Zesty Olives

This is a great holiday plate that satisfy most every taste.  A little bit salt and spice mixed with olive oil and some vinegar!


Ingredients
Two medium to large jars of pitted green olives.  One stuffed with garlic the other with pimentos
One can medium pitted black olives
One medium jar of (your choice) mild/spicy/hot banana pepper rings
One small jar of pearl onions (often found where alcoholic drink mixes are)
Two small jars of garlic cloves
Olive oil (good stuff - cold pressed virgin olive oil- don't buy the cheap shit)
Garlic salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning

In the serving dish or in a salad bowl pour about a quarter cup of olive oil and two teaspoons of garlic salt.  With two large spoons stir until the salt is evenly distributed.  Drain all the olives, the garlic cloves, pearl onions, all but the banana pepper rings.  Put everything into the bowl and mix throughly. Pour a liberal amount of olive oil on the mixture.  Drain about half the jar of banana pepper liquid and pour the rest with the banana peppers into the bowl. Lightly add Italian seasoning, pepper, and stir. (Test taste to make sure there's enough garlic salt)
If you refrigerate overnight the oil will congeal so you'll need to let it warm up some and keep it stirred.  Cheddar cheese bites are a great addition to this mix, but only good for one night.  Instead of the banana peppers try Giardiniera -- located same place as the banana peppers and olives!

Oven Baked Chicken/Green Bean/Potato Casserole

This twist on the traditional green bean casserole used at Thanksgiving, provides a meal for two, three, four depending on the amount of chicken you use in the casserole dish.  In this illustration we cooked four chicken thighs that made two dinners for us!

Ingredients:

Chicken (in this case 4 thighs)

Mushroom/Cream of Celery/Cream of Chicken/Creamy gravy sauce (here used two cream of chicken)

bag of frozen green beans (16oz)

4 tbls olive oil

French Fried Onions (handful)

Salt/pepper/garlic salt

1 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded.

Turmeric powder

Two onions, two cloves of garlic

Chicken spices - your choice spicy or mild

8 small whole red potatoes

Heat oven to 350.  Spray pan with Pam or like substance and arrange chicken.  Cut the potatoes in half and arrange around the chicken, add olive oil to the pan.  Salt and pepper the chicken and use whatever chicken seasoning then place uncovered in the oven.  Microwave the greenbeans while the chicken is cooking otherwise after the first 30 minutes add the greenbeans and the gravy.  Slice the onions and garlic and add to the top.  

In 30 minutes flip the chicken and the potatoes, re-season and put back in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and test temperature of the chicken.  When within 30 degrees of 165, then add the soup and the green beans to the casserole sprinkle with turmeric.  Everytime you remove the casserole from the oven, flip the potatoes and the onions and the chicken so they do not dry out on top.

In 30 minutes test the temperature of the chicken.  Close to or at, the desired cooked internal temperature (165,) increase oven temperature to 400, cover the casserole with cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle french fried onion rings on top and place in oven for 5 minutes.

When done remove chicken and serve, remove potatoes, serve them, mix the remains together and serve.