Menu Monday

What kind of good stuff did you guys cook up this past week?  (No, really, I want some ideas!)

I discovered a new favorite recipe that will be making a regular appearance around these parts.  Recently, I purchased the Simple Honest Food: The Best of Bill Granger cookbook, and that's where I found the delicious recipe for braised chicken with lemon and honey.  While I'm going to give you the recipe I used (I made some changes), you can find the original one {here}.

Lemon Honey Chicken

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (The package I got was about 1.5 lbs)
• salt and pepper
• 1 small/medium onion, diced 
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole (the original recipe calls for 12, so if you're needing to get rid of some vampires who am I to tell you to cut the garlic in half?)
• 2 lemons, sliced 
• 3/4 c. chicken stock
• 1/4 c. honey

Using a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken to pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden, turning once.  Remove chicken and set aside. 

Reduce heat to medium-high, add the onion and cook for 1 minute.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, honey, and lemons to the pan and bring to simmer.  Return chicken to the pan.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  

I served this chicken with couscous and fresh english peas.  It was tender, juicy, and full of flavor.  We enjoyed it so much, I think I'm going to cook it again this week!

Here are some other recipes I tried out:

• {This} turkey meatloaf was yummy!  I added a green pepper and the Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute to the recipe when I made it.  
• When we had friends over for Greek food I used my goat's milk yogurt in {this} tzatziki sauce recipe.  

I'm still sticking to my plan of having an idea of what I want to buy before I walk into the grocery store.  As someone who always forgets the lists I make at home, this has been a pretty major accomplishment.  I'm thinking something along these lines for my three meal game plans:

1. Salmon- Places have had great prices on wild salmon and mangoes have also been on sale.  The grocery store is basically asking me to make grilled salmon with mango salsa.
2. Chicken- The lemon chicken was such a hit, I'm going to try out a similar lime & paprika recipe I found.
3. Turkey Tacos- Going back to my tried and true ground turkey meat.  I find that turkey really takes on whatever flavors and spices you use on it, so I think it's a perfect, healthier meat option for tacos.  

As far as things that didn't work for us, we have the breakfast smoothies.  There is something about drinking my breakfast that I just caaaaan't quite get on board with.  And they are so cold.  To me, it's like a smack in the face first thing in the morning and I can't bring myself to make one.  I think I'm going to consider doing a smoothie for lunch once or twice a week, but as far as breakfast goes I'm going to be sticking to my eggs and toast.  

Anyway, that's all I have for this weeks Menu Monday.  Let me know how your weekly cooking is going and if you're trying out any of these recipes!  I hope this helps you guys like it's helping me.  Come back tomorrow to see my latest home improvement project (I've kept a plant alive for more than a week, y'all!).