Thursday, June 19, 2014

I'm Back!

I just realized how long it's been since I last posted something...much too long! I guess I was feeling lazy. But I was very happy with a meal I made so I thought I'd share. 
I have always been curious about lemon chicken but never tried it because I'm not really THAT into lemon. So a whole dish bombarded with lemon just didn't really sound all that great. But here we are heading into summer and I saw this picture on pinterest and thought...hmmm that looks pretty good!
And not to mention I don't really cook chicken breast anymore because it's typically on the dry side and lacks flavor. I always use the thigh meat or roast the whole chicken. But here I am making lemon chicken breasts. And you know what? It was absolutely delicious!! Yes, it was very lemony, but it was refreshing and the meat wasn't dry at all. I couldn't believe it. For me it's a perfect summer meal. I paired the chicken with roasted rosemary potatoes and an arugula salad. 

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
Directions:
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  • Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 X 12-inch baking dish. (I used my dutch oven)
  • Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken. (I used the lemons that I zested) 
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices. 
Yesterday I turned 30. So I thought I would celebrate by eating this yummy meal outside in the backyard with some french wine, enjoy my own company and my birthday. It was perfectly relaxing and I feel ready to take on a new decade.
Cheers!

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