Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Truth be told we are not that big on chicken around here. However, I use chicken stock frequently for dishes that don't actually contain chicken meat. Since I buy whole chickens for making the stock, quartering the chickens and reserving the meat, this leaves me with chicken pieces that I then need to find recipes for. I know, what a burden, right?! :-D Until now, I really only knew one excellent way to prepare chicken... more on that later... then this week I found a new chicken recipe which is actually quite good! I found it on Epicurious.com. You can link to the actual recipe, which I have rewritten here to illustrate the steps as I did them, by clicking on the link in the title. The photos are my own.

Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Yukon Gold Potatoes
Bon Appétit | March 2009

by Greg Atkinson In this simple chicken bake, the skin gets good and crispy, and the juices make the vegetables extra-succulent. Yield: Makes 6 servings 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (preferably organic; about 2 1/4 pounds total) 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg 2 pounds unpeeled medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears 2 pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears Preheat oven to 450°F. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Coat chicken pieces with olive oil and set skin side up. Mix salt, thyme, 1½ teaspoons pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle half of mixture over chicken. Roast until chicken starts to brown and some fat has rendered, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine potatoes, carrots, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining salt/thyme mixture in large bowl. Transfer thighs to medium bowl; set aside. Transfer potato-carrot mixture to same baking dish; turn to coat with drippings. Roast until vegetables soften, 30 minutes. Place thighs on vegetables; pour accumulated juices from chicken over. Return baking dish to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked and vegetables brown, 15 minutes longer. As you can see we served ours with some green beans. It was really tender and juicy and well-seasoned.

Spicy Lentil Salad

This recipe has countless health benefits including lots of fiber, heart-healthy fat, turmeric (anti-inflammatory/anti-cancer properties), yogurt (the "good" bacteria); and it's delicious!

From The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook...

1 cup brown rice
1 cup brown lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
3 star anise
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
8 oz broccoli florets
2 carrots, cut into julienne strips
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed

Mint and Yogurt Dressing
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp cumin

1. Put 3 cups water with the rice, lentils, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and bay leaves in a pan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce, cover, and simmer gently for about 50 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the whole spices. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk 2 Tbsp of the oil with the lemon juice and fork through the rice mixture.
2. Steam or microwave the broccoli and carrots until tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, the add the garam masala and coriander, and stir-fry further 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and peas and toss to coat in the spice mixture. Add to the rice and fork through to combine.
4. To make the dressing, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, mint and cumin seeds together, and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6. Per serving: 380 calories, 20 grams protein, 15 gms fat, 50 gms carbohydrate, 10 gms dietary fiber.

I forgot to add the peas in mine...but, it was still great.

Potato Leek Soup

I've been away from the blog for a bit... out of town, Easter holidays, Spring Break from school... we've been keeping it simple around the house and I haven't been doing much advance meal planning, not to mention taking the time to photograph my spur-of-the-moment meals... Here is one simple meal that I did take the time to capture.

Potato Leek Soup:

1 large bunch of leeks, bottom parts only, sliced thinly

5 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes

1 large pat of butter for sauteeing the leeks

1 quart of chicken stock

2-3 cups of water

salt

white pepper

First clean the leeks very, very well under running water. They tend to trap a lot of dirt within the many tight layers, so you will need to "unwrap" them before washing.

Then slice the leeks thinly.

Saute them in a heated pan with a large pat of butter. Stir frequently, over medium heat, until the leeks are very soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Peel and wash the potatoes, and slice very thinly. Add to the pot along with the chicken stock and/or water. You can use any combination, all chicken stock, all water, or some of both, but you will need at least 6 cups of liquid to cover the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes.

At the end of 30 minutes, when the potatoes have cooked through, you will need to puree the soup. You can use a blender, immersion blender or a food processor if desired... I used my food mill. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into serving bowls and serve hot. I garnished our soup with a bit of wild green onions that spring up in our backyard; they are kind of like chives.

I bet it would go well with some of that Irish Soda Bread below!

Bon Appetit!