Pan-Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Photo from RealSimple.com

This meal came from RealSimple.com.  It could quite possibly be the best meal I have ever made or eaten in my life.  I am not exaggerating here.  It was absolutely delicious.  Of course, I could be prejudiced because my mom used to make oven roasted lemon chicken and potatoes all the time for us when I was a little girl.  I could be remembering those delicious meals and savoring this one in my memory.  Who cares?!  It was so good.  It filled every need for comfort food that I ever had.  When I make it again (you notice I said "when" not "if"), I will use more potatoes.  I am a huge potato fan. I could eat them all day long but I don't...  And to say it was easy, doesn't make it clear enough.  It was so "Real Simple" that it was a complete no brainer.  I can't imagine why I hadn't thought of this myself a long time ago.  The best part is that I got to use the convection roast feature of my new oven.  Wow!  Just wow!  I am in love this this meal.  Just add a glass of wine and you've got dinner.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 15 Mins.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered

4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3-1/4 pounds)

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of t he olive oil.  Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.

2.      In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices.  Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans.  Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive oil mixture and coat thoroughly.  Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet.  Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

3.   Roast for 50 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet.  Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender.  Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; dividing the green beans and potatoes equally.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Chocolate Pound Cake

I made this cake for a friend of mine whose birthday is coming up.  Her birthday is the same day as my dad's. I did way too much baking for everyone else this month and did no baking for myself!  I did a taste-test of this cake because it was one of the first cakes I baked in my new oven.  I wanted to make sure it wasn't overcooked.  I was actually going to make another one but I had to make the cookies and coffee cake for my dad so I talked myself out of it.  It looks like a good cake to make again. Maybe I can do it as a "marble" loaf instead of all chocolate.  I wouldn't have made something so plain except that I was told she would prefer this type of cake to anything with frosting or glaze.  I hope she likes it!

Chocolate Pound Cake
makes one 8 x 4 x 3 inch Loaf

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3 tablespoons boiling water
3 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups sifted cake flour (~125 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (175 grams)
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (cut into pieces)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter or spray with vegetable spray, an 8 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and boiling water until thoroughly combined.  Let cool to room temperature.

3. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.  Set aside.

4. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended.  Add the butter and half of the chocolate/egg mixture.  Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake’s structure.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake’s structure.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.  Bake for about 50-60vminutes total or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  About twenty minutes into baking, cover the cake with a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning.

6. Remove the cake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about ten minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan, reinvert, and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.  Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.

7.  Will keep, well wrapped, several days at room temperature, about one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months.

www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolatePoundCake.html

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook