One Pan Meal for Two

Soft & Fluffy Baked Potato

Scrub two large brown potatoes. Remove blemishes. Poke several holes in potatoes with fork or sharp knife. Rub potatoes in olive oil and cover in aluminum foil. Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 90 minutes.





Roast Chicken Legs*

4 chicken legs
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons seasoned salt**
1/2 teaspoon Poultry Seasonings (optional)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
pepper to taste

Mix flour and seasonings in plastic bag. Add chicken legs and shake until coated. Place chicken legs on a baking sheet coated with your favorite cooking spray. Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. Turn once while roasting.


Garlic-Butter Squash

Halve and clean one acorn squash. Salt and pepper^ the squash to taste, thin slice or dice a clove of garlic and put it, along with a one tablespoon pat of butter in the center of each half. Bake in 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. (Put it in the baking dish right beside the chicken.)




Cooking tips:

When flouring the chicken use a zipper-lock bag and seal it with plenty of air inside to allow free movement of chicken and flour as you shake.

Put the potatoes in the oven first and turn it on to preheat. Once the oven is at full temperature turn it from preheat to bake. A half an hour later add the chicken. Fifteen minutes after that add the squash. If the potatoes are not fully cooked when the chicken and squash are ready, a minute or so in the microwave should finish them to perfection.

Notes:

*any cut of chicken can be used. Meatier pieces may need a longer cooking time.

**your favorite brand

^I used seasoned salt

I'm sorry I forgot to take a picture of the finished plate. Once again the food was half eaten before I remembered. When I complained to OC he assured me it was "beautiful."

Fancy Tuna (or Chicken) Salad

This actually doesn't look as good as it tasted. I would have tried for a better picture, but my loving partner was impatient to eat. He snapped this for me then hustled his plate to the dinner table. However, if you think about it, that's quite an endorsement for the salad. (Note to self: Don't mention that OC hadn't eaten in almost 10 hours.)

This recipe evolved -- as many of my recipes do -- out of a lack of necessary ingredients for the salad I wanted to make. No mayo? Crap! [snatch open fridge] Oh, look! Sour cream! It's the right color. I wonder what will happen if ....

Salad:

• 1 pound bag of fancy pasta, boiled and rinsed
• 1 12-oz. can of albacore tuna (canned chicken works well, too!)
• 1/2 med. sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 cup diced or grated carrot
• 1/4 cup pickle relish (I prefer dill)
• 1/2 fresh or *frozen peas

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayo (or Miracle Whip or Sour Cream)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 2-0z jar of diced pimento with juice
• 1/4 c. dill pickle juice (if you use sweet pickles add a little more white wine)
• 2 tbs. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp. celery seed (or 1/4 cup fresh, thinly-sliced celery)
• 1 tbs. dried parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

Toss the fresh ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing and pour it over the top. Stir and chill.

**Serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with paprika and deviled eggs. Fresh rolls on the side would be nice.

Makes 4 generous (full meal) servings.


tips:

*I defrost the peas by putting them in the colander and draining the pasta over them.

**This salad tastes best the day after you make it. I like to put it together the afternoon before the day I serve it. (I like to, but I seldom get to.)