required.

• In a glass container large enough for your cut of meat, add the olive oil, juice from the oranges, 1 tbsp zest, garlic paste, onion powder, paprika, and cumin. Whisk together, then add the meat and massage everything into it. Cover and set in the fridge for 4 hours.

Make the slaw

• Just before the meat goes on the grill, mix together all the slaw ingredients, dress with the olive oil and lime juice, and toss to coat.

Cook and serve

• Grill the meat to your preferred doneness, and slice into thin strips at a bias. Serve in warm corn tortillas (or atop cups of lettuce), topped with the slaw and cotija cheese. Sour cream and salsa optional.

Make the salad

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Thaw the corn by emptying it into a strainer and running it directly under cold water for a few minutes. Allow to drain, tossing every so often to release water.
• In a large bowl, mix together the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, green onion, cilantro, and 1 tsp of lime zest. Add the dressing and toss to coat, add more salt if needed. Cover and set in fridge.

Make the chicken

• In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. Add the chicke and let sit in there for 20 minutes.
• Heat up your grill and brush the grate with olive oil. Take the chicken directly from the brine and put it on the grill, grilling at medium high heat until cooked through. Serve immediately with the chilled corn salad.

Make the soup

• In a large pot on medium low heat, sweat the garlic in the olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock, turn the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer and reduce to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until velvety and smooth. Add the sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream, stir, bring to a simmer, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil.

Make the sandwiches

• As the soup cooks, make the sandwiches. Put one slice of Muenster and one slice of cheddar between two slices of bread. Brush the outsides of each slice with olive oil (or butter them) and cook on medium low on a nonstick griddle for 5 minutes on each side, or until the bread looks toasted.

• In a frying pan on medium heat, cook the ground turkey, sweet onion, and zucchini in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the taco seasoning, continue cooking. Once done, set aside to cool.
• In a bowl combine everything together except the dressing. Add the turkey once it has come down sort of close to room temperature, then add half of the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Add more dressing a little at a time, tossing to coat, until the entire salad is lightly dressed. Served with corn chips on the side, and feel free to add a squeeze of lime if you feel so inclined.

• In a blender, blend the frozen bananas, frozen mango, lime juice and coconut cream, until smooth.
• Divide the smoothie into 4 bowls, top with fresh bananas, granola, toasted coconut, and honey. Or whatever you have. It'll be great, whatever it is.

• Place a baking pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, massalla powder, and 2 tsp of salt to coat evenly.
• Quickly slide the sweet potatoes onto the heated baking pan, shake to spread out evenly, and close the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the top starts to brown slightly. Remove from oven.
• As the potatoes are roasting, in a pan on the stove top cook the turkey sausage, seasoned with ground cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add the sweet onion, bell pepper, and thyme. Season again and cook until vegetables are just tender. Toss the sweet potatoes with the turkey and vegetable mix and set aside for a moment.
• Cook the eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, two at a time, according to desired doneness. Add a serving of hash to 4 plates, top with eggs, and squeeze a bit of fresh lime on top.

• In an enameled cast iron pot on medium heat, brown the ground beef, salt, pepper and olive oil.
• Add the onion, oregano, thyme and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the Italian seasoning and mix together, seasoning with another pinch of salt.
• Add the crushed and strained tomatoes, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• While that cooks, make your noodles (or cook your spaghetti squash - whichever you use) and serve when ready.

Braise the beef

• Preheat the oven to 325. Put a large cast iron pot (something with a lid) on medium heat. In a bowl, toss together the stew meat and steak seasoning. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pot and sear the stew meat in batches on all sides. Set aside.
• Add the onion, celery, rosemary (tie string around it doesn't leave needles all through the stew), thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. If needed, add a couple tablespoons of water to break up the fond and cook the onions until translucent. Add the meat back in, along with the diced tomatoes and 3 cups beef stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours.

Make the stew

• Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove on medium heat. Remove and discard the herbs and bay leaves.
• Add the carrots, potatoes, rutabaga, mushrooms, and 5 cups beef stock. Stir, season to taste and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Season again, add the parsley, stir and serve. Is great with cornbread on the side.

• Put a large pan on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions, oregano, and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and sweat. Add the carrot and turnip, and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the squash, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper again. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the beans, simmer for another 5 minutes, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve.

