quick and easy

I wanted something quick and easy for dinner tonight. Chicken quarters, a dash of Spike Original seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. Easy for me means little hands on time. This is something you can throw together and then forget about while you unwind from your day or finish up homework.

If you have never tried Spike seasoning I highly recommend their spice mixes. They are very tasty and make a 5 minute prep taste like an all day prep.

Quick and Easy Chicken
4 leg quarters
olive oil
Spike Original seasoning
1/2 Butternut squash
guar gum as a thickener for gravy

Heat an oven safe pan like a cast iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil
Brown the chicken in the pan, about 2 minutes a side
Place in baking dish uncovered and bake at 350 until internal temperature is 180. About 1.5 hours. Chicken breasts without bones will cook faster.
In same pan toss the squash in the drippings and then place in oven with chicken for the last 20 minutes. Cook until soft.

Pour out drippings from chicken and whisk in about 1-2 tbs of guar gum to make a gravy. We have just started using guar gum in place of flour. The consistency and taste are right but it separates quickly. I'll have to research this one a little more.

This is a super easy dinner that is pretty typical of our normal meals. T and I try to keep to a primal/paleo diet so we eat a l ot of meat and veggies, a little fruit, some nuts, no grains. If you've never heard of it check out Marksdailyapple.com or Paleo Diet for more information.