I’m on vacation with my family this week so I am so excited to welcome Marianne from Marianne Cooks to share an easy idea to bring to a new mom or a friend that has recently had surgery. It seems like everyone does takeout these days, but there is something so thoughtful about a home cooked meal beautifully put together for a friend. Next time you sign up for a meal calendar, remember this meal idea!
Here’s Marianne:
One of the most frequent questions I receive from people is, “What do you take over to a new mom or a friend that just had surgery?” So I thought I would share with you what I do.
My favorite meal to take to anyone is my Greek Chicken bowls. I put everything into different containers so when the families go to make their bowl they make it just the way they want it. These taste great, are gluten free, and if someone doesn’t like a certain ingredient they can just keep it out of their bowl. It’s fun for kids to put their own bowl together, too!
I use these to go bowl containers because then my friends can keep them or throw them out, but they do not feel obligated to return them. To me that is key because the last thing they need is another item on their to do list. I always have a supply of these in my kitchen for delivery. (See this pst for more of favorites in the kitchen.)
Greek Chicken Bowl Recipe:
- 4-6 organic chicken breasts cleaned, trimmed and diced
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper
- Italian Olives, pitted and marinated
- Mixed greens
- 1 english cucumber scored and diced
- Feta cheese
- Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon oregano and thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Hummus*
- Pitas
- Clean, trim and cut chicken, add to a ziploc bag or reusable bowl
- Add all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, mix and pour over chicken, let marinate at least 30 minutes or a few hours.
- Make the dressing (while all ingredients are still out) for the salad, mix together in a bowl or tall glass jar ingredients for the dressing. Move to refrigerator to chill.
- In a large heated skillet, add 2 Tablespoon of extra virgin Put olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions and add salt to onions, and let cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add chicken to pan, discard marinade and ziploc bag. Stir everything together and add a touch more salt and squeeze of lemon juice. Let cook uncovered for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cover the pan and increase temperature to medium high and let cook for about 2 minutes, turn off stove.
- While the chicken is cooking, fill plastic containers with other ingredients: cucumbers, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus, and olives.
- When chicken cools put in plastic container and take to friends along with the dressing, lettuce, pitas, and other ingredients so they can make their own bowls! Include sprigs of parsley and lemon if desired.
***Taste the marinade before it goes on the chicken, see what you think, might need more salt, maybe more parsley
***My traditional hummus recipe is on website
***Make enough for leftovers the next day, it's even better[recipe]
Another thing I love to do when I drop off meals is throw in a healthy breakfast. As a mom with a new baby, or after surgery, the last thing someone wants to do is make breakfast. So sometimes I include some full fat yogurt for the healthy fat benefits and my homemade granola. This granola can be gluten free if needed and sweetened only with a little maple syrup. A great start to any morning!
Easy Homemade Granola:
- 4 cups rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
- 1 cup nuts (I do 1/3 of pecan, cashew and almond halves)
- 1/2 cup raw pepitas
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2-3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup toasted coconut
- 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 and lined a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt coconut oil over medium heat until just melted, let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients (oats, nuts, pepitas, coconut, salt and cinnamon). Mix until well combined.
- Pour in the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla, mix well until everything is coated. Pour onto baking sheet, cook for 12 minutes and then stir granola, cook for another 12-15 minutes.
- Let cool completely, break up in a pieces and add dried cranberries.
I carry everything in one of my favorite delivery bags, the Scout Deano Tote, (I leave these in my car to hold all my grocery bags too).
Nothing puts a smile on my face more when someone drops off some pretty flowers when I am sick so I always grab an orchid while I am at the store which fits perfectly into my Scout bag – along with this delicious meal!
Thanks so much, Marianne, for guest posting today!
In addition to all her fantastic recipes, Marianne offers cooking classes in her Dallas home. (This would make a great experience gift for a friend or a fun girls’ night out!). Read more about her cooking classes here.
Marianne is a food blogger known for her healthy and delicious meals that kids will actually eat. She has been featured on Cooking Light’s Instagram, The Feed Feed website, Driscoll Farms Instagram and many more. Most days you can find her in her kitchen creating recipes, hosting cooking classes, or preparing Sunday night dinners for friends and family. Her goal is to make the cooking experience easy and fun, so you can enjoy time with your family without losing flavor, nutrition or style. Learn more about Marianne and check out her recipes here.
LOVE this post. Thank you!
Great idea!! Thankful to learn about her blog – it looks like she has some delicious recipes!