Couscous with Garden Vegetables

What better way to celebrate the first harvest of the year than with a big delicious bowl of couscous loaded with veggies fresh from the garden.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 small orange bell pepper chopped
• 4 scallions sliced (avoid the dark green bits)
• 12 small cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place couscous in a heat proof bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over couscous. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
2. Whisk oil and juice together with salt and pepper and dress couscous
3. Mix in cut veggies and sprinkle with lemon zest.

Tangerine Chicken

This dish is perfect for the end of summer, the heat of the cinnamon and the dark orange of the sauce perfectly compliments the spirit of Lughnasadh. Wonderful served over rice or with rustic bread and a garden fresh salad.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 Tangerines, peeled and sectioned
• 1 Tbsp Tangerine zest

Directions:

1. In a large skillet melt butter. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and set aside
2. Add flour to skillet. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Add orange juice concentrate, water and cinnamon. Simmering, stirring until sauce is thickened.
3. Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over chicken. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until heated through. Add tangerine sections and zest. Stir and serve.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

These are my husbands absolute favorite. I think he'd be happy if I made them every day of the week. I found the recipe in a magazine 5 years ago and I've tweaked it to meet my needs. These are so much better than the awful canned sauce you mix with ground beef and only take a little bit more effort. This meal is the best thing to make on a rainy summer day (you know those late summer storms Lugh is so famous for) when you want the flavor of summer but your stuck inside.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 Large Onion
• 2/3 Cup Ketchup
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp White Vinegar
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Mustard
• 1/4 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Ground Allspice

Directions:

1. Saute ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is translucent. Drain excess fat.
2. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard, chili powder, and allspice.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
4. Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!

This recipe actually makes quite a lot of Sloppy Joe filling so you can easily feed four and have enough for sandwiches the next day.