Taquitos!

When I used to teach school we had these disgustingly fabulous things in the cafeteria called crispitos. They are indescribably bad for you, but I loved them. This is not a recipe for those because I have no IDEA how to make them. I did however come up with a way to make taquitos that have infinitely more flavor than any I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. And when I say I came up with it, I totally mean Dustin. The best part is the that filling can be made ahead in the crock pot and stored until you need it.

Taquito filling:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast
3/4 mild salsa
2 tbs of melted butter
2.5 tbs of cilantro 
juice of one REAL LIME  - don't be using the bottled stuff
1 tbs of chili garlic sauce (you find it in the Asian food section)

Place the chicken in your crock pot with the butter. Mix the salsa, lime juice, cilantro and chili garlic sauce in a bowl. Pour over the chicken. Let it cook for two hours on low. Don't over cook or it will be dry. When it is almost cool, finely shred the chicken. Reserve about 1/4 of a cup of the juice in the crock pot to store with the chicken so it doesn't dry out. You can use more if you think you need it.

When you are ready, fill corn tortillas - the kind that have not yet been fried - and roll. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. You only need about an inch to an inch and a half in the bottom of the skillet. Get it good and hot. Don't be scared. If your oil isn't hot enough, your taquitos will be greasy. Also make sure you have tongs handy for turning and for rescuing taquitos once they are cooked. Lay the taquitos down on the pan on their flap so they stay closed. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until that side is golden brown. Then turn and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and lay on a plate with paper towels to drain.

We ate ours with avocado halves and sour cream, but you could do Spanish rice and black beans too.
This makes about 8 taquitos. If you need to make more than that, just add chicken breasts to the crock pot!

Cozy Quinoa Casserole

I found this recipe on the side of the Kitchen Basics chicken stock box and thought it sounded good. I did slightly modify it. Dustin LOVED it, and it's a good make ahead meal. Plus, quinoa is all the rage right now for being super healthy. You really can't lose.

2 cups of Kitchen Basics chicken stock
1/2 large white onion, diced
sliced fresh mushrooms - you can use whatever kind you wish
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cups of uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/3 cup parsley, minced
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, saute the onion in a little bit of olive oil until it is just translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Once the turkey is cooked, add the poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, stock, and quinoa. Bring it to a boil; then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 2 qt casserole dish. Mix in parsley and 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.  Serve with salad and steamed green veggies!

Muffin Tin Frittatas

Weekend brunch is a favorite for us even though we rarely actually GO to brunch! Still, we love brunch foods because they are easy to make, and everyone loves breakfast. Frittata is a great way to put a whole meal into one easy dish, and baking them in muffin tins not only makes them conveniently singe serve, but everyone gets some crispy edge! Also, these keep well and reheat in the oven for a quick weekday breakfast treat.

3 egg whites
4 whole eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup of milk
6 strips cooked, chopped bacon
frozen shredded hashbrowns
3/4 cup of cheese - we used Brie because we had it, but cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, anything is good!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, whole eggs, milk, and sour cream with a hand mixer on medium until well integrated. Then add the cheese and mix. In each of the sprayed muffin cups, out a little bit of the frozen hashbrowns and some chopped bacon. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Place in the oven and bake until the centers are not runny. It should take about 20 minutes.
Serve with fruit and coffee!
Refrigerate leftover servings and reheat in the oven for about 8 minutes. 

Easy Beef Bourguignonne

Okay I swear that I have other sources for recipes, but Real Simple is the star of my kitchen right now! Typically I tweak their recipes just a little bit, but this one I made straight up. It takes 30 minutes and involves very little prep work. This is perfect for a Friday night dinner or Sunday lunch. You can serve it with rice or potatoes. Or really whatever you like.

