Chicken Thighs in Butternut Squash Orzo

This is such a delicious, healthy, and comforting dinner. The flavors of butternut squash and spinach go perfectly with this chicken and orzo. 

This is not a super fast weeknight meal, but it's not too time consuming because you roast the squash while you make the rest of the dish. Start to finish, it's less than an hour, so not too shabby.

You cook the chicken, then cook the onion and garlic, add spices, and broth and cook the orzo. Add in the spinach and parmesan, 

and then the roasted squash.

Get the chicken back in the pan, and voila, there you have it! 

This looks beautiful in the pan, and on the plate, and tastes amazing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Chicken Thighs in Butternut Squash Orzo

2 cups diced butternut squash (about 1 pound)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 Tbsp. butter

1 large shallot

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. sage

2 Tbsp. flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 cup orzo

3 cups baby spinach

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup half and half

Place butternut squash cubes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet or braiser pan. Add chicken in a single layer and cooked until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches 165 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and sage until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. 

Stir in chicken broth and mustard, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 6 minutes. 

Stir in spinach, Parmesan and half and half until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. 

Stir in the roasted butternut squash, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Add the chicken back to the pan, and just heat on low for a few minutes to warm up the chicken. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious

Chai Tea Bread (with Sourdough discard)

I am not a very good sourdough steward. Well I shouldn't say that. I'm good at using my starter discard for all sorts of fun stuff - like this bread! I'm just not great at using my sourdough starter to ACTUALLY make sourdough. 

But that's no matter. As long as I'm feeding the starter and using the discard so responsibly - like for this bread - it doesn't matter if I ever actually make sourdough, does it?

The answer is no. But who needs sourdough when you can make Chai Tea bread?  IT IS SO GOOD!!!!

This has a lot of chai tea flavor as you steep a tea bag in milk, and then you also add the contents of three other tea bags right into the batter! You won't need butter or jam or anything else on this bread - so much flavor. So much deliciousness, 

If I didn't have a sourdough starter, I would want one just so I could make this!

Chai Tea Bread

1 cup milk 

4 chai tea bags

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, room softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sourdough discard 

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until warm over medium heat. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and add 1 tea bag. Cover the pan, and let it steep for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and the contents of the other 3 tea bags (that is, cut them open and dump the tea out into the flour mixture). 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, the tea-steeped milk, and the sourdough starter, and beat well. 

Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat well until combined.

Pour into a greased 9" loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and return to the rack to o cool completely before serving. 

Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles

I love Mongolian beef but I don't always have the right cut of steak in my freezer. So cue this amazing recipe that gives you all the great flavor using ground beef! 

I really enjoyed this meal, and it was even better the next day for lunch. I used the brown rice ramen noodles that I buy at Costco, and they worked really well here. 

But you don't need "fancy" noodles - just use what you have in the cupboard. 

This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket since it uses mostly pantry staples. Add a fresh green vegetable (broccoli, green beans, snow peas, asparagus would all be great!) and dinner is done. 

Mongolian Ground Beef and Noodles

1 pound ground beef
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup beef broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
10 oz. linguine, or rice noodles or ramen
4 green onions, sliced

Cook the pasta or rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, then drain. 

Meantime, combine the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, ground ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. of water, and whisk well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat, then reduce the heat to medium.

Add the minced garlic to the browned beef and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. 

Whisk the sauce again, then add to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened. Add the noodles to the skillet, and toss well to combine. Top with green onions. Garnish with sesame seeds if you like. 

Sweet Potato Taco Skillet

This is my reality. I find myself thinking about how I can get more protein, more fiber, more anti-inflammatory foods into my diet. And I also want the food to taste good! 

This recipe ticks a lot of those boxes! Plenty of protein from the ground beef, good anti-inflammatory properties in the sweet potato and avocado, which also both have great fiber. But the most important part is flavor: and this recipe delivers on that, too. Taco spices and green chiles, in addition to fire roasted tomatoes, provide lots of flavor. 

One thing that makes this recipe so easy is that you mix up a spice mixture and use it BOTH for the meat and for the sweet potatoes! After cooking the beef, onions, garlic, then the sweet potatoes, you put it all together with the tomatoes and chiles and cover with cheese! Yum!

You can then garnish this however you like - I just used avocados but you can add tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, whatever your heart desires!

As you can see, this recipe only requires ONE skillet - just another winning component of this dish! Even if you're not concerned with protein, fiber, anti-inflammatory qualities of foods, etc. etc., (lucky you!) you should still make this for dinner. Because it's delicious. And that's what ultimately counts, right? 

