Family Bites

Grilled Striploin Steak with Onion Marmalade

Garlic butter-basted steaks topped with onion marmalade, grilled sourdough bread, and steamed green beans under a blanket of grated Parmesan. Or in other words, one of the only family dinners that doesn’t require a Venn diagram to break the meal into sections of who will eat what. 

I’m sure your family dinners are similar, and are often divided into three categories: food happily devoured by the kids, foods happily eaten by the parents, and food that appease both groups.  This meal – minus the onion marmalade – not only appeals to everyone at our table, but also is a new family favourite and is sure to be seen many times over in the coming month.

I’ll likely swap out the beans for fresh corn later in the season, and the bread might be replaced with a warm potato salad, although we unanimously agree that it’s the perfect side to a grilled meal, and the steak could just as easily become chicken, pork, or fish.

I think we’ve finally turned a corner and dinner has a new schematic representation. Instead of circles encompassing who will be happy with what, we have a roadmap to an easy dinner, which goes something like this: grilled meat + grilled bread + seasonal side = a meal the whole family can agree on.

Grilled Striploin Steaks with Onion Marmalade

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Steak cooks best when it's allowed to come to room temperature. I like to leave mine out for an hour before the meat hits the grill. In this case, I place it on the counter while I get to work on the marmalade, and by the time it's finished and the barbecue is hot, the steak is ready for grilling.

For the onion marmalade:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cane/granulated sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

 For the steaks:

• 2-3 sprigs thyme
• 2-3 sprigs rosemary
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 -1" thick striploin steaks, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon chimichurri spice blend

1. To make the onion marmalade: heat the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and sugar and cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are intensely caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, vinegar, and water, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Store in a jar and serve with grilled steaks. Can be made up to one week ahead, and store in the fridge.

2. For the steaks: Using kitchen or baker’s twine, tie the ends of the thyme and rosemary together. This will be your basting brush. Cook the garlic and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

3. Prepare the grill for high heat. Season the room temperature steaks with the chimichurri  blend, or with a generous dose of salt and pepper, and grill them, turning every two minutes. Frequently baste the steaks with the garlic butter using the herb bundles, and cook for 6-10 minutes, depending on desired doneness (8 minutes should yield a medium rare steak).

4. Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with onion marmalade.

Mustard and Asparagus Batons

“Mom, these asparagus thingies are really good. But I think they’d be even better if the entire piece of asparagus was covered, and not just the middle bits.”

The fact that Jackson used the words “asparagus” and “good” in the same sentence is a total parenting win as far as I’m concerned. It only took six springs of positive encouragement, bribes, gagging, puréed soups, creamy cheese sauce toppings, and several other attempts at getting the kids to enjoy my favourite vegetable of the season, and in the end it was the puff pastry blanket that sold one of them on the flavour benefits of this tender delicacy.

The lesson learned here is that the old saying is true: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. The kids will come around eventually.

Mustard and Asparagus Batons

Adapted from Country Living

Makes 12

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• Flour for work surface
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons grainy or plain Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 400 degress and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 

Cut the puff pastry into 12 equal pieces. Lightly dust your work surface and roll each piece of pastry into a rectangle, about 2 1/2" x 5". Sprinkle each strip with parmesan cheese and centre an asparagus spear on top. 

Roll the asparagus up in the pastry strip. Dampen the pastry with water along the seam and press to seal. Place the pastry-wrapped asparagus seam side down on the baking sheet, spacing 2" apart. 

Lightly brush the tops of the pastry with mustard and sprinkle each with some of the sea salt. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Serve warm.  

Slow Cooker Country Chicken Stew for Spring

In case I didn’t mention it, hockey season is almost officially over. I say almost because while there isn’t any actual playing of the game in those cold and smelly arenas, there are still meetings, parties, tryouts, and, ohwouldyoulookatthat, a spring tournament on the calendar for June.

It’s all fine. I’ve made my peace with the fact that hockey is now an eleven-month-long sport. It is what it is, and for those of you with little ones who haven’t yet reached the competitive sports years of your parenting career, consider yourself warned.