1.25 lbs sirloin steak cut into one inch pieces (I used london broil)
10 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms
16 oz pk frozen cocktail onions (I used the jarred ones because I couldn't find frozen)
2 cups of red wine (if you don't drink a lot of wine, buy the singles so the rest doesn't go bad; also I used cabernet sauvignon)
1 10.75 oz can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup
olive oil
salt and pepper

I used my enameled cast iron pot for this.  If you have one, or a dutch oven you should use it!
Heat 1 tbs of olive oil until shiny. Drop in your meat and brown it until its not pink.  It's tempting to keep stirring it, but really just let it brown on one side then turn it over.  Brown food tastes good!
Move your meat to a separate bowl and drop in your mushrooms and onions. Cook until the moisture evaporates. Pour in the red wine, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. BE PATIENT! Add the can of soup and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Return the meat and juices from the bowl to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for two more minutes, and serve over rice or with potatoes and a green vegetable.
Serves 4.

I packaged up the leftovers and frozen 1/2. Real Simple says the frozen leftovers will be for 3 months.

Spicy Noodles and Pork

This is another modified recipe from realsimple.com. I find their recipes to be inspiring! Also, I love Asian food of all kinds, and this is one of my favorites to cook at home. I will warn you that this is a messy recipe, but it is worth the mess .

32 ounces of Kitchen Basics chicken stock
1.5 in piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced (please do yourself a favor and use the fresh stuff)
1 package of rice sticks/noodles
1 package dried shiitake mushrooms
1 red jalapeno sliced (green is okay if you can't find red)
4 thin sliced boneless pork chops
1/4 cup AP flour
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Soak the mushrooms and rice sticks/noodles according to the package directions. In a large pot, bring chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Add the mushrooms and jalapenos and simmer until tender. Meanwhile,  season the pork chops and coat with flour. Then dip them in egg and then into the panko. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the pork chops 2-3 minutes per side until thoroughly cooked. While the pork is cooking, add the rice noodles to the chicken broth. Slice the pork and serve over noodles and broth.  Sprinkle with the scallions.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Turnovers

Hey! It's been a while since I've had a chance to cook anything exciting enough to post!
I took this recipe from the realsimple.com website and tweaked it a tad.  It originally called for ground beef and cheddar cheese, which you are more than welcome to use in place of the ground turkey and goat cheese.

 olive oil
1lb ground turkey
1 medium sweet potato peeled and shredded
2 cups baby spinach
2 puff pastry sheets thawed
4 ounces goat cheese
2 cloves of garlic chopped 
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Brown the ground turkey until completely cooked. Do not over cook it. Stir in the garlic, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Cook over medium heat until the spinach is slightly wilted.  Salt and pepper to taste. Cover baking sheet in aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay the puff pastry sheets out separately on the baking sheet and cut each one in half with a pizza cutter. Fill half of each puff pastry strip with the meat, spinach, and potato mixture leaving a 1/4 edge all the way around.  Top with goat cheese crumbles; fold and seal the dough to make turnover pockets. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 

Dustin is working out a dipping sauce for these.  He wasn't happy with his first attempt! I'll update when I have his dipping sauce :)

KK's party pumpkin dip

This is a huge hit at our family Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and I give all the credit to KK :) Pumpkin dip is a great, easy party dish that you can put together at the last minute. 

1 can pumpkin pie filling
1 small tub of cool whip
1 package cream cheese softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger

Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on low with a hand mixer until everything is integrated.  Put in a nice dish and serve with ginger snaps or graham crackers.  If you are really feeling like Betty Crocker, you can make your own gingerbread people. 

Taco Soup - warms you from the inside!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...but the some soup would be delightful.  Okay, I just made that one up, but it's totally true! Taco soup is one of our favorites because it's easy and tasty and it freezes pretty well if you make too much.  Also, it only takes one pot!

1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
1 can black beans drained
2 cans diced tomatoes drained
2 package of taco seasoning
1 46 ounce can of V8 juice
1 can white shoepeg corn drained

Brown the meat with a little bit of oil in the bottom of your soup pot.  Drain the excess liquid.  Open all your cans and dump everything in the soup pot including the taco seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Salt to taste.  I serve this with corn bread or tortilla chips depending on how much time I have. 

