Skillet Roasted Chicken + Potato Wedges

Sometimes the simplest dinners are the best ones.

In taste and in ease.

The only ones better than that?

The dinners that seem like they are complicated but are in fact a breeze. The ones in which your husband/roommate/friend/mother thinks that you slaved over a complicated dish and in which you merely toss your hair over your shoulder and claim how it was oh, nothing!

A dinner that's delicious, simple and will get bonus points for seemingly a lot of work? Um, why would I ever cook anything other than this dish?

To prepare for our 5K on Sunday morning, not to mention the terrential downpours curbing our desire to leave our apartment, Shaun and I decided to have a nice dinner at home. Possibly in front of the television.

I had been wanting to test out some more recipes from my giant America's Test Kitchen Cookbook (you may see another fab recipe here) and when I came across a recipe for roasted chicken and potatoes - which claimed to only take 30 minutes, no less - I just had to give it a try. Roasted chicken? Good. Potato wedges? Good. 30 minute timeline? Goooood. This dinner came together in a snap and had Shaun already planning how soon I could make it again. It combines simple ingredients and cooking methods, but packs a ton of flavor and texture. A perfect any-night kind of meal.

Skillet Roasted Chicken + Potato Wedges
*Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
2 bone-in, split chicken breasts with skin on*
5 medium red potatoes, cut into small wedges
5 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment: meat thermometer**

With a rack at the lowest possibly position in your oven, preheat it to 450 degrees. Remove the chicken from its packaging, pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Once it is extremely hot (sprinkle just a drop or 2 of water in the oil - if it sizzles, it's ready!), place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat until the skin is golden brown.

Meanwhile, get the potatoes ready.

Place the wedges in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes, stopping midway through to shake the bowl around.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish with the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 160-165. Once the potatoes are tender, transfer to the now-empty skillet (do not clean the skillet out first!), and sautee about 10 minutes until the wedges start to brown and crisp.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together. Serve over the chicken and potatoes.

*Yes, I highly recommend using this kind of chicken, not a skinless boneless breast. Even if you plan to discard the skin, it will keep the chicken juicy and moist through the roasting process. Otherwise it will end up dry and unflavorful. No one wants that.

**I purchased a no-frills probe thermometer at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $4. Do it. It's worth every penny and will save you (and your meat) from being hacked into so that you can see if the chicken is cooked through. The thermometer doesn't lie. If it says 160+ degrees, your chicken is done.

So there you have it. My super duper easy peasy new favorite dinner. And one that I will be making again soon. Oh and next time I'll be sure to include something green on our plates too. Some roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts, perhaps? And I'm pretty sure this would work just as well with sweet potatoes instead of white, if you prefer. So what do you think? Have you made any simple dinners that look like you slaved away over it?

Roasted Shrimp with Fennel + Feta

Thank you all for your very sweet words after yesterday's post. It was so fun to share our love story that started 11 years ago :)

So today I'm here to tell you about my new Ina Garten cookbook. I received How Easy is That? for Christmas and though I'm a huge (huge) Ina fan, I had yet to break it open and give it a spin. Until last week.

If you've read my blog in the past, you'd know that I absolutely adore Ina. I love her crisp Hamptons style, her delicious and semi-artisinal eats, and especially her refusal to compromise any ingredients to save a few calories. When I came across her roasted shrimp with feta, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't very unhealthy at all. In fact, the only 'bad for you' ingredients are feta cheese and panko breadcrumbs...both of which can be substituted with reduced-fat cheese and whole wheat panko. But I went all out on this one.

The sharp feta balances the acidic tomatoes while the tender fennel gives just an extra sweetness and texture that should not be compromised. Admittedly, I had never worked with fennel before, but it couldn't be easier to break down.

I had avoided it completely due to my distaste for anise flavor, but I will admit that it's essential in this dish. And once it gets cooking, it's actually sweet. And pretty fantastic. I'm a convert.

 

Roasted Shrimp with Fennel + Feta
*Adapted from Ina Garten (my girl!)
1 medium-sized fennel, diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/3 C white wine
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb. peeled shrimp (I used frozen, raw shrimp. I defrosted & peeled)
5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 C panko breadcrumbs
3 tsp ground parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet (preferably one with high sides). Add the fennel and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, stir, and then add the wine. Bring to a boil and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom (aka, the best part!). Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the flavors all meld together.

Meanwhile, make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the panko, lemon zest and parsley; set aside.

Lay the uncooked shrimp over the tomato mixture in the skillet.

Layer the feta over the shrimp. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until the shrimp are completely cooked and the panko is golden.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the finished dish.

Now serve it up!

I served this dish with a bit of whole wheat baguette that I picked up at Whole Foods. It needed no other side dish. It was super filling. The shrimp cooked up perfectly and the flavors all just came together. It was fantastic. The one tweak I will make next time is to add more white wine or even a bit of vegetable broth. Once the dish cooked up, there wasn't much 'sauce' left in the skillet, but all of the juices had been absorbed. I really wanted that sauce for my baguette. Next time, friends! The sauce will be mine.

So there you have it. A super easy dish that we got 5 meals out of. Shocking, no? We had a serving for dinner, both had some for lunch and I had it for dinner another night that week. So what do you think? Do you ever cook with shrimp or seafood? And what are your feelings on Ina? Yay or nay? Or do you have another favorite celebrity chef?

Roasted Vegetables + Lemon Feta Quinoa

Well it's Tuesday and I don't know about you but I feel as though it should be Thursday, no? Last night I worked a little late, came home and caught up on Shameless followed by Castle. Is anyone watching these shows? Castle is one of my favorites (can never get enough Nathan Fillion) and this week's Shameless really solidified its place in our TV viewing schedule.

Aside from wishing the weekend would hurry up, I want to tell you about how I hate cold lunch. It's true. I'm a hot lunch kind of girl. I'm typically not a big salad eater, unless its accompanied by something else on the side. So in order to keep the whole bring-your-lunch-to-work thing going, sometimes I have to get a little creative.

My current love? Roasted vegetables and lemon feta quinoa. Both can be made on Sunday and packed away for a few days of lunches. Oh and they couldn't be easier.

Lemon Feta Quinoa
1 shallot, finely diced
1 C quinoa
2 C vegetable broth (though since the cans are sold in 14 oz, I use that and a 1/4 C water to make up the diff)
1 lemon
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 C crumbled feta cheese
olive oil + light butter

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the shallots and cook a few minutes until soft. Pour in the vegetable broth and quinoa. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon, basil and feta.

I also think this would be utterly fabulous with some chopped up tomatoes, string beans, asparagus or any other green vegetable! Perhaps even some spinach or kale!

Roasted Vegetables
*Adapted from Cooking Light
3 sweet potatoes, cubed
3-4 parsnips (depending on size - I had particularly dinky parsnips for this batch), peeled and sliced
1 1/2-2 C carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped into cubes
1/4 C honey
3 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prep your vegetables.

With all vegetables chopped up, mix them together in a big mixing bowl. Add honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Pour in the vegetables.

Roast for about 30 minutes or more, depending on size of the vegetables and until they are tender and starting to carmelize.

These are so delicious and reheat in a snap in the microwave. The honey really brings out the sweetness in these vegetables while the onion balances that out. Paired with a piece or fruit or Greek yogurt, this is a fabulous, filling and well-rounded lunch!

So there you have it. Two easy peasy recipes that are perfect for a quick lunch or even a weeknight dinner! What do you think? And for the question of the day: Are you a cold or hot lunch person? What are your go-to's?