In La Cocina with Maria: Lemon Chicken

By MARIA MCNAMARA
Staff Writer

This week, we’re going to make an easy lemon chicken. This is probably one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, and it is definitely one of my favorites. This lemon chicken dish was one that my mom used to make for my family all the time, especially during the summer and fall. It was such a light dish, and so easy to pair with many different sides, like zucchini, squash, rice and beans, or corn.

For this recipe, you’ll need one baking sheet and a knife. The following list of ingredients is to serve four people, but it can be adjusted up or down:

• 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lemons, cut into 4 halves; or lemon juice
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste

First, you are going to pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Then, on the baking sheet, squirt lemon juice from 2 halves of the lemon onto the bottom. Sprinkle a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly across the sheet. Then, take the minced garlic and spread it evenly across the bottom. Take the chicken halves down onto the sheet. Take one half of a lemon, and squirt lemon juice onto the chicken. Sprinkle more salt, pepper, and garlic powder onto the chicken. Take the last lemon half, and cut it into slices. Take these slices and place them on top of the chicken. Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink in the middle).

Now, there are a few options for this recipe. The first option is to not use fresh lemons, but to use lemon juice. I’ve done this multiple times, and it comes out just as good as using fresh lemons. The second option is to add some more herbs. It is really easy to add herbs like fresh thyme, rosemary, or basil. To do this, simply take the fresh herb of your choice, and sprinkle it on top of the chicken before baking. This adds a wonderful taste to the chicken. The third option is to bake sliced zucchini at the same time as the chicken.

To do the zucchini option, you will need one medium sized zucchini, sliced into round circles. After it is sliced, place it into a medium sized bowl or onto a plate. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the zucchini, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Place on top of the chicken, then layer the lemon slices or squirt lemon juice on top of the chicken and zucchini. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.

There are also many other side options, such as baked potatoes, rice and beans, quinoa, corn, or anything else that you find easy to make. A simple salad will also suffice. Any of these options will result in a delicious, healthy, and balanced dinner.