I'll admit it: yeast rolls intimidate me. In fact, baking in general intimidates me, but there's nothing better than a yeast dough for dense gooey cinnamon rolls. Fortunately, I can go from freezer to plate in about 25-30 minutes when I get a "jones" for cinnamon rolls thanks to Sister Shubert's dinner rolls (She has an interesting story so check out her website). I've had the regular yeast rolls, so when I saw these cinnamon rolls and orange rolls I grabbed one of each. They fit the bill for a not-home-made-but-good-nonetheless Christmas Eve morning moment. Look for them in the frozen pastry section where you'd find the pie crusts.

Roasted Chicken with Couscous and Greens

Here's an inexpensive and flavorful meal that's interesting enough to serve when you have "company" for dinner. It's also a one-pan meal with minimal clean up, and most of the cooking takes care of itself in the oven, so you're free to get out of the kitchen.

I chose chicken thighs because I love the flavor of the crispy skin once the fat has been rendered out. But if you want to skip that step and reduce the fat content of the dish, simply brown some chicken breasts on one side and continue with the rest of the recipe. Browning the meat adds flavor and texture (in other words: it adds interest) to a dish.

A box of couscous and canned tomatoes are part of my pantry staples, and I usually have a bitter green of some sort in the crisper bin of my fridge. With those basics on hand dinner is a snap to pull together, even at the last minute. On this night I added some lightly spiced carrots on the side to echo the hint of cinnamon on the chicken. Kick up the flavor of the meal by adding some chili flakes or fresh chili when the rest of the ingredients go in the pan.


Roasted Chicken with Couscous and Greens

5 chicken thighs
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 can diced tomatoes with onions and herbs
1/2 c whole wheat couscous
1 cup blanched broccolini (see Broccolini with Parmesan for blanching)
OR 1-2 cups winter greens such as turnips, collards, kale, stemmed and rough chopped
salt/pepper

Trim excess fat and skin off of the chicken thighs. Season the skin side with salt and pepper. Season the flesh side with the remaining herbs and spices.

Heat a thick bottomed skillet over medium high heat and transfer the chicken to the pan, skin side down to render the fat out. Cook for about 7 minutes, carefully drain away he fat, and continue cooking until the skin is crispy and most of the fast has cooked off. Remove chicken to a plate and discard any fat left in the pan.

Return pan to heat and add the tomatoes, couscous, and boccolini or greens. Nestle the chicken, skin side up into the tomato mixture so that it's all evenly distributed and transfer the pan to a 400 degree oven. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is done (test the meat at the bone for doneness)

Food Find: All Natural Break-n-Bake Cookies

I love a good food find and this one is sweet and yummy! We had a new baby for the holidays so I didn't really get my "bake on" like I wanted too. And in the back of my mind floated the vaguest recollection of a food recall on prepared cookie dough but I couldn't remember what brand or how long ago and, of course, didn't bother to Google it either. However while restocking essentials one of our tentative early trips out of the house with both kids, I did see these: Immaculate Baking Co. Cookies.

Using all natural ingredients, Immaculate Baking Co. makes dough for break-and-bake cookies and brownies, as well as biscuits and scones. And even snack cookies but I haven't seen those in the store yet. Check out their site for their home-grown history and their fundraising efforts, as well as for some Valentines specials and ideas.

Good cookies. Good ingredients. We keep 'em stocked in the freezer now for those rainy days and "I sure could use some hot-from-the-oven-cookies" moments. This is the kind of "convenient" food I can get with!

Curried Greens with Butternut Squash

This is a fat free side dish bursting with flavor. I only wish I was better at photography so you could see how pretty the vibrant green and deep orange color of this little bowl of happiness is. And what an antioxidant bomb! The greens (I used turnip greens, but mustards or kale or spinach would work) and the squash are loaded with nutrients. Read more on the World's Healthiest Foods website about turnip greens here and butternut squash here.

By simmering the veggies in water or stock (which would add more flavor) in stead of sauteeing them, we cut any fat right out of the dish, and all that's left is lots of flavor. Using curry powder means that as the dish cooks, the liquid will thicken until you have a consistency like a stew, a nice stick-to-your-ribs vegetable dish for the winter months.

Curried Greens with Butternut Squash

2 cups water or stock
8 oz winter greens, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 cups of butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2" cubes
2 Tbsp of Jamaican style curry powder, mild
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp garlic, ground
1 tsp chili flake (optional)
salt pepper

Heat stock/water in a large pot and when it starts to simmer add the squash and greens. Continue to simmer, uncovered until the greens wilt, then add the spices and curry powder and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has thickened. Serve with a whole-grain rice.