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Chico State

Zesty Lemon Chicken — Chico Style!

Overhead view of children chopping vegetables on cutting boards
Jessica Bartlett/University Phot

Children prepare food as they participate in the Get Cookin’ Chopped Challenge. The Chopped Challenge is the culmination of a week-long healthy cooking and lifestyle class for kids ages 7-11 called Get CookinÕ. The Center for Healthy Communities take care of the teaching all week long, and the Chopped Challenge is the culmination of the weekÕs lessons. Teams of kids were given a list of ingredients and they had to prepare a meal using these ingredients on Friday, July 20, 2018 in Chico, Calif. (Jessica Bartlett/University Photographer/CSU Chico)

chelsea beights

By Chelsea Beights, Senior, Major: Studio Art — Photography

Ciao! My name is Chelsea and I am the new social media and photography intern for Public Affairs and Publications. I will be blogging, tweeting, and Facebooking on the official University sites as we work to connect more with you, our audience. As a Chico local, I hope to share the charm and adventures Chico offers through the words of guest authors and a dash of my personal experiences. As many of you know, Chico is a substantial agricultural area, holding farmer’s markets year round and possessing fertile soil for growing fruits and vegetables right in your own backyard. I am very thankful for this rich soil and the lemon tree in my backyard, which blooms wildly and produces huge, succulent lemons! I really enjoy my time in the kitchen trying out new recipes and making my own, so I figured I’d share one that uses the lemons from my bountiful backyard tree. Enjoy!

Many people go through the same sort of conundrum around 5 p.m…. What should I make for dinner? Well, why not make something simple yet tasty with easily accessible ingredients! Let me introduce you to my

ZESTY LEMON CHICKEN!

Let’s start with the ingredient list:

•    6 cloves of garlic
•    2 lemons
•    olive oil
•    salt
•    ground black pepper
•    Italian Seasoning
•    2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts

*Pre-heat oven to 375 °F
1. Take the 6 cloves of garlic and mince them.

2. Place the minced garlic in a pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Let the garlic simmer in the oil for a few minutes, until golden, then remove from heat.

3. Take one of the two lemons and use a fine grater to make about 1/4 cup of zest.

4. Add about 1/2 tbsp of Italian Seasoning, the zest, and the juice from the first lemon into the cooling garlic and oil mixture. Mix thoroughly and then pour about 3/4 of the mixture into a 9X12 glass baking dish.

5. Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the breasts evenly in the pan.

6. Take the other lemon and cut into small slices. Take the lemon slices and spread them around the chicken in the pan. Then pour the last part of the mixture on top of the chicken, and generously sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

7. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes (or until cooked entirely through) at 375 °F.

… And VOILÀ! Let your taste buds relish!

If you enjoyed this recipe and would like to view more, check out Chelsea’s Food/DIY blog!

We’d love to share your favorite Chico recipes, so please send them to me at paintern1@csuchico.edu!