Wow-Your-Friends-at-the-Holiday-Brunch quiche

It's that time of year where we get invited to countless Christmas brunches, parties, and shindigs. And every time, we go through the, WHAT DO I BRING TO THIS THING dilemma.  Take this easy quiche recipe and morph it into a fabulous take along.

Ingredients:
1 package of Pilsbury pie crusts; thawed - the kind in the tins in the freezer section; there are 2 per package
4 large  eggs
1/2 mayonnaise or sour cream
1/2 whole milk
1 cup cheese - get creative with it! Gruyere and cheddar are good choices, but swiss or parmesan can also be brought into the mix
1  cup cooked bacon or chopped ham
1 cup cooked veggies - I like asparagus or spinach, but you can do onions, broccoli, or red peppers too; DRAIN THEM WELL

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Pre bake both pie shells for about 15 minutes to keep them from being gooey.  While the pie crusts bake, place all four eggs, mayonnaise or sour cream, milk, and cheese into the blender.  Blitz until just blended. Remove the pie crusts from the oven and raise the temp to 400.  Evenly divide bacon/ham and veggies evenly between the two pie shells and then evenly divide the egg mixture over the veggies.  Gently wrap the edges of your quiches with a strip of foil to keep the crust edges from burning and place into a 400 degree oven.  Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until the middles are set.  Cool for about 15 minutes and serve!

Roasted pork and lentil salad

This is another recipe I took from Real Simple magazine; I modified it only slightly, of course.  Lentils are a great way to get fiber into your diet, plus they are tasty :)

2 lb pork tenderloin roast
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 honeycrisp apple cut into 1/2" pieces
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs salted butter
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs brown sugar
kosher salt
black pepper


Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add the lentils and 1 tbs of salt and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 20-30, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender.  While the lentils cook, heat butter in a dutch oven or heavy, oven proof skillet. Pat the pork roast dry and season it with salt and pepper. Place the pork roast in the skillet, fatty side down, and cook on medium high heat for 6 minutes (leave it alone; it won't burn). Turn the roast over, and cook for another 6 minutes. Cover it and place it in the oven for 20-25 minutes to finish cooking through.  If you have a meat thermometer, the approved internal temperature for pork is 140 degrees, but I like to go to about 150.  Mix up the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a little bowl.  Baste the meat with it twice in the last five minutes of cooking.
Once the lentils are tender, rinse them with cold water and drain.  Place them in a medium bowl with the chopped apple, celery, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.  Toss until mixed. 
Slice the pork and serve with the lentil salad. Sweet tea also makes a fabulous accoutrement ;)

Poached Tilapia and Jasmine Rice

I took this recipe from REAL SIMPLE magazine and completely changed it up; it turned into a really flavorful way to cook tilapia, which doesn't have too much flavor of it's own.  I highly recommend using an electric skillet for this, but if you don't have one, it's okay. 

16 oz of coconut water - NOT coconut cream or coconut milk
4 6 oz tilapia fillets
1 lemon, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
dash of kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
Jasmine rice

Combine all ingredient except for jasmine rice in an electric skillet, or a large skillet on the stove if you don't have an electric skillet.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until fish is tender.  While the fish is cooking, cook the jasmine rice according to the package directions. Serve with a green salad!

Warm Barley Salad

Hi! I apologize for the LONG space in between posts.  But I am back!

We recently discovered barley! (I know.  It's been around awhile.) I love rice and potatoes, but Dustin gets bored, so I have to keep finding new side dishes. This warm barley salad is a fabulous substitute for plain old rice or potatoes.  Plus, it's healthy :) This application (to steal a term from Alton Brown) is very similar to risotto.  I typically serve this with chicken that I roast in the oven while the barley salad cooks.

