93: Easy Cooking for Two with Jenna Braddock, MSH, RDN, CSSD

If you’re like me, a recent empty-nester, or perhaps newly married or cooking for just yourself and a partner, you may be frustrated with the task of cooking for two. If you’ve been accustomed to cooking for several people, you might be horrified at the food waste when it’s just the two of you. Today’s guest has all the bases covered with helpful tips and kitchen inspiration for cooking for two. 

Jenna Braddock is a registered dietitian and certified Sports Dietetics specialist who lives in Florida with her husband and two kids. She hosts the blog, Make Healthy Easy, and her new cookbook is Easy Cooking for Two: 75 Perfectly Portioned Recipes. In today’s show, you’ll hear Jenna’s advice for stocking a pantry for cooking for two and not a crowd. Do you wonder how to keep herbs fresh when you buy a big bunch but only need a handful? Jenna has the answer! We will discuss the benefits of cooking for two regarding less food waste and delicious recipes from Jenna’s book, like Adobo Turkey Tacos, Warm Quinoa Salad, and Mango Salsa Pork Chops. 

 

Show Highlights:

 

• Get to know Jenna and her life in St. Augustine with her football coach husband and two young sons; it’s a football-filled life!
• Tips for group gatherings for teenagers (think about salads and fresh fruit)
• What dinner looks like at Jenna’s house
• Why Jenna started her blog, Make Healthy Easy, which is food-focused with do-able and delicious recipes
• How Jenna’s cookbook provides the perfect solution for those who don’t want to cook large meals
• How cooking for two helps eliminate food waste
• The benefits of cooking for two include experimenting with different ingredients and recipes and avoiding the “condiment graveyard” in your refrigerator and pantry
• How Jenna’s cookbook is structured with vegetarian/vegan recipes, lighter fare, seafood, poultry, pork, and beef
• Tips on how to make fresh herbs last longer so they don’t end up in the trash
• One of Jenna’s kids’ favorite recipes: Taco Bowl with refried beans, beef, cheese, tortillas, and toppings
• How we can rethink grocery shopping to accommodate cooking for two
• Jenna’s Adobo Turkey Nachos, which are made with diced onions, broccoli slaw, ground turkey, and adobo seasoning
• How using key spice blends keep you from needing a ton of in
• Jenna’s recipe for Warm Quinoa Salad, which is made with quinoa, wilted and chopped spinach, frozen edamame, red wine vinegar, and dried cherries
• How Jenna’s Sheet Pan Shrimp Bowls use frozen rice as an ingredient
• Why freezer section fruits, veggies, and grains are perfect for easy and nutritious recipes for two
• Jenna’s recipe for Mango Salsa Pork Chops uses boneless pork loin chops and a salsa made with chopped mango, jalapeno, red onion, and lime juice
• Jenna’s husband’s favorite recipe is Chile Lime Pork Chops, which are seasoned with chipotle chile powder, lime juice, and salt
• Jenna’s favorite family go-to recipe is Apricot Chicken with Spinach Rice; she uses two boneless, skinless thighs from a frozen bag of chicken thighs and makes a pan sauce of apricot preserves and balsamic vinegar

 

 

Resources:

 

Giveaway: 

We are giving away a copy of Easy Cooking for Two: 75 Perfectly Portioned Recipes to one lucky U.S. winner. For a chance to enter to win, post a comment in the Comments section at the end of this post and tell me about why you want to win the book or your favorite recipe for two. I'll pick the winner on April 7th.

 

Find Jenna on the web:

https://jennabraddock.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/make.healthy.easy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakeHealthyEasy/

 

Easy Cooking for Two on Amazon