Waste Not Want Not

 By Kathi Carter Rodriguez

Growing up many of us have heard these title words or similar ones echoed by our parents.  Personally, I hate to waste food because there are so many people without. So a day before our weekly pickup, I discovered that my crisper was fraught with last week’s veggies.  What’s a CSA member to do?  I decided to make a loaded chicken dish.  This impromptu recipe contained seven of last week’s vegetables-----chives, parsley, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, scallions and green peppers. Booyah!  

Aside from cleaning and chopping the veggies, this was an extremely easy meal to create.  Here’s my off-the-cuff recipe:

My Loaded Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

2 chopped onions 

3 chopped scallions 

1-2 chopped peppers

1 cup of chopped squash

1 cup of zucchini

½ to 1 cup of eggplant

6-7 skinless chicken thighs

1-2 cups of tomato sauce (We love Rao’s!)

A handful of chopped chives and parsley 3 tbs of avocado oil

In a large pan (or pot), heat avocado oil over medium heat.  Add chicken thighs first, then add onions, scallions, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant on top.  Cover pan and cook on low heat for about 40 minutes.  When almost done, stir in Rao’s, parsley and chives. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes and you’re done.  

Mangia! ☺