Italian Chicken with Asparagus!

Since I made my Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken last week, I have been thinking of other marinades I could make for chicken breasts (as well as fish, and other meats). I remember last year my friend made chicken marinated in Italian dressing and wanted to try it. Normally I am wary against anything that comes in a bottle or box, especially salad dressings and vinaigrettes, simply because its often easier (and 100x healthier) to make it yourself at home. Even the simplest dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper is delicious, healthy, and super easy to whip up at home.

However I was pressed for time on Saturday, having baked Margarita Cupcakes in the morning (after first going out to buy a bottle of tequila and telling the dumbfounded cashier it was for baking), and then went to Miami to go on a booze cruise with friends, so I needed to make a quick and substantial lunch to keep me going through the aforementioned cruise. I marinated the chicken breasts in a whole bottle of Italian dressing in the morning and then when it was time to put it in the oven, I added diced shallots, garlic, and white wine. The trick is to let it cook for a long time in the oven, the longer it roasts in the heat, the more tender it becomes as well as the more it absorbs all the flavoring liquid it is basting in. (This chicken tasted even better the next day when I served leftovers!) To accompany the chicken, I roasted asparagus on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon. The combination made for a simple lunch!