This post is brought to you by an infectious good mood, courtesy of plans that are coming together and also a healthy dose of Fela Kuti.

For dinner tonight, a riff on this recipe, which we’ve previously made by the book and really enjoyed.  Instead of breasts, though, I flattened the remaining thighs from last night, spooned in a bit of herbed goat cheese, added a couple of fresh chives, and rolled the thighs up into little packets.  Into the oven they went on parchment paper, then were relocated to the toaster oven about 10 minutes later when a mystery something started smoking.  They came out packed with delicious flavors, a perfect partner to the dish I was honestly more excited about.

A packet of brussels sprouts jumped out at me when at the coop a few weeks ago after my miserable winter walk to the (basically empty) farmers’ market.  Tonight I braised them in bacon fat with minced leeks left over from the prep for Saturday’s soup and a few good grinds of black pepper. Just before serving, I gave the whole pan a good slug of balsamic vinegar, and set it aside to reduce while plating the chicken.  A very happy dinner after a very tired day.

Recipe:
Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese from The Barefoot Contessa at Home