I tend to get into ruts when I discover a new ingredient.  Lately, I’m all about cooking with spaghetti squash.  It is so easy and so delicious! It’s just an added bonus that this mysterious vegetable can masquerade as one of the ultimate comfort foods: pasta.  While it’s not an invisible substitution in that I don’t forget that I’m not eating pasta, what is amazing is that I don’t miss it.  The spaghetti squash has such a creamy consistency that it complements all of those usual pasta dishes seamlessly.

Most of the recipes I’ve tried so far have instructed to roast the squash in the oven, but I discovered a short cut that involves one of my favorite kitchen gadgets: the crock pot.  That’s right – you can cook spaghetti squash in the crock pot in about 2 hours. It requires no water or seasoning. Amazing!  Seriously, I’m beginning to wonder if there’s anything the crock pot can’t do.  (So far, I haven’t found a way for it to do my dishes; anyone? 😛 )

The peanut sauce in this recipe was also easy.  Just dump all the ingredients into a small saucepan and heat.  I think I would have liked the sauce to be a little thicker, but it still had a lot of flavor and even a little hidden curry spice that added a nice complexity.

Thai Spaghetti Squash

(Adapted from Leelalicious)

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 TBS chopped peanuts

Sauce

1 can coconut milk

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 TBS red curry paste

2 TBS soy sauce (I like Bragg Liquid Aminos)

2 TBS sesame oil

Instructions

Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove seeds, and place in crock pot cut sides down.  Cook on high for about 2 hours.  One cooked, shred the meat of the squash with a fork.

In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, combine garlic, cilantro and about 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce.  Once bubbling, add the squash and peanuts and stir to combine.

Serve with additional sauce.

Thai Spaghetti Squash

Bon Appétit!

I recently discovered beets. Yes, you read that correctly: BEETS. I guess they haven’t technically been hiding from me my whole life, but I just have never noticed them before. I’ve had several opportunities recently, though, to try them out, and each time, I LOVED them! This past Friday I was out for a girls’ dinner, and we decided to try the restaurant’s beet and goat cheese ravioli. Yum!  So, I was inspired to somehow incorporate beets into my Meatless Monday meal this week.  I searched Pinterest and found some delicious looking recipes, but I needed something that didn’t involve too much prep because, well, Mondays.  Enough said, right?!  We’ve been having cold and rainy weather, so soup and salad was calling my name!

I chose this Rainbow Winter Salad from Pinch of Yum.  It called for another new-to-me ingredient: pomegranate.  I was recently at a friend’s house for dinner, and she mentioned how much she loved pomegranates in the winter.  I do love pomegranate juice, but I have never attempted to buy a whole pomegranate.  It always seemed like so much work.  She assured me it wasn’t, so I picked one up at the store.  I’ll confess that a whole week had gone by without me looking at it again.  When I saw this salad recipe, though, it was just the nudge I needed.  Let’s make it an adventure!

To go with this salad, I thought a butternut squash soup would be good.  Let’s just round out the rainbow while we’re at it!  I had made a recipe previously intending to share it for Meatless Monday, but it just fell short.  I mistakenly only had beef stock in the house, rather than the veggie stock the recipe called for.  I attributed the miss to that substitution.  So, I decided to give the recipe another go.  Well, turns out, the stock was not the reason, or rather, it’s actually the entire reason.  I just felt like there wasn’t enough butternut squash flavor in the dish.  I don’t think I’ll be making that one again.

Nick and I usually agree on most tastes and flavors (except for cucumbers and asparagus – for me; and sriracha on EVERYTHING – for him), but tonight we were total opposites.  I was happy how my roasted beets turned out, but he saved all of his for the munchkin.  (Don’t all toddlers love beets? 😉 )  He thought the soup was delicious, and I told him to not get too attached.  Oh well!  You win, you lose some.  While I enjoyed the salad, I don’t think it will be going on my normal rotation.

So, tonight, instead of sharing actual recipes with you, let me share with you some kitchen tips I learned in my experiment with new ingredients.

