Balsamic Chicken with Spinach

I don't want to complain about winter here in Seattle. It's a piece of cake compared to the blizzards and ice storms I'm used to. I grew up in Nebraska and spent the last six winters in Boston. Seattle is nothing. It's awesome, actually.

But February is the middle of Will's winter term at school, and we're starting to get a bit run down again, especially since the baby still wakes up to eat at night. (I haven't slept through the night in over a year, due to pregnancy and a new baby.) This is one of the toughest parts about paleo: you get run down from life, but you still have to spend time making good food to keep you going. Getting sick or run down is one of the major reasons people get derailed and end up back in grain-ville.

So here's a super easy dinner to keep you on track, with spinach and garlic for lots of nutrients and protection from yuckies. (That's the official term for any sort of flu or illness when you have a two year old: yuckies.) It takes less than five minutes to assemble in the crockpot, and it will keep you eating well during those busy winter weeks.

The Tools:

6 qt. crockpot

2 lb chicken thighs
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 t oregano
2 t Italian parsley
dash black pepper
10 oz baby spinach

The Process:

Plop chicken in the crockpot.

Mix all ingredients except spinach together and pour over chicken.

Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Add spinach on top for the last 15 minutes to let it steam away in the crockpot.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!