Monday, July 25, 2011

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs


Happy Monday everyone!  How was your weekend?

We didn't do much, I had to work on Saturday so Sunday ended up pretty lazy.  With the exception of getting out to play a game of tennis with some friends.  We got our butts handed to us - I blame it on Andy being my partner.  Hehe.

I've also been working on a re-design of the blog.  Of course, it's not quite finished yet, so I'll just have to keep you in suspense.  I also wanted to get a quick opinion about a possible name change.  I realize Andy can't be my "Fiance" for eternity, but I don't know whether to change the name of the blog or not.  I've already changed it once, and if I do change it again, it'll be for good.

So a couple names I've been playing around with are "Andy Likes It So It Must Be Good" (that way, regardless of what he becomes - i.e. my husband, there's no need for a change) and "Feeding Andy".  Either way, I know I'm going to be changing my URL (because frankly, my current one is a little long and ridiculous - which was bad planning on my part when I first made this blog).  So anyway, any suggestions are welcome so feel free to give me your input!

Ingredients:


Adapted from Tastespotting the Blog's recipe

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 thai chiles, minced
2 Bay leaves
4 strips of lemon zest
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup chicken stock
small handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F and set a cooling rack atop a baking sheet.

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet/pan) under medium high heat.  Add chicken thighs in one layer and cook until browned, about 4-6 minutes.  Turn thighs over and cook an addition 2-3 minutes to sear the meat.  Transfer the chicken to the cooling rack.

Reduce the heat on the cast iron to medium low and add onions.  Cook until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until alcohol has burnt off.  Stir in bay leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. 

Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley.


This was definitely one of those feel-good meals.  We served it with a mixture of roasted potatoes and beets.  Of course, it would be outstanding with skin-on chicken thighs, as the skin would crisp up - but we're trying to be a tad healthier over here, so we opted out of that. 

Hope you all have a great Monday and see you back here tomorrow afternoon!

30 comments:

  1. Looks extremely good, I loves lemon chicken and yours is a healthy version. yum yum

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  2. Wow this looks incredibly delicious, great recipe! :)

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  3. I love this dish! I loved that you used chicken thighs because they have so much more flavor! The lemon theme could be continued with the mini lemon cheesecakes I've made :-) As for the name, how about simply, "My Man Likes It!" I think the point will be gotten across just fine.

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  4. I love lemon chicken so this is sure to be a hit in our house. Diane

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  5. Looks good! just printed the recipe and will hand it to my boyfriend. He enjoys cooking any recipe with chicken thighs. Love chicken with lemon and totally agree about the good and bad of chicken skin.....
    Thank you!
    Lisa

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  6. Mmmm this looks so fresh and fitting for a nice summer dinner! The colors are gorgeous!

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  7. Such a flavor packed yummy looking dish...

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  8. My son introduced us to chicken thighs and now we love it; thank you for another recipe that I can add to my collection. Love the name "Feeding Andy". Good luck with your blog designing.
    Rita

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  9. Oh! I love the new pics at the top. They are so good!

    Food looks amazing! :P

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  10. Sounds like a good braised chicken and looking at the herbs and spices seasoning, it must be good!

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  11. We had a pretty lazy weekend but liked it :) This lemon braised chicken is making me hungry dear .. love the juicy look!

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  12. I like "Feeding Andy!" It's short, sweet and to the point :)

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  13. Love your new header! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your blog's changes. For the title, it's tough. I think your first suggestion is fun and would cover all the bases :)

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  14. Your new header is great! Changes are always good to create refreshing looks, but not with too dramatic changes as I'm afraid that the URL or name changes will lose its originality and main frame. I still like your original blog name...I find it very catchy!

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  15. Looks wonderfully delicious especially with the roasted beets and potatoes.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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  16. I LOVE your pictures, you two are adorable! And this chicken sounds awesome. I love the addition of the Thai chiles!

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  17. The chicken looks delicious! I love lemon and chicken...but I love the pictures at the top of you & your fiance even more!! They are adorable!

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  18. Great job with this recipe! Love the flavors in this... Beautiful pictures, Peggy :) Especially the ones of you & Andy.. I can't wait to see your re-design! :)

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  19. Feeding Andy sounds good but anything you come up with and feel good about will be the right answer.

    These chicken thighs look delicious.

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  20. This sounds wonderful! Beautiful pics, too. You could always change it to He likes it, so it must be good. Of course that's still quite long. Feeding Andy sounds great. My url is obnoxiously long, too. I've been toying with changing it, but there hasn't really been a reason to yet.

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  21. The lemon chicken lookls succulent. I love the new pictures and think Feeding Andy sounds really cute.

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  22. The chicken looks so tender and I love all the other ingredients inside, esp the lemony taste on the taste bud.

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  23. Hmmm, I am inclined to go with Feeding Andy. Short, sweet and to the point. And if this is what your feeding him, no wonder he wants to become your husband! ;)

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  24. I can't wait to see this redesign! I already love the site so I'm sure it will be super awesome.

    This chicken sounds delicious. Lemony heaven.

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  25. This looks like an incredible dinner idea. Yummy! I am really leaning toward "Feeding Andy" for the blog title. I especially love the new header. The photos are so adorable and playful.

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  26. Love the new header. I'm also leaning towards "Feeding Andy"... it's short, it's cute, and it fits perfectly with the new header photos of you guys feeding each other. Can't wait to see the rest of the redesign!
    BTW, this chicken dish reminds me a lot of one my mother used to make when I was little. Hers was based on condensed chicken soup, though, so I think this version is a big improvement... will have to make it next time I'm craving mom food.

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  27. I used to make something similar with olives - love the Thai chilis in here though! I'm going to have try it out.

    I like both names! Or just "It Must Be Good."

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  28. Love the new photos of you two at the top!

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