1 cup uncooked quick cook barley
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
8 oz asparagus cut into 1" pieces or fresh green beans
32 oz of heated Kitchen Basics chicken stock or beef stock or vegetable stock (it depends on what you decide to serve this with)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper

In an 11" or 12" skillet, saute the onion and carrot in olive oil over medium heat until slightly tender.  Stir in the barley and one cup of chicken stock cook until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the asparagus or green beans.  Cook until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed by adding one cup of broth at a time and stirring frequently.  Once the barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, thyme, and pepper. Salt to taste. 

Tempura asparagus fries

If you hate asparagus but love tempura, I think you should try these! I could eat asparagus anyway but boiled, so I may be biased.  You can also use this batter to coat pretty much any vegetable you like, so feel free to try other things and share your preferences. 

Tempura batter - it's finicky stuff so pay attention to what you are doing
3/4 cup of AP flour
1/4 corn starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup COLD water
1 egg separated - save both parts; you'll be using them
1 lb asparagus washed and patted dry - I recommend the fatter stalked variety.  The thin stalks got a little soggy on us

Mix together the flour, corn starch, and baking soda. Then stir in the cold water and egg yolk.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until it's frothy and add to the batter.  Salt to taste, but go easy because you'll want to sprinkle the fries with salt when you're done too.
In a deep skillet, pour in about two inches of oil and get it very hot. If it's not hot when the asparagus goes in, they will just get greasy and not crispy.  Dust your asparagus in flour before dipping them in batter.  Fry them a few at a time until they are golden brown.  Drain them on a paper towel.  Dust with salt and enjoy!
If you fry more than you can eat in one sitting, you can reheat them in the oven later.  They are a little less than crispy, but still pretty tasty.

Mexican Chicken Stew

This is a great recipe to make for large parties or to share.  You can also freeze it for about a month without the beans getting too mushy.  It's fairly inexpensive and it goes in the crock pot! I'm giving you the regular size recipe, but you can double, triple, whatever as needed.  You can also add an extra can of tomatoes if you like yours with more broth and less chunk.

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can pinto beans drained
1 can black beans drained
1 can white shoepeg corn drained
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth

Dice and cook the chicken in a skillet and drain.  Put all the other ingredients into your crockpot.  Add the chicken and simmer on low for 4-6 hours.  I serve this over brown rice, but you can serve it with cornbread or tortilla chips too.  Add some sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese if you like!

Muffin cup omelets - super easy!

The Only Wyndi and I were chatting the other day about easy, make-ahead breakfast recipes and she mentioned this one to me. So, I tried it out and we LOVE IT! It makes between 8-12 individual muffin cup omelets.  Once they are baked you can store them in a gladware in your fridge and reheat them in the microwave for a fast, healthy breakfast.

8 ounces of turkey bacon - Dr.Eric recommend Trader Joe's brand because they are free of nitrites and nitrates; you can use whatever kind you like
1 egg per strip of bacon - Again Trader Joe's brand has about 8-9 slices per package
spalsh of half and half or whole milk - you can use skim or 2% but your eggs won't be as fluffy
about 1/2up of shredded cheese

Preheat your oven to 350  degrees. Take your muffin pan and spray the sides and bottom with cooking spray. There is some fat in the bacon, but not enough to keep the sides from sticking.  Then, wrap your turkey bacon around the insides like little muffin cups.  The bottoms will not be covered with bacon.  Just the sides.  Crack all your eggs in one bowl; then add all the other ingredients and whip until blended.  If you have a stick blender, you can use the whisk attachment on it (I do!).  Then just pour the mixture evenly between the cups.  The cups will be full, so move them to the over carefully.  Bake them for 22-25 minutes or until the eggs are done.  Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before moving them to your refrigeration container.  To reheat - place them on a plate and cover them.  Heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. 

The first time I made these I only put cheese in them. This time, I added diced tomatoes. You can add any veggies you like, but remember that veggies add water which means you should cut back on the milk that you add or your eggs will be runny.  I suggest making them once with just cheese to see how they bake, and then start experimenting with other veggies.

crockpot french dip sandwiches with gravy dip

I love love love McAllister's Deli's french dip sandwiches because they serve it with "comeback" gravy. And I do. Come back that is.  But eating out gets expensive, so I found a recipe and tweaked it a tad.  I have to say, it was pretty amazing.  And, it's a crockpot meal so it has the added bonus of being  quick and easy.  It makes about 4 sandwiches.

