Simple lemon chicken

It's absolutely gorgeous outside today -- 78 degrees and sunny with a just barely there breeze.  And, I won't lie, I'd rather be out there than in here typing about what you should make for dinner this week.  But I want to share this with you.  Because it's awesome.  And will give your week such a fresh start.

A lemony fresh start.

And what could be better than that?

So, we're going to compromise.  I'm going to type a little and play in the sun a lot.  Sound good? :)

This is the best lemon chicken I've ever had!  So seasoned with citrus and herbs and salt and pepper.  Incredibly moist.  And practically laughable how easy it was.

So easy that I thought, "Eh, is this really blog-worthy?  Probably not," and abandoned my camera during cooking.

Doing that a lot more these days.  Whoopsie.

Camera or not, nothing could take away from the flavor of this dish.  Simple is delicious.  And delicious is what earns a dish a spot in our weekly meal line-up.  Twice in 5 days, folks.

Give it a whirl and you'll see why.

Heck, I even built in some outdoors time with the mandatory marinating time.  You're welcome, springtime!

One year ago: Tuscan vegetable soup
Two years ago: Split pea soup


Lemon Chicken
(adapted with some changes from Simply Recipes)
-serves 4

1-2 pounds chicken parts (I went with boneless & skinless breasts), trimmed of excess fat
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
Lemon slices for garnish

Place lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken. Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through entirely. Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken. Serve alone or with steamed rice.