Rosemary Chicken, two ways

A friend of mine gave me a gallon bag filled with fresh sprigs of rosemary. It's so aromatic that simple was the way to go.  Here, I've prepped chicken breasts featuring rosemary and one other complimentary flavor - either lemon or garlic. I really like both since there's so much flavor without a lot of added fat.

 

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

(3pp per 3 oz serving)

Ingredients: 

Salt
2 lemons
Chicken Breast
2 Sprigs of Rosemary and 2tbsp, chopped

Directions:

• Zest both lemons. Set aside zest. Juice one lemon, slice the other. 
• Rub salt on both sides of chicken breast. If cooking with the skin, make sure to rub some salt under the skin. Rub the chopped rosemary on the underside of the chicken.
• Place a sprig of rosemary and a pinch of lemon zest under the skin
• Place chicken and sliced lemon into a ziploc bag. Add the lemon juice, zest, and a tbsp of the fresh chopped rosemary. Let chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes. 
• Place chicken in shallow pan, on top of the lemon slices from the marinade. Brush the tops (skin side) with olive oil and then place fresh lemon slices on the chicken.
• Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 -45 minutes (juices run clear). For brown skin, remove lemon slices for the last 10 minutes of roasting.
• Remove sprig from chicken and add fresh pepper prior to serving. Use a fresh sprig of rosemary as garnish.

Rosemary Garlic Chicken 

(4pp per 3oz serving)

Ingredients

1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
Rosemary - 2 fresh sprigs and 2 tbsp chopped
Thyme
Sage
Salt
Olive Oil

Directions: 

• Rub salt on both sides of the chicken breast. Be sure to rub salt under the skin as well, if you're cooking with the skin.
• On the underside of the breast, rub the chopped rosemary.
• On the skin side, place whole sprig of rosemary and minced garlic under the skin. 
• (Optional, but extra flavorful) Rub and/or sprinkle thyme and sage on the breasts as well - over the skin and on the underside.
• Wrap or cover and set in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 
• Brush tops of chicken with olive oil
• Pan sear chicken (skin side) for  5-8 minutes
• Transfer to a shallow pan and place in a 400 degree oven for 8 - 12 minutes (or juices run clear)
• (Or cook in a 375 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes, until juices run clear and skin is browned)

Prep ahead - I prep these and individually wrap each one in a ziploc baggie. Then, on days when I don't have time to prep, it's just a matter of defrosting these and cooking them. After letting them sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, I transfer the baggies to the freezer. With each breast coming in at about 1lb (about 12 oz cooked), one breast is usually enough for the two of us. I cook two if I want to have leftovers for sandwiches or salads.