Today I had the privilege of making dinner for my friend Megan and her family. Megan & Brandon are friends from church with two little boys and Megan's days are very full. It has been a pleasure to spend a couple afternoons recently in her lovely kitchen, doing what I love, helping her out and chatting it up!
Megan was given several recipes to choose from earlier this week, and selected this one-dish meal, bursting with layers of flavor...mildly spicy chicken, sweet potatoes, salty olives, pungent cilantro and fresh lime. Warm up your November kitchen with this delightful blend of aromas!
1 lb sweet potatoes (2-3 medium), cut into large cubes
8 chicken thighs, fat trimmed
3 Tbs fresh lime juice, divided (1-2 limes)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (zest prior to juicing)
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs smoked paprika
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup mixed olives, kalamata & green, roughly chopped
Helpful hint: buy olives that are pitted! It will save you time and effort! That said, Megan, I pitted those olives happily for you today! :)
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cook potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, place chicken thighs in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 1 Tbs lime juice. Set aside.
Whisk together 1 Tbs lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, paprikas, orange zest, cumin, oregano and salt in a small bowl. Rub chili mixture on both sides of chicken thighs. Nestle sweet potatoes around chicken. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and increase temperature to 425°F. Turn chicken and spoon juices over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk chicken broth and remaining Tbs lime juice with cilantro and parsley. Turn chicken again and cover with broth mixture. Sprinkle with olives. Cook for a final 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
Serve with a green salad and you have a simple, scrumptious dinner!
With my camera out, I just had to capture these adorable kids! Meet Grayson...
And Jameson!
Alas, a perfect afternoon!
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit October 2010
