“If you only knew the power of the dark side” …of chicken. That’s right, dark meat. Specifically chicken thighs. Real Sith meat is difficult to come by. Chicken thighs are the most underrated piece of the bird, in my opinion. Thighs are moist and flavorful. They’re also surprisingly affordable to feed a large family. If prepared right, thighs can be your greatest companion for chicken cooking.

This recipe has been a hit with my family with years. So long, in fact, that I keep a container of the seasoning already mixed in my pantry. The only issue is that it’s so easy, it feels like a trick. There are no Jedi mind tricks here, my friend. The path to the Dark side is as simple as seasoning and baking.

The first recipe was first written by Allrecipes user Nicole Burdett, Who called this recipe “Crispy and Tender baked chicken thighs” is so perfect that I didn’t want to adapt it just for this post but I definitely wanted to share it.

Savory Chicken Thighs

• Cooking spray
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and prepare with cooking spray.
3. Place chicken thighs skin side up on baking sheet.
4. Mix Garlic Salt, Onion salt, Oregano, Thyme, Paprika and Black pepper in a container or bowl. Mix spices thoroughly.
5. Liberally sprinkle spice mixture on chicken skin.
6. Bake in preheated oven for an hour. cooking time may vary depending on your oven. A cooking thermometer should read 165

The Savory thighs are so simple, I felt I owed my readers a side dish. I had half a bag of fresh green beans leftover in my fridge. My toddler could eat green beans all day, so I decided to whip up some garlic lemon green beans. I’ve adapted it from the Neely’s wonderful Green beans with lemon and garlic.

I’m embarassed to admit that I am not as experienced with fresh green beans as I am with canned. If my green bean pictures look wrong or a tad bit overdone, please overlook that. I have faith in you as a cook to succeed where I may have failed.

The original green bean recipe called for blanched green beans but I needed mine a little softer for small mouths with new teeth. I still put the green beans in cold water, but I boiled for about 5 minutes longer. I also added lemon pepper because I forgot to pick up a lemon to zest. If you’re just not a fan of lemon pepper, feel free to stick with the original recipe.

My adaptation is as follows:

Garlic Lemon Green Beans

• 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. If you’re blanching, boil 2 minutes and immediately place green beans in a bowl of cold water to blanch.  If you need softer green beans for children, boil about 5-7 minutes and skip the cold water.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds before adding the green beans.
3. Cook green beans about 5 minutes in skillet, tossing them. Be sure to coat them evenly with the butter mixture.
4. Add lemon pepper and salt to taste.

Got an even better addition or adaptation to this recipe? Please share with us in the comments!

Bon Apéttit!