Citrus Herb Chicken

​Anyone else feeling like they need a little warmth and sunshine this month?  With the threat of another winter storm looming in the forecast, I'm ready for winter to be over and ready to move into spring.  I'm ready for my tulips and daffodils to start blooming, ready for baseball season to start and certainly ready to feel the warmth from the sun. 

If you're feeling like you need a little ray of sunshine like me, you can brighten up your dinner with this super delicious chicken dinner from Cooking Light.  I changed the recipe slightly but the concept is the same, fresh herbs and winter citrus fruits combined to make a delicious compliment to this roasted chicken.  

​Zest 1 teaspoon lime and squeeze 4 Tablespoons juice into a bowl.

​Place 1 Tablespoon lime juice in a separate bowl.

​Zest 1 teaspoon of grapefruit into a bowl.

​Section grapefruit.

​Zest 1 teaspoon orange or tangerine. 

​Section tangerine.

Add grapefruit and tangerines to lime juice.  

​Add zests to lime zest and 2 T. oil, garlic and chili.  

Place chicken, breast side down on a cutting board.  Cut backbone with scissors.  Turn chicken breast side up and press down with the heel of hand until breastbone cracks.  Tuck wings under chicken.  Place chicken on a baking sheet and cover with rind mixture.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

​Bake chicken in a 350 degree oven until breast temperature registers 165.   (Mine took about 45 minutes.)  

​​Add 2 T. oil, salt, red onion and mint to citrus sections.

​Serve with chicken. 

​I'm not normally a fan of fruit salsa but this one was a delicious surprise.  It was just the burst of flavor that I was looking for on a cold day.  I would definitely recommend this recipe to any of you looking to add some "zest" to your next meal.  

We're bracing for the next round of snow that's expected to hit Atlanta tonight but my I can't seem to keep from daydreaming about warmer days ahead.  Stay warm friends.

Ciao!

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