Garlic Roasted Chicken with Purple Okra Creole Rice Pilaf

For dinner tonight I wanted to use these purple okra that I got at whole foods. So I based my entire meal around that. I made a creole rice pilaf! It was so yummy!

First I preheated the oven to 375 degrees F.

I seasoned the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic herb seasoning.

 Heated 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  I put the chickens' skin side down in the hot pans and seared for 6 minutes.

Removed from the heat.  Added 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 sprigs of thyme to the pan, and put in the oven for 16 minutes. Removed from the oven and flipped the chicken breasts and roasted skin side up for about 10 minutes longer.  Then removed from the oven, put on a plate covered with foil till the rice was ready.

To make the roasted garlic I preheated the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Cut off the top third of the head of garlic.

 Put it in foil and poured 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top, and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 Turned the garlic cut side down and roasted until the cloves were soft and golden brown, about 1 hour.  Removed from the oven and let it sit until it cooled.

Into a food processor I squeezed the head of garlic to release the cloves.

Added one cup of warmed chicken broth.

Added the mustard and turned it on high speed.

Added half a lemon squeezed.

1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, basil, parsley, thyme, and oregano.

Then with the motor running, I added half a cup of olive oil and processed until smooth.

I took half of the sauce and whisked it into the pan drippings of the chicken.

And the other half I spooned over the top of the chicken.

For the Creole Rice Pilaf I set up all my ingredients.

I heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan at medium high heat, added 4 ounces of chopped smoked andouille sausage and cooked it until it was lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Then added half a cup of choppd onions, 1/2 cup of chopped red bell peppers, and 1/2 cup of chopped celery and cooked, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. 

Next I added 3/4 cup of corn, 1/2 cup of sliced purple okra, and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic and cooked until tender, about 4 minutes. 

Then I add 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice and cooked, stirring until opaque and lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Last I added 2 cups of chicken stock, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, 2 bay leaves, salt, and pepper and brought to a boil. 

I reduced the heat to low, covered, and simmered until the rice was tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, 20 minutes.  I removed it from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Then removed the bay leaf, fluffed the rice with a fork, and served.

To plate I put a spoonful of the drippings sauce on the plate and topped with a chicken breast. Then spooned the rice to the side of it. Topped the chicken with the roasted garlic lemon sauce and put 2 springs of thyme on top.