Roast Chicken with Lemon,Thyme, and Rosemary

This is a variation on a recipe by Rachael Ray that I saw on 30 Minute Meals. I have such a love/hate thing going with her - she is simultaneously mind-blowingly irritating and yet extremely charming. I don't get it. Either way, I love her recipes.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts, thighs, or a mixture of both), cut into bite-sized chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, cut into eighths and separated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, removed from stems
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, removed from stems and coarsely chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (or coarse salt and coarse black pepper)
1/2 cup dry white wine
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Add all ingredients except wine and toss with hands until everything is thoroughly mixed. Arrange chicken so that it is in a single layer, and place in oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove from the oven. Add wine and mix with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand in oven for 5 minutes before removing.

Serve with a steamed green vegetable (asparagus, sugar snap peas, or broccoli) spritzed with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with coarse salt and orzo salad (see below for recipe).

Roast Chicken, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad

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Heather's Orzo Salad

Orzo is a small, rice-sized pasta - perfect for a salad. This one works year-round and is perfect for a picnic because it doesn't have any mayonnaise. Enjoy!

1 1/4 cups orzo pasta, uncooked
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 handfuls fresh spinach, cut into strips
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
cilantro, to taste
1 slice lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Cook orzo according to package instructions.

In small pan, toast pine nuts over medium heat. Keep a close eye on them - they'll brown quickly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut spinach leaves into strips, and cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise.

Place spinach in bottom of serving bowl and pour cooked, drained orzo atop leaves to make them wilt. Drizzle olive oil over pasta, add all remaining ingredients, and mix well. Squeeze juice from lemon slice over salad.

Can be served warm or cold.