Honey Baked Chicken and Tomatoes with Romano Crusted Squash

Here are a couple of easy, fragrant dishes, perfect for this lovely fall weather.

Honey Baked Chicken and Tomatoes adapted from Seasonal Food by Susannah Blake 2007

3 Chicken breasts cut into cubes

1 clove minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1 C cherry tomatoes

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 Tbsp Honey

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F
2. Heat 1/2 of oil in a Dutch Oven. I got to use my new purple one which I bought for $20!!
3. Add chicken and cook until outside is golden. It does not need to be cooked all the way through as it will be baked in the oven.
4. While chicken is browning, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, rest of olive oil, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour mixture over chicken and stir to mix well.
6. Tuck tomatoes around the chicken
7. Drizzle with honey
8. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, basting the chicken with juices about half way through. I baked the squash at the same time. If you're doing both, prepare the squash first, and bake the squash on the lower rack and chicken on the upper.

Romano Crusted Acorn Squash - adapted from this recipe on the Sprouted Kitchen which was adapted from Ottelenghi's Plenty

1  1.5 to 2 lb Acorn Squash

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Romano Cheese

1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp dried Thyme
Salt and Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Slice the squash in half length wise and discard the seeds.
3. Cut squash into slices about 1-2 cm thick.
4. Mix oil and nutmeg in a bowl, then using fingers, rub mixture evenly over slices of squash.
5. Spread the pieces of squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not overlap. You may need a second baking sheet.
6. Mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic, cheese, and thyme and sprinkle mixture over the squash
7. Top off the squash with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Squash should be soft, and the crust golden and crunchy.