Beets

I mentioned in my pizza post that I’ve been trying to make more items at home instead of buying them already prepared.  Tonight’s salad recipe called for either pickled beets or freshly roasted beets.  Now, there are two really good reasons to cook at home:  1) it’s cheaper and 2) I know all of my ingredients.  I decided I didn’t want to have to sift through jars or cans of beets looking at ingredient lists.  I looked at one of my favorite kitchen tips website The Kitchn and found instructions for roasted beets.  Easy enough.  Now, I’ll share with you!

You will need:

1 bunch of beets

Foil

Paper Towel

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut greens off beets, leaving about an inch of the stems at the top.  Wash beets and wrap individually in foil.  Roast in the oven for about an hour, until soft.  Once cool enough to handle, wrap in a paper towel, and peel off the skin.

Watch out for beet-stained fingers 😛

Pomegranate

So, if you’re not familiar with pomegranates or only with pomegranate juice that comes in a bottle at the store, you may not realize that pomegranates are mainly just seeds.  Tiny little seeds.  To enjoy the pomegranate, you must first release all of those seeds from its skin.  The method I used tonight was super easy, and as an extra bonus, it’s a great way to release any pent up frustration.  😉

You will need:

Pomegranate

Knife

Rubber Spatula (or similar)

Small bowl

Method

Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally so that you have a top and a bottom.  Hold one half over the bowl, cut side down.  Then, muster up all that frustration and smack the top of it with the rubber spatula.  The seeds should start falling into the bowl.  Continue until all seeds have been loosened, and then, repeat with the other half.

Bon Appétit!

Tonight I’m taking it back. This recipe was one of my first adventures in cooking back in college. Let’s just say that the first trial was more of a learning exercise because the end result was just short of a disaster.

Life lessons from Black Bean Chili:
1. Black beans will turn a wooden spoon PURPLE (Sorry, Roomies!)

2. Black beans take A LONG TIME to cook

I had faith, though, that this recipe was a keeper.  Even through the semi-cooked beans, I could taste the delicious flavor.  (Hello, Chipotle Peppers!)  I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years into this version.  No matter how many times I tried, I could never get the beans to fully cook within the time frame noted in the recipe.  It would take HOURS longer, in fact.  Finally, after too many times of eating semi-cooked beans or eating what could be considered dinner-for-breakfast, I decided to throw it all in the crock pot and see how I fared.  Success!  Recently, I also replaced the called-for chili sauce after discovering it had too many ingredients on my “do not eat” list.

Hubby specifically requested this recipe this week.  What’s better than a bowl of chili on a cold freezing night?!  It was definitely the perfect day for chili today!  (The icy rain is still falling as I type.)  This recipe is great served in a bowl with all of the usual chili toppings; you can also throw it over some tortilla chips for some black bean nachos or spoon some onto a tortilla for a quesadilla.  And, trust me, you will have enough left overs to try all of these serving suggestions. 😉 You could also throw some into the freezer for another rainy day!

Black Bean Chili

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

Toppings

Instructions

Black Bean Chili

Bon Appétit!

This recipe just might be the easiest one you’ll ever make.  Really.  I try to put fish on our menu once a week.  It’s so good and so good for you!  All of those omega-3 fatty acids are great for so many reasons.  I’m always looking for ways to make fish more interesting, but this is one recipe I keep coming back to.  We usually roast veggies for dinner anyway, so this falls right into our normal meal.  Any fish and any veggie combination really will do!

You could definitely get away with seasoning your fish and veggies, roasting, and then serving, but this recipe also includes the addition of a yummy dill dressing.  Salmon and dill go great together!  I think salmon has a distinct flavor, and dill, being a strong herb on its own, pairs nicely with it.  If you decide to use another type of fish, I would probably just use my favorite salad dressing, or skip it altogether.

Roasted Salmon with Veggies

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 salmon filets

1 bunch kale, thinly sliced

1 cabbage, thinly sliced

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped

EVOO

Salt

Pepper

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup dill, chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.  Combine veggies in a large bowl and toss with EVOO, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.  Spread onto a large baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes (butternut squash will still be firm).

