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May 19, 2019

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & Potatoes

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & PotatoesI’m so excited to share this easy one-pan meal. It’s Mediterranean eating at its best… healthy, low fat, and full of flavor. The whole thing is ready in an hour so there’s plenty of time to steam some broccoli or make a salad.

When using lemon, it’s best to use a non-reactive pan like Pyrex. I found a 13 by 9 pan at the grocery store for 12.49. The marinade is really simple, using one large lemon but you can use more lemon if you like. Here’s how it looks before cooking:

Greek Lemon Chicken Recipe

I try to submerge as many potatoes into the liquid as possible so they absorb lots of lemon/garlic flavor. About 10 minutes before it’s done, I turn over the potatoes and chicken. Here is it after cooking:

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & PotatoesMost of the liquid will cook off and I use whatever juices are left, including the onions, to pour over the chicken for serving. I slice the chicken so the juices go inside all the slices. I love this easy recipe. They say the healthiest diet in the world is the Mediterranean diet and this is it! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Apr 22, 2019

My Pan Fried Turkey Meatballs

Easy Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Three things I always have in my freezer: 1) homemade chicken stock 2) homemade bread 3) turkey meatballs. These tasty little meatballs help me put together and quick and easy dinner with some pasta, sauce, and a salad. They are light and healthy and take just a few simple ingredients.

You can use white or soft whole wheat bread to make the fresh breadcrumbs. I use my own homemade bread, both white and whole wheat. There’s not much difference in the result so why not use whole wheat, but make sure it’s a soft whole wheat bread (mine is really easy to make).

This is a quick recipe but it’s hands-on because you have to keep turning the meatballs (sometimes meat squares or triangles) but who cares as long as they taste great. When I add the water, I rarely have any left at the end but all stoves and pans are different so if you have water left over, it just takes a minute or two to cook it off. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Apr 18, 2019

Happy Easter

Easy Easter Bread RecipeHappy Easter, everyone!

I wish you all a lovely holiday and good luck with all your cooking and baking.

This is my Simple Easter Bread that I’m making on Sunday. Of course I had to test it out today to make sure it turns out so I guess we’ll just have to eat it. ? I love baking for any holiday and sweet breads (my favorite kind of bread) are most popular at Easter time. It’s an easy one-rise recipe with lots of golden raisins and a light glaze. If you want to try this easy homemade raisin bread recipe click here.

Apr 1, 2019

What You’re NOT Eating is The Problem

I just read an eye-opening article saying it’s not the bad stuff we’re eating but the good stuff we are NOT eating that poses a bigger threat to our health. It’s from a 27-year global study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. One in five deaths, no matter where people lived, occurred because of too much sodium and a lack of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium, fiber, legumes or beans, and healthy fats found in salmon, vegetable oils and some nuts and seeds. Hey! I eat a lot of that stuff!

This chart shows the 15 risk factors with #1 being the highest risk. In the USA it’s not enough whole grains followed by not enough nuts and seeds. I’m proud to say that a lot of my breads and cookies have those things.

 To read the whole article, click here.
Filed Under: Nutrition
2 Comments
Apr 1, 2019

My Go-To Dinner

Easy Veggie Fried RiceI’ve been busy the past month and when there’s not much time to cook, I still cook. And tonight I made my veggie fried rice. It’s my go-to dinner when I want a quick and healthy meal. I always have broccoli and peppers on hand I always keep frozen peas in the freezer.

It’s a light meal with protein from the eggs and a bounty of nutrients from the vegetables. This time I used broccoli, spinach, peppers, and peas. We had my peanut butter cookies for dessert.

If you want to try this quick and easy vegetarian fried rice, click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Mar 17, 2019

Finally, A New Photo

I finally posted a new photo of myself on this website. I enjoy taking photos of my recipes but not so much of myself but I felt obligated to show my true and current self, un-retouched. The other photo was taken 5 years ago so it was time. I’ll soon be turning 73 and couldn’t put it off much longer. At least in this one I’m still only 72!

