5:30pm

At 5:30pm each day we begin Manu's bedtime routine. He's usually asleep by 6:30pm which leaves Riz and I a few hours to ourselves before we crash. I try hard to make dinner something special for the two of us. Breakfast is hurried. I usually eat lunch with one hand. Dinner is our time to sit together without jumping up to grab a burp cloth or retrieve a toy. It's nice.
Last night's dinner recipe came from Williams and Sonoma. It was easy and quite yummy so I thought I'd share.

Rosemary and Orange-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 chickens, each 3 1/2 lb. and cut into 8 pieces

3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total, peeled
and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed
well and finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus
sprigs for garnish

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag or large bowl and pour in the marinade, coating the chicken evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

Place the chicken and the marinade in a large, heavy roasting pan. Arrange the sweet potatoes and leeks around the chicken, making sure to coat the vegetables with the marinade.

Roast until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, the skin is brown and crisp, and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and potatoes once or twice while cooking. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Place the pan with the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat, and add the orange zest and juice and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the potatoes are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes around the chicken and pour the sauce over the meat. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Diane Rossen Worthington, Author, Seriously Simple (Chronicle Books, 2002).