But it’s not hockey that has me wondering about family dinners these days, it’s football. Ben is playing tackle this spring and Rob and I just realized we’re going to be living out our own version of Friday Night Lights each weekend starting in May, as we travel from town to town to watch our boy play. Somehow in the midst of both of us researching the team and organization, and wondering why this kid of mine only wants to play things that involve menacing body contact (okay, I wonder that, Rob doesn’t) we missed the fact that this is a travelling sports team. That’s right. We’re not just relaxing in lawn chairs on the sidelines of a local field, but rather we’ll be dropping him off to travel by bus with his teammates to a neighbouring city, while we trail behind in the mini van. Suddenly, the shockingly high price of this spring sport makes sense.

While I was anxious to pack up the crock pot in favour of my beloved charcoal barbecue I think I’ll be leaving it out for a little bit yet. Long days away on the weekend means we either accept that there will be copious amounts of take-out, or dinner needs to cook while we’re on the road cheering on our own Matt Saracen.

I loved the look of this slow cooker country chicken stew, only in an effort to make it a more seasonal dish I swapped the carrots and sweet potatos for peas and asparagus. Because those spring vegetables don’t benefit from a long cooking time, I added them in for the last hour. If you aren’t around to do that, steam them while you’re searing the chicken and add them to the stew just before serving.

This dish was a hit with the entire family, even though two people at the table declared the asparagus intolerable and left it at the bottom of their bowls. I’m not surprised. It usually takes a few meals to get them reacquainted with a veggie they haven’t seen in nine months, but I’m confident that by the end of spring they’ll be friends with asparagus again.

Just like I’ll be used to being on the road each weekend.

P.S. If the Friday Night Lights references are lost on you, I highly recommend checking out the show.  

 

Slow Cooker Country Chicken Stew

Adapted from the Cook With Campbell’s website 

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2lbs. chicken thighs or breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size chunks
• 2 leeks, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1-900ml carton Campbell’s less sodium chicken broth
• 1 can Campbell’s condensed low-fat cream of celery soup
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped asparagus
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ½ cup light cream

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken until golden brown all over, about 4-5 minutes. Do not crowd the pan, you may have to work in batches. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker.

2. In the same pan add leeks and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the mushrooms and flour and cook 3-4 more minutes stirring to combine. Transfer contents of pan to slow cooker.

3. Add the broth, celery soup, rosemary and bay leaves to the slow cooker, stir, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Add the asparagus and peas to the pot, cover and cook for another hour or until the asparagus is tender.

4. Just prior to serving, add cream to the slow cooker and cook on high setting for 10 minutes. Stir to combine, remove the bay leaves and serve.

 

This post was generously sponsored by Campbell’s, but the opinions and images are my own. For more quick and easy meals kids will love, visit cookwithcampbells.ca 

How I Get My Boys to Eat Salad (Recipe: Paella Salad)

I discovered a few ways to get my boys to like salad: add meat when possible, and deconstruct a favourite dinner into something that can rest atop of bed of greens. Sooner or later they learn to like it, or at the very least accept it, because, goodness, eating salad does not come naturally to my growing my boys. 

The appeal of this dish is that it includes a small amount of everything they love: pasta, sausage, shrimp, and a touch of smoky flavour. It also includes the stuff I love for them: romaine, peas, green onion, red pepper, and cherry tomatoes. This salad is impressive enough to serve to guests – I would add an egg and potato torta, fresh bread and a glass of sangria, like in the photo above – and packs up nicely for the next day’s lunch. 

Paella Salad

Adapted from Salad for Dinner

Serves 4-6

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 ¼ cups orzo pasta
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 ¾ cups chicken stock
• ¾ cups frozen peas
• 1 cup chopped peeled, deveined shrimp, cut into ½” pieces
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup diced sweet red pepper
• ¾ cup diced dry-cured chorizo
• 1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separates, cleaned, dried and cut crosswise into strips
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the orzo and stir until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and turmeric and stir until fragrant. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the orzo is tender and the broth is completely absorbed, about 12 minutes. In the last minute of cooking add the peas to the pot. Remove from the heat, cover, and cool completely.

