This meal looks and tastes gourmet, but it’s so easy for you to put together for a weekday dinner.

Mediterranean chicken with rice and asparagus

Prep time: 15 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pre-cooked roaster chicken  (2 lbs or 900 g – assumes 1 lb or 450 g of actual meat)
• 1 large plastic resealable bag
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup green pimento olives, sliced (or any sliced, pitted olive of choice)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp parsley, dried
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic (from a jar – or 3 cloves, minced)
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• paper towel
• 20 asparagus spears (1 lb or 450 g)
• butter (optional)

Method:

1. The night before: Quarter chicken into two white sections (wing and breast) and two dark sections (drumstick and thigh). Place chicken into a large plastic, resealable bag. Sprinkle chicken with raisins and olives.
2. Whisk together the following in a measuring cup: balsamic vinegar, parsley, oregano, pepper, brown sugar, olive oil and garlic. Stir until well mixed. Pour mixture over chicken in bag. Close bag tightly and let rest in bowl. Refrigerate overnight. Flip the bag every once in a while.
3. When you arrive home: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place chicken with marinade, skin side up, in a large oven-safe lasagna or cake pan. Place in preheated oven. Set timer for 20 minutes or until heated through.
4. Combine rice and water in a large microwave-safe pot with lid. Microwave at high for 8 minutes, then medium for 8 minutes. Place a paper towel under the rice pot in case of spillage.
5. Snap off bottom nodes of asparagus and discard. Rinse in colander or steamer basket. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a stove-top pot, let stand.
6. Bring water to full boil with asparagus in the basket above. Cover and set timer for 4 minutes, or microwave for the same amount of time.

Serves 4-6 

Courtesy Sandi Richard

http://www.cookingfortherushed.com

@sandi_richard