perfect roast chicken

Serves 4

organic free range chicken

 herbs and such

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 to 4 pound) roasting chicken
• sea salt 
• ground pepper
• a bunch of fresh thyme (10-15 sprigs)
• fresh rosemary (6-8 sprigs)
• 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 1 lemon, whole, (use the zest of the lemon for the herb mixture) 
• extra virgin olive oil (I like the 365 brand from Whole Foods -100% Italian cold pressed) 4-6 Tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. 
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Pat the outside dry. Remove any excess fat and giblets.
3. Bring the chicken to room temperature (30 minutes) prior to putting it in the oven. 
4. Place the chicken in a roasting pan 
5. Prepare the herb mixture: remove the "leaves" from the sprigs, roughly chop or mince rosemary and thyme - place herbs into a bowl and add olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, sea salt, and black pepper.
6. Using the tip of a sharp knife, carefully prick the lemon all over
7. Stuff the cavity with half of the herb mixture, half of the garlic bulb, and the whole lemon.
8. Rub the rest of the herb mixture under the skin of the chicken breast. Season the top of the chicken with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.  Coat the skin with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter - this produces a crispier skin.
9. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil (Turn oven down to 425 degrees F) and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until juices run clear between leg and thigh with temperatures at 165-175 degrees F.
10. Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Roasted Vegetables

organic carrots (farmer's market at Cobblestone farm - Ann Arbor, MI) and parsnips

organic butternut squash

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 parsnips
• 1 medium butternut squash
• carrots (optional)
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 -2 tablespoons, fresh sage (chopped)
• extra virgin olive oil  (drizzle over vegetables, 2 tbsp)

Method:

1. Cut the vegetables into pieces and place onto a baking sheet.  Then evenly coat with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt, ground black pepper, and sage.    
2. While the chicken is roasting (the last 30-40 minutes), put the baking sheet into the oven.  
3. To make sure the vegetables are cooked through, insert a fork - the fork should slide in without resistance, but still have some firmness to it. (of course, that depends on your preference, you may bake another 5-10 minutes for a softer texture.)
4. Enjoy these roasted vegetables alongside the roasted chicken or by itself.  It's wonderful either way.