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Best, Easy, Quick, Fast: 6 Simple Dinner Recipes

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A sheet pan filled with Summer Scallops and Corn. To the side sits bowls of peppers, lemon, and salt. Scallops recipe

Greetings! You’ve landed in a helpful place. This is the first in a new TABLE series featuring recipes of the best, easiest, and quickest variety. The type of recipes you turn to when you’re in a pinch, short on time, or just have one of those lazy, low-energy days.

The following simple dinner recipes are tasty and satisfying, yet don’t require much effort or fuss. They’re easy to follow. You won’t see any complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients. And you won’t be spending hours in the kitchen dealing with prep and clean up. Ummm… You’re welcome in advance.

Summer Veggie en Croute

A summer veggie en croute, puff pastry filled with chopped vegetables in a cast iron skillet

This simple recipe invites you to chop up two cups of your favorite garden vegetables and pop them into a puff pastry galette… resting on a creamy bed of mascarpone and seasonings. The results will make you look like a French chef, but the process couldn’t be more straightforward.

Simple Chicken Marbella

An arial view of a round white baking dish with chicken thighs, olives, prunes, and capers, and two yellow dishes with single servings of the same with gold forks

Chicken Marbella is an easy choice when you know you will be limited on time. The recipe calls for marinating the chicken overnight, but the preparation is ultra simple, and the outcome is packed full of the kind of flavors one would expect from a meal you’ve slaved over to prepare.

Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner

A sheet pan dinner with sausage, red grape tomatoes, and feta cheese with a bowl of tomatoes and a plate with red onion

This Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner recipe will make weeknight dinner a breeze. One pan. Simple ingredients. Easy-peasy prep. All of this pays off big time with fun, flavorful results everyone will love.

Summer Scallops and Corn Sheet Pan Supper

A sheet pan filled with Summer Scallops and Corn. To the side sits bowls of peppers, lemon, and salt. Scallops recipe

Three simple primary ingredients make, after a short time in the oven, a great one-pan supper. The natural sweetness of corn and scallops plays off of the heat of jalapeños in a beautiful way. You can make this easy recipe with friends, leaving plenty of time for happy chitchats and a glass of wine. Enjoy!

Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake

A sheet pan with chicken thighs, halved apricots, purple onions and baby potatoes with a stack of creamy yellow plates and gold forks. Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake Recipe

Swap out different stone fruits throughout the summer and fall, and let us know which you enjoy most in this easy chicken bake recipe! Simply season all the ingredients on a sheet pan, bake, and boom! This healthy meal is as visually appealing as it is delicious.

One Pan Spicy Cinnamon Chicken and Carrots

A white casserole dish sits with carrots and chicken covered with a redish glaze. To the rights sits a plate with the chicken and carrot recipe.

Inspired by the flavors of Eastern and North African cuisine, this one-pan dinner utilizes two key ingredients: cinnamon and harissa. Together, the flavors play off one another for a simple hot and spicy chicken and carrot dish ready in under an hour.

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One Pan Spicy Cinnamon Chicken and Carrots

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A white casserole dish sits with carrots and chicken covered with a redish glaze. To the rights sits a plate with the chicken and carrot recipe.

Inspired by the flavors of Eastern and North African cuisine, this one-pan dinner utilizes two key ingredients: cinnamon and harissa. Together, the flavors play off one another for a simple hot and spicy chicken and carrot dish ready in under an hour. Minimal prep and cleanup means you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family and friends.

What is harissa?

Harissa is a North African hot chili pepper paste that is commonly used as a condiment and seasoning. It is often used as a marinade for meat and fish, as a spread on sandwiches and wraps, and as a flavoring in soups and stews. Made from a blend of roasted chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, and spices such as coriander, cumin, and caraway, harissa’s complex and spicy flavor profile adds depth and heat to any dish.

