After a long, tiring day, the last thing you want is to be stuck in front of the stove to make a meal. So what are some quick, delicious and kidney friendly meals to make when energy and motivation to cook is low?
Here are some favourites:
Breakfast for Dinner: Who says breakfast can’t be dinner? Toast with eggs, berries and some Greek yogurt can be a great balanced meal with barely any cooking. You can also try this omelette https://www.veltassa.com/patient/assets/pdf/breakfast/Omelet.pdf in a mug or egg cups https://www.davita.com/recipes/breakfast-and-brunch/egg-muffins/r/8651 It’s nutritious, filling and can be put together in less than 10 minutes. Pair it with some toast and fruit – done!
Let your oven do the work: I love baking salmon or other fish and letting the oven do all the work for me. Preheat the oven to 400°F, place portions of 3 to 4 ounces (90-120 g) of salmon on a baking sheet, sprinkle with dill and black pepper, pop them in the oven for 10 minutes to treat yourself to some tender and flaky salmon. Heat up some frozen vegetable mix in the microwave to add some colour to your meal. Finish the meal by tearing off some sourdough bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Slow Cooker: The best feeling is walking home to the wonderful aroma of dinner – what your slow cooker has been working on all day. Another bonus is that there is minimal clean up with just one pot and there should be plenty of leftovers for another day. The best way to save time is to cook once, eat twice. This slow cooker pot roast recipe is perfect for enjoying after a busy day. Set it up in the morning and you’ll have an amazing meal ready by dinner time. https://www.myspiceitup.ca/recipe/slow-cooker-pot-roast/
Fried rice is a great way to use up leftovers at the end of the week for a complete meal and can be made in less than 20 minutes! Chop up whatever chicken, beef, or tofu you have left over and add it to this recipe: https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/eating-well/recipes/lunches/egg-fried-rice
Broiler function in the oven can make meals super quick and give food a beautiful golden brown colour. The recipe below: Lemon Grilled Chicken cooks in just 4 minutes on each side of the chicken breast. Pair it with some salad, balsamic vinaigrette and some rice. What’s better, the leftover chicken would be a nutritious protein choice to make great sandwiches for the following day. If you are interested in the delicious recipes in this cookbook, go here to get your copy: https://www.renalrd.ca/file_uploads/Kidney%20Friendly%20Cooking%20order%20form%20update.pdf
Lemon Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
Lemon juice ½ cup (125 ml)
Vegetable oil ¼ cup (60 ml)
Honey 2 tbsp (30 ml)
Garlic powder 1 tbsp (15 ml)
Thyme leaves, dried, tsp (5 ml)
Rosemary, dried, 1 tsp (5 ml)
Chicken breast, skinless, boneless 2/3 lb (300 g)
Instructions:
- Make marinade by mixing the first 6 ingredients
- Set aside 2 tbsp (30 ml) of marinade for basting
- Slice chicken breast in half lengthwise to make it thinner (like a hamburger bun cut in half)
- Add chicken to marinade and place in fridge the night before
- Preheat oven broiler to 500°F (260°C).
- Drain chicken and throw out marinade.
- Broil the chicken for 4 minutes on each side until cooked through
- Use previously set aside marinade to baste the chicken while cooking
Recipe adapted from Kidney Friendly Cooking – For people with chronic kidney disease Page 125 by the Canadian Association of Nephrology Dietitians.
Submitted by Tanya Choy, St. Paul’s Hospital RD, CDE