Chicken/4 recipes

Slow cooker sloppy joes with brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce over ground beef. Set it and forget it for a sweet-tangy crowd-pleasing sandwich night.

Sacramento-style black bean soup with smoked ham, New Mexico chile, chipotle peppers, cumin, and oregano. Pureed smooth and topped with homemade creme fraiche and red bell pepper.

Warm lentil salad with stir-fried carrots, celery, scallions, and water chestnuts tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. High-fiber, diabetic-friendly, and served on crisp lettuce.

This simple side dish is a good source of fiber. Increase the portion size and it doubles as a meatless main dish.

Hearty kabocha squash chowder with smoky bacon, sweet bell pepper, and fresh thyme. Chunks of golden squash thicken the broth as they soften. Topped with smoked almonds for crunch.

One-pot rustic stew with rabbit, hare, veal, or chicken simmered with leeks, garlic, pearl barley, bay, and sage. A rural British-style dish where the barley doubles as starch and vegetable.

If you're feeding a large family, then make this scrumptious dish that tastes so good, your kids will love you forever!

Light summer vegetable soup with carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, and spinach in chicken broth. Garden-fresh flavor on the table in 30 minutes.

Galveston rub: a wet Texas Gulf Coast paste of crushed garlic, cayenne, paprika, and lemon juice for poultry and pork. Four ingredients, ten minutes, makes about ⅓ cup.

Spicy Sichuan-style pork with peanuts, a fast wok stir-fry of cubed pork tossed in a fiery soy, rice wine, and chili sauce with toasted peanuts and dried chilies. Big heat, deep crunch, restaurant flavor at home.

Authentic Oaxacan mole coloradito with toasted ancho and guajillo chilies, Mexican chocolate, fried plantain, almonds, and sesame seeds. A rich, layered sauce for chicken.

Shrimp and tomatoes with savory rice, a one-casserole dinner of garlic-butter shrimp, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and fresh tomato wedges over tarragon-scented rice with bay leaf and paprika.

Grilled tuna steaks with a pureed yellow pepper sauce, served alongside grilled zucchini, red onion, and potatoes splashed with balsamic vinegar. A colorful, restaurant-quality seafood dinner.

Don't bore your salads with the same dressings from the store, try this recipe that is sure to lively up your dinner!

This is a tangy marinade, containing equal amounts of lemon juice and oil, and is good for rich meats like chicken thighs. It can be used for chicken breasts too, but their skin should be on for additional protection during grilling or broiling. Thyme gives this marinade a flavor loved in France, but you can substitute oregano for an Italian or Greek accent, or mint or cilantro for a Lebanese touch.

My Italian husband uses this filling to make tortellini at home, and it's by far the most delicious filling. He does change the meat around, and we love them all! It's freezer friendly, so we usually make a bunch.