Roasted Chicken with Apples and Leeks

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Are you ready for one of the easiest, but still healthy recipes ever? Look no further than the recipe below, adapted from Real Simple!

Adrian and I have been making this recipe for years. It's best for a weeknight when you're too pooped to prep a lot of ingredients or wash a lot of dishes. We keep it in the back of our minds when we're on our way home from work and realize our refrigerator is lacking in the dinner department!

Luckily it isn't too hard to find the ingredients at the store. With 10 minutes of shopping, 10 minutes of prep, and a short wait while the oven does all the cooking, you will have yourself one very satisfying, gourmet meal!

Roasted Chicken with Apples and Leeks

Adapted from Real Simple

Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 small crisp apples (such as Empire or Braeburn), quartered
2 leeks (white and light green parts), halved crosswise and lengthwise
6 small sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 small chicken thighs, about 2.5 lbs

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. In a large roasting pan, toss the apples, leeks, rosemary, olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and nestle, skin-side up, among the vegetables.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the apples and leeks are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
 

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If you enjoyed this recipe, you will love my recipes for Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Orzo, One Pot German-Style Chicken, and Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Cider-Dijon Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Quick gourmet meals in the middle of the week are my favorite! This one is done in as little as 35 minutes. Excited? I'll get you more excited! These vegetables are not only off the hook delicious, they also help to pack in 7g of fiber, and make the meal look pretty, wouldn't you say? At 500 calories, this won't break your calorie bank either.

Recipe credits go to Curtis Stone, but I did make a few adjustments in oil and the portion of the meat to bring the calories down from 650 per serving. I was also more realistic with the cooking time, because I'm nice like that.

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Cider-Dijon Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 4 

Ingredients

Pork
4 boneless pork loin chops (each about 5 ounces, and 1-inch thick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Vegetables and Apples
1 pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 Pink Lady or Fuji apples, cored and cut lengthwise into eighths
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cut lengthwise into eighths
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place in the oven until very hot.

To cook the vegetables and apples: In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, apples, fennel, and rosemary with the olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the vegetables and apples on it. Roast, turning the ingredients over halfway through, for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are nicely browned and tender.

Meanwhile, cook the pork: Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then add the chops to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and barely pink when pierced in the center with the tip of a small sharp knife. Transfer to a platter (reserving the oil in the skillet) and let stand for 5 minutes.

Return the pan to medium-low heat, add the apple cider, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk in the mustard and simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter to lightly thicken the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the sweet potato mixture among four dinner plates. Place a pork chop alongside the vegetables on each plate. Drizzle with the pan sauce and serve.