Weeknight Chicken Dinner

In my life, the eternal question has turned out to be "What's for dinner?"  Getting dinner on the table night after night without boring everyone to tears can be quite a challenge, so for busy days when I don't feel like thinking too hard, I keep a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer.  They cook quickly and can be dressed up in countless ways, which makes them a perfect weeknight meal.  This flavorful recipe utilizes ingredients I always have on hand, including the perennial herbs in my garden.  Add some rice or potatoes, sauteed spinach or a salad, and, "Dinner's ready!"

Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice + zest of 1 lemon (here is my favorite zesting tool)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish.  Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest,  garlic, rosemary and thyme and pour over chicken; turn to coat.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Cover dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to several hours.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat, or oven to 375.  Grill or bake chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165, turning halfway through cooking.  Time will vary depending on thickness of chicken and cooking method used.  Our smallish chicken breasts took about 15 minutes on the grill.  Serve immediately.