Roasted Chicken Breast with Mixed Vegetables

In regards to the blog, people often ask me what my ultimate goal is. And, while I don’t have a true end goal for the blog, I do have an end goal for myself.

I want to be the modern day Martha.

No, I do not want to do jail time for insider trading, but I do want to be able to wrap a gift perfectly, set place settings with the greatest of ease and have no problem whipping up a three course meal on an idle Tuesday.

Obviously, I have not quite reached my goal. But, fingers crossed, I still have plenty of time to get there.

Nothing reminds me of the distance I have to travel to achieve my goals like making a Martha Stewart dish and not making it great.

Until I can do Martha right, how can I even begin to modernize her?

This does not mean that this dish is not good or that you should not make it. The chicken was perfectly moist, the flavors were great and the onions and mushrooms were finger licking good.

But acorn squash was a challenge. As any new ingredient can be.

My advice? Make this dish, complete with Angela notes.

You will need…

4 bone-in chicken breasts halved (10 oz each)

1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced ½ inch thick

(Martha told me that I did not need to peel the squash because the skin would become tender after cooking. She lied. Or I didn’t do it right. One of the two. So, if you are not comfortable with acorn squash or tough skin, I recommend getting a butternut squash, peeling it and subbing it for the acorn version. But, that’s just me.)

1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved

1 large red onion, but into ½ inch wedges

8 large garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled

(I forgot this detail. Don’t forget this detail.)

Salt and pepper

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a roasting pan, combine the squash, mushrooms, onion, garlic and oil.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Roast the veggies until the squash is beginning to soften and all the vegetables are heated through, about 15 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, lift up the skin from the chicken breasts and rub the chicken with rosemary and some salt and pepper.

Replace the skin and season the chicken all over with more salt and a little pepper.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place the chicken, with the skin side up, on top of the vegetables.

Return the chicken and veggies to the oven. Continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.

After 35 minutes, my chicken’s skin did not look golden enough so I left it in for 5 more minutes and then broiled it for an additional 2 to get the skin golden and delicious.

Don’t be afraid to adjust the cooking time. Every oven is different.

When the chicken is done, serve each breast on a bed of the roasted veggies.

And the quest to be Martha marches on…

Love and Beer Floats

Angela