Photo Jenny JonesI wore my favorite apron and included the smiley spatula. My husband took the photo after I showed him which button to press. ? He always said he would do anything for me so I took him at his word. Thank you, my precious! ❤️ (He doesn’t know it yet but there’s an apple pie in his future ?) Happy cooking, everyone!

Filed Under: General
95 Comments
Mar 10, 2019

Breakfast For One

Easy Oven Apple PancakeThis morning I was craving my caramelized apple pancake but I am by myself and the recipe makes two servings. I decided to experiment, cutting all the ingredients in half, using one large granny smith apple and I used my 9-inch cast iron pan. It turned out great! I was afraid it would spread out too much and the edges wouldn’t puff up but look – it’s beautiful!

Here it is just out of the oven before I flipped it over onto the plate.

Skillet Apple PancakeIt wasn’t quite as gooey as the big one but I needed to show that you can make this pancake for one. You know that movie, “Gone in 60 Seconds?” So was my pancake. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Feb 28, 2019

Oatmeal Fig Bars

Homemade Fig NewtonsAre you getting enough fiber? You will if you make these super high fiber, soft and delicious oatmeal fig bars. I make the crust/topping with oats, whole wheat pastry flour, and vegetable oil (cold pressed avocado oil is my preference). The filling is simply cooked figs with a little added sugar. I have these healthy fig bars for dessert after dinner and after breakfast too. I love them.

The desserts I make the most are always the ones without butter, with whole grains, and with some added health benefits like fruit or chocolate. And these fit the bill.

Figs are loaded with fiber but that’s not all. They also provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals.  If you like fig newtons, these easy homemade bars will taste even better. Doesn’t everything homemade taste better?  Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Feb 20, 2019

Whole Wheat No Knead Bread (updated)

100% Whole Wheat No Knead BreadI found a better way to make my 100% whole wheat no knead bread. I’m using the same ingredients but I recently found that you don’t always need the resting period for no knead breads while the oven heats up so I tried it with this whole wheat version and it turned out great. And it saves time. I plan to experiment with all my other no knead breads and will report back on each one if they are just as good without the resting time.

I get the best result in my 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven so the bread can not spread too much. Keep in mind that this is a heavier, more dense loaf than the original white flour version but if you want an easy, healthy, high fiber bread recipe, this is it. The only difference between this recipe and the old one is that the old one had a 2-hour resting period before baking. So the total time for this recipe just went from 13 hours to 11 (but you’re sleeping most of this time anyway).

For my new and improved, faster 100% whole wheat no knead bread, click here for the recipe.

Feb 18, 2019

Homemade Pierogi

Homemade Pierogi

Quick & easy pierogi? There is no such thing. But if ever a  recipe was worth the time, it’s homemade pierogi. I only make potato & cheese pierogi because that’s what I grew up on. My dad taught me how to make them and I’m so glad I shared the recipe because I wasn’t sure if anyone would want to put in the effort. It turns out a lot of people do. There are hundreds of comments and over a million people have watched the video.

There are two things to make: the dough and the filling. The mashed potato filling is easy to make but the dough takes more time and it’s important that the filling stays inside the dough when they are boiled. Before boiling, the pierogi must be kept apart on a floured towel because if they touch each other they will likely stick and create an opening in the dough. That would result in them breaking apart when they’re boiled. I line a baking sheet with a dish towel and sprinkle it with flour and place them on the towel, not touching.

How To Make PierogiI boil mine in a medium saucepan so I only boil 4 or 5 at a time, making sure at first that they don’t touch each other in the water. Pierogi take about 3-4 minutes to cook and when they’re done I remove them to an oiled baking sheet and put the next few in the boiling water. (By the way, “pierogi” is plural – one is called a “pierog” but people often use “pierogies” as the plural).

Best Polish PierogiOnce they’re cooked I still keep them mostly separated. There are two ways to enjoy these Polish treasures. One is to eat them right after boiling when they are soft and tender, served with sour cream and bacon bits. I rarely eat bacon but that rule goes out the window when I make homemade pierogi.

The other way is to pan fry them in a little oil or butter until they’re lightly browned and serve them with (big surprise…) sour cream and bacon bits. They are also often served with fried onions. Well I have to go now. We have leftovers. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones