LG Change Your Life Chicken

 This recipe is as amazing as the title implies!  One pan.  Whole family enjoyed.  Quick prep.  Classic.  Thanks Lazy Genius for sharing this one pan yumminess with us!

- chicken thighs, bone in and skin on, one per person or to family preferences
- olive oil 
- salt and pepper

- (Lazy Genius says two handfuls of vegetables per person; below is what I do most often)

- One onion, large chunks

- potatoes, cut in chunks

- carrots, round slices

- green beans

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Lift up skin to sprinkle under skin with salt and pepper.  Prepare chicken this way one hour to one day early.  I even buy double thighs that I need, preparing one batch for supper that day and the rest prepped and in the freezer for a later day. 

Preheat oven to 500.  

Line large baking tray with foil.  Spray with olive oil spray to prevent sticking.  (LG says toss with oil, but I find that unnecessary if you use one pan.  If you separate chicken on its own pan, the vegetables lightly tossed in oil would be great!)

Arrange vegetables on pan.  Salt and pepper the vegetables.  Place chicken skin side up on top of the vegetables.  Bake at 500 degrees for 50 min.  (My oven runs hot, so I bake at 450 degrees.)

The chicken will be amazingly moist!  The veggies will be browned so lovely and flavorful!  The Lazy Genius has a great description about why she does it all this way.  Read her words of wisdom or just try it; you won’t be sorry!

One Pan Teriyaki

This recipe came across my computer screen when I was looking for something else.  I quickly added it to the "to try" list!  Pioneer woman says to drizzle Teriyaki Sauce, but with Whole 30 and with our youngest not able to have soy, I came up with a substitute sauce.  We ate this last night.  I want to quickly write down what I did, because we all liked it!

This was also inspired by us trying something new every week of Whole 30.  Bok choy was the new this week.  Another hit with everyone!  Okay, with no further commentary, 

- 1/3 cup soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1/3 cup mirin
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- splash of sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1in piece of ginger, minced

- 18 asparagus spears
- 3 heads bok choy, halved
- 1-2 green peppers, sliced
- 8-12 green onions, trimmed
- 4 thin pork chops, or 2 chicken breasts

Mix the first 6 ingredients.  Set aside.

Put asparagus, green pepper, and green onions on bottom of a sheet pan or over-sized dish.  Arrange bok choy along edge.  Drizzle half of sauce mixture over the vegetables.  Put pork chops or chicken on top.  Salt and pepper the meat.  Drizzle the rest of the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Serve as is, or over rice.  Enjoy!

Roasted Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Vegetables

While on Pinterest, I stumbled over this recipe.  Lemon and garlic are a marriage made in my husband's heaven!  I knew this was a recipe he would want me to try.  I, however, don't like recipes where lemon overpowers.  So, I knew a few tweaks were in order.  When I read the reviews on the recipe, most of the review-ers agreed with me.  This was really simple to prep, and a super tasty one-dish meal!  

Here is the recipe with my tweaks!

(Serves 4)

- 5 tbsp olive oil

- 1 lemon, halved, juiced

- 2 garlic cloves, whole

- 1/3 to 1/2 a small onion, sliced in rings

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)

- 1/2 tsp black pepper (more to taste)

- 1/2 tsp thyme, rosemary

- 3/4 lb trimmed green beans

- 8 small red potatoes, quartered

- 4 chicken breasts (I used boneless, skinless, so my time will be according to that; bone-in, skin-on would be great as well)

Marinate chicken in 1/2 the lemon juice, the whole garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375.  

Put onion slices in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, put olive oil, the other half of the lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Add the green beans; toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the onion slices.

Add to the same mixing bowl the rosemary and thyme.  Then add the potatoes; toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes and arrange around the edge of the baking dish.  

Remove chicken from marinade and place in the middle of the dish.  Spoon any remnants of the olive oil mixture from tossing the vegetables onto the chicken.  Sprinkle the chicken with a little lemon pepper seasoning.

Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil.  Put vegetables back in oven for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serve, and enjoy!

So tasty!  The husband, the kids, and me...we all loved it!  Will's exact words, "Please put this in the rotation."  

Chicken Chilaquiles

Anyone wanting Mexican?  Me, always!

My favorite dish at Dos Taquitos (the many, ahem 3 times, that I have been) is chilaquiles.  Yummy, cheesy, saucy chilaquiles!  I have tried it at other restaurants, and well, I need to stick with chilaquiles at Dos Taquitos.  Nothing compares!  When I saw this recipe in a cookbook of mine, I knew I had to try it.  You know, just in case it is even close to as good.  

It isn't the exact same as Dos Taquitos, but it is so good.  Look at this yumminess...

...totally worth you trying!  I mean, wonderful!

.

- 5 large dried guajillo peppers, stemmed *  (see note at bottom)

- 1 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro, divided

- 2 small onions, divided

- 8 plum tomatoes, cored

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 1 garlic clove, peeled

- 2 tsp vegetable oil

- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

- 1 tsp salt

- 4 cups coarsely crushed restaurant-style tortilla chips

-  2 cups (6 oz) shredded Mexican-style Manchego cheese

Preheat broiler.  Arrange peppers on a sheet pan.  Place pan 2-4in from heating element.  Broil peppers 30-45 seconds or until slightly charred.  Chop cilantro and cut 1 onion in half lengthwise.  Place peppers, half of the cilantro, half of the onion, 4 tomatoes, broth and garlic in blender.  Pulse on low speed until blended.  Place remaining tomatoes in blender; pulse on low speed until blended.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Thinly slice remaining onions.  Add onions to skillet; cook 1-2 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in sauce, chicken and salt.  Return to heat and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat; stir in chips and top with cheese.  Cover; let stand 5 minutes.  Remove lid; sprinkle with remaining cilantro.  Great served with a green vegetable or salad.  Or, serve with fried eggs for an authentic Mexican breakfast (says the cookbook).  

