I have 40+ first cousins and I am very close with about half of them. Yeah, I know them all, but am not in touch with all of them regularly, only at holidays, weddings, and funerals. Anne is one of the cousins who lives in Texas, as do her five brothers (my other cousins), their collective fourteen children, and perhaps seven grandchildren. I can’t keep track.
Every morning Anne, my sister Jackie, and I tackle Wordle. We send it to each other in a friendly rivalry and then we shoot the sxxx for up to thirty minutes. “What are you doing today?”, “What are you cooking?”, “What is the crisis du jour?”, etc., etc.
Occasionally, we exchange photos. It’s usually me sending a picture of my cute little granddaughter whom I tend on Tuesdays. Jackie and Anne claim to want to see photos of her weekly. I believe them.
Sometimes we trade recipes. Anne hit on a winner a few months ago and it sounds like something we’d all enjoy.
Use a heavy sheet pan for the preparation and have a semi-elegant weekday evening supper for 4.
Anne’s Crispy Chicken and Vegetable Dinner
- 1 lb small red potatoes
- Olive oil
- Eight chicken thighs
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 lemon, quartered
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh rosemary leaves
Preheat the oven to 425° F
Clean the potatoes, leave whole (if very small) or cut to make chunks of two inches. Put the potatoes in a bowl and splash some olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes. Salt and pepper the potatoes. Put the potatoes on a heavy sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Salt and pepper the chicken, then layer the thighs skin side up on the potatoes.
Trim the asparagus, toss with a little more oil, salt and pepper, and layer the asparagus atop the chicken.
Add the lemon quarters and the rosemary and return to the oven for twenty more minutes.
Total of 40 minutes baking time.
Test the chicken with a thermometer to ensure that the interior temperature is at least 165°F. By this time the potatoes and the asparagus should be fork-tender and the chicken crispy. If not, return to the oven for maybe up to ten minutes. Dinner is served!
