One Pan Chicken & Potato in honey mustard - Weekend Recipe

When I am wrapped up in the summer herb harvest, I like a meal that I can put on one pan, pop in the oven and pull out later ready to serve.  This is one such meal and it fits with this month’s theme using mustard.  The honey and mustard coating flavors succulent boneless, skinless chicken thighs and when you add red potatoes to bake with the chicken to soak up the juices it is a perfect one pan meal.

I got this photo from CafeDelites.com, because mine was not very photogenic in the cake pan with foil.

Honey and Mustard Chicken and Potato Bake

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

4 Tbls Dijon mustard

2 Tbls honey

1 minced shallot

1 Tbls minced fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)

1-1/2 tsp fresh or dried savory, minced

1pound small red potatoes, cut into halves

Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine mustard, honey, shallot and thyme in a small bowl to form a paste. Spread over thighs, covering them completely.

Add potatoes to the pan and spritz with olive oil spray. Sprinkle potatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Bake about 50 minutes, stirring potatoes once, until potatoes and chicken are tender.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Making cuttings from Scented Geraniums

Tonight we are traveling to Park Forest to do one of my favorite programs Herbology 101, sometimes just called Fun with Herbs.  I can adjust this program to fit the seasons and tonight I am discussing harvesting and preserving herbs as well as how to bring them in the house for winter.  I am doing it again in September for the Schaumburg Township District Library where I will be having make and take stations too.  However, they are on a waiting list already, but you might be able to join us if you check it out soon.

Of the things I am talking about tonight I am discussing Scented gernaiums.  They are a great item to take a cutting from for winter gorwing, or you can bring them in and take a cutting come spring for a new outdoor crop next year.

When rooting a scented geranium the best medium is damp sand.  Get some landscape or gardeners sand, not play sand.  Fill a container.  I used a window box.  You can use paper cups, small pots or even plastic pots or containers.

Make sure the sand is nice and damp, but not waterlogged.

Then you need the plant to take cuttings from.

This is this year's crop of Scented Geraniums.  There is Mable Grey on the far left and right with apple scented in the round leaves in front and the rose scented with round leaves in the back.  The ferny leaf ones are lemon and lemon-rose scented.

I am taking a cutting from the old-fashioned rose scented geranium with the long stems with multiple round leaves and the Rober's Lemon rose with the deeply cut and ferny leaves.

You only need two or three simple tools to make cuttings.  You need the medium to put the cutting in, ground cinnamon to keep germs away from your cuttings, and a sharp pair of scissors to take the cuttings.  I also use a pencil to make the holes in the sand, so I don't bend or crush the stem and it can make good roots.

Take a cutting from near the growing node of the plant.  The node is that area of the stem where leaves emerge and is the best place to get a new plant started, rather than cutting in the middle of a stem.

You then remove all the leaves from the stem except for a couple at the top .  You want the branch to spend energy making roots not keeping leaves alive, so remove as many as you can.

Then use a pointy stick or sharpened pencil (this is my special Berol #2.5 pencils that I own numbering in the hundreds) to make a hole in the sand to place the cutting.

Roll the end of the stem in ground cinnamon if you want to keep germs from forming on the cutting and place it in the hole, using only one finger to firm the sand around the cutting, so you don't crush it.

You can place the pot outside in a shady location or indoors in a sunny window.  Keep the sand moist, by misting it regularly and wait about two to three weeks for roots to form.  You will know it works when the leaves start to grow again.  Some cuttings will die.  This is a fact of growing plants.  Do not fear.

Replant the cuttings into potting soil when the root systems are fully developed (about 6 to 9 weeks.) Then keep them in a sunny window for the winter and take them outdoors for summer growth.   Scented geraniums like to dry out between watering, so do not over water them.

You can use this same technique with other plants as well.  Some herbs like Basil you can root the cuttings in water rather than sand. Always take a cutting from green stems, rather than woody stems.  You can root sage, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, mints, coleus and other firm stem herbs and plants with little difficulty and the plant provides many branches to cut, giving you plenty of stock to experiment with your technique without guilt.

Make your own Honey Mustard

Making mustard is nothing mysterious.  It is simple easy-to-do and only takes a few ingredients. This recipes is super simple, but takes a few days.

My husband is on a honey mustard kick.  He is putting it on everything, so I thought I would make him drool with this quick recipe.  Now I am on the hook to make him another batch, because this one only lasted a week. 

Brandied Honey Mustard

6 Tbls yellow mustard seeds

2 Tbls brown mustard seeds
3 Tbls brandy
1/3 cup water

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup local honey
1 tsp fine sea salt

Combine mustard seeds, 1/3 cup water, brandy and vinegar in a bowl and stir to completely submerge the seeds.  Cover and let soak at room temperature for 3 days.  Place everything in a blender and blend with honey and salt until smooth.  Store in a sealed jar and refrigerate until you finish it or 3 to 6 months whichever comes first. Makes about 1 cup.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails