Photo by Randi Baird, Food Styling by Suzanne Lenzer and Prop Styling by Maeve Sheridan
Since my very first swoon-worthy bite of spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) at a church festival in Queens, New York as a child, I have had a thing for Greek food. From my perspective today it makes perfect sense. So much of the cuisine hits the bullseye on what I call the “sweet spot” where delicious and healthy meet.
This recipe brings its crave-able lemon and herb centric flavors together on a single sheet pan for a meal that is a weeknight game-changer. There is very little prep involved and everything cooks on the same sheet pan in roughly the same amount of time—about 30 minutes– so you can have an incredible meal of lemony, oregano-flecked roast chicken, sweet peppers and potatoes garnished with a pop of feta cheese and briny olives–on the table fast. That leaves you more time to savor your meal with friends or family slowly, in the true Mediterranean style.
Greek-Style Chicken with Potatoes, Peppers, Olives and Feta
Ingredients:
1 lemon
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 pieces bone-in chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces each)
1 pound baby new potatoes, halved
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each
1/3 cup kalamata olives
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Finely zest the lemon. In a small bowl combine the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the oregano, the garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken and underneath the skin.
Place potatoes and peppers on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, squeeze about a tablespoon of lemon juice on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Distribute the vegetables around the pan; then nestle the chicken pieces onto the pan among the vegetables.
Cook until the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. If the chicken is cooked before the vegetables are done, transfer it to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm, and allow the vegetables to cook a bit more. Serve sprinkled with the olives, feta cheese, the remainder of the lemon juice and more oregano to taste.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 piece of chicken and 1 cup vegetables
Per serving: Calories 570, Total Fat 19g; (Sat Fat 4.5g, Mono Fat 8 g, Poly Fat 6 g); Protein 67 g; Carb 27 g; Fiber 3 g; Cholesterol 210 mg; Sodium 660 mg, Total Sugar 7 g (Added Sugar 0 g)
