Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken

I made this chicken last week at work and oh my yum.. slash it's been a while since I've shared any recipes around these parts and this one is definitely worth it. Because who doesn't love good food?

Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken:
The dish has a lot of ingredients but was quite easy to make and I savored every bite. I used only chicken thighs, and cooked them for about 35 minutes. 30 minutes on the second rack, and 5 minutes on the top to help crisp up the skin just a tiny bit more. We didn't use pistachios either- just because the munchkins are allergic/

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon, plus 3 tbsps of lemon juice (fresh is possible)
• 2.5 tsp of kosher salt, plus more for pot
• 3 tbsp orange juice (fresh is possible)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 bay leaf
• .5-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 cups slice carrots (1/4 thick)
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup sliced dates
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1/4 c chopped toasted pistachio nut, for garnish

Preparation:
1. Quarter the lemon lengthwise, removing any seeds. Thinly slice crosswise into small wedges and add to small pot of boiling, salted water. Blanch for 2 minutes and drain. Reserve slices.

2. In a saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, orange juice, oil, mustard, honey, salt, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.

3. Put chicken in a bowl and add honey mixture. Add carrots, onion, dates, thyme, and lemon slices. Turn mixture several times to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, but preferably overnight in the fridge.

 I also marinated my mixture for the day- I had meant to do it the night before but kids were home sick, things were crazy- whatever, either way it was still ah-mazing!

4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer all ingredients, including marinade, to a sheet pan with rim. Chicken should be skin side up. Roast until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 20-30 minutes for breasts and 30-40 minutes for legs and wings (remove pieces as they are done cooking.) When the chicken is done, give the carrot mixutre in the pan a stir; if the pan looks dry add 2-3 tbsp of water. Continue roasting until the carrots are tender, about 7-12 minutes longer.

5. Spoon carrots over chicken and top with cilantro, scallions and pistachio nuts.

no pistachio, the monkeys are allergic!

I served with dish with roasted sweet potatoes- a great fall meal, that everyone enjoyed!

And linking up for Recipe Swap Tuesday!