Everyone usually has the same New Year's resolutions and they all seem to fall apart after about a month or so of trying them out. This year, I am hoping to explore healthy options for meals during the week, because I love to indulge on the weekends. I am also trying some new foods with the hope that my palate has changed since my pickier formative years. One recipe that fit the bill for this goal was Hummus Crusted Chicken. On the positive, it was fairly healthy and contained at least 4 ingredients that I love: hummus, chicken, lemon, and onions. On the uncertain side, it had zucchini and yellow squash. I hated zucchini as a kid and as I've gotten older, I realize that I don't hate it, but I definitely have preferences on how its cooked. I really haven't had much experience with yellow squash, so I was a little concerned. To make the dish, I started by preheating the oven and spraying my dish with cooking spray. I got a little overzealous with the spray apparently, as I was later sliding all over the kitchen. Next, I had my sous chef work on chopping the zuccchini and yellow squash. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables were cut, I mixed them in a bowl with a splash of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Now, I was ready to put everything in the dish. I started with the vegetables, then added a layer of thinly sliced lemons, chicken, hummus, paprika, and a squirt of lemon juice. I put the dish in the oven for 30 minutes and let the oven do its magic. When my 30 minutes were up, I plated the chicken and veggies, added a roll, and prepared to enjoy. This dish was really good! The vegetables were tender and flavorful and the chicken was juicy, but cooked. The flavor of the hummus and lemon made me forget I was eating something that I had previously deemed disgusting. This recipe was simple and yielded great results, so we will definitely be making it again. I have also learned that I was definitely a lot pickier than I am now, so there are probably many things I should give a second chance. (But not seafood, I just can't eat my friends from the sea.)

The New Austonian