Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal

Have you ever sat at your desk and slaved for hours on a project....only to have it randomly dumped within seconds of completion?

You worked diligently, saving as you went, doing all the right things that you have learned and done on numerous occasions...yet somehow, something went wrong. Technology let you down and you have nothing.

Zip

Zilch

Nadda

Blogger failed me last night in a horrible way. You know how it saves as you type, like....every minute? So when I finished placing the graphics and explaining the cooking procedure of this fabulous meal...and hit the "PUBLISH POST" button...and was presented with some "error" page that instructed me to hit the "back" button, which I did, but this action caused my browser to crash...well, I wasn't all that worried. I mean....blogger had been saving my work as I went along.

Fast forward past the unflattering language that spewed out of my mouth and opening the "draft" of my brilliant masterpiece of a post (ok, so I'm exaggerating, it wasn't "brilliant" but I'm trying to prove a point here) ....only to discover it was BLANK!!! It had a title...but nothing inside (hmm...sounds like a few government officials...just a title).

Ok, so I didn't work all that hard on the post. It didn't take me hours....but still

It was frustrating. I'm the type of person who types as I think...it just comes out as I go. And there was no recreating.

And here I am...the following night...re-presenting a wonderful recipe that has great flavor....works just as good as leftover.

The recipe is flexible....I always change up the veggies, based on my mood and what's available at the time. I'm going to list the recipe as it was presented by Cooking Light....and then I will strikeout what I didn't do, this time, and type in red what I added.

Deal?

3 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
4 plum 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 zucchini, sliced
1 onion, sliced
4 - 6 mushrooms, quartered
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and sliced
handful of green olives
cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, divided
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 skinless chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves, sliced
24 nicoise olives

Preheat your oven to 425' F

Place all your veggies on a jelly-roll pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Drizzle some of the olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 teaspoon basil and salt and pepper. Gently toss it all together so that its evenly coated. Arrange the veggies so they're in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes.

If you like your veggies "el dente"....then remove them from the pan and set aside...keeping them warm. If you're like me...and enjoy them a bit softer...even tender and super roasted...then leave them on the pan...pushing them aside to make room for the thighs.

Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining seasonings and garlic slices

and place them on the pan and arrange the veggies where ever they'll fit

Bake for about 35 minutes or until the chicken is done......and enjoy.

A meal in one...chalk full of those veggies that taste so good....with that roasted flavor that brings out the sweetness....the caramelized edges, the crispy ones...the incredible blend of all your favorites. I swear...if I could eat all my veggies like this, I'd probably eat a whole heck of a lot more of them.

You wanna know something else? I'm a butter hound. I love butter...especially on my veggies. But with this dish....not a speck of butter was found on my plate.

Now thats an accomplishment!

Printable Version:  Roasted Chicken Thighs Provencal