Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with Vegetables

The weather has turned damp and chilly here in Arizona so what better time to revisit an old favorite of Louisa's. First dredging the breasts in spiced olive oil and then Hot roasting at a high temperature seals in the juices. I think you will find "Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts with Vegetables" quite tender juicy and flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chicken breast boneless, skinless halved *
3 large shallots
1 red bell pepper
½ pound small red potatoes (Size of a quarter)
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
½ cup chicken broth(low Sodium)
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

* It is essential that you use the ½ chicken breasts as the size cooks precisely temp and time wise with the vegetables. I tried substituting the same weight of "Tenders". They were TOUGH!!!

PREPARATION:

Wash the chicken breasts, remove any fat and connective tissue; pat dry with a paper towel.
Wash the rosemary and thyme, shaking off the water, then finely chop. Peel the garlic and squeeze through a press. Juice the lemon.

Combine the lemon juice, ½ of the rosemary, ½ garlic and thyme in a soup bowl with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Then dredge the chicken breasts in it and set aside while preparing the vegetables.

Peel the shallots and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then cut in halve lengthwise.
Wash the pepper, removing the core and white ribs. Cut into 1” squares. Scrubbed the potatoes removing any markings; cut them in half .

In a large ovenproof skillet add the remaining garlic and rosemary, thyme, 2 Tbsp of olive oil, the bell pepper, red potatoes, shallots and fresh ground pepper to taste. Gently toss to coat being careful not to dislodge the shallots. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetable mixture.

Preheat the oven to 450 deg.

COOKING:

Place the skillet in the upper 1/3 of the oven and roast the chicken and vegetables for 20 minutes at 450 deg., reduce the temperature to 375 deg. Continue roasting for about 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the chicken is springy to the touch. Timing is important so as not to overcook the peppers. The potatoes should be creamy and the peppers still firm.

Move the chicken and vegetables to a waiting platter arranging the vegetables around the breasts. Cover with a foil tent to retain the heat.

Put the skillet on a hot burner and stir the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any adhering bits. Bring to a rapid boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the rosemary sprigs.

Serves 2.