SPICY GINGER CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Butternut squash “noodles” topped with spicy ginger chicken thighs. A healthy dinner in under an hour and with only 10 ingredients! This recipe is paleo, nut free, dairy free and egg free.

Hi friends!

I went a little over a week without creating any recipes or blogging, and it feels like I have been gone for MONTHS. My social media accounts have been crickets, most of my meals are coming out of a microwave and at this point writing is a foreign form of communication. I’ve missed you!

I’m expecting that no one has noticed my little absence, but in case you have I am still here and I’m still completely inspired to keep creating recipes and blog posts. Life just gets in the way some times, and right now I’m trying to focus my energy on doing some big things for my health. That coupled with the nomadic living that is happening as I rotate out of different family members’ homes makes cooking a real challenge. Moving troubles, though.

Oh! But I am still working on a free ebook for you! I’m hoping to still have it out at the very end of this month as planned. All the recipes are finished and photographed and I am so super excited for you to cook them! One of my favorite new breakfast recipes is in there- look forward to that!

Stay tuned to the blog as I’ll share more details about the book and how you can snag your copy later this week. (hint: All you have to do is sign for my newsletter before I send it out!)

This weekend I finally had the time, energy and kitchen space to cook and I really took advantage of it. I tested 4 new recipes this weekend, 3 for the ebook and this one for the blog.

What I love about this recipe is that it comes together really effortlessly, but the flavors are unique. The spice blend packs a lot of flavor despite being very simple. Love heat and ginger? GOOD – You’ll be all about this chicken!

The broccoli and squash, cooked in ghee, do a great job of balancing out the heat from the chicken and making this dish a complete meal all in itself. The squash will start in long noodles, but your finished dish will have short squash “noodles”. This is because squash noodles are so fragile that they will break apart as they soften.

To make the noodles, I recommend using the Paderno Spiralizer. You’ll want to spiralize just the long “tube” of the squash with the blade with the larger triangles. If you don’t want to use a spiralizer, I recommend dicing the squash instead. Just keep in mind that the squash will need longer to cook when diced versus spiralized.

SAVE PRINT

SPICY GINGER CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Author: Hold the Grain

Prep time:  12 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  42 mins

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Boneless skinless chicken thighs (1.5-2 lbs)
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 Teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Teaspoon paprika
• 1 Teaspoon onion powder
• ½ Teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ Teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 Butternut squash
• 1 Tablespoon ghee
• 1 Heaping cup of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you're using frozen broccoli, set it on the counter to thaw while you begin cooking.
2. Cut the butternut squash to separate the bulb from the long tube. Set the bulb aside because you won't need it for this recipe.
3. Peel the squash and spiralize it using the blade with the larger triangles. Set the noodles in a bowl while you prep the chicken.
4. Combine the spices in a small bowl. Place the chicken thighs, avocado oil and spices in a larger gallon bag and toss to evenly coat the chicken. Let the chicken sit in the bag until your oven preheats.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.
7. While the chicken bakes, heat a large pan over medium heat. Melt the ghee.
8. Add the noodles to the pan and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, tossing often with tongs to evenly cook the squash. Butternut squash noodles are very fragile and they will break into smaller pieces as you stir.
9. Reduce the heat and add additional ghee to the pan as necessary to prevent the squash from burning.
10. Once the squash begins to soften, add the broccoli to the pan. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
11. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter and top with the cooked chicken thighs.

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About chef imado

Hello! My Name Is Imad Qaidi, Cooking Holds a certificate of the Moroccan state and I have all the qualifications of the traditional and the modern cuisine of various well-known in the world of cooking states, Best Regards Admin.