Spicy Baked Chicken with sweet potatoes, yellow squash and walnuts

1 1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Water
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. Chili powder
2 tsp. Cayenne
1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 cups Yellow Squash (cubed)
2 cups Sweet Potatoes (cubed)
1/2 cup Yellow Onion (diced)
20 ounces of Chicken Breast
1/2 cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheight. Coat a roasting pan or large casserole pan with olive oil spray.
2. Combine oil, water and spices in a small bowl. Brush chicken with mixture, coating both sides and place in pan. Toss veggies into bowl and toss until coated.
3. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until squash and potatoes are tender. Add walnuts over the top and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Serving size: 2/3 cup of veggies and 5 ounces of chicken breast
Calories: 336
Protien: 31g
Carbs: 31g
Fat: 15g
Sat. Fat: 2g
Sodium: 378mg
Fiber: 5g


Serve with 1 cup fresh baby spinach tossed with 1 tbsp. of your fave dressing.

For us, this was a 380 calorie meal.

Chicken Bacon Sausage

This recipe was submitted by my pal Cedan Bourne-Nisson. He's from my old-school Utah Shakespearean Festival days and he is a serious carnivore!

Chicken-Bacon Sausage

(you will need a meat grinder)

Note: If apples are in season I often chop up an apple and add it to the mix pre-grind. Core the apple, but leave the skin on.

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs

1/2 lb your favorite bacon

1 large/medium clove garlic

3 table spoons kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)

1 table spoons fresh ground black pepper

1 tea spoon crushed red pepper (more or less as you like)

6-10 leaves fresh basil (I like Thai, but whatever)

1/4 cup olive oil

A splash of really cold white wine (whatever you have on hand)

Ice

One large mixing bowl, and one medium mixing bowl

Meat Grinder with small die

Directions:

First off, put your whole meat grinder and the bowls in the freezer. Two hours would be good, four would be better.

When your hardware is good and frozen go ahead and put your chicken and bacon in the freezer for a bit too. You don't want to freeze it, but you want it to be good and firm - this will make cutting it up much easier.

Chiffonade the basil and set aside

Dice the clove of garlic.

Cube up your slightly frozen meats (about 1/2 inch cube);

mix the meats, garlic, crushed red, salt, and black pepper together.

Place this whole mix in the refrigerator while you set up your grinder.

Fill the larger bowl with ice, and place the medium bowl in the ice.

Place your grinder so that the meat will fall into the medium bowl.

If you have an apron, you might want to put it on: Sometimes this spits.

On low speed, run the chicken/bacon mix thru the grinder.

Remember: Heat is the enemy. Don't force it... but work as quickly as you can.

When everything is all ground up add the basil.

Then, using a wooden spoon (or a stand mixer with paddle attachment) stir the mix for a good minute. Then add the olive oil and chilled white wine. Mix for another minute.

That's it.

Use it loose, stuff it into casings, poach it (maybe in some white wine?), add it to pasta, or rice. If you have some french bread, pickles, lettuce and mustard you can make a really nice sandwich.

Should keep for 3-4 days refrigerated, or a couple months frozen.

Enjoy

Chicken Fried Rice

Use your old rice. Rice should be at least one day old, two is even better! The chicken can be from your leftovers too! Remember that you can use just about any veggies you have on hand. This is a super cheap and easy recipe.

• Leftover rice
  
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (you could use shrimp or beef too!)
• 2 eggs (more or less depending on how much rice you have)
• 1 cup frozen mixed veggies (or whatever leftovers you have)
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
  
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  

First get your wok nice and hot - then add a couple dollops of oil.

If you have the chicken already prepared, heat it up in the wok and then dump it on a plate. If not, cook it and then dump it on a plate.

Next cook up the veggies and garlic until they are nice and tender.

Dump them on top of the chicken.

Next up are the eggs. Lightly scramble them in the bottom of the wok. Once the are done dump them on the chicken and veggies.

Add a little more oil if your pan is looking dry.

Now put the rice in and spread it around. Don't mess with it too much or it will break down and get all mushy. I try to wait until I hear the rice really sizzle and then mix it around once.

After you hear the sizzle again - dump all the other ingredients on top.

Move it around again. Try to get the uncooked rice to the bottom when you mix all the ingredients.

Add the soy sauce and listen to it hiss.

Move it around one last time.

Should be done now! Maybe a total cook time of 30 minutes of you have raw chicken to start.... closer to 1o if chicken and veg are already cooked!

Serve with a side of Chili sauce with Garlic!

Mmmmmmm

Chicken Cacciatore in the Crock Pot

Sorry guys, I didn't remember to take process pictures this time. But trust me, this recipe is AWESOME!

3 lbs. chicken (I used boneless, skinless breasts)
1 can diced tomato
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 small onion, diced
1 small red (or green) pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

6 servings of your favorite pasta

Chop the onion and put in the bottom of the crock pot
Put the chicken on top of the onion
Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the chicken

Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.

Cook the pasta and plate your meal! The breasts will easily break in halves or quarters, or chunks, whatever you like best. Dip out the sauce with a ladle. Serve with your favorite salad and garlic bread.

I throw the left over pasta in the crock pot and let it sit in the sauce while we are eating. (If we have any leftovers!)

YUM! This is an easy and SUPER DELICIOUS recipe.

Enjoy!