Baked Chicken with Mushrooms

Spent all of Friday afternoon baking for Corbin because Q was heading down to see him on Saturday at university for homecoming weekend. I figured that him and his res buddies would be happy to see some homebaked treats so I made brownies, pecan tarts, seven-layer bars and chocolate chip peanut-butter cookies. Maddie came home from school that afternoon, took one look at the stacks of stuff on the counters and immediately begged, "Don't give it all away!" because that's precisely what she expects me to do with any extra baked goods. It wasn't any consolation to her that it was all headed to her oldest bro but probably good incentive for her to think of university possibilities that lie ahead in her future and the care packages that'll inevitably be sent to her.

The weather turned really cool on Saturday in Toronto so a one-pot meal of chicken with meaty portobellos seemed the right choice for dinner that night. Let's just say that everything was going swimmingly until life got in the way--family details too boring to recount but I suddenly had to run out mid-way through the cooking stage to pick up one of the kiddies on the other side of town so the chicken didn't cook quite the way it was intended to. As a result, it wasn't the most delicious for us but the cook (or spouse, depending on how you look at it lol) was definitely to blame, not the recipe. Maybe you'll have more success.

Baked Chicken and Mushrooms

serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves (I couldn't find any so I used thyme instead)

4 chicken pieces (either breasts or thighs, your choice)

4 portobello mushroom, stems removed, and cut into thick slices

2 tsp lemon juice

Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, sage and mustard in a large bowl. Add chicken and mushrooms and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Layer mushrooms on bottom of ovenproof casserole dish and lay chicken pieces on top; scrape any remaining marinade onto chicken. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken juices are clear. Just before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice and any pan juices.

Rest of the week

Sept 30 Dinner at The Beacher Cafe

Oct 1 Chicken with mushrooms and roasted asparagus