Lemon, White Wine & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemons, white wine & extra virgin olive oil–3 things we always have on hand.  If you do, you can whip up a dinner in no time.  Add a few other items on hand, and an even tastier meal awaits.  Use the trio as a marinade to cook chicken or fish in. The last few weeks and right on up to Christmas we have been entering full-on holiday/retail mode, where the shops take up every waking moment. It is so fun but also a tad overwhelming if you don’t stay organized, well fed and super rested.  We do a crazy amount of take-out during this time.  Uber Eats has become our new friend.  But sometimes we just want something homecooked, plus I miss being in the kitchen.  This is where lemons, white wine and extra virgin olive oil come into play.  Last night they were the base for skinless chicken thighs while cauliflower and mini potatoes roasted away in the oven.  

In a baking dish pour olive oil and spread it around so the entire bottom is lightly coated then add chicken. Again, this could be for any cut of chicken pieces.  I use this also for white fish, like halibut.  Then juice fresh lemons and pour over the meat.  Take a yummy drinkable white wine and do the same, pouring a bit over the chicken, then drizzle olive oil over the top too. Salt & pepper liberally.  The chicken should now be sitting in a little bath of liquid but not be fully submerged.  At this point it all could go into a 400 degree oven to cook and be really quite wonderful as the juices keep things tender & moist and reduce down and become a sauce for the meat.  But this is also where you can get a little creative.  It is also a great time to clean out some things from your fridge.  We had a shallot so I chopped that up. Ditto with a handful of pitted olives. It all went in nestled up next to the chicken to add more flavor.  Garlic, thyme, really a host of herbs would be tasty.  Use what you have.  But the trio is what gets the whole thing started.  Use that as a base, add to it, don’t add to it, but in less than an hour you will be sitting at a lovely meal.  Light a few candles, and you are all set!