A Simple Kitchen #1 - Tuscan Chicken

I was very lucky to grow up in a food-loving family. Both of my parents love to cook and my godfather owns an Italian restaurant in the Bay Area that has been owned by the family for years. Time at the dinner table has always been quite sacred in my family. What I've learned as I've grown older and started cooking myself, is that eating is only part of what makes meal time special. The preparation of the meal can be an extremely joyful and fulfilling process.

It can be overwhelming to work with complicated recipes or burdensome to pay for expensive recipe-delivery services. However, cooking a delicious and elegant meal does not have to be difficult. Here is one of my very favorite recipes that I feel energized making after a long work week:

Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients: Bone-in Chicken, gold potatoes, garlic, onion, balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, pancetta, salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, dried basil leaves

1. Chop 1/3 onion, 4 cloves or garlic, and 4 slices of pancetta. Mix in a small bowl with olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, and add salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, and dried basil leaves.
2. Place chicken (you can use a few chicken breasts or also use thighs and legs...whatever you prefer!) in a glass baking pan. Quarter the potatoes and place around the chicken.
3. Take onion/garlic/pancetta mixture and stuff under the skin of the chicken. Then, pour remaining mixture around and on top of the potatoes.
4. Bake for twenty minutes at 400 degrees Farhenheit. Remove chicken and potatoes from the oven and douse with pinot grigio. (The wine will cook off as you roast the chicken, so if you don't drink, this is still a safe meal to make.)
5. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is completely cooked.

If you like, you can add parsley as a garnish when you are finished. Serve with a vegetable, such as sauteed broccoli or asparagus.

I am still learning a lot about wine pairings, but I would recommend pairing this meal with a pinot grigio. If you prefer red wine, pick one that is buyoant and velvety, like a lighter red blend or nebbiolo.

I hope you enjoy this meal, remember to share it with those you love! Feel free to leave a comment below and tell me what you like to cook!