I've been so lazy and unmotivated the last few weeks. I haven't cooked much of anything. Mr. Wright has been grilling and we've been living off oatmeal, yogurt and other quickie foods. It's gotta be because I'm 20lbs heavier than normal, sluggish and totally exhausted all the time. Only 7 more weeks and then I really won't have time to do anything!At least the weather has been amazing in Germany. I love that the seasons are so distinct and normal. I come from Colorado where spring is just a tease as mother nature shows her ugly face with frequent snow storms and you can't expect regular warm weather until end of May. Just yesterday in Denver they had snow, but it is supposed to be 60 by tomorrow. Pshhh. Crazy weather. But here in Germany its a gradual warm up and each week gets a little nicer. The trees are blossoming with buds and flowers and there are various shades of green everywhere you look. The temperature is inching to the upper 60's and its just beautiful and perfect here.
The nice weather has contributed to my extra boost of happiness and motivation. I decided we should start eating good meals again and spring is such a fun time to cook! I love the fresh and colorful ingredients that are in season right now. I found this recipe from Bobby Flay on foodnetwork.com.
I changed a few things though. First instead of using fresh oregano, I used fresh basil because its what I had on hand. I love basil and wouldn't make it with oregano anyway. Second I didn't have fingerling potatoes like Flay's recipe calls for. Regular old baking potatoes worked just fine. Third the recipe calls for white wine vinegar. I have white wine and I have white vinegar but didn't have white wine vinegar, so instead used red wine vinegar. And lastly Flay says to use bone in, skin on chicken breasts. I did have these on hand, but there was a slight problem. I purchased organic chicken, but I didn't want it so natural that the hairs were still on the dang thing! Black, wirey hairs. I'll spare anymore details and will not post a picture because it is just gross. So I used some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was still delicious.
The combination of roasted garlic, honey, basil and vinegar is divine. The flavors blend so well together. This can easily be made into a quick weeknight meal because the viniagrette can be made ahead of time. I actually suggest making it at least a few hours before grilling so the ingredients can sit and meld together. Grill a few extra breats and you have a gourmet lunch for the next day. This is a definite favorite and I want to make it once a week. I highly recommend this!
Ingredients
For the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette:
- 8 cloves roasted garlic
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
- 12 fingerling potatoes or 2-4 baking potatoes, scrubbed
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts (skinless, boneless breasts work fine too)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
For the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette:
Combine garlic, vinegar, oregano, parsley, honey and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Stir in the red chile flakes. For better flavor let sit covered in fridge for a few hours or overnight.
For the grilled chicken and potatoes:
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until a paring knife inserted comes out with some resistance. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.
Heat the grill to medium.
Brush the chicken and potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin-side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer. Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-basil vinaigrette. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil and parsley sprigs.
