Spring is in the air and garden preparations are underway! I am so excited about this year's garden because it will be a new layout, new location, and new approach. Last year, we got a little ahead of ourselves and dove right into making a plot garden. It was our first "big" garden here and we just went with it and hoped for the best. Everything turned out great! .... That is until we got almost a month straight of rain which in turn, rotted a lot of the plants (ugh!).
But we still managed to get quite a bit of harvest from the peas and the zucchinis and I lost count at about 60lbs with the tomatoes. We knew, however, that the garden was way too big and a bit "chaotic". So this year we will be building some boxes and arranging them within a smaller garden area (which, technically, will still be pretty big... just smaller than last year).
Seeds are starting to sprout so I have been cleaning out pots in preparation for transplanting and also cleaning out other beds that were a total mess when we first moved here. We have two long bed rows, in particular, that needed lots of cleaning up. I think at one time, they looked beautiful with lush green plants and lilies and gladiolas, among other little flowers here and there but over the years (our house was empty for a bit before we moved in) these beds were neglected and the wild took over.
Weeds and invasive plant species (mostly wild blackberry) and tree seedlings filled this garden bed. So much so that I procrastinatingly ignored it for the past year because of all the work that would need to be done to it. And let's face it... I am a big time procrastinator when it comes to projects that I know need to be done (at some point) but will take a whole lot of sweat to complete. I finally had it though and last month, on a cool/mild weekend, I got to work.
I initially didn't want to till up the dirt but with all the mess growing wild in them, I had no choice. I saved what I could and collected all the bulbs I could find and transplanted to other areas. It was a lot of work but totally worth it.
But... in the end, even with all of that weeding and tilling and pulling up the bulbs and other plants, we still have things growing from bulbs I must have missed. The funny thing is, is that I planted some seeds in here before all of these green plants started to sprout (most of them look like gladiolas and some I think might be goldenrod). So now I will have a combination of onions, kale, and random flowers... but hey, the weeds and tree seedlings are gone!
So enough garden talk, let's focus on the food now, shall we!?
I'm not gonna lie folks, I was tempted to just order out for some pizza this weekend... We did a lot of work in one of our sheds and we were both just completely tired. But I really didn't like the idea of spending the $$$ on fast food so I just decided to cook up something quick yet full of flavor.
I love one skillet meals because it just means I won't have to drag out more pots and pans for each individual ingredient. You just cook up your stuff, mix it together and serve. Easy! And total #winwin for fewer dishes having to be washed.
So if you're looking for something quick & easy, try this recipe out. It's got a rich flavor and the potatoes just add a bit of "comfort" to the whole dish while the sundried tomatoes give it a hint of "zest" to tie it all in. - Don't forget to check the notes out at the end of the recipe. I have added some substitutes to this recipe in case you don't have some of the ingredients called for.
Enjoy!
[One Skillet] Creamy Sundried Tomato Potatoes & Chicken
Servings: 4 (if you're not so hungry) / 2 (if your stomach is grumbling) / 1 (if you're feeling adventurous)
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts, sliced into strips
Salt & Pepper (to season the chicken breasts with)
1 tbsp oil from Sundried Tomatoes
1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Potatoes, diced
1 tbsp Cornstarch (1. see notes for an alternative)
2 tbsp water
1 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of Half & Half (2. see notes for an alternative)
1/4 cup Sundried Tomatoes
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Garnish
Cracked Pepper & Parsley
Directions
Season the chicken breast strips with salt & pepper and heat the 1 tbsp of sundried tomato oil & the 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken breast strips to the skillet and saute until they get they get just a bit of that golden "crisp" on each side. Once cooked through, set aside.
Take the two potatoes and dice them up into 1-inch pieces or chunks. Add the potatoes to a medium-large pot of water and then heat on high and boil JUST until tender (about 10-15mins).
While the potatoes are boiling, in a small bowl, add the cornstarch with the 2 tbsp of water and mix up until the cornstarch has dissolved and/or becomes a "paste". Now add the 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of half & half and the cornstarch mixture to the skillet that you cooked the chicken in. Set the heat to medium and heat just until a low boil (small bubbles). Routinely whisk this mixture until it starts to thicken.
Once your cream mixture starts to thicken, add the 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes and the 2 tsp of garlic powder and continue to whisk.
After about 15mins, your cream mixture should be thickened to the point of where you could dip a spoon into it and it won't be runny or watery and will keep a decent hold onto the spoon.
- Add your cooked potatoes to the skillet and stir in with the cream mixture to give them a good coating, then add your chicken strips. Cover and let sit on low heat for about 5mins.
Top with some cracked pepper & parsley, serve and enjoy!
NOTES:
If you do not have cornstarch on hand, you can substitute with flour. For this recipe, use 2 tbsp of flour in replace of cornstarch.
If you do not have Half & Half on hand, heat up 1 tbsp of butter and then add to a 1 cup (measuring cup) and then fill the remaining with milk, transfer to a small bowl and whisk together.
