Dinnertime seems to be happening later and later at our house. There is nothing quite like trying to get food cooked – and not burnt – while my 7 month old guy is having a full meltdown over his inability to crawl, or pull books out of a basket, or, sometimes, nothing at all. So mostly, I ignore dinner and try to keep the little guy occupied and happy until bath and bedtime – and then, finally, get some food made for us.
This recipe has been a go-to springtime recipe here, because I can get it prepped earlier in the day and (as long as I time it correctly) get it started and cooking while providing some entertainment for the little one! (Full disclosure: I have burnt dinner this way….) Although it takes a little bit of time to actually cook, and you DO have to keep an eye on it, its “simpleness to tastiness” ratio is, in my opinion, very high. Plus, you cook it all in only one pan!
The asparagus and onions were my CSA vegetables. I discovered that you can accidentally freeze the onions in the refrigerator and they are still perfectly usable! I usually use a yellow onion, but since I had these beautiful (if slightly frozen) purple onions, I used them. I used the entire onion, but added the green part of the onions at the end, when I added the peas and asparagus.
I saw someone make a similar dish on a morning show a couple of months ago – and I’d definitely give them credit if I knew who it was! They used a whole chicken, and cut it into pieces. We prefer breast meat, but, either way, you’ll definitely need to use bone-in chicken for this recipe. It’s moist, tender, and perfectly seasoned. I could eat this right now – and it’s 10:00 in the morning! Hope you enjoy!
Pan Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Asparagus, and Peas
Serves 4
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 bone-in chicken breasts
8 small potatoes, cubed
1 medium yellow onion (or 2 small purple onions, including the tops, if that’s what’s in your CSA basket!)
1 cup sweet peas (frozen or fresh)
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
salt and pepper
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Season both sides of the chicken well with salt and lots of pepper. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is well browned and crisp (about 10 minutes). Turn the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and partially cover the pan. (Make sure the steam can escape, so that the chicken roasts, rather than steaming.) Cook another 15 – 20 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add the onion. Continue to stir occasionally for about 10 – 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. I like to check the temperature of the chicken along the way, to make sure that I don’t over cook it! Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a plate. Add the peas and asparagus to the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes until the asparagus is fork tender. Slice the chicken and serve alongside the veggies.
A Share of Life 