1 1/2 lbs of boneless round steak
1 envelope of onion soup mix (we couldn't find any without msg, but I am on the hunt.)
12 ounces of beef stock (KITCHEN BASICS brand!)
8 ounces of shredded cheese - I used mozzarella but you can use any kind you like
1 loaf of bakery French bread

Combine the beef stock and the onion soup mix in the crock pot and then add the meat.  Cook it on low for 8 hours.  Remove the meat and gently pull it apart with a fork. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE JUICE IN THE CROCK POT! You need that for the gravy.  Cut the French bread into four sections and then open them up.  Layer meat and top with cheese.  Wrap them individually in foil and pop them in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  While the cheese on the sandwiches is melting, dump the juice into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  In a small cup mix about 2 tbs of corn starch with enough water to make it liquid. Add it to the boiling pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Whisk it while it simmers until it thickens. If two tbs of corn starch isn't enough, mix up some more and add. Just be a little careful; the gravy can get too thick.  Season the gravy to taste.

I served this with sliced cucumbers and hummus and potato chips (not terribly healthy, I know, but I LOVE to dip the potato chips in the gravy!)

Honey Nut Banana Bread

I won't say that this is a very healthy recipe because I did used bleached, enriched flour(that's all I had), but it doesn't have any sugar in it, so that counts for something! This is not as sweet as regular banana bread, but it is so good.

3 very ripe bananas
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup of butter softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk (you can use what you have, but whole milk is amazing in baked goods)
2 1/2 cups of self rising flour
1 tsp vanilla
chopped walnuts  - I used 1/4 cup because I don't love walnuts, but you could use up to 1 cup if you like

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease only the bottom of a 9" loaf pan.  I used metal, but you can use glass; you'll just have to watch that it doesn't brown too quickly.  If you use a glass pan, I would recommend putting it on the lowest rack of your oven to avoid it cooking too quickly on the top. 
Using a mixer, mix the butter and the honey until blended a somewhat smooth.  Add the eggs and mix them completely in.  Try to keep the speed low.  This is a quick bread and doesn't have to be beaten like cake batter.  Add the milk, the vanilla, and the bananas and beat until somewhat smooth.  If you are using a stand mixer, remove the bowl.  If you are using a hand mixer, PUT IT DOWN! Get out a wooden spoon and stir in the flour until it is moistened.  Stir it 10 good times and WALK AWAY! Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth it out, and place it in the oven.  Bake it for 55 minutes and then check the middle for doneness.  If it is a little gooey in the middle, you can take it out if you like yours a little underdone or give it another five minutes.  It should be a little springy when you touch the top, like a muffin.  Cool it in the pan for about 30 minutes and then you can remove it, slice it, and slather it with butter. 

Easiest BBQ chicken ever

Okay so again, use chicken thighs for this recipe.  I am discovering that chicken thighs are so much tastier and far cheaper than chicken breasts.  This bbq chicken is to die for.  I served it with hoecakes and baked beans. I love this meal for a busy week night because you can load the crock pot before work and then you only need about 15 minutes to finish getting dinner ready once you get home.

BBQ chicken
Put frozen - yes, frozen - chicken thighs in the crock pot and cover with one bottle of bbq sauce.  Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.  Turn the crock pot on low and let them cook for at least 6 hours.  I let mine go 8 hrs and the meat just feel off the bone.  When you take them out, coat them in a little sauce if you like.

Hoecakes
1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup self rising cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 tbs sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs of water 

butter or oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the oil or butter you will use for frying.  Heat your oil in your pan over medium high heat until it's shimmery.  Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter about 2 tbs at a time into the pan to make little corn pancakes.  Fry until golden brown on one side and then flip and fry the other side.  Paula Deen suggests that you eat these with molasses, but I just like to put butter on mine. 

