No-fuss summer dinners

One-pot or pan recipes make for mouthwatering meals and easy clean-up

Pulled Chicken Sloppy Joes (Sloppy Chickens)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ large yellow onion, diced

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• ¾ cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

• ½ cup diced jalapeno pepper

• 4 medium hamburger buns - split, toasted and buttered Directions

1. Add vegetable oil to a saucepan, and then add (in this order) garlic, yellow onion, brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, chicken thighs, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.

2. Place over high heat and wait until you can hear the garlic sizzling in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Let garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds before adding the water. Stir everything together and wait for the mixture to boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken falls apart, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Stir in the green onions and peppers and cook until the peppers just turn tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Taste for

seasoning.

5. Remove from heat and serve on toasted hamburger buns. Chef’s Notes:

You can use any kind of salt you prefer, chicken broth instead

of water, and any green pepper you like.

For a wetter, saucier Sloppy Joe that you eat with a fork, simply cook the chicken covered so the sauce doesn’t reduce as much, and/or add more water or broth at the end to adjust the texture.

Greek Flank Steak and Veggie Salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds flank steak

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons ground oregano

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 English cucumber, chopped

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Put steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for vegetables; pour remainder over steak and turn to coat. Seal bag. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place 1 rack in center position and another 4 inches from broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

3. Toss chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion with reserved 1/2 cup marinade on the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.

4. Roast on center rack until vegetables begin to pucker and brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Remove baking sheet from oven and turn oven to broil.

Push vegetables to the middle of the pan. Remove steak from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off, brush off garlic, and set on top of vegetables. Discard marinade.

6. Broil steak on top rack, flipping once, until it begins to char and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) for rare or 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) for medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

7. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing steak thinly across the grain. Serve warm steak and vegetables with pan juices over romaine, sprinkled with feta cheese and parsley.

One-Pot Ham and Veggie Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 ½ cups cubed fully cooked ham

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 ¼ cups fat free half-and-half

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta

• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ham and onion; saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes.

2. Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth; pour into the pot. Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Add peas and carrots. Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.