Rub salmon with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.  Add to baking sheet, skin side down.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

Whisk dijon with lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill.  Slowly whisk in about 1/4 cup EVOO.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle over salmon and veggies before serving.

Roasted Salmon with Veggies

Add a baguette and your meal is complete 😉

Tip:  If you’re using a few-days-old baguette, just put your hands under the faucet running cold water, then pat the bread, and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.  The moisture will freshen up the dry bread, but eat it quickly!

Bon Appétit!

Pizza is usually our go-to fallback meal when we don’t feel like cooking.  We currently have three favorite spots within a mile of our house.  We alternate by which toppings we’re in the mood for.  (We have a favorite combination at each place.)  But, pizza is super easy to make at home! If I’m in charge, I just throw it in the oven on a pizza stone; if Hubby is in charge, he kicks it up a notch and throws it on the Big Green Egg.  If you have kiddos at home who love to help in the kitchen, this is a great meal to get them involved.  You could even make personal pizzas so that everyone can have his or her favorite topping combination!  (Just thinking out loud here, but this would be a fabulous choice for a family movie night. 😉 )

Most grocery stores sell prepared dough in their bakeries.  (Trader Joe’s even has a whole wheat option!)  I used to make my own pizza dough all the time, but I got into the habit of picking it up at the store instead.  I usually ended up grocery shopping on my way home from work, and pizza was a quick meal to throw together when getting home late and out of energy.  (Grocery shopping is exhausting, y’all! 😀 ) I’m trying to do a better job of grocery shopping either on the weekends or first thing in the morning, so that I’m not too worn out to cook after filling up my fridge and pantry! I’ve always loved the irony of unpacking a kitchen full of fresh fruits and veggies only to pick up the phone to order take-out instead of throwing together an easy meal.  Trust me, I am very guilty of this!  One of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules that has stuck with me, though, is to make your own junk food.  I have an *unofficial* goal of trying to make at home those processed foods we do buy, primarily bread.  I tend to shop out of the fresh bakery section of whichever grocery store I’m in, but some of their “artisinal” recipes can really put a dent in my wallet.  Breads are actually easy to make at home; it just takes a little trial and error to find your favorite recipe!

As I said before, I used to make my own pizza dough all the time, and I’ve decided it’s time to bring back the homemade dough.  I “cheat” and make it in my bread maker.  While not a necessary piece of equipment, it certainly simplifies the process!  (You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook!)  All I do is throw in my ingredients, select pizza dough, and wait about an hour.  At this point, the dough has been kneaded and risen.  I just leave it in the bread maker until I’m ready for it, and it’s ready to go. Now, the fun begins!  Use your favorite toppings or follow the recipe below for our favorite combination.

I mentioned above that we have three favorite pizza spots.  Well, we actually have four.  All of you ATLiens know the spot of which I speak:  the one that quickly became and continues to be a hot spot, the one where you can BYOB, and the one where you MAY just have to stand around with pizza box in hand until a seat opens up at one of the communal tables.  😉  Antico is not on our normal rotation just because of the convenience factor;  parking can be difficult, and while they take phone orders, they don’t actually place your pizza in the oven until you have shown up and paid.  But, the pizza is AMAZING!  Our favorite is their San Gennaro.  It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy with the best little red peppers I’ve ever tasted.  Seriously.  So.  Good.  One night we were making pizza at home, and we were at The Fresh Market (around the corner from us = very dangerous!) picking up the ingredients.  Lo and behold, we saw those same little red peppers on the antipasto bar.  Could it really be?  We, of course, grabbed some, and now, no pizza is complete without their bright cherry red goodness.  You will thank me for this tip 😉

Sweet Pepper Pizza

Ingredients

1 1/2 plus 2 TBS water

2 TBS EVOO

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cane sugar

2 tsp yeast (I buy the jar that I then keep in the refrigerator; more bang for your buck, and it will last awhile.)

Pizza sauce (Just use some tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes)

Salt

Italian Seasoning (a couple pinches)

Fresh Basil

8 oz Mozzarella Log (Use the fresh stuff; I’m a fan of whole milk dairy – none of that low- or non-fat for me!)

