Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend. I’m back in Florida but spent the last few days at my mom’s. Since we were apart on Christmas, we celebrated New Year’s Eve with a second, smaller holiday gathering. I planned to drive back to my place today—about four hours—but woke up with a fever. My little brother Nick is sick too, so it’s unclear whether he passed this on or I picked it up while traveling. Either way, it put me out of commission and I spent most of the day resting.
While I recover, I’m sharing a light, healthy recipe from my friend Amanda. It’s perfect if you resolved to eat better this year. I hope to be back home later this week and returning to regular cooking and blogging soon.
Lemon Oregano Chicken
From The Sopranos Family Cookbook
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 lemons
- About 3½ pounds chicken, quartered (or use chicken breasts if you prefer)
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Squeeze the juice from one lemon and slice the other lemon into rounds.
- Arrange the chicken and potato wedges in a single layer in a baking pan. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Turn the pieces to coat evenly, and arrange the chicken skin side up. Tuck lemon slices and additional potatoes between the chicken pieces.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, then baste with the pan juices. Continue baking, basting occasionally, for another 15–30 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the potatoes are tender.
- Transfer the chicken, potatoes, and lemon slices to a serving platter. Tip the pan to collect the juices, skim off excess fat, and pour the juices over the chicken before serving.
