National Try a New Recipe Week: Day 7

Day 7: Autumn Butternut Chicken and Harvest Grain Stew

Yesterday was the turning point.  You could literally feel the season changing from summer to fall.  So, today I went out, bought my decorative pumpkins, lit the wooded spice candles and put on a hearty stew to simmer all day...here's the brand new recipe!

1 Qt carton of butternut squash soup (I like Trader Joe's brand but feel free to puree your own)

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups of fresh cubed butternut squash 

1 cup quartered brussell sprouts

1 cubed apple

1 ear of corn cut off the cob

1/2 lb chicken breast

5 whole sage leaves sauteed in 1 tsp butter

3 twigs of thyme chopped

1/4 onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

1.5 cups of Harvest Grains 

*(quinoa, israeli cous cous, orzo, baby garbanzos found at Trader Joe's, but you could substitute with red quinoa or cous cous)

S&P, dash of red pepper flakes, dash of nutmeg

Pour the qt of squash soup, cup of stock, butternut cubes, brussell sprouts, apple, corn and grains into a crock pot on high.

In a sautee pan, with one tsp of olive oil saute the onion, celery, and carrot (aka: mirepoix, if you're feeling fancy) with garlic until they start to smell. Pour them into the crock pot.  Cook the chicken lightly in the pan, take out and shred with a fork, add to the crock pot.  Put a tsp of butter into the same saute pan, allow to melt and saute the sage for about a minute to release the flavors. Pour that into the crock pot as well.  

Season with nutmeg, red pepper flakes and S&P, allow to cook for 4-6 hrs, enjoy with warm baguette and a glass of wine!

Happy eating!

Bee