Mustard Chicken Dinner

Mustard Chicken 

4 servings

Ingredients 

4 medium bone-in, skin-on or skin-off chicken thighs 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chicken broth

4 ounces sour cream 

2 tablespoons Dijon  mustard 

Directions

Place the chicken thighs on a plate,  skin side up, and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Turn them over and sprinkle them with more salt and pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan in one layer, skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without moving, until golden brown. Turn the chicken pieces with tongs, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the thighs are cooked to 155 to 160 degrees. Turn the chicken to skin side up.

Combine the broth, sour cream, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl, and then spread ¼ of the sauce on each thigh.

Cover the pan and heat over low heat for 2-4 minutes to warm the sauce, and serve immediately.

Garlic, Lemon Potatoes, and Carrots 

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds Idaho potatoes, medium-sized, peeled, then halved lengthwise and quartered in wedges

5 carrots cut to the same length as the potatoes.

⅓ cup chicken broth 

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves, minced

½ tablespoon dried oregano

½ tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the potato wedges and carrots in a baking dish. Combine the chicken broth, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and salt in a measuring cup. Mix.

Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes and carrots into an even layer and roast them for 45 minutes, turning them halfway through baking or until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp on the edges and tender inside.

Remove them from the oven and serve with the chicken.

Saucy Pasta and Vegetables

 I

Ingredients


¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Half of a small red onion, diced

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

9 oz package of fresh rigatoni pasta or penne pasta

14 pz can of snipped Italian tomatoes

1cup of chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2  cup heavy cream

Vegetables:

About 1 cup of each

Cut into one-inch pieces:

Carrots

Broccoli florets

Red bell pepper

A dozen and defrosted artichoke hearts

Grape tomatoes



Directions

Heat the oil in a Large skillet and add the garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetables, Italian tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Cover the skillet and keep warm.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions, and drain the pasta in a colander.

Transfer the vegetables and sauce to the empty pasta pot. Turn the heat to low, return the cooked pasta to the pot, and add cream and cheese. Stir well, and adjust the seasoning. serve in individual pasta bowls with Italian bread.

Easy Three-Bean Chili

 

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons vegetable oil     

1 medium onion, chopped 

1bell pepper, chopped

 1 tablespoon  chilli powder

1 teaspoon  ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 (15-ounce) cans of beans, red kidney, pinto, and black, drained and rinsed

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

Table salt toTaste

Directions

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the beef and cook until brown.

Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, oregano, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half. 

Add beans, tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. 

Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt.

Serve with shredded cheese, chips, or coenbraffd.

Try Something New With Cauliflower

 Vary the topping  (see below) that will complement the other ingredients in your meal. In this recipe, I topped the stalks with cheddar cheese to go with turkey cutlets and sweet potatoes. Cauliflower comes in different colors, so I chose orange for fall.

Ingredients

yields 4 servings

1 large head of cauliflower, sliced lengthwise through the core into 4 steaks

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dried  thyme

1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

⅓ teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper to taste

1cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay cauliflower steaks on the prepared baking sheet. Whisk olive oil and spices together in a bowl. Brush the tops of the cauliflower steaks with 1/2 of the olive oil mixture.

Roast cauliflower steaks in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn the steaks over and brush the tops with the remaining olive oil mixture

Continue roasting for 15 minutes more.

Top steaks with cheddar cheese and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes more.

Variations 

Chili powder

Shredded Mexican blend cheese

Garlic, capers, Parmesan cheese 

Rosemary and Gruyere cheese

Seafood Stir-fry In Orange Sauc

 I

ngredients

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 cup bay scallops

8 large shrimp 

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups sugar snap peas trimmed and halved

1 carrot sliced thin 

1 celery stalk, diced 

1 teaspoon finely shredded fresh ginger

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

4 Scallions, chopped 

 hot cooked rice

Directions

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper

Coat a large nonstick skillet or wok with oil and heat over high heat until hot. Stir-fry the sugar snap peas, celery, and carrots for 2 minutes. Add the fresh ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds, until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, scallions, scallops, shrimp, and orange juice mixture. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the scallops and shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Serve immediately with hot cooked rice.

Turkey Scallopini

 

4 servins

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds (1/4-inch thick) sliced raw turkey cutlets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Fresh sage and rosemary leaves, for garnish, optional

Directions

Pat turkey dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge half of turkey slices in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook turkey until browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered. Dredge and cook remaining turkey with another 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in same manner.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and cook garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil until broth is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Stir in lemon juice, capers, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add butter and swirl with a whisk until a smooth sauce is formed. Return turkey to skillet with any juices on platter and simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. 

Serve with spaghetti.

Pear & Celery Salad-Fall Favorite

 Ingredients

2 servings 

2 stalks of celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon of honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 ripe pear red Bartlett or Anjou, diced

½?cup finely diced Cheddar cheese

¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted 

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce

Directions

Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, and salt in a mixing bowl until blended. Add the celery, cheese, and pecans and combine. Season with pepper. 

Divide the lettuce leaves among 2 plates and top with a portion of salad. Serve at room temperature or chilled.