Weeknight chicken with a zingy lemon dressing and winter greens

This recipe is sure to become a weeknight staple! Cook the chicken in the oven while the vegetables cook on the stove for easy multitasking.

Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes while you prep the vegetables. For the best flavor, use Olinda Olive Oil’s Olio Nuovo, which is their limited-release “new oil,” made from the first harvest of the season. Don’t miss it!

As a private chef in Charleston, SC, this is an easy, relaxing meal I enjoy after work. It can be made ahead and reheated quickly.

Weeknight chicken with a zingy lemon dressing and winter greens

Dressing

Makes ½ cup dressing

1 preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped with seeds removed

1 clove garlic, chopped

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 ½ teaspoons honey

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon

½ cup olive oil, preferably Olinda olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Combine preserved lemon, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender.

Serves 4

1.5–2 lbs boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup dressing, recipe above (plus more for drizzling)

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 white or sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots, optional

1/4 cup finely chopped fennel, optional

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2–3 tablespoons dry white wine

1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock

A handful of green olives or any Olinda olives, halved

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pound or butterfly the chicken to an even thickness, about 3/4 inch.

In a dish or gallon-size zip-top bag, combine the 1/4 cup dressing and chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes while you cut the vegetables.

Lay the chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or frying pan. Add the onion, carrots, and fennel, and cook until tender. Add the kale, garlic, and white wine, and cook until the wine reduces by about half. Add the stock and let it reduce by about half. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a little more lemon dressing if desired.

Plate the greens, then top with the chicken. Finish with a decorative drizzle of dressing and olives. Serve hot!