Cooking at Home #1

One thing I can say about becoming a mother that I didn't expect, is that it has made me very passionate about cooking. It's suddenly a major priority of mine to make sure Aria develops GOOD eating habits, and that I keep processed foods and any sort of produce or meat riddled with chemicals out of her tiny, perfect body. I try to cook most nights, filling in the nights that I don't cook with leftovers of dinners past, and the occasional dinner out.

I've decided to share at least one recipe every week. It will be something we tried, we loved, and will make again, complete with photos of the process!
This weeks dinner is going to be Pan-Roasted Chicken with Spinach and Smashed Potatoes. We ate it for dinner just last night and it was incredible! I always purchase organic ingredients when available, and try to use natural or organic meat as well. The recipe calls for the following:

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

1 lb spinach

4 large shallots

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp lemon zest

olive oil

course salt

ground pepper

fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, to a boil in salted water and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 minutes.




2. Meanwhile, season 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each) with course salt, ground pepper, and 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until golden and crisp, 5 minutes. Flip, then add 4 large shallots, quartered; cook until chicken is browned, 5 minutes. Flip shallots, then transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through, 15 minutes.





3. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water from potatoes. Drain potatoes and return to pan. Add 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp grated lemon zest, and reserved cooking water; season with salt and pepper and roughly mash.



4. Transfer chicken and shallots to a platter and heat skillet over medium. Add 1 tsp olive oil and 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 lb spinach, trimmed and washed, and toss until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Serve chicken with shallots, potatoes, and spinach.



Serves 4.
Per Serving: 441 cal; 12.4 g fat (2.8 g sat fat); 38 g protein; 52.3 g carb; 9.4 g fiber