• Heat a wok or large frying pan on the stove on high heat.
• As that heats up, in a bowl whisk together the liquid aminoes, vinegar, sesame oil, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, chili garlic paste, sweet chili sauce, tamarind, lime zest and juice, and coconut sugar.
• Toss the bell pepper, yellow onion, green beans, peas, mushrooms, garlic, and white parts of the green onions together with 2 tbsp olive oil. Add directly to the wok and stir fry, tossing and stirring constantly.
• Add the sauce 2 tbsp at a time, tossing to coat evenly. You may not use al lthe sauce.
• Serve the vegetables alongside your rice or riced cauliflower.

• Set your grill or smoker to 250. If using a gas grill, set it to low. Cover the grate with tin foil.
• Mix all the rub ingredients together. Rub the ribs all over the outside with the mustard, then sprinkle on the rub to coat evenly.
• Set the ribs in the grill/smoker, on top of the foil, and cook for about 3 hours, or until the meat starts to pull up from the bones.
• Remove the foil, brush the ribs with bbq sauce and grill on direct heat for 2 minutes on each side. Brush with bbq sauce one last time for cutting and serving.

Make the broccoli slaw

• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, toss together the slaw mix, onion, cheese, bacon, sunflower seeds, and cranberries. Add the dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, and toss to coat evenly. You may not need to use all the dressing. Serve cold.

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the eggs and boil for 5 minutes (you only need 4 eggs, but it's good to boil a couple extra just in case one cracks while cooking).
• Cut the bunch of asparagus about 3 inches from the top. Reserve the lower part for another use. Optional: using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from the bottom inch or so of the aspargus tops.
• After the eggs have boiled 5 minutes, remove them from the boiling water and place in a bowl. Run under cold water for 2-3 minutes. Peel the eggs and set aside.
• In the same water the eggs were boiled in, boil the asparagus for two minutes, then remove and place in a bowl of ice water for another 2 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside.
• In a ceramic nonstick pan, cook the pancetta over medium low heat until fat is rendered and the pancetta has started to brown and crisp up. Add the asparagus, season with black pepper (no salt is needed - pancetta is very salty), add the lemon zest and toss. Cook together for 2 minutes.
• To serve, divide the asparagus and pancetta evenly among 4 plates. Place an egg on top of each, cut in half, and season with salt and pepper. Finish with a few drops of fresh lemon juice over each plate. Enjoy!

• Preheat the oven to 375. Put a large frying pan on medium heat. To it, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion, squash, and taco seasoning. Cook until done.
• Place the taco shells out on a baking sheet. Add some of the meat and bake in the oven for 6 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, add some cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream to each taco, and serve.

• Preheat the oven to 325. In a large cast iron pot (with a lid) sweat the onions in the olive oil with the chili seasoning. Add the sweet potato, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, beef stock, water, and stew meat. Stir and put in the oven for 2 hours.
• After the beef comes out, place on the stove on medium low heat. Remove the herbs and bay leaves. Add the other onion, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, green chilis, beef broth, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
• Add all the beans, stir and adjust seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes, serve.

For the pork

• Heat the grill to 450. In a large bowl, toss the pork with the olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Grill on high until internal temp reaches 145. Remove, toss with fresh herbs and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For the vegetables

• Heat the grill to 450 and place a grill basket directly on the grate to heat up. In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Add the vegetables to the grill pan and stir around to even it out. Close the lid and let it cook for 6-8 minutes. Stir, then close the lid again and cook another 6-8 minutes. Do this until desired doneness is reached.

• Preheat the oven to 375. Put a large, oven save skillet on the stove on medium heat. Add the pork sausage and cook. If using turkey, add some olive oil as well.
• Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the pan and skim out all the fat except 1 tbsp. Add another tbsp of olive oil, along with the potato, onion, pepper, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently.
• Add the sausage back in, along with the cherry tomatoes, and toss together. Make 8 pockets in the mix. If using cheese, place some cheese in each pocket, then an egg on top. If no cheese, just put an egg in each pocket. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven.
• Bake until eggs reach desired level of doneness. Serve with chopped parsley on top, maybe a squeeze of lemon if you have some handy.