I am constantly amazed by the women I know, how hard they work, and how truly, genuinely talented they are. A college coworker and friend of mine, Kenzie Swanhart of Cave Girl in the City is no exception. In the past few years, she’s written four (FOUR!!!) cookbooks, each one better than the last. Personally, I own Paleo in 28 and have loved every recipe I’ve ever made from it. So when Kenzie announced her newest cookbook, Weeknight Cooking for Two, it seemed too good to be true!

If your life is anything like mine, you spend most weeknights in a never-ending back and forth of “What do you want for dinner?”, “I don’t know, what you do you want?” until one of you gives in and orders takeout or microwaves whatever you can find in the fridge. Not ideal, and definitely not healthy. Between working a full time 9-5 job in addition to running my business, I very easily fall into the trap of not having time to cook or plan meals. And with Anthony’s almost nightly softball schedule, we’re rarely home at the same time long enough to sit down and enjoy a meal together.

So when I say that this cookbook is too good to be true, I really, really mean it.

What is Weeknight Cooking for Two all about?
Whether it’s lack of time, a tight budget, or facing the kitchen after a long day at work, creating delicious home-cooked meals can often feel like a chore. And night after night, in households across America, we struggle to answer the same question: What should we do for dinner? The solution – 100 simple, wholesome meals that can be made with 5 ingredients or less in 30 minutes or less!

At the risk of sounding super sales-y, I can honestly say that this book has been a huge game changer. I’ve made a few recipes already, and I couldn’t believe how delicious they were considering how quick and easy they were to make. I actually look forward to making these meals! Even when I’m flying solo for dinner, each recipe results in the perfect amount for food plus leftovers for lunch the next day. Two healthy meals in one – score!

I could go on and on, but I’ll let Kenzie’s incredible cookbook speak for itself. You can pre-order the book here, and each pre-order comes with some extra goodies like a bonus chapter on cocktails and mocktails for two, a 2 week meal plan, and $20 off a Kuvée Wine subscription!

A total bonus for me is that not only do I get to support another #bosslady in the process, but I get to support a fellow NU alum (go huskies)! And to prove how easy and delicious Kenzie’s recipes are, here’s a favorite recipe so far!

 

LEMON-ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLINI

ADAPTED FROM “WEEKNIGHT COOKING FOR TWO” BY KENZIE SWANHART

This recipe was an easy choice. Anthony doesn’t like seafood at all, so I save those recipes for the nights when I’m cooking for one. Chicken isn’t usually my go-to, but I trusted Kenzie and I’m glad I did! The rosemary and lemon make this chicken so flavorful, and the broccoli came out perfectly crispy – just the way I like it. Anthony and I pulled and saved the leftover chicken for lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS

1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH ROSEMARY
1 GARLIC CLOVE, MINCED
2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED
SEA SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 LEMON, 1/2 SLICED AND 1/2 JUICED
2 CHICKEN BREASTS (ABOUT 1/2 POUND EACH), BONES AND SKIN INTACT
4 OUNCES BROCCOLINI

(Note from Kelly: I couldn’t find bone-in chicken breasts with skin at my local grocery store, but I did find this entire “deconstructed” chicken with two, 1-lb. chicken breasts that fit the bill. It also came with four drumsticks that I set aside for another recipe another night! I also couldn’t find broccolini so I used regular broccoli. I’m still not sure if there’s a difference… Please, enlighten me!)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 425°F

2. COMBINE THE ROSEMARY, GARLIC, AND 1 TABLESPOON OF OLIVE OIL IN A BOWL. SEASON WITH SALT AND BLACK PEPPER.

3. ARRANGE THE CHICKEN ON A SHEET PAN. RUB ONE QUARTER OF THE ROSEMARY MIXTURE BENEATH THE SKIN OF EACH CHICKEN BREAST. THINLY SLICE ONE OF THE LEMON HALVES, AND PLACE 2 LEMON SLICES BENEATH THE SKIN. RUB THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHICKEN WITH THE REMAINING ROSEMARY MIXTURE AND SET ASIDE.

4. PUT THE BROCCOLINI IN A PLASTIC BAG. SQUEEZE THE JUICE OF THE REMAINING LEMON HALF INTO THE PLASTIC BAG AND ADD THE REMAINING OLIVE OIL. SPRINKLE IN SALT AND PEPPER, AND SHAKE THE BAG TO COAT EVENLY. REMOVE THE SEASONED BROCCOLINI FROM THE BAG, AND PLACE IT ON THE SHEET PAN.

5. PLACE THE SHEET PAN IN THE OVEN AND ROAST FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, OR UNTIL THE CHICKEN IS COOKED AND THE BROCCOLINI IS LIGHTLY BROWNED.

(Note from Kelly: Since I had to use larger pieces of chicken breast, I needed to cook my chicken longer. 5-10 extra minutes on the top rack seemed to do the trick, though I removed the broccoli after the 20 minutes the recipe called for.)

BON APPETIT, AND CHEERS TO KENZIE ON ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL COOKBOOK LAUNCH!