all mine, occasionally.

I have to say that one of my favorite past times is looking up things to cook. it probably has something to do with too many cooking shows, gordon ramsey, and wanting to be as good of a cook as my mom. I'd go through a lot of recipes both online and in books to see what kind of deliciousness i can make. once in a while, though, it's nice to be able to come up with something on my own. :) this is one of two such recipes that i can say i made without a guideline and can be truly proud of. it's rich, tasty, and super flavorful...exactly how i had envisioned in my head.

the chicken roasts on top of the vegetables, flavoring it and creating a broth that the veggies stew in. meanwhile, the veggies keeps the chicken nice and moist, lending flavor to the broth as well. i decided to broil the chicken in the last five minutes of cooking to give it a some color. the end result? a rustic-style dish that goes well with crusty bread or some creamy mashed potatoes. here, i had it with a couple slices of herbed soda bread i made a few days before. it was the perfect medium to soak up all that juicy goodness!

 

Garlic-Herb Chicken Bake
(makes 3 to 4 servings)

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs depending on size
4 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic paste (or 3-4 garlic cloves, minced)
1 medium tomato, roughly diced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 package frozen vegetables, italian or california style
1/8 cup or so extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme, marjoram, or rosemary (use one or a combination of)
1 tsp paprika, halfed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
kosher salt
coarse ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter with the garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until just melted. Set aside. Prepare the tomatoes and onions and combine with the frozen vegetables in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, herbs (in this version, i used half thyme and half marjoram), half the paprika, cayenne pepper, and about 3/4 of the garlic/butter. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Take a baking pan and evenly line the bottom with the vegetable mixture.

In the same bowl, take the chicken and pierce a few times with a fork. Season with salt, pepper, the rest of the paprika, and the remaining garlic/butter mixture. Massage into the meat for a couple of minutes then top the vegetables with the seasoned chicken.

Place the pan in the center rack and bake for approximately 50 minutes, basting occasionally. In the last five minutes of cooking, turn the oven up and broil the chicken until it gets a nice color. Take out of the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Serve hot with a side of crusty bread or some creamy mashed potatoes.