Quarantine Cooking: Squashy Chicken for Squash-hating Kids in a buttery balsamic broth

My son has been going through a squash-hating phase. He won’t touch zucchini either. Which is a shame because they’re both in season. He agreed to make a dish with these ultra yucky ingredients because they arrived in our weekly farmshare, but he warned me that he would fish the veggies out of his bowl. I agreed to a deal where he ate salad instead and then let the recipe roll.

The Instapot is a blessing and a real step up from the crock pot I used to use. It’s so easy, seamless, multi-functional. I highly recommend getting one because it makes meal-making quick and efficient. Like one-stop shopping.

I’ve noticed that grains really pack on the pounds with me, so I’m always looking for paleo and keto recipes that will appeal to the carb monsters in my house. Veggie-heavy dishes often feel incomplete to my husband and teenager without a mound of rice or pasta underneath, but this one was heavenly with just meat and veggies.

A large measure of its charm comes from the rich, buttery, fruity broth. In fact, the broth’s superpower is that it bathes the vegetables in this magical elixir and makes them irresistible. I watched them flying into my son’s mouth and wondered if he even realized he was eating them. It seemed he couldn’t get them in fast enough. He later acknowledged that the squash and zucchini tasted totally different—their hated natural flavor was eclipsed by the panoply of other flavors. Thank you, beloved broth, for saving the day!

Squashy Chicken for Squash-hating Kids

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• Author: Chef Sizzle-Snap and Kaptain Kale
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 5-6

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Description

A mild soupy stew with a slightly sweet, buttery flavor. You can swap in and out all kinds of veggies, so this is a fun one to experiment with. If you have fresh garden herbs available, use them; otherwise use dried herbs. We used both.

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Ingredients

• 5 whole chicken legs with or without skin
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped squash
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. We like Texas Hill Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flavored balsamic vinegar. We used strawberry, from Texas Hill Olive Oil Co. Pomegranate or peach would also be delicious.
• 3 tablespoons pastured organic butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Instapot 6 quart

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Instructions

Instapot

1. Press sauté on Instapot. Add olive oil.
2. Season chicken with herbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir-fry separately in a saucepan where chicken pieces have the space to sit side by side. This browns them and locks in the juices. Can also use the Instapot for this if you don’t mind working in batches. Once browned, set aside on a plate.
4. Add butter, onions, and garlic to Instapot. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add chicken and chicken broth, and all chopped vegetables.
6. Lock the lid, turn to sealing. Select manual pressure cook button, set timer to 7 minutes.
7. Cook for 5-10 minutes, use quick release and remove lid.

Alternative: stove top

1. Place chicken in skillet with olive oil and  sear until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. Melt butter, stir in garlic and onions. Add balsamic vinegar and 1/2 the chicken stock.
3. Toss in chopped veggies and add salt and pepper. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes until tender.
4. Add chicken back in, sprinkled with herbs., add remaining broth.
5. Cook another 2 minutes.

This recipe has been adapted from one we found online. We simplified it and made some substitutions. If you’d like the original version, here it is!

Wishing you safety, good health, and fun meal projects with your kids!

-your Good Food Fighter