One Pan Spicy Cinnamon Chicken and Carrots Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 pack of skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 bag of whole carrots, washed and halved
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Olive oil
Trader Joe’s Traditional Tunisian Harissa
Salt and paper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease sheet pan.
  2. In a bowl, toss washed and halved carrots in oil. Season with salt and pepper and coat with harissa.
  3. Arrange carrots in a single layer on half the sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.
  4. When the carrots have 5 minutes left, brush both sides of chicken with oil. Evenly sprinkle both sides of chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
  5. Remove carrots from oven. Place chicken on empty half of sheet pan, coat top with an even layer of harissa, and return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Recipe and Story and Photography by Jordan Snowden / Styling by Star Laliberte

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Pittsburgh Happenings: August 22-28

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A sunflower field with barns in the background
Photo courtesy of Fair Haven Farms

As August comes to a close — I can’t believe it’s almost September already — make sure to find time for merriment as schedules start to fill with kids’ school activities, family plans, and the like. There’s no shortage of fun to be had in Pittsburgh. If you’re looking for some recommendations, we have a few ideas…

Photo by Kieran Kesner

Celeste Ng

First Unitarian Church, August 24
Pittsburgh-born author Celeste Ng returns to the City of Bridges to celebrate the paperback release of her latest novel, Our Missing Hearts. Ng is widely known for 2017’s Little Fires Everywhere, which Hulu debuted as a TV series in March 2020. She will be in conversation with writer and author Robert Yune.

Photo by Jeff Swensen

The Sound Inside

barebones, Running until 26
This weekend is your final chance to see Barebones’s production of The Sound Inside. Written by Adam Rapp, discover what happens when an unexpected bond forms between a lonely creative writing professor at Yale and a student. Brew Gentlemen hosts a pop-up event next door.

Photo by Jessica Ruscello

yART Sale

Pittsburgh Center For Arts & Media, August 26
A mix of an art show and yard sale, this event features artists selling excess art materials alongside their creations. Give something a second life or find new decor for your home.

Photo courtesy of Fair Haven Farms

Sunflower Festival

Fair Haven Farms, August 26 and 27
Take a break from the city and indulge in games (corn hole, anyone?), live music, over 60 food and craft vendors, and hay rides (yes, it’s that time already!). Fair Haven Farm’s third annual Sunflower Festival is the perfect transition from summer to fall outdoor fun.

Photo by Gio Bartlett

Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival

West Newton, August 26-October 1
Here ye, here ye, the annual Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival has returned for over a month of old-timey magic. The festival features different themes throughout its duration, with Opening Weekend drawing on Celtic traditions like the sounds of Scottish pipe bands and a Men in Kilts Contest.

See what other events we’re excited about for the month of August.

Story by Jordan Snowden / Send your events tips to jordan@tablemagazine.com

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Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake

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A sheet pan with chicken thighs, halved apricots, purple onions and baby potatoes with a stack of creamy yellow plates and gold forks. Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake Recipe

Stone fruit season runs from May through October, with its peak falling in the late summer. Our Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake recipe uses apricots, but feel free to incorporate whatever stone fruit is in season near you. Pennsylvania apricots are best in July. Peaches and nectarines season runs from the end of July to the start of September. Plums can be found mid-July first but are better as the month closes.

Swap out different stone fruits throughout the summer and fall, and let us know what you enjoy most in this easy chicken bake recipe! Simply season all the ingredients on a sheet pan, bake, and boom! A healthy meal as visually appealing as it is delicious.

What Classifies a Stone Fruit?

You know that hard, stone-like pit in the center of some fruit? That’s a stone fruit. Stone fruits are also characterized by their soft and fleshy exteriors, which are often brightly colored and fragrant. Some common examples include peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries. These fruits are generally sweet and juicy, and are often used in a variety of culinary creations, like jams, pies, and desserts.

 

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A sheet pan with chicken thighs, halved apricots, purple onions and baby potatoes with a stack of creamy yellow plates and gold forks. Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake Recipe

Asian Stone Fruit Chicken Bake


  • Author: Justin Matase

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4/5 chicken thighs
  • 5 apricots halved
  • 2 medium red onions quartered
  • 1 small bag baby potatoes (10-15)
  • 2 tbsp Momofuku Chili Crunch
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 6 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • Salt and pepper


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Salt and pepper front and back of chicken.
  3. Arrange ingredients on sheet pan.
  4. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with hoisin sauce.
  5. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.
  6. When removed from oven, add chili crunch to top of chicken thighs.

