Today I have been up since before 4:30 AM. I am so tired I'm not even sure what I'm writing! I woke up, lied in bed for what felt like forever, wandered into the living room to check on Sibbie, drank some water, and then avoided looking at the time because I knew once I did, I wouldn't go back to sleep. But then I did and Kyle was up to study for school so I got up anyways. I have been having the weirdest dreams lately and then I wake up in the middle of the night worried about the littlest things that don't make any sense at all. Do you know what I mean -- how sometimes when you think about something at night it seems like such a big deal, but then morning comes and you realize it's nothing to worry about at all?
Despite my sleepless nights I've been having a lot of inspiration in the kitchen lately! It's like the most exciting part of my day has become dinnertime. Does this make me sad? I don't know. But I truly, honestly am having so much fun trying out new recipes every week. It turns weeknight meals into something I can look forward to and when I have a husband such as mine who pretty much praises me every time I set a plate of food in front of him (lol), I can't help but find it exciting.
This blood orange roast chicken was a product of that--a new weeknight dinner experiment. Who doesn't love a winner winner chicken dinner for a Wednesday night!?
Chicken thighs are amazing and so underrated. While I usually cook with chicken breast because it is simple and more versatile (and healthier), I can't say I don't enjoy a good dark meat every now and then. Roasting chicken is one of my favorite things to do in winter and adding seasonal citrus makes it so colorful and happy! This all came together in no time, and I served it with some quick steamed white rice. If you want to get more of a citrus flavor to the chicken, feel free to zest half of the orange and sprinkle the zest atop of the chicken.
Blood Orange and Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion, sliced into thick sections
- 2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 blood oranges, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
- 1/2 lemon, sliced into 1/2 inch slices (optional)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 475°F. Rinse chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel. Let sit out on counter at room temp while oven is preheating.
In a large cast-iron skillet or large baking sheet, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Layer the onions and garlic, forming a bed for the chicken thighs to cook on. Arrange chicken thighs on top.
Arrange blood orange and lemon slices around the chicken. Squeeze lemon juice atop chicken. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over everything, and season chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle rosemary on top evenly.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear.
Let cool in pan, and serve the chicken with the orange slices, squeezing more of the juice on top.