Sweet Potato Taco Skillet

1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. avocado oil, divided 
3/4 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
4-5 cups (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted tomatoes
1 can (4.5 oz.) green chiles
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and oregano. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.

Add the ground beef and cook to break it up slightly then add about 3/4 of the prepared taco seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until no pink remains. Remove the beef and onions to a plate. Drain the pan and wipe it clean.

Drizzle another tablespoon of oil into the pan then add the diced sweet potatoes and the remaining seasoning over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re fork tender, 10-15 minutes. Add more oil as needed if they seem to dry. They should be slightly brown on the outside and tender in the middle.

Pour in the fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the mixture too bubble for 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef mixture back to the pan and stir well to combine. Top with shredded cheese then cover for 1-2 minutes until melted. 

Garnish with fresh tomatoes, avocado, or your favorite toppings. 

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 3/4 tsp. salt

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BBQ Chicken Meatballs

Ok, time to take a break from the cookie content! For the next few weeks it will be nothing but main dishes to get your New Year off to a great start. These meatballs are the perfect recipe to start with.

These meatballs are both health food and comfort food -- hear me out. Made with chicken (that's the health food part) but swimming in a wonderful bbq honey sauce (the comfort part) -- they are perfect for a cold winter evening. I especially loved using hot honey here instead of regular for a little kick!

Served over rice and with some veggies on the side, this meal is quick, easy, and delicious - my weeknight trifecta! I hope you'll try it and enjoy it as much as we did. 

BBQ Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup honey (or hot honey!)
1/4 cup water

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, egg, garlic, green onions, breadcrumbs, and smoked paprika. Mix well to combine, then season with salt and pepper.

Form the chicken into small meatballs. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add the barbecue sauce, honey and water to the skillet. Whisk it together and bring it to a simmer. Add the meatballs back in and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. (Be sure the internal temperature of the meatballs is 165 degrees.) 

Serve over rice. 

Recipe source: How Sweet Eats

Poppyseed Kiss Cookies

I think it's practically Christmas tradition to make a cookie with a Hershey's kiss of some variety in the middle... whether it's the more often seen peanut butter blossoms (I don't even have those on this blog! the horror!) or other creative uses, "kisses" cookies just seem to scream Christmas. In fact, this post is my NINTH kiss cookie recipe! 

Here are some other cookies that use regular chocolate Hershey's kisses:
Macaroon Kisses
Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread
Eggnog Blossoms
Cherry Kisses

Then there's my favorite - the peppermint kiss variety. You can use those in these cookies:
Candy Cane Kiss Cheesecake Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cookies
Triple Peppermint Cookies

A couple years ago I even made a cookie with the Hershey's "hugs!" 
Cappuccino Swirl Cookies

All of that to say, you can't go wrong.

This year, I have for you a new variety using chocolate kisses. These cookies are studded with poppyseeds, so they have sort of a savory/sweet flavor profile.

 

I really liked these because of how different they are from other cookies - although they use the traditional chocolate kiss, the less sweet cookie base really sets them apart. 

Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

Poppyseed Kiss Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. vanilla 
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups flour
• 3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 36 Hershey's kisses

Cream together butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolks; blend thoroughly. Mix in flour, then add poppy seeds.

Shape dough into 1- inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each cookie.

Bake cookies at 375 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on bottom.

Remove cookies from oven and top each immediately with a Hershey's kiss.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes 36 cookies.

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Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Did you grow up having these candies around your house? We did occasionally and they are delicious. 

So when I saw an idea for replicating that into a cookie, I knew it would be amazing. And I was right.

These are essentially a thumbprint cookie, with a maraschino cherry inserted into the thumbprint!

 

After the cookies are baked and cooled, you top them with this amazing chocolate cherry ganache.

Here's a close up cause you need to see the delicious dough, cherry and topping!

These cookies keep well in a cool place (like our cookie fridge aka the garage! ha!). I hope you add these to your Christmas cookie list - and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

24 maraschino cherries, blotted dry

Chocolate cherry ganache:

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp. reserved maraschino cherry juice, or more

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and then add to creamed mixture a little at a time, beating until well combined.

Using a small cookie scoop and/or your hands, shape the dough into 24 balls, about 1-inch round, and place them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Slightly indent each ball of dough with one of your fingers and then place one maraschino cherry in each indentation.

Bake at 350 for 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add 2 tablespoons reserved cherry juice, and stir until smooth. Add additional cherry juice, if necessary, to reach the desired consistency.

Drizzle the frosting over the cooled cookies.