Spring Chicken

Sage-Citrus Baked Chicken

Fresh Sage-Stuffed Citrus Crispy Skinned Baked Chicken Legs

Asparagus Risotto w/ Fresh Tarragon

Fried Carrot Chip

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As I am always thinking either several meals ahead or forgetting to eat for hours all together, I try to keep my mind open to getting inspiration from just about anywhere.

Today that anywhere was, of all places, the dentist office. As I fretted my long overdue torture, I was ameliorated by a most soothing and homey aroma. That aroma happened to come from an office candle jar, whose label read that it was "Sage & Citrus"-scented.

I took that as a sign to — remembering that I haven't written a new post in a few days — let those foods inform my dinner this evening, which I decided would be chicken legs brined in cold water, salt, and lemon juice, then having fresh sage leaves stuffed under their skin before getting a skin-down sear in a hot skillet with oil then going into an oven for 45 minutes.

Also asking my Facebook friends for inspiration, I transposed their collective ideas (each excellent but more reminiscent, to me, of the colder seasons) into a side of asparagus risotto made — slowly, over the same 45 minutes — using both chicken and vegetable broth and mixing in fresh tarragon leaves, then butter and parmesan before finishing.

Still a hearty dish, the aromas and flavors spoke more to the "verdancy" of the spring season, with sweet, floral notes that balanced the chicken's salty crisp skin and the asparagus' earthiness. A single fried carrot chip was a welcome second crispy bonus note of both savory and of smokiness from the fry. 

Looking forward to being further inspired to create more spring-friendly comfort food dishes in the foreseeable future.