Recipe: Lemon-Dill Chicken Thighs with Artichokes

Here's an easy recipe delivering bright, sunny Mediterranean flavors on a chilly November day. The only real time commitment is the marinating, which is important to the success of the dish. I love juicy chicken thighs which don't dry out as quickly as chicken breasts.

Yield: 4 servings
Marinate Time: 1-4 hours
Active Time: 30 minutes
Cost: apx. $10.00

Marinate thighs 2-4 hours.

Ingredients

• Zest and juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons juice; 2 teaspoons chopped zest)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds (6) skinless,boneless chicken thighs, cut in half through center
• 1 (14 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 1 1/2 cups dry, instant couscous

Directions

1. Make a marinade by whisking together lemon juice and zest, garlic, dill and olive oil.

Lightly season chicken thighs with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss well with the marinade and let sit, 2-4 hours, in marinade turning once.

2. Bring a large heavy bottomed sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook chicken, with marinade, about 10 minutes on each side. In last 2 minutes of cooking time, stir in artichoke hearts and kalamata olives.

3. While chicken is cooking, cook couscous according to package instructions. Serve chicken over couscous topped with pan juices.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Nov. 8, 2010.