Look at the sauce on this dish

 Reallly, look at it!   The peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, ... delicious!

 From Pampered Chef's Latin Flavor cookbook!  Mexican food at home, my kind of supper!

* These guajillo peppers are not spicy.  On the hot-ness scale at the top of the bag, they only get a medium.  I would classify them as mild.  They have really great flavor but no real spicy-ness.  Also, these can probably be found at Wal-Mart, in a bright yellow bag in the international/Spanish aisle.  I bought these at the International Food Store in Raleigh.
**Another note from the cookbook:  omit oil.  Cook 6 oz chorizo for 6-8 minutes for even more flavor.  Continue with the rest of the directions.  

Italian Chicken and Couscous

This dish used to be a staple in my supper rotation. It's been a little while since I made it, but a great friend ("the roommate") asked for the recipe and now I think I need to make it again soon! It makes a great main dish or a great side if you minus the meat. Add a salad or a green vegetable and you have your meal!

- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can stewed tomatoes, drained, with 1/2 cup of the liquid reserved
- 1 lb chicken, cut into strips
- 1 med onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 med zucchini, sliced (I like using both squash and zucchini for color)
- 1/2 pkg (10 oz size) couscous (3/4 cup)

Heat oil in 10-in skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in oil 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in reserved tomato liquid, chicken, onion, oregano, and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Stir in zucchini, couscous, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with a fork or snipping with kitchen scissors. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed.

So yummy!
This is taken from Betty Crocker's Cookbook (The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker). This cookbook was a gift from my mom when I moved out on my own for the first time. She said every new cook needs a cookbook with all the basics like this one. This one has served me quite well; my roommate and I tried out more than a few of these recipes in our first months/years on our own. Thanks mom!... and Betty!

Cheesy Vegetable Chili

This yummy dish was inspired by several things: 1) the anticipation of fall that brings beautiful colors, cooler temperatures, and comfort foods like chili; 2) trying to trick a toddler into eating more vegetables; 3) trying to avoid turning vegetables too soft for this pregnant woman's tongue; and 4) Rachael Ray's Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole found HERE.

The verdict, if you like one-pot meals as I do, is two thumbs up! The toddler's opinion is yet to be determined; one no-go does not mean a dislike. The husband, who is not a huge fan of one-pot dishes, did say that he enjoyed it and it had good flavor. So, I say, "Try it!"

- 1 medium squash
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin (as usual, I don't actually measure seasonings, so this is a good idea of what I did)
- 2 tbsp chili powder, or 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder with 1/2 tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (I had intended to use fresh chopped garlic but forgot)
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander seed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
- 1/2 bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
- 1 cup (or more :) shredded cheddar cheese

Grate, using the large side of the grater, the squash and zucchini into a collander. Toss with a tsp of salt. Allow to drain (30-40 min), squeeze to remove excess water.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in pan. Add ground beef to brown, season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and other seasonings. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 min. Add the beans, tomatoes, and chiles with their juices and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or more. (When assembling before putting in oven, either leave in iron skillet like I did, or transfer to a 8x11 baking dish.)

Combine hashbrowns, cheese, and grated zucchini and squash in a large bowl. Scatter the mixture over the chili. For good measure, I sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the chili is bubbling, approx 25-30 min.

I loved the colorful presentation of the final product in the pan as well as once plated. Love getting some green in my chili! If I compared it to the Rachael Ray dish that I made before, I would say that you can't beat adding some veggies to cut down the carbs and to sneak in the veggies. The husband and I both agree that the flavor of the vegetables was not overwhelming, therefore not a distraction. (Someone who didn't like squash/zucchini would probably not taste them.) The squash and zucchini really did just add to the health of the dish and the colorful appearance. I used her chili as my starting place but then played with the spices and added the chiles.

Hope you like it!

Pork and Apple with Sweet Potato

My sister-in-law made this about a year ago. I immediately had to have the recipe! I finally cooked it myself this weekend. It is so yummy!

- flour for dredging
- salt and pepper to taste
- (12 oz) pork tenderloin
- evoo
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated, OR 1/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- (14 oz) chicken broth
- 1 red apple, cored and cut in wedges
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp butter

Slice pork crosswise (I cut in bite-size pieces). Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, mostly cooked with a little pink in the center. Remove to a plate.

Add white parts of scallions or onion to the skillet, along with sweet potatoes, broth, and cranberries (leave drippings). Cover and let simmer 7-9 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Add apple, cover and simmer 2 minutes, until apples are soft.

Add butter and mustard, stir to melt. Return pork and any juices to skillet. Heat through. Sprinkle wtih green parts of scallions, if used.

This would be a great dish served with a side salad or a green on the side. It is a one-pot meal with lots of flavors blending to an irresistable yumminess!