The chicken may be the main here but gotta say it’s all about this spectacular lemon rice. Rice, chicken, spinach ( and yes Joel didn’t even detect here and ate it up) I went a little lighter on the spinach for fear of spoiling it for him but go with full 2 cups of spinach if you’re family loves it. I chopped it up so it was hard to really see that it even was spinach but you can just chop it up roughly. This would be delicious served with a Greek Salad and the one I would go with is my Maroulosalata salad. Perfect!! and very delicious and I marinaded chicken from about 10 till 5 but if you can do overnight even better and if you can’t do at least an hour. One pan means less clean up which is also an extra added bonus. Enjoy this wonderful meal.

i*should serve 4-6 but for 6 I would add 2 more thighs

*for the chicken marinade

6 chicken thighs ( I only used 4 for the 2 of us) I go to butcher when I can so thighs are meatier if they’re very small make 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients:

For Chicken and Rice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed and roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice ( I love Carolina brand)

3 cups chicken stock/broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

*crumbled feta for end if you’d like or some lemon slices or lemon zest and a little squirt of fresh lemon juice at the end — all of this is optional and up to you. I used crumbled feta at the end ( not too much just a sprinkle) and I used a little fresh lemon juice — you can also add chopped parsley and some lemon slices for a lovely presentation

Place Chicken in a large bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag ( I used plastic bag method)

Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken ( pat chicken dry first) and toss chicken to coat well. Seal bag or cover bowl and marinate chicken in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 1 day ahead (obvi the longer the better)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees , remove chicken from fridge while preheating the oven.

In a large ovenproof pot ( I used my Le Creuset dutch oven) or large skillet that is oven proof heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is very hot without burning please add chicken thighs skin side down (and reserve the leftover marinade in bowl or bag — you will be adding the liquid to the skillet later) Brown chicken about 5 minutes each side — you’ll be cooking more later this is just to get them golden and crispy. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate.

Add the onions and garlic to skillet and stir cooking for a few minutes or until the onions are very soft and translucent. Adjust the heat a little if needed– don’t burn the onions.

Add the chopped spinach, oregano, salt, pepper, and reserved marinade to the pot. Cook stirring for another minute or so until spinach is wilted

Add the rice to the skillet, and stir well to coat the rice with the pan juices

Pour the chicken stock into the pot and stir well, bring to a simmer or low boil

Arrange chicken thighs on top of the rice, the cover the pot ( if no cover use aluminum foil)and place pot in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid or foil covering, return the skillet to the oven, and bake until chicken and rice is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Feel free to broil for the last couple of minutes if you’re feeling like chicken isn’t crispy enough

Remove from the oven and let chicken and rice rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff rice so that the spinach and onions that may have settled get evenly distributed. Sprinkle with feta now or extra lemon juice or parsley and lemon slices then serve straight from the pan or dish out onto plates.

Enjoy! this one is a winner

Chicken Scarpariello could easily be one of my most favorite dishes to order in an Italian Restaurant. The translation is Shoemaker’s chicken and it is a classic Italian-American dish of chicken, sausage, onions and peppers . The flavors are layered and spicy and sweet and this recipe often has potatoes in it but this time I left them out and we didn’t miss them. I made this for 2 people so used only 1 lb. of chicken. Recipe is for 2 – 3 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken , you can use whatever pieces you like but if you’re using breasts have them cut in 1/2. I also made whole recipe in my Le Creuset Stockpot because I cut recipe for just the two of us. If you make whole recipe you’ll want to transfer to a large roasting pan before putting in the oven. I didn’t because I only used 3 pieces of chicken and 2 sausage links so I kept it all in the Le Creuset dutch oven .

Enjoy this hearty recipe and if I were making potatoes I might just roast some on the side and add in when I serve. Potatoes are totally optional.

Serve with some good bread to soak up this delicious sauce.

