chicken with rosemary, garlic, lemon flavor notes

Penning a post about food hungry is probably not the best idea. But, here goes…inspiration, perhaps?

I tried my hand at your green soup recipe last weekend. The aroma filled my small kitchen. I served it with fresh buttered naan. A definite win.

So, this simple chicken roast recipe is a compromise for people in the bold flavor camp (eh hem, yours truly), and those who prefer a softer touch on their taste buds. I’m making it tonight for my little sister’s visit to New Haven. It’s rare for me to repeat the same recipe in two weeks, but I had rosemary and white wine leftover from the first round, and you know how I feel about wastage. Plus, this one–with no advance prep and undiluted taste–is a keeper.

Modified from Rachel Ray on Food Network (four stars, 500 reviews).

You will need:

• 1 pounds bone-in chicken thigh
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into large chunks
• a whole bunch of fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems (note: quantity depends on how intense you want this flavor)
• 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced (note: currently in a kitchen that lacks a zester. I’ve taken to peeling the skin and then slicing thinly)
• Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

To do:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place chicken in a 9×13 baking dish (note: cover in aluminum foil for easy clean-up).
• Coat chicken generously with marinade ingredients: garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and salt and pepper.
• Roast 20 minutes.
• Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. (note: I find this last step is critical to getting just the right level of juiciness).

I recommend thawing the chicken overnight to really get the best bird for this dish.

Curried Coconut & Green Lentil Soup

This is the soup that started it all.  It’s simple; unassuming ingredient list, minimal time requirement.  And yet strikingly delicious.  So delicious that M placed it in his top 5 recipes of all time!  Not bad for a quick weeknight dinner!

Curried Coconut  & Green Lentil Soup

Recipe from Aimee at Simple Bites – adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
1 Tablespoon good quality curry powder, freshly ground
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 large sweet onion, chopped
5 cups of vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Melt coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, then add curry powder, garlic, and onion. Saute for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.
2. Add vegetable stock and green lentils. Bring soup to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat. Simmer for between 20 and 50 minutes (or until lentils are tender; mine typically take about 50 minutes).
3. Once the lentils have finished cooking, remove soup from the heat and stir in the coconut milk and salt.

Note – Aimee’s version calls for blending the soup after step 3 with an immersion blender – I didn’t bother and thought it was perfect as is.

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