2. While the orzo cooks, heat one tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and add the shrimp. Season with the paprika and a pinch of salt, and cook until the shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the sausage and red pepper, and cook until the pepper is soft, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir the shrimp, sausage and peppers into the pot with the orzo, taking care to include all of the pan drippings and seasoned oil. Scatter the romaine over a serving platter and top with the orzo mixture. Garnish with the green onion, parsley and cherry tomatoes.

4. Drizzle the sherry vinegar and remaining tablespoon of oil over the salad and season with fresh ground pepper.

Leftovers Strata-Frittata

How do you feel about leftovers? Do you love them? Hate them? Or do you view them as nothing more than recycled food you feel obliged to use in another day’s dinner?

To be honest, I’m a fan. Nothing excites me more than finding stacks of containers filled with uneaten cooked vegetables, roasted proteins, and good-for-you-grains hanging out in the fridge waiting for a meal makeover. Leftover buttermilk is pretty usable, too, not to mention the remnants of a bottle of wine (but let’s be honest, it’s not often you’d find that in my house), or the ends of some crusty French bread.

Once weekday lunches are packed for Rob and the boys there isn't much left behind for my use, but on the rare occasion that I’m faced with a cup or two of decent quality leftover items I stake my claim to them, planning a humble transformation for the otherwise disregard goods. This is how I came up with the strata-frittata.

Based on two different egg dishes, I combined them to make a meal worthy of a mention here. Using up cubed day-old baguettes and a few cups of what remained from our Saturday night dinner (shown here in the photo) we ended up with a hearty and rustic dish popular with everyone at the table.

Feel free to use any combination of leftovers you might have. I like a good mix of seasonal vegetables and lean protein, but anything would work, included pasta. Use whatever cheese you have on hand, or opt for none at all, and serve it alongside a tossed salad or bowl of soup for a complete meal.

Which leftovers camp do you fall into? Are you pro or con? And what are some of your favourite things to do with the uneaten edibles you find in your fridge.

Leftovers Strata-Frittata

Serves 4-6

• 2 cups stale bread cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped leftovers (any combination of proteins/veggies/starches)
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss together, ensuring the bread cubes are evenly coated with the seasonings. 

Warm a 10" skillet over medium heat and the add the bread to the pan, stirring occasionally, and cooking until golden all over, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped leftovers to the skillet and stir to combine with the bread. 

Pour the lightly beaten eggs over the bread mixture, tilting the pan to make sure the eggs settle evenly over the filling. Cover with the cheese and cook for a minute or two until you see edges beginning to set.

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs have completely set. Cool for 3-5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Homemade Potato Chips

If you're looking to impress your children - and even if you're not - I highly encourage you to try your hand at making homemade potato chips. Served alongside a double-decker sandwich (which I'll tell you more about next week) and crisp pickles, they really do elevate a simple dinner into something extra special. 

Homemade Potato Chips

Adapted from Real Snacks

Makes plenty, or enough to feed 4-6 hungry people

While the ingredient list is short, you do need a few more items to make this recipe as easy as it seems. A mandolin, heavy-bottomed pot, and candy/deep fry thermometer are definitely encouraged, although you could get by without the mandolin if you are skilled at slicing potatoes. 

• 3 russet potatoes
• Approx. 4 cups safflower, sunflower, canola or vegetable oil
• Sea salt

Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes to 1/8" - 1/4" thickness. Place the pieces in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes. 

Drain the water and place the slices in a single layer on a towel-lined baking sheet. Cover them with a second towel and pat dry. Repeat with all slices. 

Heat the oil (it should be 2" - 3" thick in your stockpot) and bring it to 325-350 degrees F. Add the potato slices in batches, taking care not to crowd them in the pot. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown in colour. If the oil is bubbling there is still moisture in the potatoes and they will be soggy, so cook them until it subsides, flipping to cook each side evenly and to avoid burning. 

Remove the chips from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve. Store the potato chips in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Quinoa Pilaf with Spring Veggies

I’m still tying to get the boys to get on board with quinoa, and I’m not going to lie - it isn’t among their favourite grains. They would happily take rice, couscous, and barley over the protein-dense, starchy seeds any day of the week.