Recipe by Justin Matase
Styling and Photography by Keith Recker

Big stone fruit fan? Check out these nine peach-based recipes.

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Allergen-Free Chocolate Treats

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Allergen-Free Chocolate Treats served with berries on top of a wooden surface

Our friend Liz Fetchin at Octofree is always looking for ways to create good food that is safe for everyone. These Allergen-Free Chocolate Treats are just that: safe and delicious. Satisfy your cravings without compromising dietary needs. The below dairy-free S’mores cups and Quinoa Crunch Berry Cups are free of eight major food allergens.

S’mores Cups Recipe

EQUIPMENT

12 silicone muffin tin liners (or you can use paper liners, but the cups pop out of the silicone ones much easier)
Medium microwave-safe bowl
6 allergen-free graham crackers (I use Kinnikinnick’s S’moreables, available at Soergel’s)

INGREDIENTS

3 10-oz bags of allergen-free chocolate chips or baking chips (I use and recommend Guittard 72% baking chips from Mon Aimee Chocolat in the Strip District)
2 tbsp coconut oil
12 large soy-free marshmallows (I use Smashmallows Churro, Toasted Vanilla, and Cookie Dough flavors, all delicious!)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the silicone muffin tin liners into the slots of a muffin tin.
  2. Break or crush the graham crackers into coarse pieces and set aside.
  3. Place the chocolate and coconut oil into a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl.
  4. Microwave in 30-second increments, stopping to stir each time, until the chocolate is completely melted.
  5. Spoon about half of the chocolate mixture into the bottoms of the muffin tin liners.
  6. Place a couple of pieces of the crushed graham crackers and one marshmallow into each muffin tin on top of the choco-late layer.
  7. Spoon the remainder of the chocolate over top of the marshmallows and graham crackers, covering them completely, then sprinkle the tops with more graham cracker pieces.
  8. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes to allow the candies to harden.
  9. Pop the chocolates out of their molds and enjoy, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Quinoa Crunch Berry Cups Recipe

EQUIPMENT

12 silicone muffin tin liners (or you can use paper liners, but the cups pop out of the silicone ones much easier)
Medium microwave-safe bowl
Small saute pan

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw, uncooked quinoa
3 10-ounce bags of allergen-free chocolate chips (I used and would recommend Guittard 72% baking chips from Mon Aimee Chocolat in the Strip District)
2 tbsp coconut oil
Approximately 1 cup raspberry preserves
½ cup shredded coconut, for garnish
1 cup freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the silicone muffin tin liners into the slots of a muffin tin.
  2. Place the raw quinoa into a small saute pan over medium heat.
  3. Toast the quinoa, stirring often, until slightly brown and fragrant. The quinoa will make popping sounds as it cooks.
  4. Place the chocolate and coconut oil into a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl.
  5. Microwave in 30-second increments, stopping to stir each time, until the chocolate is completely melted.
  6. Stir in the toasted quinoa until it’s distributed evenly throughout the chocolate.
  7. Spoon about half of the chocolate mixture into the bottoms of the muffin tin liners.
  8. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of raspberry preserves into each muffin tin in the center of the melted chocolate.
  9. Spoon the remainder of the chocolate over top of the preserves, covering them completely, then sprinkle the tops with shredded coconut and freeze-dried strawberries.
  10. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes to allow the candies to harden.
  11. Pop the chocolates out of their molds and enjoy, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Story and Styling by Keith Recker/ Photography by Dave Bryce / Recipe by Liz Fetchin at Octofree

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Easy Bake Beans and Potatoes

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An aerial shot of a sheet pan covered in green beans and potatoes.

Inspired by author and chef Melissa Clark’s wonderful book, Dinner: Changing the Game: A Cookbook, and maybe by a tiny bit of overexposure to our kitchen these last few months, we decided to chart a simple course for everyday meals this summer. Four sheet pan dinners to get us through the weekdays. Fresh ingredients. Loads of flavor. One pan. From oven to plate… simply delicious!

Start off with an easy-to-bake beans and potato recipe perfect for a hectic Monday or a casual Friday evening. Season, roast, enjoy!

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An aerial shot of a sheet pan covered in green beans and potatoes.

