Pretty Pretty Veggies

I think I have found a new favorite way to eat summer squash and zucchini, which are always so cheap during the summer! My inspiration for this recipe came from Annie's Eats, but I've mixed it up a bit to meet my taste preferences and our veggie supply :) Oh, ps. they're sooo pretty too!

Pretty Pretty Veggies
1 Large Vidalia onions
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Zucchini
2 Summer squash
2 medium potatoes
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Grated Parmesan


1. Slice the onion and mince the garlic. Sautee these in about 2 T of butter. You want these to be soft and translucent. Once done, spread into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.

2. Microwave the potatoes just 1-2 minutes. I didn't do this and mine were still a LITTLE crunchy. Then you want to slice them into 1/4 inch slices.

3. Slice both the zucchini and summer squash the same 1/4 inch. Slice these on a diagonal so they are close to the same size as the potatoes are.

4. Layer these into your 9x13 pan on top of the onions. Top with salt, pepper, and thyme.

5. Bake at 375 til the veggies are tender, about 30 minutes. Take out and top with grated Parmesan. Place back in the oven til the cheese is nice and melted.

Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken

I got this recipe off the Olive Garden website, so it is dang good. It was also relatively easy to make.













4 each (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts1
1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package directions
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, julienne cut
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 lb whole leaf spinach, stemmed
2 cups heavy cream
1 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

MIX 1½ cups flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess.

HEAT 3 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken breasts 2 at a time over medium-high heat until golden brown and crisp (2-3 min). Add more oil for each batch as necessary.

PLACE cooked chicken breasts on a baking sheet and transfer to preheated oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

HEAT 2 Tbsp oil in a sauce pan. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for approximately 1 minute. Stir in 1 Tbsp flour, wine, spinach and cream and bring to a boil. Sauce is done when spinach becomes wilted. Complete by stirring in parmesan cheese.

COAT cooked, drained pasta with sauce, then top with chicken and remaining sauce. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese.

PF Chang's Orange Peel Chicken

This turned out really good. I haven't been to PF Chang's in years so I am not sure how close it comes to the real thing, but it was still good no matter how different it was.













Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Chicken:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour (I would add some salt)
peel from 1/4 orange, julienned (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and water quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour a few at a time, then into the egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple minutes or until brown on one side, then flip the chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When all of the chicken is cooked rinse the oil out of the wok with water and place it back on the stove to heat up.

When wok is hot again add julienned orange peel and chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so, stirring gently. Add sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir dish a couple times but do it gently so you don't knock the coating off the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens then serve up the dish with white or brown rice on the side.