OOPS Chicken and Veggies

As basic as my cooking skills are, I tend to follow the OOPS strategy for meal success which would be adding Olive Oil, Pepper and Salt (seasoned) to give it a great simple flavor. I'm always in need of quick and simple options for meals that can be made on the fly, yet still be reasonably healthy, therefore the OOPS chicken and veggies meal was born! If I were more skilled there's probably great gravy to be made from what ends up in the chicken pan, but my butt will thank me for not learning that technique just yet!

Baked potato
Broccoli
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Frozen chicken tenderloins
Olive oil
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Spices (sage, thyme, etc.)
Lemon (if desired)
Balsamic vinegar (if desired)

1) Poke a couple holes in a washed baked potato and stick it in the microwave for about 12 minutes.

2) Cut veggies into bite sized pieces then grab a gallon ziploc bag and put them in the bag. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, then sprinkle on some seasoned salt and crushed black pepper, more or less to taste. You can also add any of your favorite spices to further season to your liking. Zip the bag closed and toss around until seasonings and oil have evenly coated the veggies.

3) Prepare a pan with a small amount of water at the bottom and add a veggie basket (see here), then transfer the coated veggies from the bag into the pan. Turn on high and cover so the water will boil and then steam.

4) Drop a few pieces of frozen chicken tenderloins into the empty ziploc and add a little more salt and pepper then toss around to season evenly. In a small pan heat a small amount of olive oil on medium-high heat then add chicken pieces one by one, taking care not to burn yourself when water meets oil. I then cover (not completely) and let them cook for about 5 minutes or so until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Then turn over and brown the other side. Remove from pan and place onto paper towel to remove excess oil.

4) Check on your veggies and steam to desired tenderness. Add the baked potato now done in the microwave and give a squeeze of lemon over the meal or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the veggies for an added pop of flavor.

5) Enjoy your quick meal!

Source: My brain.