Turkey burgers with goat cheese and curry

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE CURRY! I have heard a lot of people say how much they hate curry, but trust me on this one. When used properly, it is so amazing! These turkey burgers were to die for, I promise. 

One lb of ground turkey - preferably all white meat. I don't love the texture of the mixed.
5 oz of goat cheese - NOT FETA (there is a difference)
1/2 cup of Italian style bread crumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 tbs of mild yellow curry powder

Dump everything in a bowl large enough to get it all mixed well.  USE YOUR HANDS.  That is the only way you will get it all mixed well.  Once it is mixed, form medium sized patties. I think I got 5 out of this recipe, but you could make them a little bigger if you only need 4.

Heat enough olive oil in your pan to cover the bottom of the pan over medium high heat.  It will seem like too much, but this will help get a nice golden brown crust on the patties.  Wait until the oil is shimmery and then put the turkey patties in the oil.  LEAVE THEM ALONE for a full 5 minutes. Your patience will be rewarded :) If you feel like they are burning, adjust the heat.  Gently check the browning.  If they aren't brown enough, give them another minute or two.  Flip and LEAVE THEM ALONE again. 

I served this with roasted brussel sprouts and couscous( from a box) . 

Roasted Sprouts:
1 bag of fresh sprouts - you can find them in the produce section.  Do not use frozen(ick)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut the bottoms off the sprouts; then cut the sprouts in half.  Lay them out on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil.  Season and pop a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. 

Crispy skinned chicken thighs with butternut squash risotto

Dustin and I really try to eat at home most nights of the week, mostly because we like things we can make better than what we can find in typical restaurants.  So, I've had to get a little more creative lately with our dinner since we've gotten a little bored with the standard boneless skinless chicken.

Chicken thighs are a newly acquired taste for me.  I used to be a strictly white meat kind of girl when it comes to chicken.  However, the price tag on the chicken thighs prompted me to try them.  Glad I did! They are actually tastier, not to mention far cheaper, than boneless skinless chicken.  I recently bought a 10 pack of chicken thighs for $3.29 at Publix!

Okay, here's what I came up with:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and have a roasting pan handy.

Do NOT RINSE THE CHICKEN, just pat them dry so that you will get a nice golden brown color on the skin.  Season the back sides, not the skin sides, with rosemary, salt (I like KOSHER SALT; Alton Brown does too), and ground pepper.  Of course, you can season yours with whatever you like.  Heat about 3 tbs of olive in a skillet  over medium high heat until it is shimmery.  Lay the chicken in the skillet skin side down and set the timer for 6 minutes.  DO NOT TOUCH THE CHICKEN IN THOSE 6 MINUTES.  If you feel like they are burning, lower the heat slightly.  Otherwise, leave them alone. After 6 minutes, gently check the color.  If you haven't achieved a nice golden brown, lay them down for another minute or two.  Turn the chicken over and cook on the back for about 6 more minutes.  Remove the chicken from the oil and place them on the roasting pan and into the oven for about 25 minutes.  The internal temperature on your chicken should be about 165 degrees when it is done.  I highly suggest that you invest in a meat thermometer with a removable probe (no more undercooked chicken for me).

While your chicken is cooking, boil about 2 cups of chopped butternut squash in one box of Kitchen Basics chicken stock until it's soft.  Drain a little the chicken grease out of the skillet, but reserve enough to start the risotto, probably about 2 tbs of grease.  SEE MY PREVIOUS POSTED RISOTTO RECIPE for instructions.  This time, once your risotto has taken all the stock it will take, add the butternut squash and mix it in to the risotto; you may want to mash it a little as you stir just to make sure the chucks aren't too big.  Then, finish it with mascarpone cheese instead of parmesan cheese. It will be very creamy.  The sweetness of the butternut squash and the mascarpone cheese blend nicely. 
I served this with broccoli, but you can use whatever green vegetable you like! 

This easily makes enough food for 6 people.