Grilled Chicken Thighs and Roasted Tomatoes

As soon as I got the June 2008 issue of Cooking Light, I tore this recipe out and filed it away in my Big Fat Binder of Recipes That I Tear and Print Out.

This is such an easy recipe, and I love how delicious it is without being unhealthy. This is truly a "cooking light" dish!

And perhaps the best part was that it afforded me some outside fun time with Ryan and his bubble mower. :)

Ingredients
Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

Tomatoes:

• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

1. Prepare grill.

2. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done.

4. Preheat oven to 425°.

5. To prepare tomatoes, combine tomatoes and 2 teaspoons oil in an 8-inch square baking dish; toss gently. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine tomato mixture, parsley, and remaining ingredients, stirring gently. Serve with chicken.

Wine note: Chicken on its own is a flexible partner for wine, but the capers, lemon, and parsley in this dish call for a varietal that can handle the briny, tart, and herbal qualities of these ingredients: sauvignon blanc. Try Dry Creek Vineyard Fume Blanc 2006 from Sonoma County, California ($14.50). —Karen MacNeil

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs and 1/4 cup tomato mixture)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 194(36% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 25.9g; CHOLESTEROL 106mg; CALCIUM 23mg; SODIUM 329mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.5g
Jackie Mills, MS, RD
Cooking Light, JUNE 2008