A Family that Eats Together: Lemon and Feta Roasted Chicken with Tomato Orzo
Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.
Nicole's meal plan for this week features Carne Asada tacos La Taqueria style, Happy Valentine's Day Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Guinness and onion soup with Irish cheddar croutons, and sesame noodles.
Sometimes I just crave fresh flavors this time of year when heavy stews and soups are so prevalent. In this recipe, I use lemon, feta and dill to awaken roasted chicken. With a side of orzo, this recipe will make you feel like you are sitting in a café on the water in Greece.
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 6 chicken thighs, with skin and bones
- the zest of 3 lemons
- juice of 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp dill
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, chopped
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup feta, crumbled
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a bowl, mix the lemon zest, 2 tbsp dill, 3 garlic cloves and ½ cup of feta. Season with salt and pepper. Gently lift the skin and place 1-2 tsp of the filling under the skin of each thigh. Place the thighs in an ovenproof pan. Add wine and 2 tbsp of oil over the chicken. Season the top of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 1 hour.
- While the chicken is cooking. Prepare the orzo per the package instructions.
- In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, olives, 1 minced garlic clove and the rest of the feta. Drain the orzo and add it to the bowl along with the lemon juice and oil. Mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken and orzo on the side.
