One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

INGREDIENTS

5 medium potatoes 2 Tbs olive for the potatoes salt and pepper to taste Sauce ingredients 2 Tbs olive oil 1/2 cup honey 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup soy sauce 4 Tbs brown sugar 2 Tbs dijon mustard 6 large bone in skin on chicken thighs 2 Tbs butter, sliced into six slices 2 cups cut up broccoli (I used up some frozen green beans instead, and defrosted them a little while the chicken was cooking) INSTRUCTIONS -preheat oven to 400F -cut potatoes into even bite size pieces, transfer to baking pan, drizzle olive oil over potatoes, season with salt and pepper then mix together. -Partially bake potatoes for 25 minutes. While it's cooking, you can clean the chicken and prep the sauce. -Mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside -When potatoes come out of the oven, place chicken thighs over, then pour sauce mixture over chicken and potatoes -Bake for 30 minutes -Take chicken and potatoes out of oven then add broccoli, baste the broccoli with sauce then bake for extra 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Thai Cucumber Salad

 *This was originally found in The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts program.

Ingredients:

2 cucumber, peeled and diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

6 green onions, sliced up to about halfway up the green part

3/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)

Sauce:

2 limes, juiced

2 T. soy sauce

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional - can add more for added spice)

2 tsp white sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1. Mix cucumbers, peppers, green onions, cilantro and peanuts in a large bow. 

2. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste. Add a little more sugar if it's too sour for your taste.

3. Pour sauce over salad. Mix gently to combine.

4. Serve right away, or refrigerate for up to 5 hours and then serve.

Ayse's Green Beans

 Ingredients:

2-3 c. green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 T. tomato paste

1 tsp. sugar

Salt, to taste

A drizzle of olive oil

Water

Cooked rice (optional for serving)

Put all of the beans in a sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients on top of the beans. Put the water in the pot, filling it to no more than halfway. Cook a few minutes and then mix. Continue cooking with cover on, stirring occasionally, bringing the water to a boil. When it boils, turn off the stove. 

Can serve as a side dish as is or over rice.

Afiyet Olsun!

Cherokee-Style Succotash

 (From The Good and The Beautiful Unit 6 Language Arts)

*We serve this as a main course with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 15-oz can corn, drained (can sub frozen or fresh)

1 15-oz can black beans, drained

Salt to taste

Corn chips

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan, and then add onion and pepper. Saute until slightly softened, and then add tomato, corn and black beans.

2. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 -7 min, or until desired tenderness is achieved. Season with salt to taste and serve with corn chips.

Take-out Style Steak and Peppers

Super easy, quick and delicious. Tastes like Chinese take-out. The veggies are very flexible, so you can add others that you have or leave out any you don't have. The original recipe only calls for peppers and onions. I have added frozen broccoli and water chestnuts. Other veggies would be yummy too.

Serves 4-6

2 T oil
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into thin strips (I use whatever steak we have in the freezer. I have also used stew meat that I had accidentally thawed, and that was just fine)
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2-3 large bell peppers, sliced thin
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c honey
1/3 c red wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar that I had on hand. Regular vinegar would probably be okay too)
1-3 t. corn starch or other thickener (optional if you want a thicker sauce)
Cooked rice


1. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and brown on each side. Remove steak.

2. Add onions, peppers, garlic (and any other veggies you want to add) and cook until veggies are tender.

3. Add meat back to the pan. Add soy sauce, honey and vinegar, and cook 10 min or so, until heated through. Sprinkle the cornstarch into the pan and mix it in. Cook until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Honey Cashew Chicken and Rice

This one was passed to us by Nick and Karen years ago, and I still make it often. Every time I make it, it gets rave reviews, and it is easy and quick, which makes it a winner in my book. It is originally from myrecipes.com

Yield: 4 servings

1 c. rice (prepare as directed on package, omitting oil)
1 lb. Chicken breast, cut in cubes
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 T. canola oil
1 T. dark sesame oil (Since I don't have this, I just add another T of canola oil)
2 c. broccoli florets (I use frozen)
1 c. frozen shelled edamame (I usually sub green beans)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 c. cashews, unsalted
1 T. rice vinegar (I just use distilled vinegar)
3 T. honey
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. hot sauce (adjust for your tastes - I use less because the kids don't like spicy)

1. Combine chicken and next three ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat. Heat large skillet over medium-high. Add oils. Add chicken and com 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high and add broccoli and next 4 ingredients (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in cashews.

3. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a  small bowl. Stir with a whisk. Add to chicken mixture, and toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Italian Sausage Vegetables Soup

Mrs. Bowers gave us this recipe. It has become a favorite. Lots of veggies, and also lots of flavor.

1 lb Italian sausage
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove minced
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 small zucchinis diced
1 green pepper diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 tsp dried basil, crumpled
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta

Directions:
Brown the sausage in a heavy dutch oven or large saucepan until the meat is no longer pink. Spoon out most of the fat from the cooked sausage and discard. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until soft but not browned. Add carrots, zucchini, pepper, wine, chicken broth, tomatoes, basil and oregano and bring to a boil. When the soup is boiling, add the orzo and cook for 20 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.