Easy Bake Beans and Potatoes


  • Author: Keith Recker

Description

A sheet pan of beans and potatoes goes a long way.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ lb baby red potatoes
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup crushed pistachios or blanched almonds
  • 1 lb cleaned fresh green beans
  • ½ cup chopped red onion
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups green peas
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice


Instructions

  1. Cut ½ lb. of baby red potatoes in half. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on sheet pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
  2. On top of stove in an iron skillet, toast 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds, and ¼ cup crushed pistachios or blanched almonds.
  3. Toss 1 lb. cleaned fresh green beans in olive oil, toasted seed-nut mixture, salt and pepper, ½ cup chopped red onion, and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Add to pan with potatoes and toss well. Roast until tender, between 8 and 12 minutes.
  4. Toss 2 cups green peas (if frozen, defrost to room temp) with 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tbsp olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to pan and toss well. Roast for 5 minutes.
  5. When finished, add a little fresh lemon on top.

We gratefully acknowledge the wonderful author and chef Melissa Clark, who set us on this flavorful path! Please order her very helpful and delicious book: Dinner: Changing the Game: A Cookbook.

Story by Keith Recker
Photography and Styling by Erin Kelly
Recipes Inspired by Melissa Clark

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Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner

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A sheet pan dinner with sausage, red grape tomatoes, and feta cheese with a bowl of tomatoes and a plate with red onion

This Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner recipe will make weeknight dinner a breeze. One pan. Simple, healthy ingredients. Easy-peasy prep. All of this pays off big time with fun, flavorful results that everyone will love. The Italian sausage and feta make for a Mediterranean flavor that will jazz up your table. For more weeknight dinners, check out our best weeknight dinners of 2024. 

What Type of Feta Should You Use in this Sheet Pan Dinner?

Not all feta was created equal. Allrecipes swears by Whole Foods’s 16 Ounce Feta Cheese block. It’s huge, it’s high quality, and it’s relatively affordable. If you’re making a big recipe like this one, a giant block of feta is the way to go as opposed to the normal crumbly version you might find at the store. If you want a family farm, try LaClare Family Creamery Goat Milk Feta Cheese Chunk.

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A sheet pan dinner with sausage, red grape tomatoes, and feta cheese with a bowl of tomatoes and a plate with red onion

Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner


  • Author: Justin Matase

Description

Just a few simple ingredients make for a comforting sheet pan dinner.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 small block of Feta cheese
  • 1 package sweet Italian sausage (46 sausages)
  • Parsley for garnish
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano


Instructions

  1. Arrange all ingredients on sheet pan and season generously with dried oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Recipe by Justin Matase
Styling and Photography by Keith Recker

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Poetry Lounge Gives a Second Life to Millvale’s Whisper Nest

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A white male stands behind a bar surrounded by bottles and mixed drinks.

Whisper Nest devotees need not fear that the former Millvale bar will be transformed into something entirely new under the direction of Pittsburgh craft cocktail connoisseur Sean Enright.

In fact, when Enright opens the bar, now known as Poetry Lounge, this September, visitors can expect a very similar experience and environment.

“I don’t really want to change much of anything,” Enright explains to TABLE Magazine. “[Whisper Nest] had such a great ambiance, such a great atmosphere, and the customer base was so supportive there. We wanted to really capture what they already had.”

The Same, But Different

Enright isn’t doing any remodeling, and any changes, like decorations, will be minimal.

“We’re making some small adjustments, upping the cocktail program a little bit, adding some wine to the menu,” Enright says, “but we’re not looking for [Poetry Lounge] to be a cocktail bar. We want it to be as accessible to everyone as possible, as [Whisper Nest] was.”

The upgraded cocktail program will reflect Enright’s longstanding background and influence in the craft cocktail industry, which started in London in 1992 after graduating from the Harvard Student Agencies School of Bartending.

“One of the things I’ve always been known for is my Sazerac,” Enright says. “We will definitely have a Sazerac and will be making the best Sazerac in town.”

Also on the cocktail menu: Ramos Gin Fizz, Frozen Irish Coffee, and classics like daiquiris and caipirinhas.

Turn Up the Music

And Enright didn’t forget about Whisper Nest’s commitment to music. Musical programming will be offered regularly, with themed nights taking place each week.

