I have been all over creation today…literally. After leaving home at 6AM and not returning until 10PM, I have successfully made my way through countless northwest suburbs meeting clients, giving seminars and teaching classes all day stopping along the way at any coffee shop or cafe parking lot willing to lend me free Wi-Fi to get some work done on my laptop from my car (don’t pretend like you’ve never done that before, you know exactly what I’m talking about).
A night on the couch to watch last night’s Biggest Loser and some chicken for dinner is just what the doctor ordered. I made an adapted version of Black Pepper Chicken and Squash.
Garlic and Herb Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
- ½ red onion
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 baking potato, peeled and chopped
- 5 tri-colored carrots, chopped
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 jar Nature’s Rancher Garlic and Herb Cooking and Grilling Sauce
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400*F. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Place chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down and brown for 7 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. Place chicken in a baking dish and set aside.
- Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the fat from fat from the skillet. Sauté onions for about 3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add potato, carrots, and parsnips and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Pour in wine and mix in bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add grilling sauce and stir to combine. Pour vegetable mixture into baking sheet and place chicken on top of vegetables and extra spoon sauce over the top of chicken.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
And on the side…
Raw Kale Salad
Ingredients:
- 3-4 stalks kale, stems removed and thinly chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced
Method:
- In a large bowl, combine kale with lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and massage kale to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add cranberries, pine nuts and grape tomatoes. Toss to combine.
Thankfully most of my work tomorrow is in the city – I need a break from my car after today. However, my mom is coming to visit this weekend which means house chores will be taking place whenever I have a spare moment in the day. We have so many fun things planned – including the Good Food Festival! Any fellow Chicagoans going to be there? If you see me say hi! I’ll be the one roaming around taking photos of everything. 
The Festival is going to have so many great presentations this year! Between learning about CSAs, brewing your own kombucha, home cheesemaking and foraging wild edible plants, I don’t know how I am going to pick! Not to mention Rick Bayless and Paul Virant performing guest chef demos! I am so excited I can’t wait!
That being said, I’m off to dream about local food…and about what I want to juice tomorrow morning!
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About Me
My name is Amari Cheffer and I am a Registered Dietitian, blogger, and food enthusiast! I started blogging back in 2009 to document my lifelong love affair with food and nutrition. I am a licensed Registered Dietitian with a Master's in Nutrition Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Things I hate most include tasteless diet foods, excuses, hopeless weight-loss advice, and quitters. If you have time to breathe, you have time to eat healthy. It's all about problem solving and planning ahead for your one-of-a-kind lifestyle.
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