Drunken Herbed Chicken

This was one of the first dishes that I learned how to make after getting married and it was an instant success. I found it on the Whole Foods website. Back then, I was using basic, store-bought chicken stock and the dish was really fantastic. Recently, I started making my own chicken stock and it took meals to a whole new level. I'm sure the increased fat content in homemade stock has a lot to do with it. :) Everything in moderation, no?

**This dish is gluten-free, but if you are using store-bought chicken broth you will want to double check to make sure the brand you are purchasing was prepared without gluten.

Ingredients:
8 skinless chicken thighs (approx. 4.5 pounds)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
8 garlic cloves
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch diagonal
1 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups cooked brown rice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in hot Dutch oven and sear each side until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add the onion to the Dutch oven and saute until soft and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and saute 2 minutes more. Add the wine, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Stir to blend. Add the thighs and their juices back to the Dutch oven. Spoon carrot mixture on top. Cover and place the pot in the preheated oven and bake until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour.

Serve with brown rice and sprinkle with parsley.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Today, I had a cold and really wanted something to help me feel better, but nobody was around to make it for me. This soup has LOADS of fresh ingredients and layered flavors, but it didn't really require much "thinking" time. Prep time was medium - it takes a minute to peel and scrape out the core of the butternut squash.

I took inspiration from two recipes: Ina Garten (a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa) and Martha Stewart both had recipes that incorporated the flavors that I was looking for - earthy, sweet, savory and spicy. I added a few of my own touches. The cayenne pepper added a lot of heat, so I added more cream and the cinnamon to tame it. My kids still found it too spicy (more for me!), but it was just what I was craving to soothe my sore throat and congested sinuses.

I like to make soup in large batches to save and freeze. Cut this recipe in half if this is too much for you.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash (mine was about 4 lbs, peeled, pitted and chopped)

2 sweet apples (I used Braeburn, but really just stay away from tart apples)

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped

3 large carrots, coarsely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cinnamon (or more to taste)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

5 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock

Approximately 4 additional cups of water

Approximately 1/2 cup heavy cream

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and saute onions, celery, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash and apples and allow to saute with the other vegetables for a few more minutes. Add seasoning and stir. Pour in the stock and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. If you have a stick blender, buzz the soup until smooth. If you don't have one, use a blender - you will need to do this in batches. Once soup is smooth, add cream and stir to mix (do not bring soup to boil after cream is added).