Colorful Weeknight Chicken

After being in the office a total of 6 days during the month of December, last week it was finally time to return to reality. I like my job, I really do, but being away for long stretches of time always leaves me a little sad when it finally has to come to an end. No more running at my leisure, spending the day baking, and impromptu cuddles with my Aussie.

Luckily, winter had other ideas and come Tuesday morning (I work from home on Mondays), snow graced my fair city and I found myself working from the comfort of my home office yet again instead of making the dreaded trek to Bethesda as snow pelted the streets around me. A post-Christmas miracle.

I'm not gonna lie, being at home an extra day definitely had its pluses. I got to put the 3 plus hours that I otherwise would've spent committing into my work and my beloved Shepherd dog was able to spend some time in the snow (her favorite of the weather elements....after a warm summer's day) breaking in her new Christmas coat.

It was all fun and games until the freezing temperatures started to cause the snow to freeze between her delicate paws. She owns, but refuses to wear snow boots.

Perhaps the best thing to come out of my impromptu work from home day was that I got to break out a new recipe for Tuesday dinner date night (and we got to eat before 8:00 for once since I wasn't flying home in a frenzy). Everyone wins! 

I spent most of last year returning to meat. It was a long time coming and I'm glad to be back on (or off depending on your perspective) the wagon. Because my quest to finally learn to cook came during my time as a vegetarian, I realized last year that I had only minimal experience cooking meat, most of which was gained during my college years when my food standards were very different. It also doesn't help matters that I still tend to gravitate towards non-meat recipes when I'm cooking and save my meat allotment for the week for dining out. [It's not really that regimented, but it sometimes feels like that].  So, in 2015 I've vowed to cook more meat in the home. 

This recipe was great for both helping me to meet that goal and for incorporating my FOTY circa 2013 into the dish. Artichokes are something that I've come to like thanks to 2013, but I still don't seek them out as much as I should. My real joy in this meal came from the abundance of colors. Quite possibly the one cooking lesson that my mother imparted on me was an appreciation for a colorful plate. I may have squealed when this gem came together. 

Baked Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes

Ingredients
*Original recipe found here

• 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into thirds
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 can (14-ounces) quartered artichokes, rinsed and drained
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into thin rounds
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bag (6 to 8 ounces) baby spinach
• ½ cup vegetable broth

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 F and heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet on the stove top

2. Cut chicken breasts into thirds and season with salt and pepper

3. Add to skillet and brown on both sides (no need to cook all the way through, they're continue to cook during part 2)

4. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a plate for later

5. Add artichokes, onions, carrots, and garlic to the skillet and cook for 5 or so minutes, until veggies are slightly tender

6. Add chopped garlic and spinach, cooking for an additional minute and stirring occasionally

7. In a 9 x 13 baking pan, combine veggies, chicken, and broth

8. Place in oven and bake for approximately 18 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked

9. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes then plate and serve.

Cheers for an easy weeknight meal! Later in the evening I would learn the importance of not being talked into watching a pseudo-scary movie (the Shining) before bed. Cue dreams of creepy children coming out of walls....