Delicious chicken gravy

This is the easiest and most delicious way to spice up chicken!  The broth gives a sweet and slightly spicy flavor to the gravy. I absolutely love this gravy, and it's super healthy!  Less than 20 calories for the whole thing!

Use the picture for a better idea of ingredient portions. 

1/8 cup onion, finely chopped (fill up a 1/4 cup measure half way)

1 heaping teaspoon of flour

1/2 cup of Thai coconut chicken broth(feel free to add more if you want it runnier)

In a small skillet, Sauté the onion in a tbsp of olive oil on medium heat for about one minute. Add the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the broth, and stir constantly until the flour is mixed in, about a minute. Bring to a boil and cook with the lid off for another couple of minutes. You want the sauce to thicken into a gravy. Take off the heat and pour directly over cooked chicken. Enjoy!

Jamie's Chili Recipe

This chili recipe may be the best chili I've ever eaten. I left the whole tomatoes pretty chunky but you may cut them up much more if you prefer. I didn't have any sausage so I left that out. I probably put about one fourth cup Chili Powder. You can always put in a smaller amount and taste until you think it's about right. I probably put in about a teaspoon of cumin. I put in a crock pot for about 4 hours. The pot was full. You may need to take some out. This makes a lot of chili. Can be frozen. Enjoy! Mom Jamie's Chili Prep: 10 min Cook: 4 hr 20 min simmer or in crock pot Yield: 8 to 10 Ingredients: 1 pound mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained 1 medium onion, diced 1 green bell pepper diced 2 cups chopped celery 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes Ground cumin Chili powder 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 package chili seasoning mix Shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish Directions: In a skillet brown ground beef and sausage, drain and set aside. Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours. Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-home-cooking/jamies-chili-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Sautéed broccoli and peppers

This is a new recipe that we like. I'm still experimenting with it, but we like this version the best.

Ingredients:
2 cups broccoli florets, more if you'd like
1 green bell pepper
1/3-1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes

Bring a boiler of water to a boil. Add broccoli. Cook only until they are a bright green color. This will take 1-3 minutes depending in if they are frozen or fresh. Take them out and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. This stops them from cooking and keeps their bright color. (Many times I do this ahead of time and put the broccoli in the fridge until I'm ready to cook dinner.).

Cut peppers and onions into square-like pieces a little bigger than your thumb nail. This is not a big deal, it just makes them easier to fork when eating the finished product. Drain broccoli if you haven't already done this. Heat a pan to medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Put all vegetable in the hot pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are turning brown.

Roasted summer squash

Patrick and I love this simple but tasty side with any meal. Almost any other vegetable can be Added for variety.

Ingredients:
2-3 summer(yellow) squash
1/2 onion, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Thyme
Rosemary
Olive oil

Cut or slice squash into equal sizes. Place on a cookie sheet with onions. They can be touching, but they do not need to be on top of each other. Drizzle with olive oil, about two tablespoons. Apply all of your spices like you would salt-and-pepper your food. With clean hands, toss all of your squash together where it is coated with oil and spices. If any of your squash fields dry add a touch more olive oil. Bake at 450° for 15 to 20 minutes stirring halfway. They are done when they look a little dry and browned on parts of them. Enjoy!

Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

Wow, this is hands down the best non-fried chicken I've probably ever had! The skin was crispy, and the meat was tender. At first I thought a whole chicken would be hard to do, but it was so easy! And it's also cheap if you get the chicken on sale. I bought mine for $4.50. Try it! you'll be glad you did!

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped sage leaves (I used Tarragon. Any sweet herb will do.)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves (reserve the parsley stems)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
2 bay leaves
**All of these herbs I used were dry. I just ignored the parsley stems.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Throw away the innards unless you want to make gravy. Wash the chicken and pat dry. Season well inside and out with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, thyme, sage, parsley and olive oil. Rub the olive oil and herb blend into the cavity of the chicken as well as all over the exterior. Place the parsley stems into the cavity of the chicken, and squeeze each lemon quarter into the chicken and place the rind in as well. Put the bay leaves inside the chicken and place the bird in a roasting pan or a baking dish with the drumsticks sticking up, and put it into the oven. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is golden brown, and the juices run clear. If you have a kitchen thermometer, the chicken should register 160-165 degrees. (My chicken took 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing

Patrick and I served this to company, and it was a great success! I cooked them in the skillet instead of grilling, but I bet they would have been even better grilled.

Ingredients
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 1/4 cup (3-4 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed (I didn't do these)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves(one package from Walmart's produce section)
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions
Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a resalable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally.

Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon peel, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates, drizzle with the basil sauce and serve.

**As the sauce is very strong, I would recommend putting the sauce on the side. We all really liked the sauce.

Sautéed Kale

So this is a great way to change up the collard greens side. This tastes like a non slimy collard or turnip greens recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock/broth or water
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar(I didn't do this)

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

**If you don't think your greens are done and your liquid is gone, just add more stock/broth.

Per serving: Calories: 178; Total Fat: 11 grams; Saturated Fat: 1.5 grams; Protein: 6 grams; Total carbohydrates: 18 grams; Sugar: 0 grams Fiber: 3.5 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 336 milligrams