Cooking during quarantine has taken mealtime and meal prep to a whole new level. Like many people, I constantly feel like I’m thinking about what I’m going to feed myself and my family and it feels like I spend the other time doing dishes. As an immunocompromised IBD mom of two little ones, I’ve used these past few months to be a bit more resourceful in the kitchen.

Prior to the pandemic, I wasn’t the most adventurous. I had my 10-15 “go-to” recipes and never really branched out. While these past few months have been physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing, I’ve found spending some time in the kitchen, while listening to music, is a sweet distraction amongst the unknown chaos going on outside our home.

Since March 12^th (102 days!), we have had take-out four times. So, as you can imagine, I’ve had to get creative with my cooking!

NOTE: These recipes do not follow one specific IBD or autoimmune “diet”. I am always hesitant to talk food, as each and every person has unique dietary needs and is able to tolerate food groups differently. If there was one way of eating that was a magic bullet for IBD, we’d all be following it. The best advice I can give when it comes to diet, is to keep a food journal and see what your individual triggers are.

Here are my favorite recipes I’ve found online since quarantine, that have been a hit in the Hayden household:

1. Slow Cooker Chili. I’ve tried four different recipes these last few months and this one was our favorite. Since my kids are 3-years-old and 17 months, I did not add the hot sauce.
2. Crispy Chicken. This is SO delicious, but heavy on the calorie count. (Worth it in my opinion!) Made for great leftovers, too. The pasta is to die for.
3. Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki. You guys. As a Greek girl, I more than approved. The tzatziki sauce was fantastic.
4. Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice. Super simple recipe. I make this with crescent rolls and green beans. Bonus: Makes the house smell great.
5. One-pot Sausage and Peppers Pasta. Yummy meal, hits all the food groups, with minimal dishes. That’s a win!
6. Crockpot Pulled Pork. So simple and so tasty. We pair up the meat with Hawaiian rolls and Bread and Butter pickles.

7. Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake Recipe. I’ve always been a fan of making casserole-type dishes where you put everything together, put the dish in the oven, and that’s it!

8. Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos + Mexican Rice Casserole. We’re big fans of Mexican food. These paired up great together along with all the toppings (tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce).

9. Crispy Breaded Pork Chops. + Warm Cinnamon Apples. I’m usually not a huge fan of pork chops, but this meal is good. I usually make green beans for the side.

10. Ground Beef Taco Casserole. Like I said above, we’re all about Mexican food. My husband loved this one.

11. Mediterranean Rice Bowls. I found this recipe last year in a Women’s Day magazine and it has been one of our absolute favorites as of late. You can make this with lamb or beef, we’ve only done beef so far. I also buy mini pita breads to go with this. If you don’t have cucumber or don’t like it, I’ve made this with green bell peppers as well. I couldn’t find the recipe online—so I’ll share it here.

Ingredients:

1 lemon

2 tbsp. olive oil (divided)

2 cloves of garlic (I only use one clove)

4 cups of cooked long-grain rice

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved

½ a seedless cucumber, cut into ¼ in. pieces

¼ cup of fresh mint

Crumbled feta, for serving

(I tweaked the directions a bit, so I’ll share how I make this)

1. Make rice according to the box (will take 25 min. so start this first)
2. Chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, and mint and put to the side.
3. Finely grate zest of lemon, then cut lemon in half. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. (Once browned, discard fat). Add garlic and ¼ tsp of salt and pepper and cook, stirring 1 minute, toss with lemon zest. Transfer beef to a bowl and squeeze juice of 1 lemon half on top.
4. Once rice is done cooking add it to the bowl with the beef and season with cumin, coriander, and ¼ tsp of salt and pepper.
5. Squeeze juice from the remaining lemon half into a medium bowl. Toss with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and ¼ tsp of salt and pepper. Fold in the mint.
6. Add the mixture to the beef and rice and top with crumbled feta. ENJOY!

Bonus recipe: While we were visiting the Lake of the Ozarks recently, I created a salad that is simple and delicious:

Butter lettuce

Chopped apples (I use Honeycrisp)

Chopped strawberries

Chopped grapes

Feta Cheese

Pecans (or whatever nut you’d like to add)

Honey Mustard dressing