This would be a delicious Holiday Meal.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in , skin-on Chicken I used thighs only this time,, use what you like but keep breasts small and cut in 1/2 and this recipe can be easily cut in 1/2

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ( or coarse black pepper)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( if you’re cooking up chicken and oil disappears add a little at a time)

4 links Italian Sausage — you can use 1/2 mild and 1/2 spicy whatever you’d like

2 large Bell Peppers and if you’re making for more people and transferring to large roasting pan you can use 3 Bell peppers — seeded and cut into thin strips

1 large sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic — probably 2 small cloves

4-8 hot vinegar cherry peppers or pepperoncini, left whole If you don’t like hot you can substitute with sweet cherry peppers in vinegar or peppadew peppers in vinegar( I know Trader Joes has these) Use what you like and what you can find.

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. season chicken pieces with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven style pot or use a large pot/pan for sautéing . In batches, ( don’t over crowd pot) brown the chicken , skin side down to start, you’ll probably want to sauté for at least 5 minutes or more per side and using tongs check for skin color to be golden brown, this may take longer or shorter and be careful not to burn the oil. I used a medium flame but if it starts to burn lower immediately . Remove the chicken to a plate when finished. Add the sausage to same pot and sauté until brown, about 3 -4 minutes per side. ( they will not be cooked through at this point– just browned. Remove with tongs , cut into 1″ slices and set aside along with chicken.

Now into the same pot sauté the bell peppers, onion and garlic until soft and beginning to brown , probably another 5 minutes or so. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper here while it was sautéing

Return the sausage to pot, add the cherry peppers or pepperoncini, chicken broth , wine, vinegar, oregano . Gently mix together, then transfer everything in the pot ( all liquid as well) to a large roasting pan. ( I always spray first for easy clean-up and easy removal of cooked food) use an olive oil spray if you have it and spray lightly) Nestle the chicken in the vegetables (skin side up) with sausage and roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly, probably 30 minutes . If you are halving this recipe for 2 people you can put Le Creuset in the oven which is what I did but for larger amounts use roasting pan.

I served on plate and spooned a little of the sauce on top of chicken and vegetables.

Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

You can test done-ness of chicken with a meat thermometer.

*I prefer using dark meat here but that’s totally up to you

I put this together last night and it was most delicious if I do say so myself and obviously Joel was very happy with this one as well. Served alongside rice and a beautiful Brussels salad which I will post soon as well. In the meantime this is a great weeknight meal or lovely meal if you’re having friends over. I would say 2 lbs. would feed 4-6 depending on your eaters.

This is super-yummy and don’t forget to spoon the sauce over the chicken when you serve it!

Ingredients:

2- 21/2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken– I used thighs –much tastier but if you insist on breasts cut in 1/2–this time out I made for the 2 of us but used the same amount of sauce for full recipe — the sauce cooks down and you’ll want some for top of chicken

8 ounces orange marmalade , or this time I used Orange Ginger Fruit Spread by Dalfour which had amazing flavor but even apricot preserves will work well here. The Orange flavor just adds a layer of flavor that you can’t get from the apricot and the ginger in the orange really kicked it up a notch. I have also used Apricot Preserves which work out perfectly.

1 1/2 Tablespoons Whole Grain or Stone Ground Mustard ( my favorite is from Maille)

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce — I used low sodium

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 – 1/12 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary — if you like a lot of Rosemary add a little more if not a huge fan you probably won’t be making this recipe but use 1 Tablespoon

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (app. 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions:

You can marinade over-night but I did it first thing in the morning– you’ll want this to marinade at least 6 hours — this is important

When I get home from supermarket I pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with kosher salt before I do anything. If I can leave chicken in fridge for a few hours I do and then I take out chicken and continue the prep.

In a glass bowl or any non-reactive bowl combine marmalade, soy sauce, melted butter, rosemary and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix marinade till completely combined then add chicken pieces and coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or longer whatever is convenient for you. I also put chicken in a gallon sized baggie and squish it around. Completely up to you.

Remove chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature about 1/2 hour before cooking. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray– or you’ll have a tough time cleaning this one up.

Transfer the chicken to sprayed baking dish and get any and all marinade in the dish as well. I think I used a 13×9 dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through and browned up on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. My oven cooked 4 pieces in 40 minutes so check chicken after 1/2 hour for progress — all ovens vary.