I'll Go Find the Welcome Mat...

Even though I had an 8:45 soccer game last night, I invited my friend John over to have dinner with Dave and me. The meal I had planned sounded so good that I just wanted to share it with someone else! There was a small amount of potatoes and chicken leftover, and it was just as yummy for lunch today.

Lemon Chicken with Roasted Red Potatoes
and Asparagus Parmesan

1.5 lbs Baby Red Potatoes, halved and quartered
2 tbsp Olive Oil (I use a decent Extra Virgin for pretty much everything. Love the taste!)
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with olive oil to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss again. Spread potatoes skin side up on baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and stir potatoes. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring again halfway through.
Tip: I layered the potatoes on a large platter, and then poured the chicken and lemon sauce over top.

4 tbsp Butter (I used 2 tbsp salted and 2 tbsp sweet)
1/2 cup Dry white wine (I used a Chardonnay that someone had gifted us a while back)
1/2 cup Chicken broth
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
2 tbsp Lemon juice

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add wine, broth, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, reduce heat medium, add chicken, and cover. Cook chicken until white on all sides, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and keep warm. Add lemon juice and return to a boil. Boil 5-10 minutes, until sauce is reduced to approx 3/4 cup. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter in small amounts, stirring continuously. Add chicken and heat through.
Tip: Do not just pour the chicken back into the pan; use a slotted spoon. Some liquid will have accumulated in the bowl, and this will thin out your sauce.

12 Asparagus spears, ends snapped off
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp Shredded Parmesan (I used a shredded Parmesan & Romano blend...mmmm.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange spears on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Shake pan to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and shake pan again to distribute. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with cheese and bake another two minutes to melt.
Tip: Put the asparagus in the oven after you've removed the aluminum foil from the potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are on the bottom oven rack, and the asparagus is on the top. Remove the potatoes after the 20 minutes, and melt the cheese on the asparagus while you prepare the potato and chicken platter.