PAIRS WITH GREEK SALAD W/ LEMON CHICKEN
Try to marinate this as long as you can to let that wonderful lemony flavor seep into the chicken meat. Using the pan drippings as the oil in the dressing lets you enjoy the flavor even more. For your second meal, Greek Salad, all you need to do is cut vegetables if you baked the pita chips while the oven was hot tonight. I’m even throwing in links to two under 30 min. recipes that you can use if there are still leftovers after these two meals. Cluck Cluck.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup(s) olive oil
4 -- lemon -- DIVIDED
2 tbsp oregano -- or twice that fresh, diced
3 garlic clove(s) -- crushed
3 lb(s) chicken on the bone -- see note*
4 yellow summer squash -- diced 1/2" chunks
6 cup(s) spring lettuce mix -- include watercress, radicchio, baby spinach, etc.
6 oz(s) mushrooms -- diced
1 1/2 tsp horseradish sauce -- or part mustard
1 tsp ketchup -- or chili sauce
1/4 cup(s) juice from meat pan -- or olive oil
Directions
Prep Work: Mix olive oil, juice from 3 lemons (yield of 6), oregano and garlic for marinade. Pour over chicken and refrigerate covered. Chop summer squash.
1. Place chicken in oven safe dish(s), combine first four ingredients (only 3 lemons for yield of 6, or 3/4 of total lemons) for marinade and pour over chicken. Turn chicken over to coat both sides. Marinate in refrigerator as long as possible, anywhere from 2-24 hours.
2. When ready to cook chicken, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pita chips for the Greek Salad while the oven is hot now to save yourself time tomorrow (See instructions).
Turn chicken so that the skin side is down and bake for 30-40 min. and meat is just finished, or internal temperature is 165 in thickest part. Flip meat so the skin is up, change heat to broil and brown skin side, approx. 10 more minutes. Set aside 1/3 of chicken for Greek Salad tomorrow.3. While chicken cooks, place squash in steaming basket or in pot with lid and 1” of water in the bottom. Steam until soft, approx. 10 min. Toss with a little butter or sour cream and salt and pepper, cover and set aside.
4. Put greens and mushrooms in a salad bowl. In smaller bowl whisk together juice of remaining lemon(s), horseradish, ketchup and salt and pepper to taste. Add pan juices to this mix when chicken is done and then toss with greens and mushrooms. Cut larger meat pieces into serving sizes if needed.
EXTRA MEAT? Mexi-Chicken Soup Under 30 or Feta Chicken Pasta
*Chicken can be all breasts if you prefer only white meat, all thighs and legs if you prefer dark, a combination of both, or simply two whole chickens cut into small serving pieces. I bought a family pack of breasts and thighs and cooked them together and froze the pieces I did not need. I cooked the breasts split, and then cut them in half again after being cooked to make some smaller servings.