Sheet Pan Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

I made this dish for supper this evening and it got excellent reviews. It was so easy and so flexible I'll be making this again. Already thinking of different vegetable combinations to use. One recommendation, do not add more that the listed amount of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning otherwise it will be too salty.

So easy, so delicious, and so flexible!

Sheet Pan Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 .04 ounce packet Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Dressing,

1 garlic clove, minced

1 12 to 16 ounce package of mixed vegetables (I used a medley that included baby carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. This recipe may be adapted to vegetables your family prefers.)

1 half onion, cut in half from stem to root, peeled and trimmed, then cut into thin strips from cell to root.

Note: I had a leftover half of a green pepper that I also sliced into the mix.

Packet of Dressing

DIRECTIONS

Set oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a sheet pan with tin foil. Lightly spray with olive oil spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until chicken is coated with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with half a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Dressing. Stir until chicken is well coated with dressing mix.

Place chicken on cookie sheet and bake, skin-side down for 25 minutes.

While chicken is baking, in a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Dressing, minced garlic, package of mixed vegetables, and sliced onions. Stir until all vegetables are covered with oil.

Remove chicken from oven. Flip over chicken so that the skin side is up. Place vegetables  in open spaces around the chicken thighs.

Return chicken to oven and continue baking for another 25 minutes. Skin should be crispy on top.

Remove from oven and serve.

J. L. Hudson's Maurice Salad

J. L. Hudson was a Department Store in downtown Detroit. I loved that store, especially the elevators, who were manned by ladies that announce the floor number. They may have announced what departments were on a particular floor, but I don't remember for sure.

The store had a very nice in-house restaurant and they served a salad called Maurice Salad. If you would like more information on the salad, its history, where you can find restaurants that have it on the menu, and a recipe for the salad click here.

I made the salad a couple of days ago, shortly after Easter. It was a good way to use up some of the leftover ham and hard boiled eggs. Enjoy!

The very delicious Maurice Salad, originally served
 at the restaurant in the J.L. Hudson's Department Store, 
in Detroit, Michigan.

Dairy Free Double Chocolate Cake with Dairy Free Peanut Butter Icing

I volunteered to bake a cake to celebrate an anniversary and one person could not eat dairy. I searched for recipes that would be mindful of the requirement, yet tasty to all of the guests at the party. This was the end result, and I actually think it was better than other chocolate cakes I’ve made in the past. Serious bakers will recognize it as basically a “Depression” or “Wacky” cake, which I modified to my own taste. The end result was a very moist and tasty cake!

Delicious Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing

Dairy Free Double Chocolate Cake with Dairy Free Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/8 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups brewed coffee at room temperature

1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate morsels

Baking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with baking spray.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk the mixture until evenly combined. Make 1 large well in the center of the cake, and 2 small wells on either side of the large one. Pour the oil into the large well, the vanilla into one of the small wells, and the vinegar into the other small well. Pour the coffee evenly over everything in the bowl. With an electric mixer blend the entire mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate morsels. Pour into baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack about 2 hours

Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup salted vegan butter (I like Miyoko’s Plant Butter)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2-3 tablespoons unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk (I found I didn’t need it and added more powdered sugar)

Instructions

Cream together the peanut butter and plant butter with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment.

Add vanilla and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Continue to mix gradually increasing the speed until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add remaining powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy. If not firm enough add an additional 1/4 cup of sifted powdered sugar or if too thick whisk in the milk one tablespoon at a time, if needed, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.