One morning before leaving for work I put some chicken in the refrigerator to thaw and then pulled out my folder of chicken recipes.

Apricot Chicken and Hash

(From April 2010 issue of

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Good Housekeeping magazine)

— 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1-3/4 lbs.)

— 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

— 1 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled

— 1 large red pepper

— 3 tablespoons apricot jam

— 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

— 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

— 4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine chicken and soy sauce; let stand.  Cut potatoes and red pepper into ½ inch pieces.  In small bowl, mix jam and lemon juice until blended.

In large microwave-safe bowl, combine potatoes and ¼ cup water.  Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.  Drain

Meanwhile, spread chicken on foil-lined 18” by 12” jelly-roll pan; brush with jam mixture.  Roast 15-17 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside.
While chicken roasts, in 12 inch non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute.  Add pepper and cook 3 minutes, stirring.  Stir in potatoes, green onions, and ¼ teaspoon salt.  Cook 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring.

Skim and discard fat from pan juices; serve chicken and hash with juices.  Garnish with green onions.

After thumbing through the pile, I pulled this recipe out and then checked the refrigerator to see if I had apricot jam. Surprise, surprise: I did!

I knew I didn’t have a red pepper or green onions; the other items are pretty much staples at our house. I had set out chicken thighs, and decided to use those in place of the breasts in the recipes.

I had plenty of time, so I decided to head to the grocery before work. Getting through the store was fairly easy since there were so few people there.

When I got home, of course the chicken wasn’t completely thawed so I did my usual thing to speed up the process and put it in some cool water. It thawed in no time at all.

I dumped the chicken in a bowl and poured the soy sauce over it; stirring to coat all of the chicken. I mixed the apricot jam and lemon juice and set it aside. After washing and cutting up the red pepper and green onions, I looked for the potatoes.

There were none in the kitchen, but I knew I had some in the basement. When I got to the basement, the potatoes weren’t where I keep them.

To my dismay, I realized I’d used the last of the potatoes about a week ago. I knew potatoes were a big part of the hash part of this dish so I couldn’t make it without them. I thought this dish might have to wait until the next night, when it dawned on me I’d canned some homegrown purple potatoes and I could use them. So back to the basement I went.

Once I was back in the kitchen, I opened the jar of potatoes and rinsed them. While I was rinsing them, I thought it was a shame the purple potatoes lost their color when I canned them. That color would have made for a colorful dish.

Since I was using canned potatoes, I skipped the step in the recipe where you cook them in the microwave.

Now that I had the vegetables ready, I put the chicken on a foil-lined pan, slathered the apricot jam/lemon juice mixture on each piece, and placed it in the oven.

I set the time for 20 minutes. That was longer than the recipe said, but I like my chicken well done.

While the chicken baked, I heated up a skillet on the stove and added the red pepper. After it cooked a bit, I added the chopped green onion and my canned potatoes.

When the potatoes hit the skillet, I realized they were probably a bit too big so I used a knife to cut them up while they cooked.

I cooked the chicken a bit longer than the initial 20 minutes, but when I looked at the pan juices from the chicken they seemed a little dark. I was afraid it might be burnt, so Brad and I both tasted it and decided not to pour it over the chicken and vegetables.

I was the first one to try the chicken. I was anxious for Brad’s reaction.

While he was chewing his first bite I told him I wasn’t impressed. I thought the chicken was bland.

He said “You’re right, it doesn’t have any flavor.”

The best part of the dish was the red peppers.

I don’t know if not using the pan juices had anything to do with the lack of flavor or not.

When we were finished eating, I said, “This recipe is a failure.” Brad said, “Well, you were due one.” Thanks, Brad.

About half of the dish went uneaten, so we decided we’d have it again the next night and I’d try to doctor it up a bit. The next night I mixed up some more apricot jam and lemon juice and poured over the dish while it re-heated.

Unfortunately, the dish was still pretty bland.

I hate to say it, but this recipe is a “failed it,” and I am ready  to move on to another one.

Sarah Condley is an amateur baker and chef who is compiling a cookbook of her favorite recipes.