Tag Archives: butternut squash recipes

Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Italian Seasonings Make This Chicken Awesome

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to catch Rachel Ray’s afternoon talk show and she was making this chicken dish that is seasoned like sausage.  It sounded delicious and it also included butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, so I had to try it.  As near as I could jot down while drooling over the picture on mt TV, this is Rachel’s basic recipe.  All I’ve done is adjust the proportions a little and calculate the carbs in it.

I actually made this dish with four chicken quarters — thigh and leg – which were pretty large.   You can also use four whole chicken breasts or 8 half breasts.

Italian Seasoned Chicken Bake

Based on Rachel Ray’s recipe

2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
1 Red Onion, sliced
2 cups Brussels Sprouts, halved
8 chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon grated Nutmeg
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Fennel
1/2 teaspoon powdered Onions
1/2 teaspoon Chile Flakes
1/2 teaspoon powdered Garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground Sage
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange the Brussels sprouts face down on the pan. Add the diced butternut squash and onions and sprinkle nutmeg over the top. Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil over the top.

Clean, dry and oil the chicken thighs in a pan or large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together all the remaining seasonings. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs., then use your hands to turn and coat the chicken until the seasonings are distributed over the thighs. Place the thighs on top of the vegetables in the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender.

Makes 4 to 8 servings depending on your appetite. I usually only eat one chicken thigh, but two per serving is okay.

Nutrition Info: 1/4 of recipe
Calories: 274.3 Fat:9.3 g Net Carbs: 13.2 g Protein: 30.2 g

Nutrition Info: 1/8 of recipe
Calories: 137.2 Fat:4.6 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 15.1 g

Tip: To get down to the lower carb count and still eat 2 chicken thighs, cut the vegetable amounts in half. They are adding double the serving so using less still gives you about 1/3 cup of vegetables with the thighs. Using only half will bring the carbs down to 7 g.

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Butternut Turnip Mash is a Treat

While looking for a yummy side dish to go with my sirloin pot roast left over, which I reheated on my Foreman grill, I found a recipe for a Sweet Potato Turnip Swirl on AllRecipes.com. It sounded great, but sweet potatoes have a pretty high carb count. This is an adaptation of that recipe from Robyn Webb. I replaced the sweet potato with butternut squash and just mashed them instead of doing a puree. The result is a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.

2 medium Turnips, peeled and cubed, about 2 cups
1 cup Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon minced fresh Ginger Root
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoons Orange Extract
1/2 teaspoon grated Orange Zest

Put the turnips and butternut squash in a saucepan over medium high heat, add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil and cook until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and mash in the pan.

Add the ginger, butter, sugar, and orange and mix well. Cook on low heat for a few more minutes to melt the butter and blend the flavors in.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving: Calories: 46 Net Carbs: 4.9 Protein: .7

Posted on 1/10/2013