Roasted Chicken w/ Butternut Squash & Cranberries

Hello from my standing desk! I am happy to report that my back is adjusting to all of the standing, and I am feeling great. I feel completely different at the end of the day after standing compared to my old 10+ hour days of sitting. For all of the haters out there (hi Mom!), here is an interesting article from Sunday's NY Times talking about the growing popularity of standing desks and improved office ergonomics: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/business/stand-up-desks-gaining-favor-in-the-workplace.html?_r=0. 

So when I made my Fall Harvest Crockpot Chicken a few weeks back, I mentioned that I wanted to remake the dish in the oven to get a crispier take on the same flavors.  I omitted the pears this time, and the dish still came out great. This is just as easy as the crockpot version, and it is done in a fraction of the time. This is a perfect one-pan dinner. I served this with a side of roasted brussel sprouts and parsnips (recipe to come!), and it was a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash (1.5 lbs.), cubed

- 1 sweet onion, sliced

- 1 cup raw cranberries

- 1.5 lbs skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless are fine)

- Olive oil

- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection)

2. Lay squash, onion, and chicken in a 9x12 casserole dish.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and spices, and toss until evenly combined.

4. Add cranberries on top.

5. Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on how crisp you want your dish!

Eggplant Chips

There was a big change in the McLagan Boston office (aka my home office) today when I converted my desk into a standing workstation. I have been thinking about this for a couple of months since I heard a great lecture at my first paleo meetup about the benefits of standing at work. I hate sitting all day, and I have a huge problem with body parts or entire sections of my body falling asleep from sitting in weird positions or not moving for a long time (sexy? I thought so...). My desk happened to have adjustable legs (thanks Ikea!), so I had no reason not to try it out. It was a bit of a disaster taking everything off the desk and maneuvering it, but it ended up well. My body definitely feels different from standing all day, and it reminds me of the feeling after a long day cooking in the kitchen on my feet. I wore sneakers all day for a little extra padding/support, and I am curious to see how it goes. Luckily tomorrow is Friday, so it is only a two-day standing work week this week! According to the following article (http://ergonomics.about.com/od/office/a/Benefits-of-a-Standing-Desk.htm), my new standing desk should improve my ergonomics, health, focus, mood, and productivity.  I would be ok with any or all of those things!

Today I also attempted round 2 with my dehydrator, and it proved to be much more successful! I attempted to use my mandolin which failed miserably, but I will give that another try next time. I made eggplant chips this time since the slices are so much larger and wouldn't disappear into thin air like the zucchini. The eggplant pieces definitely shrank, but nothing compared to last time. These were a delicious snack, but I am happy and shocked to announce that I didn't eat the whole batch!

Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & paprika

Instructions:
1. Arrange the eggplant slices on the dehydrator trays
2. Season with spices listed above (or any other spices/herbs you want to try)
3. Dehydrate @ 125 degrees for 4-5 hours until desired crispiness is reached

  

So easy, healthy, and delicious! (and Paleo of course...)