Chicken With Couscous, Roasted Veggies and Tomatoes

Chicken With Couscous, Roasted Veggies and Tomatoes

I love to cook. I love to eat. My son announced he is getting married to a lovely, young lady this Fall. I am now on a diet. This is a Weight Watchers friendly dinner. Never tried couscous? Okay...you boil chicken broth throw in the couscous....put a lid on it and wait 5 minutes. EASY! Give this recipe a try.

Chicken with Couscous, Roasted Veggies and Tomatoes

YOU WILL NEED

1 cup of couscous (plain or a Parmesan flavored)

1 1/4 cup of chicken broth

2 swirls of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of Dried Chives, Italian Seasoning, Dried Rosemary

7 drops of hot sauce

1 teaspoon of salt

2 onions

1 squash or zucchini

1 cup of baby carrots cut in half long ways

1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms (could leave out)

Pam Spray

1 can of diced Italian tomatoes

4 frozen or fresh boneless, skinless, chicken tenders

Onion powder and garlic powder and salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut up the onions, squash or zucchini, carrots and mushrooms into thin half rounds. Put the veggies into a foil lined 13 by 9 by 2 pan.  Spray veggies with Pam. Stir. Then sprinkle the veggies with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and all of the dried Italian Seasoning and Rosemary. Sprinkle with onion powder and garlic powder. Put in oven. Stir every 15 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes.  

Now take out those 4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenders. Put on a plate. Cover with wax paper and put them in the microwave and hit defrost, hit one then zero and then start. Magic! When it beeps you will have defrosted chicken in about 4 minutes.

 Cut the chicken up into bites. Spray it with Pam. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Toss in hot skillet and stir often. After five minutes, add the tomatoes. Add the hot sauce.

Simmer this while you put the chicken broth in the pot. Add a dash of salt and the dried chives. When it boils, put the couscous into the pot. Put on the lid. Take off the heat and the couscous will be done in 5 minutes. Do NOT remove the lid. 

 Now add the roasted veggies to the tomatoes and chicken mixture. When your couscous 5 minutes is over, add the couscous to the chicken, tomato, veggie mix in the skillet. Stir, taste. Add salt and pepper if you need it. Add some chicken broth if it is too dry. Swirl with some olive oil. Makes 4 nice size serving. 

Sprinkle seasoning on cut veggies.

 

4 frozen, boneless, skinless chicken tenders

Cut up chicken, spray with Pam, sprinkle onion and garlic powder

Oven should be at 450 and here is the couscous 

Cut up veggies, sprayed with Pam, sprinkle with seasonings

Add tomatoes to cooked chicken and then add roasted veggies

Filet Mignon, Pear Kissed Acorn Squash, and Golden Mashed Potatoes

Frugal filet mignon dinner

I love filet mignon. I usually cannot afford it when we go out. Therefore I make it at home. I made this dinner for 4 people for $35. That is about what I would pay in a restaurant for ONE person. I shopped at Costco and was able to find four filet mignon steaks for $27. The steaks are small but very thick. I coated the steaks with extra-virgin olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning. You could use any steak seasoning of your choice. I then left the steaks at room temperature for an hour. (This time is magical....it tenderizes the steak and makes them tasty) (Hide from cat)

I marinate in olive oil and steak seasoning.

I almost forgot the ingredients. Okay...

You Will Need

• 4 filet mignon steaks
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 4 large golden (or white) potatoes
• 4 cups of chicken broth (can be made with bouillon)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon of sour cream
• 1/2 (each) teaspoon of salt, garlic powder onion powder
• 1 acorn squash (looks like a big green acorn)
• 1/3 cup of pear preserves
• 1/2 cup of milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Put the steaks on the grill. Make your husband or boyfriend cook them. Now get out that acorn squash and cut it in half. Scrape out the seeds and strings with an ice cream scoop. Peel and cut your potatoes in half and then chop the half into 4 pieces. Throw the potatoes into boiling chicken broth with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Let it simmer. 

A sharp knife and an ice cream scoop makes easy work of this acorn squash. You are going to scoop out the seeds and the strings. Throw away the seed mixture. Now place these face down in a plate. Cover with wax paper. Microwave for 5 minutes. 

Now you just chop each half into four slices. Turn them face up. Pierce the slices several times with a fork. Take your pear preserves and put it in a glass measuring cup. Zap for two minutes with a paper towel over the top to protect your microwave. Now pick up the handle of the glass measuring cup with a towel...it will be hot. Pour the hot preserves over the face up slices of acorn squash. 

Now drain your potatoes when they are tender (break easily with a fork). Pour back into the pot with the butter. You now need to mash your potatoes and add your milk that you have warmed in the microwave for a minute. Taste...add salt if you need it. Add a heaping tablespoon of sour cream (I love Greek sour cream). Stir. 

Take your steaks off the grill and cover with foil for 5 minutes. 

Place the plate with pear kissed acorn squash back into the microwave for 2 minutes. You do not eat the green skin...tell others. :)  Now you can plate a delicious steak dinner for four for the price of one dinner at a nice restaurant. Set the table. Give everyone a stemmed glass. Throw the phones into a basket. Turn off the television and the computers. Now....let everyone tell two great things about their day while you eat a family dinner together.  Smile...you did good. 

One Pot Sausage, Carrot, Onion and Potato Stew

One Pot Sausage, Carrot, Onion and Potato Stew

This is a dinner that is easy and has just a few ingredients. It takes a little longer than most of my recipes. The prep just takes 10 minutes. It cooks in an hour. You can make this in ONE pot. It can be a deep, corning ware type dish or a big fryer skillet with sides....I have even made it in a lasagna pan and it turned out fine. Another variation....(You can put it in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low.....put in one cup of chicken broth at the beginning) Let us get started....

This has very few ingredients....easy!

• Oven 400
• Big pot (wide or deep will due)
• 2 sausages (your choice....this is Kielbasa
• 6-7 potatoes
• 5 carrots
• 2 onions (white or yellow)
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth (can be made with bouillon granules)

Cut up potatoes and sausage and put in pot.

Cut the carrots and put in the pot.

Pour olive oil over dish.

Season with spices and stir. Pour chicken broth into pan.

• Cover the pot and put it in the oven for an hour. (Slow cooker...8 hours)