Skillet Chicken and Veggies

This is one of those super easy dishes that you can just throw in whatever you have on hand. I had some red potatoes, red bell peppers, and carrots in my Bountiful Basket so I decided to make a dish out of it. It's such a simple dish but the combination of the chicken and veggies makes it so flavorful and delicious. It's also super healthy so that's a bonus.

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Skillet Chicken and Veggies
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
6 cups red potato, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook chicken about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from skillet. Add remaining ingredients to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Serves 6-8

Past Recipes:
One year ago: Tortilla Roll-Ups
Two years ago: Creamy Lemon Chicken

Zucchini Bites

Since it's summertime, a lot of people have an overabundance of zucchini. It's really easy to get tired of eating it. That's why it's always nice to try different zucchini recipes. These little zucchini bites were great. My kids loved them!

Printable Recipe

Zucchini Bites
1 cup grated zucchini
1 egg
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray. Place grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze to release excess water. Combine zucchini, egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Fill muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops are brown and zucchini bites are set.

Makes 12-15

Recipe adapted from The Curious Country Cook

Past Recipes:
One year ago: Baked Southwest Egg Rolls
Two years ago: Lasagna

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I've always loved brussels sprouts. My family, not so much. We had brussels sprouts in our Bountiful Baskets two weeks in a row and I was so excited. The first week, I roasted them with olive oil and salt and pepper. My 3 year old loved them but my other kids hated them. So when we got them the second time, I found this recipe with bacon. I knew they would be delicious because everything is better with bacon, right? I told my kids they had to try them even though they hated them the first time and guess what? They loved them! Now I'm actually craving this. It was so good!

Printable Recipe

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease. Add thyme and onion and saute for about 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken broth and brussels sprouts. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 6-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with bacon.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Past recipes:
One year ago: Lindt Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes
Two years ago: Oven Fried Chicken

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

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Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

4 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 yellow zucchini squash, sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Mix together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a wok or large skillet. Add chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pan. Drain liquid and add remaining oil. Add carrots and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add green onions and asparagus. Cook for about 5 minutes or until asparagus starts to get tender. Add zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Stir in sauce and chicken. Heat through. Stir in sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Serves 6

Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry

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Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry


1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
3 green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1/8 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
salt to taste
cooked rice

Combine shrimp, ginger, cayenne, garlic, sesame seeds, black pepper, and sesame oil in a large ziploc bag. Toss to coat. Heat canola oil in a large wok or skillet. Add bell pepper and green onions and saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in teriyaki sauce. Add peas and shrimp with seasoning. Cook for 4 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and add to wok. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Sprinkle with salt. Serve over rice.

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

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Garlic-Roasted Asparagus

1lb asparagus, ends trimmed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 Tbsp minced garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss. Bake until asparagus is tender and lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven and toss with lemon juice.

Recipe adapted from Food Network, Emeril Lagasse

Sesame-Grilled Asparagus Rafts

My husband made this with our Valentine's dinner and it was so delicious! I love asparagus and this recipe definitely takes it to another level.

Printable Recipe

Sesame-Grilled Asparagus Rafts
adapted from Primal Grill

1 lb asparagus
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus and discard. Trim the ends so they are all the same length. Skewer 4 or 5 asparagus spears together using bamboo skewers or toothpicks. (like a Huck Finn-type raft)

In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir with a fork to mix. Brush mixture on asparagus rafts on both sides. Season with a little salt and lots of pepper.

Place rafts on a hot grill until browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle asparagus with sesame seeds as they grill. Serve as rafts or unskewered.

Cashew Pork and Vegetables

This meal is great! I like it how it is but my husband said he would like it with more sauce. I think next time I'll double the sauce. Either way it's really good.

Printable Recipe

Cashew Pork and Vegetables
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

1 lb lean boneless pork, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups fresh pea pods
3 medium carrots, sliced on an angle
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cashews
cooked rice
vegetable oil

Mix together orange juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Stir in carrot. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add pea pods and green onion. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add half of the pork to wok. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink; remove from wok. Repeat with remaining pork. Return all meat and vegetables to wok. Stir sauce; add to wok. Cook and stir until heated through. Stir in cashews. Serve over rice.

Serves 4