Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

I came across this recipe while reading a magazine in the auto repair shop. Lemon oil is something I had never heard of before, so I figured it was worth trying. This recipe was actually quite good; however, I think I'll just stick with olive oil and lemon juice; cleaning up the mess from making the lemon oil was kind of time consuming.

Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

4 chicken legs (2#)
3 tablespoons lemon oil, divided (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
8 whole cloves garlic, peeled
4 small zucchini (1 1/4#), sliced
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

First make the lemon oil by combining 1/2 cup olive oil with one lemon, washed and quartered, in the blender. Pulse until chopped finely, then strain.

Heat oven to 425°. Place chicken in baking dish and brush with two tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme (I used dried thyme and it worked just fine), salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic around the chicken. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Cook the zucchini in the remaining one tablespoon lemon oil (the remainder will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks so you can try it in another recipe). Toss with the spinach and red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Serve with the chicken.

Making the lemon oil kind of made a big mess, so when I tried this recipe again, I checked to see if there was a better way to get the lemon oil flavor. I found a couple of options, and went with a "warm steeping" method.

Basically, heat some olive oil in a pan over very low heat. Add some lemon peel - long strips of only yellow, no white pith - and let warm for 10 minutes. Remove the peel and pour the oil into a jar. Refrigerate until ready to use.