Sundays, for example, will be Surfs Up Sundays, featuring everything from surf rock to reggae. (An optimal time to sip on Poetry Lounge’s Galeophobia cocktail, served in a shark mug.) Meanwhile, Wednesdays will highlight punk rock. They aim to have local bands play in those slots as well, alongside DJs. Already in the works is local surf rock band The Yeggs to perform on a Sunday.

“We just want to be a neighborhood bar that offers great cocktails, good wine,” Enright says. “We’re trying to maintain what the Whisper Nest started.”

Story by Jordan Snowden / Photography by Jeff Swenson

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Summer Veggie en Croute

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A summer veggie en croute, puff pastry filled with chopped vegetables in a cast iron skillet

Summer Veggie en Croute will surely become a seasonal go-to. Summer veggies are versatile ingredients. Thank heavens for that: during the weeks of peak harvest, we need to change up what we do with them. This simple recipe invites you to chop up two cups of your favorite garden vegetables and pop them into a puff pastry galette… resting on a creamy bed of mascarpone and seasonings. The results will make you look like a French chef, but the process couldn’t be easier.

Summer Veggie en Croute Recipe

INGREDIENTS 
1 sheet puff pastry
1/4 cup olive oil divided
1/2 cup mascarpone
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
2 cups chopped fresh veggies (a mix of zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, corn)
1/2 tsp Ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease a 9” cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place puff pastry in the middle. Press gently with fingers to spread the dough out a bit.
  3. Mix mascarpone, garlic, and all but a teaspoon of the olive oil. Spread it around in a circle in the middle of the pastry, leaving the corners clear.
  4. Mix chopped veggies and spices and place over the mascarpone.
  5. Fold the corners of the pastry into the middle of the pan. Press the tips together. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Eat immediately.
Recipe by Keith Recker / Styling by Star Laliberte and Jordan Snowden / Photography by Star Laliberte
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Simple Chicken Marbella

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An arial view of a round white baking dish with chicken thighs, olives, prunes, and capers, and two yellow dishes with single servings of the same with gold forks

Chicken Marbella is an easy choice when you know you’re going to be limited on time. The recipe calls for marinating the chicken overnight, but the preparation is ultra simple, and the outcome is packed full of the kind of flavors one would expect from a meal you’ve slaved over to prepare. The result is tender and juicy meat with a briny and sweet tang. Olives, capers and prunes play so deliciously well together that this will become a staple in your kitchen. Health-conscious cooks may consider skipping the brown sugar: the dish is still wonderful without it.

What is Chicken Marbella? 

Chicken Marbella gets it name from Marbella, a Spanish coastal city just across the Mediterranean from North Africa. It likely got its spices from that cuisine. It became popular among Americans in the ’80s as a party dish, likely from the Silver Palate Cookbook. Ina Garten also then took inspiration from that recipe for a later version of the dish. Our version of Chicken Marbella is easy, no matter what level of chef you are. 

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An arial view of a round white baking dish with chicken thighs, olives, prunes, and capers, and two yellow dishes with single servings of the same with gold forks

Simple Chicken Marbella


  • Author: Star Laliberte

Description

A simple recipe for weeknights when you just can’t seem to find the time…


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs (about 6)
  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 c red wine vinegar
  • 20 prunes
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/3 c capers plus 2 tsp juice
  • 3/4 c large green olives, pitted, such as Castelvetrano, or Cerignola
  • 1 small garlic head, minced
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
  • 2/3 cups dry white wine
  • 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed


Instructions

  1. Mix olive oil, vinegar, prunes, bay leaves, capers & juice, olives, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl for the marinade.
  2. Add chicken to the marinade, making sure to coat the thighs.
  3. Cover or transfer to a gallon sized ziplock bag, and marinate overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Transfer the the chicken thighs and marinade to a roasting pan, skin side up.
  6. Season with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.
  7. Evenly distribute the brown sugar on top of the thighs.
  8. Pour wine around the chicken (not on top).
  9. Roast for 45-55 minutes.
  10. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
  11. Remove bay leaves, transfer to a platter, and serve.

Recipe by Star Laliberte
Styling and Photography by Keith Recker

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