Chicken and Rice over Root Veggies

Rice-Jasmine

Root Veggies-

Carrots,

Beets,

Turnips,

Butter

Chicken-

Salt for brine

Spices-

Oregano,

Basil, 

Salt, 

Pepper

Gravy-

1 cup chicken stock

1 TBSP Flour

Tsp Oregano

Tsp Basil

Orange, and purple carrots. Beets and turnips

Brine the chicken by placing it in salty water. I boil the water and add salt to dissolve. Then I cool the water before placing the chicken in the water. You do not want to cook the chicken so make sure the water is cooled.

Slice veggies

Place veggies in baking dish with Butter

Dry chicken with a paper towel and place on sheet.

Place chicken over root veggies

Add spices

Gravy- Add 1 TBLS flour to
1 Cup chicken broth
Add Spices

Cook for 45 min to an hour

Steam Jasmine rice in rice cooker at beginning 

Add gravy to chicken and rice and serve with veggies

Chicken Marinara over Pasta

This is what I started with but, I decided to make my own tomato sauce instead of using the store bought one.

1 and 1/2 cup of shredded chicken
4 oz artichoke hearts
1 Onion
1 clove of garlic
1 Zucchini
6 Mushrooms
Tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes
Tsp Salt
Tsp Oregano
Tsp Basil
Tsp Thyme
Tsp Garlic Powder
Tsp red pepper
Tablespoon of Honey
4 oz of tomato paste
16 oz of canned diced tomato

Saute onion and garlic

Chop all veggies

Saute Mushrooms and Zucchini 

Add dried spices

Add Chicken

Mix together

Add tomato and tomato paste

Boil water and add pasta. Simmer the sauce.

He is a great model, but I cooked the meal.

Serve pasta and sauce over it.

Add Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese  

Cantaloupe's First Try

This is the box it grew from. My neighbor, who is nine, gave me leftover plants from her school's plant sale this year. Thank You Leah!

I learned from growing the small cantaloupe that they are ready when they fall off the vine on their own or with a slight tug. (Tiberius and Minerva, cats in background)

There is soo much meat for such a little melon!

The bites are used for a small honey and yogurt parfait. 

What to do with Tomatillos (Salsa Verde)

I grew tomatillos this year and have been asked, "What does one do with tomatillos?" Hopefully this helps to understand the lantern fruit a little better and to enjoy it deliciousness. 

The seedlings

Add caption

A little bigger

A lantern fruit hugging the ground

A much needed pollinator. Tomatillo plants require you to have two plants at least because they can not self pollinate. 

This is just the one plant. My goodness.

The Harvest

Tomatillo Salsa:
3 pounds of Tomatillos
2 shallots-peeled
1 yellow onion- peeled
1 Jalapeno
1 Red pepper
1 Whole Clove of Garlic (un-shucked)
2 Limes
Handful of Cilantro
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (more to taste)

Roast the pan with the Tomatillos, Shallots, Onion, Peppers, and Garlic at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes to an hour

After the pan looks like this, let cool.

After it has cooled, squeeze the juice from the tomatillos out. There is plenty of seeds and juice left over, trust me. Discard the juice onto the foil and then toss the foil afterward.

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until desired consistency. I put it on high for 30 seconds or so. 

The Red one is a tomato salsa I made in the same night. Tomatillo is Green. (Salsa Verde)

After the salsa is made, you can make

Chicken Enchiladas:
Rotisserie Chicken that is already made
Jack Cheese
Corn Tortillas
Salsa Verde

Enchilada Sauce:
2 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Tbls Flour
2 Tbls Chili Powder
1 Tbls Chipotle Chili powder (habenero)
1 Tbls Cumin
1/4 Cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Mix until spices and flour dissolve into chicken stock.
 

Make sure you lay corn tortillas down first to lay the little enchiladas on.

Chicken, then Salsa Verde, then a little cheese

Fold into a pan with the open side down on the 4 corn tortillas you laid out as a base

Add Jack Cheese

Add Enchilada Sauce 

Add olives, Cilantro, Sour Cream and Green Onions. Serve with Salad.