I’ve tried jazzing it up with sauces and flavourings that I know they like, and I’ve tossed it with bits of grilled flank steak and leftover roasted chicken. Sadly, they’re still not into it. I figure if I add bacon, or mix it into a meatball I might have better luck, but then that kind of defeats the purpose of serving a nutritionally perfect food if it’s all drippy with pork fat, cheese and sauce, no?

Instead, for now, I’m making quinoa for me. I cook up a large vat every Sunday and turn it into a pilaf tossed with spring veggies, or a salad laden with dried fruits, nuts, and a favourite dressing. I occasionally even top it with a fried egg. It’s quick, easy, inexpensive and good for me, and I’m certain if I make it and eat it often enough the kids just might try a bite – and like it – soon enough.

Quinoa Pilaf with Spring Vegetables

Adapted from the Cook with Campbell’s website

Serves 4-6

I found this recipe on the Campbell’s website. I love the idea of cooking quinoa – or any grain – in chicken broth in order to brighten it up with a burst of flavour without using extra-added fats.

• 2 ½ cups Campbell’s 30% Less Sodium Chicken broth
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup sliced leeks
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Optional topping: crumbled feta and chopped parsley

1. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat and stir in the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed, then remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

2. In a large skillet warm the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms and leeks until softened and most of the moisture from the mushrooms has been released. Add the peas to the pan and cook until warmed through.

3. Reduce the heat and stir in the quinoa and baby spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted.

4. Add the Parmesan cheese and butter and stir for one minute or until well combined.

5. Garnish with feta and chopped parsley, if desired.

 

This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Campbell Company of Canada but the opinions and content are mine. For more quick and easy meals kids will love, visit CookwithCampbells.ca

 

Mexican Pulled Pork

Email subscribers – I owe you an apology. Last night, I was working on this week's "Food for Thought" post and accidentally published it instead of pressing save. As a result you received an email this morning filled with...nothing, but one sentence. Sorry for uselessly cluttering up your inbox. Here's the post I really wanted you to see. 

I have a new dinner philosophy that goes something like this: when in doubt make pulled pork. If you’re having friends over for a meal and you can’t decide what to serve, pulled pork is a great option. If you’re time-strapped for dinner and would love to have something ready when you walk in the door at the end of the day, pulled pork works well. If you’re looking for a meal that makes enough to feed your family, and yields leftovers for the next day, pulled pork is your answer. If you want to use less deli meat in the school lunches, pulled pork can be kept in the fridge for a week and makes a tasty filling for wraps, sandwiches, buns, tacos, and even tastes great on pizza. If you’re on a budget and want the most bang for your buck when it comes to buying protein, making pulled pork is definitely your answer, because even a good-quality piece of pork shoulder just isn’t that expensive. 

This is a new-to-me pulled pork recipe and it’s so easy I deemed it the best one to share. It comes together effortlessly; even Jackson can make it without supervision. In fact, he did put this dinner together, but would prefer I don't share photos of him doing so. Neither of the boys are very interested in seeing themselves on the blog anymore, which I have no choice but to respect. My point, though, is that if anyone in your house can stir, press, and pour, they can definitely put this meal together. 

Slow-Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork

Serves 8

Adapted from the Weelicious cookbook

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3 ½ - 4 lb. pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and removed
• 2 cups mild salsa
• ½ cup water

1. In a small bowl combine the cumin seeds, coriander, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt.

2. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and smear ½ the spice mixture over the top side of the meat. Flip it over and rub the remaining spices into the other side.

3. Combine the salsa and water in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and pour it around the pork shoulder. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, or high for 6-7 hours, or until the meat easily pulls away from the bone.

4. Transfer the pork to a plate and discard the bone and any excess fat. Shred it into bite-size pieces and place it in a serving bowl. Add the liquid from the slow cooker and stir to combine.

White Minestrone Soup with Roast Chicken

It’s not very often that I come across a recipe for minestrone soup that doesn’t involve the use of tomatoes. In case I haven’t mentioned it before, they are, by far, my least favourite food. Just the mere thought of them gives me a case of the heebie-jeebies, and sadly they aren’t a huge part of my cooking repertoire, although I certainly try to incorporate them when I think I can handle it, especially for Rob’s sake since he happens to love them.