1/4 LB sweet red peppers (Fill the smallest container at the antipasto bar)

Cornmeal

Instructions

In a bread maker, pour in the liquid ingredients first (water and EVOO).  Then, add the flour, salt and sugar without mixing with the water.  (I like to use a knife or spoon to gently scoop the flour out of the measuring cup to avoid splashes!) Make a small indentation in the middle of the pan right next to the mixing blade.  Add the yeast.  My bread maker has a pizza dough setting, and it takes 55 minutes.

Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 500°F.  Cover a pizza stone with cornmeal and place in the oven to preheat.  On a flat surface (I like to use a pizza pan or other sheet pan for easy transfer), spread a generous amount of cornmeal and roll out the dough.  Keep your fingers wet to avoid sticking.  Don’t worry too much about making a perfect circle.  Next, add the sauce.  If using tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, add a sprinkle of salt and a few pinches of Italian seasoning.  Next, spread whole fresh basil leaves on top of the sauce.  Then, add slices of mozzarella, and finish off with the sweet red peppers.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is starting to brown.

Bon Appétit!

After dinner tonight, Hubby said, “I like polenta.”

Agreed.  I don’t fix it nearly often enough.  It’s delicious.  And, easy.  And, hearty.  It’s really a great winter dish.  When I think of polenta, I think of sophisticated grits.  Polenta is generally made with yellow corn, whereas Southern grits are generally white corn, but they are basically the same thing.

I adapted this Williams-Sonoma recipe due to time.  I really MEANT to go to the grocery store yesterday.  And, when I knew it just wasn’t going to happen, I really MEANT to AT LEAST menu plan last night.  That didn’t happen either.

I quickly threw together a menu during Munchkin’s nap, then managed to also shower (Thank The Lord!), then waited for him to wake up.  (He always seems to choose the days that I need to run an errand after nap to sleep the longest!)  After giving him some time to fully wake up, let the fur babies out, and put on shoes, it was after 5.  Eek!  I thought I was very efficient, but shopping for four dinners just takes time, especially when comparing food labels.  (No fun, and an activity that usually leaves me frustrated and annoyed with the food industry.  There are SO many things on my “look out” list, and it feels like a new item gets added every. single. day.)  Before I knew it, Hubby was calling me to say he was on the way home from work.  And, I still hadn’t checked out, yet!  Yikes!

I game-planned on the way home where somehow I managed to get only green lights and NO after-work traffic.  Hallelujah!  Get Munchkin out of car seat.  Leave car unlocked.  Unlock house, turn off alarm, preheat oven, thaw Munchkin’s frozen snack that I forgot to take out of the freezer before leaving for the store. Let Munchkin run around with the fur babies outside (within eyesight) while I unload the car (in 3 stages).  Lock car (to avoid waking up at 2 am wondering if I locked it!).  Pull out only the veggies needed for dinner and get busy chopping!

Munchkin really wanted to play outside ALL DAY today, but it was freakin’ COLD!  The sun barely came out.  We played outside for a few minutes this afternoon before nap, but we did not get in our usual Vitamin D quota.  Our backyard is not exactly baby toddler-proofed.  Munchkin can now manage the step down from our kitchen door onto our breezeway and the proceeding steps down;  one goes toward the courtyard that is enclosed by a picket fence, and the second goes toward our paver patio that leads to a set of steps flanked by a 3-foot retaining wall.  With no railing or gate.  It’s been on our list for YEARS, but we’ve never had a physical need for a railing.  Aside from the fact that building code requires one, we just figured we would get around to it before placing the house on the market.  Little did we know that we would actually WANT one prior to that.  (I wonder how many baby gates I could rig together to create one long railing?)  Poor Munchkin was heading towards the stairs just as I was picking up the chef’s knife!  (Don’t worry – no one was harmed during dinner prep!)  As I put the knife down and ran out to follow (i.e., distract) him, he headed towards the kids outdoor chairs we have set up around his sensory bin.  Aha!  I grabbed the chair and the munchkin and brought them both inside without so much as a “Maaaaom.”  Success!  He happily played with that chair for the next 15 minutes until Hubby got home.  I’m always relieved when something so simple as bringing a chair into the kitchen avoids a before-dinner-hunger meltdown, or an anytime meltdown for that matter.  Then, I begin to wonder if EVERY meltdown is so easily avoided?

