Cilantro-Lemon Chicken

The reason I tried to grow cilantro a couple of years ago was because I always have too much left over after the reason I bought it.  May 6th, I was still staring at most of the bunch I got for Cinco de Mayo.  I went into Pantry Project mode, just to see if I could make use of what I had lying around instead of grocery shopping.

My garden may not be as productive this year, but I have some things to harvest.  That pile of not-chicken on the left in the photo are the last little artichokes of the year.  Four barely made the one serving, they were so small.  If they hadn't been enough, I was going to throw in some carrots from the last bag I bought.  Tomatoes have been ripening, too.  The eggplant is finally starting to flourish, despite the half-inch long grasshopper that has been treating it like a Vegas buffet.  We may have to move on from Neem oil to actual pesticide.  And I have so many lemons on the tree right now, it didn't make sense to go out and pick up the more traditional limes.

PS, the marinade makes a decent salad dressing.

*1/2 C lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
*1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp K salt
1/2 C cilantro leaves
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast

1.  Place lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, and cilantro in the blender and run it on high until thoroughly blended.  For some reason, my garlic refused to pulverize.  Must have gotten stuck under a blade.

2.  Place chicken in a small casserole, just big enough to fit comfortably.  Pour marinade over chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.  Turn chicken periodically.

3.  An hour before serving, preheat oven to 325º.  Remove plastic wrap and cook uncovered until juices run clear when pierced, about 45-55 minutes.  You can add vegetables for roasting to the pan, like carrots, squash, potatoes, etc.  Allow cooked chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with pan sauce and extra cilantro for garnish.

Difficulty rating  π