All of this to say, you can imagine my delight when I came across a recipe for a white minestrone with roasted chicken soup over on the Campbell’s website. Not only was this a stew-like concoction tomato free, but it also made use of the already-cooked chicken tucked inside my fridge (side note: I never cook just enough chicken for one meal. If I’m going to go to the effort to turn on the stove I double up on my protein and store the leftovers in the fridge for a different dinner on another day).  Classic comfort food at it’s best, which, if you live anywhere near me, you know we are in need of in order to combat the wet and dreary weather of late.

Enhanced with a little crispy bacon and tender orzo, I suspected this family-friendly dish would be a hit with the kids; and I was right. As you can see in the photo below, I didn’t even get the table fully set before they started digging in. Such is the case these days with growing pre-teen boys. I ladle out the soup before setting the table so it can cool a little, and by the time I gather them up it’s the right temperature for eating. In this case, they were hovering close by and when the bowls hit the table so did they.

The original recipe called for turnip, which isn’t a favourite flavour in our house, so I swapped it out for some of the butternut squash I had hanging around. I used dried sage instead of fresh, because that’s what was available, but the soup is so forgiving it truly didn’t seen to matter. In fact, I think the overall recipe is easily adaptable. If gluten poses a challenge to someone in your home, white beans would make an excellent replacement for the pasta, and if your kids aren’t crazy about mushrooms they can be omitted without issue.

It’s very rare that I head to a corporate-run website for recipe inspiration, but in this case I’m so glad I did. Otherwise, I’d be resigned to skipping out on minestrone soup forever, thanks to those pesky tomatoes.

White Minestrone Soup with Roast Chicken

Serves 6-8

• 1 tablespoon olive/canola oil
• 2 strips bacon, diced
• 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, finely diced
• 1 cup button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 cup diced butternut squash
• 2 small carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 boxes Campbell’s low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped/shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup cooked orzo
• Optional: grated Parmesan cheese

1. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat and sauté the bacon for 4 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Add the leek and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until soft.

2. Add the mushroom, sage, rosemary, and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the herbs are fragrant. Add the potato, squash, and carrots, and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until slightly golden in colour.

3. Add the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and, using a hand/immersion blender, pulse the soup three or four times to slightly thicken it. Stir in the cooked chicken and baby spinach and bring to a simmer.

4. Place a spoonful or two of pasta in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over the top. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

 

Campbell’s generously sponsored this post, but the opinions and images are my own. For more quick and easy meals kids will love, visit CookwithCampbells.ca.

 

 

Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Dilled Orzo

You only need eight ingredients to pull this dinner together. Actually, just five if you don't count the olive oil, salt, and pepper, items I'm certain you probably already have on hand. You also only need one pot, a standard baking sheet, and about 35 minutes in order to get this platter of golden chicken and petite pasta on the table.

Somewhere along the way I learned that if you preheat a sheet pan in the oven while it's warming up, and place your meat upside down on the scalding bakeware, the protein will sear just as nicely as if you were to heat some oil in a skillet and stand stoveside watching the browning process. I like this method a little better when it comes to weeknight dinners. The hot range does the work for me, leaving plenty of time to edit concrete poetry homework, while simultaneously practicing lattice multiplication.

But if homework isn’t your dinner-hour time-sucker, and you’d rather spend the minutes flipping through the pages of a magazine while drinking an after work cocktail, that’s totally okay, too. The point here is that this meal practically makes itself, and I think everyone can benefit from keeping one of those in their back pocket. 

Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Dilled Orzo

Serves 4

• 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 1 ½ cup orzo
• 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill
• Salt and pepper
• Garnish: Lemon sliced and fresh dill (optional)

1. Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, heating the pan as the oven warms.

2. In a medium bowl combine the chicken thighs, ¼ cup olive oil, juice and zest of lemon, mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grind of fresh ground pepper. Toss to combine, evenly coating the chicken with the marinade.

3. When the oven is ready, carefully remove the baking sheet and place the chicken skin side down on the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, flip the chicken over so it’s skin-side up, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

4. While the chicken cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo until it’s al dente, about 6 – 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and dill. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.

5. Place the orzo on a serving platter or in a bowl and cover with the hot chicken. Pour the pan drippings over the plate, if desired, and garnish with lemon slices and fresh dill.