Ever have one of those days that begins one way and winds up completely differently? I usually have some clients on Tuesdays and teach Yoga in the afternoon. It’s always a really nice day as it’s not too crazy and I love all the folks I’m with on these days. Today, I had my training clients cancel so I decided to take our English Setter, Eli, on a nice run this morning.
While running I was thinking about what a nice day it was – not hot and muggy, with a little breeze now and then. It was perfect! I should have known better. I almost stepped on this:
Yuck! I do hate snakes! THEN my phone began buzzing. During a 45 minute run, I had at least seven texts from my sons and at least one call from The Husband. How could that be? Aren’t these people in school or at work? Why would they continually be bothering me? Sometimes I do hate the invention of cell phones. . .
After my run I had planned on working on a new recipe. If you haven’t noticed, the well of new recipes has been pretty dry around here. While I continually say that this is NOT a food blog, food is a really important ingredient to health and one of my favorite outlets. However, my creative juices haven’t been flowing in the kitchen lately.
Yet, when I walked up the driveway with Eli, I saw this:
We lost three large trees lately, and while we had help cutting them up and moving most for firewood, this eyesore still sat waiting to be moved. Since I now had some extra time, I decided to get some gloves and dig in.
I considered this to be my second workout of the day! With the lifting, throwing, twisting, lunging up and down the hill, it definitely gave me one.
I’ve always loved working outside. It always makes me feel productive. I think it’s because I love a good “before and after” like on HGTV. I love seeing the results. After the “log throwing” I then decided my dogs needed a wash. Then, I passed by my office and saw the tall stack of paperwork on my desk. I sat down to tackle that which lead to preparing for my yoga class. Before I knew it the day was almost gone and I hadn’t gotten to the kitchen for any creative cooking.
On days like this, when things don’t go as planned, and I don’t have a “new” recipe to try, I have a great fall back one. I bet you have all the ingredients right in your house for it. It’s an Ina Garten favorite, one of my Girl Crushes.
Lemon Chicken Breasts
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 400. In a small saucepan, heat the
olive oil over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t let the garlic turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme and pour into a sprayed 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
Wash and pat the chicken breasts dry. Place them in the dish over the sauce and . brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pan juices.
This is always a hit in our house. It’s a great fall back recipe when you don’t have a dinner plan! It’s quick, easy, light and healthy!
Enjoy Your Day!
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