Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew

As a mom with a family full of differing allergies, I am always looking for simple recipes.  Ones that have very little ingredients, but are cooking in such a way that they are interesting.  This is one of those recipes.  The trick with chicken is cook it with juices, but not too long.  I tried this recipe over the weekend and I was blown out of the water with it :).  It was simple enough to make, too :) :).  The things that really bring this recipe from "ugh, chicken and potatoes, how bland" to "whoa, what was that" is the paprika and the RED onions.  Between those two, it turned this recipe to almost a sweet taste, which I didn't expect at all.  You could even add in more veggies (just add more water too) to make this even better :).

Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew

Ingredients

·         1 1/2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

·         4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

·         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         Kosher salt

·         1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)

·         2 teaspoons smoked paprika

·         Freshly ground pepper

·         4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

·         2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)

·         2 large or 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a large cast-iron baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, pierce the plastic in a few places with a knife and microwave 8 minutes to partially cook.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 tablespoons parsley and the lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside.

Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Scatter the onions on top. Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.

Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.