Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

**Susan's Note: This is delicious and comforting for a winter night.  NOTE: I did not steam the butternut squash, I roasted it for 40 min. at 425 degrees with a little olive oil.  I also omitted the olives.  Add a topping of sour cream to this soup and it gets even better.  I doubled the recipe and froze half to save for later!**

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

***Susan's Note:  Quinoa is a seed full of protein, easy to cook (although messy if a toddler eats it).  After my friend Anya made this for me when I had my second baby, I tried it for myself and found it delicious!  My husband likes it with a little added oriental sauce from a jar (like General Tso's or Duck Sauce - just watch the MSG).   There are many variations including a cold salad here and a modified version of this recipe here.**

QUINOA Directions

You will need about 2 cups of liquid (water, vegetable broth or chicken broth) per 1 cup of quinoa.

1. Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer if possible.

2. Put quinoa and cooking liquid in a medium pot and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove from heat.

ROASTED VEGGIE DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Chop a variety of veggies - whatever you wish.  I used baby carrots, onions, red bell pepper, yams, and yellow and green zucchini.  You want enough to be spread on a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet / jelly roll pan.

3.  In a blender, puree the following as a marinade for the veggies:
     5-6 garlic cloves
     5 tablespoons olive oil
     1-2 lemons and a little bit of the lemon rind from one lemon
     sea salt and pepper to taste

4. Toss veggies in a large Ziploc bag with this marinade and then spread on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or coated with olive oil.

5. Bake at 425 degrees for at least 35 minutes.  Check on tenderness of veggies and add time if necessary.

Mix with quinoa and enjoy!

Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Pesto

Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes, Kale and Pesto

From Real Simple September 2012

***Susan's Note:  My husband and I have been jumping on the kale bandwagon with this recipe.  It's delicious.  Even when, as my husband says, "it looks kinda gross" when reheating, when you taste it, it redeems itself in every way.  Do not omit the pesto or the walnuts - they make the recipe.  We have used both jarred pesto from Wegmans, or fresh refrigerated pesto from the dairy / sauce section.  If you find it difficult to cut raw sweet potatoes, as I do, go ahead and par-cook them in the microwave wrapped in saran wrap for a few minutes, then cool and cut.  

Serves 8| Hands-On Time: 30m| Total Time: 35m

Ingredients:

2  cups  quinoa, rinsed

1/2  cup  olive oil

3  small sweet potatoes (about 11/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

kosher salt and black pepper

1  medium red onion, sliced

2  bunches kale (1 1/4 pounds), thick stems removed and leaves cut into bite-size pieces (about 14 cups)

pesto and toasted walnuts, for serving

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes begin to brown and soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the onion to the pot and cook, tossing occasionally, until the sweet potatoes and onion are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add as much kale to the pot as will fit and cook, tossing frequently and adding more kale when there is room, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Reserve half the quinoa and vegetables for tomorrow’s dinner. Serve the remaining vegetables over the remaining quinoa, topped with the pesto and walnuts.

Reheat and serve: Microwave the quinoa and vegetables in a microwave-safe dish covered with a damp paper towel on high for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Nutritional Information

• Per ServingServing Size: 1 serving of quinoa dish, plus 1 tablespoon pesto and 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts
• Calories 528

• Fat 32g
• Sat Fat 5g
• Cholesterol 5mg
• Sodium 416mg
• Protein 14g
• Carbohydrate 52g
• Sugar 5g
• Fiber 7g
• Iron 7mg
• Calcium 254mg