Skinny Bitch Meals: Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes and Stuffed Sunburst Squash...NO simple carbs here!

I refuse to count veggies (besides the guilty potato) and fruit as a carb.  I just stay away from simple carbs, the jerks that make you fat.  So here is a easy and exciting chicken recipe, great for the summertime!

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes and Stuffed Sunburst Squash
Serves 4
Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes:

1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken thighs (I know some of you only eat the breast.  It might be tougher though...)  FREE RANGE YO!

1 Cup Chicken stock

1/2 cup White Wine

2 cloves chopped garlic

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

1lb of Baby Artichokes

1/4 cup green olives

1 T Salt

1 T Pepper

1 T Garlic Powder

1/4 cup Rice flour  ( regular flour is fine but it adds carbs, but its only to dust with so whatever..)

Stuffed Sunburst Squash:

9 Yellow Sunburst Squash

1 diced whole squash

1 diced red pepper

2 green onions sliced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 T Olive oil

1 clove garlic diced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 Clove Garlic

1 t garlic powder

1 T Worcestershire sauce

Ok....

Take your chicken out so its at room temp.

Mix flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper together and lightly toss your chicken in it.  Do not make a heavy coating, this is just a dust.  Set chicken aside.

Prepare an ice bath with a whole lemon soaking in it (so your chokes don't turn brown)

Take your artichoke babies and wash them off.  Trim off 1/2 inch from the tips, and trim the stem off...be sure to leave the heart.  Peel away the outer leaves until you just see tender yellow leaves.   If you leave too much the guests will be spitting out fibrous material from their mouths and that's bad news.  Cut each artichoke in half.  Throw prepped artichokes in the ice lemon water.

Turn a frying pan/large dutch oven on high and dry, no oil or anything, and let get hot.  Sear the chicken on both sides for 1 minute each.  Don't worry about sticking or dark stuff in the pan..this will make some flava later.

With chicken wildly sizzling, add the drained artichokes and let them sizzle for a bit too.  Add the garlic and green olives.

When the pan is dry and waiting, add the wine...it will steam and that is grand...scrape all the dark bits and everything together.  Let reduce until dry again.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and the lemon zest.  Turn on low, cover and cook it slow!  Stir occasionally, but keep covered most of the time for 30 minutes from when you put the lid on.

While you are waiting for these things to reduce prep your squash...

Rinse and dry the squash.  Take 8 of them and with a paring knife, cut the bottoms so they stand up straight and cut the top off, saving the top so you can have a lid.  Set tops aside and with the knife cut around the inside and scrape the seeds out.  This should make a nice hollow area for you.  Sprinkle the inside with Olive oil, salt and pepper.

In a bowl add the fine diced remaining squash, Olive oil, cheese, green onion, garlic,  fine diced red pepper, spices and Worcestershire sauce.  Mush together with your hands.

Fill the squash with this mixture and put the lids back on.  Sprinkle some Olive oil on top and put in the 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes your Lemon braised chicken and artichoke hearts should be all saucy, and the squash should be browned on the tops and soft. 

Plate and serve with lemon wedges.