Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Wow, this is probably the easiest roast chicken I’ve ever made and I thought I had it down to an efficient science at this point. Nope, this just got easier and somehow even tastier. A friend told me about a chicken thigh recipe she recently made that was really good and the thighs were cooked on a bed of lemon and garlic. I had a whole chicken in the fridge and thought I would give it a go. Since I am too lazy to follow a recipe I just threw this together. I’m writing it down to remember forever and share with you. The sauce that is made at the bottom of the dish from the melted chicken fat, butter, olive oil, lemon, and garlic is absolutely divine. We were all mopping it up with bread, so so good. The chicken was perfectly juicy with crispy skin and loads of flavor.

What you need:

1 whole chicken (Make sure its a real one, not some genetically engineered monster that is all breast. I like the smaller free range slow grown birds), neck bone removed and flattened

Olive oil

2 tbsp salted butter

5 peeled cloves of garlic

Vidalia onion ( a few slices)

1 whole lemon, sliced thinly

Borsari Citrus blend seasoned salt or your favorite herbed, seasoned salt

Fresh ground pepper

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 45 minutes prior to cook time so that it can adjust to room temperature and dry out properly. Rinse and pat it dry with paper towel. Gently loosen the skin at the top of the breast and drizzle a bit of olive oil under the skin with a spoon and push down two pats of room temperature butter. Cover it inside and out with seasoned salt (don’t overdo it, around 2 tbsp should be generous but it depends on how big the bird is. Add some extra fresh ground pepper to the top of the chicken if you like pepper as much as I do. Preheat the oven to 450 and let the chicken sit out until cook time.

In a baking dish layer a bit of olive oil, lemon slices, onions, and garlic on the bottom of the dish. Place the chicken on top and bake (middle rack) for about 35-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165. Drizzle some of the pan sauce over top of the chicken while it rests for a few minutes. Carve and serve. Enjoy.

Cheesy Chicken Sausage and Pesto Soup

It’s March in Virginia which means the weather is completely erratic and unpredictable! It was a beautiful 70 degrees and sunny yesterday and today its 45 and pouring rain. It’s so damp and yucky, definitely soup weather. Despite it being gross outside, I am still desiring fresh spring flavors and am ready for the new season of foods. Pesto and peas always remind me of springtime and I had some leftover mozzarella that I needed to use up, hence this soup was born.

What you need;

Olive oil

1 lb Italian chicken or turkey sausage

1 small yellow onion

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly

5 cups of chicken broth

1/2 cup of frozen peas

2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

2 tbsp good quality pesto

1 Parmesan rind

1 yellow potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes (or small pasta- orzo or ditalini would be nice)

A few slices of baguette or crusty sourdough bread

fresh sliced mozzarella

more pesto

Place a large soup pot on medium heat and drizzle a few tbsp of olive oil in the pot. Add in the onion and carrot and sprinkle some salt and pepper and begin to sweat. When the onions become translucent add your sausage (diced or crumbled). If you are using uncooked sausage, cook it through browning on all sides. If the sausage is precooked, stir around with the sausage for about 5-6 minutes or until it starts to smell very flavorful and is browning on the edges. Now add the sliced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring and releasing the aroma (careful not to burn). Sprinkle another touch of salt and pepper and then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the Parmesan rind. Put on a lid and simmer on low for at 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Next add the peas, spinach, and potatoes or pasta. Cook for another 10-15 minutes while you prepare your cheesy baguette slices. Remove the Parmesan rind.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place a slice of bread on the tray. Drizzle a bit of pesto and then a large slice or two of mozzarella. Place in a preheated oven at 450 until the cheese has melted and lightly browned. Pay attention because parchment burns really easily but it’s the best way to keep the cheese from sticking. Remove from the oven when the cheese is melted. Fill your soup bowl and then carefully transfer the cheesy baguette on top with a spatula. Add more red pepper flakes when serving if you like it spicy. Enjoy!

Colcannon

I’ve had Colcannon a few times over the years on St. Patty’s Day and always think to myself, this is delicious. Why don’t I ever make it? It’s better than mashed potatoes in my opinion, the leeks and cabbage add so much flavor. If you’re one of those people who watch carb intake, its also a lighter alternative.

What’s the best way to pack in the most flavor and do the least amount of work? Roasting the potatoes, cabbage, and leeks. You just chop them up and throw them in the oven while the vegetables themselves do all the hard work of softening and caramelizing. This is honestly so delicious. I’m going to be serving it up all spring.

What you need:

Olive Oil

1 leek

1/2 head of Napa cabbage

4-5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes or yellow potatoes

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/2 stick of salted butter (go for the Kerrygold, its so good!)

1 tsp dried chives

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Begin by washing and prepping your vegetables. Leave the skins on the potatoes but trim off the ugly parts. Roughly chop the leek and cabbage and do your potatoes relatively small, 2 inch pieces are good. Toss all the vegetables with a healthy dose of salt, pepper, and olive oil and put in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and give the vegetables a stir. Roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and pierce easily with a fork. Add your sour cream, butter, dried herbs, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Hand mash everything together. Enjoy!

(Serves 4)