What's for Dinner: Chicken and Roasted Veggies

I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner tonight. We had some boneless chicken thighs in the fridge, a bit of feta cheese, a zucchini, and half a red onion. After a long day at work I didn't particularly feel inspired by those ingredients so I decided to take a walk to Sundance, a local grocery store nearby. I like to raid their 50% off "distressed" shelf on a daily basis. Today I came home with $6 worth of produce: a large overripe tomato, a portabella mushroom, two eggplants, and ten radishes.

By the time I got home, did some homework, checked Facebook, and chatted with some friends, I had only half an hour before dinner. Thankfully, I had chopped and salted the eggplant ahead of time! When my husband called me earlier and told me he would be home by 6:30, I offered to make dinner for his co-worker and friend too. So, needless to say, I had to move fast.

This is a gluten free meal made in 30 minutes. It cost me $16 dollars to feed two hungry 6'6" boys and myself, plus left overs.

The eggplant will provide you with a good source of potassium and vitamin B. You will get plenty of vitamin A from the zucchini and a good dose of vitamin D from the portabella mushroom. There is Lycopene - a strong antioxidant - vitamin C, A, and copper in the tomato. Last but not least, delicious chicken is a good source of lean protein.  Everything cooked in either butter or coconut oil offers plenty of healthy medium-chain-fatty acids that  strengthen the immune system and fights free radicals in the blood stream.

It would be even cheaper if you skip the radishes. I bought them feeling excited to try a veggie we don't have very often for dinner. Radishes are a great source of Folic Acid, Vitamin C, and Potassium. Unfortunately the boys were not interested in them after they tried a slice. So, after finishing my speech about the health benefits of radishes, I tried to casually munch on them but had to reach for water immediately. They are spicy! They are great in salads and ferments, but I do not recommend them as a raw aperitif before dinner.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes.
4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 boneless chicken thighs
• Sea salt
• Freshly crushed pepper
• 1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 eggplants
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small zucchini
• half a red onion
• 1 large portabella mushroom
• 1/2 a cup of crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Vegetable Medley

1. 1 hour before dinner, half the eggplant, salt it, and let ti rest at room temperature. This helps extract the bitterness that makes some people dislike eggplants.
2. Dice the eggplant, red onion, zukini, and portabella mushroom.
3. Saute in butter or coconut oil until soft.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove from heat,  cover with lid, and let rest.
6. Serve as a side, with with feta and diced tomato sprinkled on top.

Sauteed Boneless Chicken Thighs

1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Saute on medium-high heat in butter or coconut oil until golden brown.
3. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Plate with the veggies.
5. Enjoy!

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