Baked Chicken with Roasted Mushrooms, Beets, Sauteed Greens

So, I found a really yummy roasted beet salad recipe the other day.  And I had ever intention of making it this week.  But some days don't always go as planned.  Yesterday was one of those days...a "burn all your cookies in the oven" kind of day.  Yes, that happened.  It was very sad. :(  
Maybe it was just my state of mind at the time, but I decided to scrap the beet salad for a chicken dinner.  I had some chicken in the freezer, and some mushrooms, and some greens....so baked chicken with roasted beets and greens sounded like a plan.  I have every intention of making that delicious beet salad, but in the interim, here was my adjusted dinner menu:

The beets aren't even pictured here, haha!

Menu:
Baked Chicken with Mushrooms
Roasted Beets
Sauteed Beet Greens and Kale



Baked Chicken with Mushrooms:

2 large chicken legs (with leg and thigh), bone in (or whatever kind of chicken you have on hand!)
1 cup wine (I used red, but I think white is better...or a little vermouth is good too!)
3-5 cloves garlic, rough chop
1-2 cup mushrooms, cut in 1/2 or 1/4ths
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  In a large casserole dish, add in wine, garlic, mushrooms, olive oil, and a little salt.  Toss until mushrooms are coated.  

Nestle chicken amongst mushrooms and sprinkle with salt, pepper, olive oil, and rosemary.  

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Take off the aluminum foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until chicken is golden brown.  Serve with the mushrooms and little sauce on top.
(Baking times might vary depending on the type of chicken you use.  Chicken without bones will cook more quickly as will smaller portions.  Keep an eye on your chicken to make sure it is not drying out.  By covering the chicken and letting it braise in the oven, most of the moisture should be contained, however, white meat can dry out fast.)

Roasted Beets

5-6 medium sized beets
water

Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash beets thoroughly, and trim the top and bottom of each beet.  Put beets in a casserole dish with enough water to cover the bottom.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 45 minutes or until a butter knife can slice through them.  Take beets out and let them cool until you can handle them. 

Peel off the outer layer of skin (your hands will turn red!).  You can either slice these or dice them and add them to salads, or in this case, as a garnish on top of sauteed greens.
Why no salt in this recipe?  I don't think beets need any flavoring at all.  They are so succulent and sweet on their own!  But you can add a little salt to taste if you want to.





Sauteed Greens

4-6 cups of shredded kale and beet greens (or other fibrous dark greens)
2TB olive oil
salt to taste
water 

Additions:
minced garlic
red pepper flakes

Wash greens thoroughly, and drain them well.  Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook, while stirring, about 1 minute.  Add in greens and sprinkle them with salt.  Add in a little water to help steam and wilt the greens.  Stir the greens until they have wilted, but are still bright green.  Serve immediately.

Cooking/Prep Tip!  Place greens (any kind) in a large bowl (or clean sink) filled with very cold water.  Swish greens around and let them sit for 15-30 minutes.  This both cleans the greens well, but it also refreshes any greens that have begun to wilt.  I had some very wilty beet greens, but I left them in cold water for about 30 minutes and they looked as good as new!
Also, lift them out of the water to drain them.  If you pour them out, some of the silt/dirt on the bottom of the bowl could get poured back onto the greens.


Well, despite the mishaps of today and the re-adjusting of the menu,  I'm still happy with what I produced.  A good dinner can really improve your day.  I'm always happy to pull a hot meal out of the oven when my husband comes home and sit down to enjoy it with him.  Those moments always help to center me back to what really matters.  I might have been really scatterbrained all day, but this hearty, warming chicken dish was so comforting.   And I went on to spend a wonderfully relaxing evening playing games, drinking a little wine, and watching Deep Space Nine with my husband.  So, yeah, it wasn't such a bad day after all. :)