Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hey ya'll

I have been a really terrible blogger. In general, I am really bad at keeping in touch with people, so imaginary people that read my blog? Not good.

Luckily, I have tons and tons of recipes sacked away to make up for lost time.

Let's start with something super easy. If you happen to be a nut about edible gardens like me, then you will have most of the herbs for this recipe. Or, if you're normal and don't have 3 kinds of thyme, basil, oregano, etc. you probably have the basics on your spice rack.

I'm talkin' about a whole roasted chicken.

The beauty of this recipe, is that it's really easy and you can get anything from a tiny little chicken to a large chicken, so whether you are single, coupled or living in a house with 10 people, this works for all of them!

Just mix up your favorite fresh or dried herbs (or a combo), garlic powder and some salt (optional) and pepper (NOT optional). Get creative. Looking to use up the last of your Herbs d' Provence? go for it! You can give the chicken a light coat of olive oil or butter. I will not tell you which one to use, nor will I tell you what I use :) For fear of judgment...

Once your chicken is greased up, rub in your herbs and spices. Be super generous. So generous. Generous like when you pour yourself a drink Friday night after a long week at work. But I digress.

Once you've rubbed down your chicken (I like to use rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, lots of garlic and sometimes a little sage or lavender), you're ready to stuff it. Remove what's inside the cavity. Try not to gag. Now, add slices of onion, chunks of garlic, carrots, celery even lemon or orange wedges. Just to give it moisture and flavor.

Now stick it in the oven. The package usually tells you how much time per pound it should cook for. While it's cooking, don't forget to baste. Basting makes the world go round. I have this excellent silicone brush that I like to use to baste, but you can you anything from a spoon to a gravy ladle. If I were you, I would cook it in a deep dish to avoid making a huge mess. But I'm NOT you, so I don't have a deep dish and have a messy oven. Which is OK, because I rent.

When it's done, you get this:




Keep the bone and extra meat for soup. Serve your chicken with an array of veggies and biscuits. I really love biscuits, so I like to incorporate them into meals as often as I feel I can get away with....

Until next time, BAKE STUFF.