A simple and delicious way to enjoy buttercup winter squash – roasted in the oven and topped with some fun flavor combinations.

Fall/winter squash are some of my favorite vegetables to create with as the weather starts to cool down. There’s so many ways to prepare the squash and mix it in to a variety of dishes or even eat on its own. It’s crazy that Taproot Farm’s Summer CSA officially ended last week, and the winter season begins this week! I am so excited to craft up some more recipes with new seasonal vegetables and combinations to work with. This recipe is simple, yet a few fun and flavorful additions make it something unique and special. The focus of the recipe is roasted organic buttercup winter squash from Taproot Farm, enhanced by the flavors of fennel, feta, pumpkin seeds, bee pollen, and local vanilla maple syrup from Whiskey…

https://www.asaucykitchen.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken-paleo-low-fodmap/

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) arrowroot starch
• 1 large egg beaten
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or regular white sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos, or gluten free soy sauce/tamari
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup (60 ml)chicken stock
• 1 red pepper cut into chunks
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 3 spring onions stalks, green part only for low fodmap

1. First prepare the sauce by adding the coconut sugar, vinegar, coconut aminos, chicken stock and ketchup to a medium sauce pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low heat and leave until later.
2. Add chicken pieces and beaten egg to a large ziplock bag. Seal and shake to coat chicken. Then add the arrowroot starch to the bag, shaking again to lightly coat all the chicken pieces.
3. Add coconut oil to a…

Prep: 20 minutes, Marinate: 8 hours, Slow cook: 8 hours (low)

• 12 bone-in chicken things (skinned)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves (minced)
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds (crushed), cumin, and cardamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 14.5 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dried apricots (quartered)
• 1 cup pitted whole dates (quartered)
• 3 Tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. In a small bowl whisk together oil, garlic, cinnamon, caraway seeds, cumin, cardamom, and cayenne pepper.
2. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Add oil mixture. Press air from bag; seal. Cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
3. Place chicken in a 4- to 5-quartslow cooker. In a medium bowl combine broth, apricots, dates, ground almonds, turmeric, salt, pepper…

BACKGROUND

A vignarola, for those who may not know, is a vegetable stew that is all about Spring, late spring.  The word ‘vigna’ means vineyard and signals the bounty that the countryside can bring to the table during that time of year.   I wrote an in-depth post about it some time ago, when it was seasonally appropriate.  It is mostaly about ripe artichokes, fresh broad beans and peas etc. (https://frascaticookingthatsamore.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/vignarola-the-pilgrimage-of-posh/).

LAST NIGHT

Last night, as I composed a dish with some ingredients that happened to be sitting in the fridge, I became ‘high’ on my own steam … the delight of ending up with a recipe that was too good not to repeat!  The creativity of it all was an incredible boon.  And so I felt just like Little Jack Horner and said “What a good girl am I” for having come up with the idea.  The idea of an…

There’s a chance, albeit a brief, fleeting chance…that OKC gets its FIRST SNOW today!

We’ll get a trace amount. It probably won’t stick to the ground.

But I AM LIVING FOR IT.

I’ve been beaming ear-to-ear since Monday. The clouds haven’t stopped blanketing the sky since then, and it’s been cold, drizzly and dreary…but THIS is my kind of weather. I’m absolutely in love with this time of year, and the snow couldn’t have come any sooner…

…because on Saturday, we Christmas.

It’s an all-day Christmas decorating extravaganza! I’m ready for the lights to be twinkling on the tree, the pine-scented candles to be burnt, and all the joy and yuletide the season brings with it. My holiday baking will begin this weekend as well, and it’s going to be hard trying to top all the Christmas goodies I made last year (cookie sticks? Sugar cookie puppy chow

Our local theater sells reusable plastic popcorn buckets twice a year. For $30 you buy a bucket and get to use if for the next five-six months. Every time you go to a movie you can get it filled and refilled while you are there. But, the best part is you don’t even need to go so a movie to use the popcorn buckets so every once in a while as a treat we will take out buckets and go to the theater just to get popcorn to bring home for a special movie night treat.

But, that also has a down side in that movie popcorn is not really good for you and it can be not as special a treat as it once was. To avoid the trap we do not get the “butter” on the popcorn every time. You order it plain and then add your own…