Greek Lemon Chicken and Potato Bake

Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 1 (24 ounce) bag small potatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced, divided
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon and herb seasoning
• 1 (12 ounce) package fresh green beans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large baking sheet with sides.
2. Place chicken quarters on prepared baking sheet. Stir potatoes, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon herb seasoning together in a large bowl to coat potatoes. Arrange potatoes around chicken on baking sheet. Pour about 3/4 of oil mixture over chicken, reserving remaining oil; drizzle remaining lemon juice over chicken and potatoes.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes; shake baking sheet to loosen potatoes, then continue baking for 15 minutes. Place green beans in reserved oil mixture; toss to coat. Remove chicken mixture from oven; pour green bean mixture over chicken and potatoes.
4. Return pan to the oven; bake until green beans are tender with a bite, chicken is no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F.

One Pan Orecchiette Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided, or as needed
• 1 1/4 cups orecchiette pasta, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped arugula, or to taste
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil until onion is soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir sausage into onions; cook and stir until sausage is broken up and browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into sausage mixture and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add orecchiette pasta; cook and stir pasta in hot broth, adding remaining broth when liquid is absorbed, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir arugula into pasta-sausage mixture until arugula wilts. Ladle pasta into bowls and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 8 ounces merguez (spicy lamb) sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the 4 squash halves in one layer.
2. Crumble sausage into a bowl. Add salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, diced pepper, buttermilk or yogurt, chopped mint, and egg. Mix well, breaking mixture down to a paste-like consistency, 3 or 4 minutes. Mix in cooked rice.
3. Divide mixture among the squash halves. Sprinkle stuffing with a pinch or 2 of breadcrumbs and some grated cheese. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
4. Cover dish loosely with aluminum foil, more tented than wrapped; foil shouldn't touch the tops of the stuffed squash.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until top is golden brown and squash is soft and tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Kielbasa and Cabbage

It's that time of the year when you're starting to run out of variety in the garden.  This week I harvested the last of the items before I start to get ready for fall.  I got five heads of red cabbage and about half a bucket of carrots.  The carrots I'm planning on freezing, but what can I do with red cabbage?  This is where one of my favorite kitchen gadgets comes into play.  I love my electric pressure cooker!

Ingredients

• Cabbage (Red or White)
• Kielbasa
• Carrots*
• Onion*
• Celery*
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried Garlic

*optional ingredients

Directions

1. Cut up the kielbasa into slices.  Brown in the electric pressure cooker.  (Most have a "sear" setting.)
2. Add cabbage and other ingredients until full.  I use the heat of the freshly browned kielbasa to help wilt down the cabbage.  Also, don't be afraid to fill it past the "max fill" line.  It's amazing how much the cabbage will wilt.
3. Add seasonings.  I prefer a ton of pepper, some salt, and a pinch of dried garlic.
4. Cook for 10 minutes at 10 psi.  (Most electric cookers have a manual setting.)  Then release the pressure using the pressure release knob.

Honey-Glazed Chicken Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Chicken Breasts, cubed
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 tbsp. adobo sauce (from the chipotle pepper can)
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges
• 8 hard taco shells
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Sour cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine peppers, adobo sauce, honey, olive oil, and spices in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, then add chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season marinated chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the oil is hot, sauté chicken until browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Serve in taco shells with scallions, sour cream and lime juice.

Grilled Italian Sausage with Marinated Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, each cut into 6 slices
• 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 (4 ounce) mild Italian sausage links
• 6 French rolls, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
2. Whisk together red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and olive oil in a small bowl. Arrange the tomato and onion slices on a serving platter, and pour dressing overtop. Allow to marinate at room temperature while you cook the sausages.
3. Pierce the sausages with the tip of a sharp knife a few times, then place onto the grill. Cook until no longer pink in the center, turning them frequently so that they cook evenly and have lightly browned, about 15 minutes total. Serve on French rolls with marinated tomatoes and onions.