Hubby walked in just before I put the veggies in the oven to roast, and then I realized just how long this recipe was going to take.  Way too long to consider actually feeding Munchkin this dish for dinner.  That’s when I realized that I could cut the time in half by leaving off the last half of the instructions.  Luckily, I’ve made polenta often enough to know that it doesn’t have to bake in the oven.  I actually have NEVER baked it.  I’ve always served it warm off the stove, just how one would serve grits for Saturday morning breakfast.

Munchkin asked for seconds, and Hubby approved with the aforementioned statement.  I think I pulled it off.   😉   You can be the judge. . .

Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients

3 TBS EVOO

1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small yellow summer squash, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup stone-ground polenta (I purchase corn meal; Hodgson Mill is what I used tonight to be exact.  As with any corn product, verify that it is non-GMO!)

2 TBS unsalted butter

1 cup (4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese (Buy a wedge and grate it yourself!)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded fontina cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, red onion and bell pepper. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add a large pinch of salt.  Reduce heat to medium.  Stirring constantly, very slowly add the polenta. Cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta begins to thicken and all lumps are gone, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the polenta, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft, about 25 minutes. Add the butter, Parmesan and fontina and stir until the cheeses melt.

Serve the polenta in a bowl topped with the roasted veggies.  Add more cheese if desired 😉

Bon Appétit!

I love a good curry.  Panang curry is my current go-to when ordering out.  And, while I usually satisfy my curry craving with take-out, it is surprisingly easy to incorporate curry into home-cooked meals.  Each time I’ve attempted a curry recipe at home, I’ve been rewarded with nothing short of yumminess!  (Very technical term, here!)

Tonight’s meal does not disappoint!  Cauliflower is not one of my staple vegetables.  It just seems to me, well, boring.  And, I’ve found that if I find an ingredient or recipe “boring,” I don’t get excited about fixing it.  That usually leads to me suggesting a spontaneous eat-out.  I find myself pinning lots of cauliflower dishes to my recipe board, but I think this is the first one to make it onto my menu.  During dinner, I said to Hubby, “The cauliflower actually tastes GOOD!” We both had seconds. I even opted to have leftovers instead of going out to eat. For burgers. That’s saying something!

I followed the suggestions in this recipe completely:  incorporating papaya and apricot preserves.  I would suggest you do the same – SO GOOD!

Cauliflower Lentil Curry

(Pinch of Yum via Pinterest)

Cauliflower Lentil Curry

I’m cheating this week.  I actually made this Sunday, but it is too good not to share!  This recipe has been in my folder for several years.  I really should make it more often than I do.  It’s super easy and super good for you.  It’s also an impressive-looking dish.  The one-pot aspect makes it perfect for company.  (In fact, I have made it several times for dinner parties!) I also like using whole chickens because it gives everyone his or her favorite kind of meat.  My preference is dark meat, but I find that most people prefer white meat.  And, a bonus is that you can then use the discarded carcass for some awesome homemade chicken stock! (If you’re really being resourceful, save the peels from all the veggies you use in this recipe to add to the stock, too!)

I mentioned yesterday that Hubby and I are attempting to organize our lives this year.  One example of our reorganization is advanced meal planning.  Now, I also mentioned that I’m pretty good about dinner prep, but we’ve been lacking in our breakfast and snack selections.  We usually have leftovers for lunch (Hubby brown bags it everyday!), but there are the occasional nights when I’m not feeling up to my original plan or maybe I forgot to thaw a key ingredient (that doesn’t happen to anyone else, does it?!).  On these *rare* (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) occasions, we’ll grab a pizza or one of our other take-out favorites (Malaya or Hankook), and there are not always leftovers.  Hubby then either scrounges for lunch, which usually turns into him skipping it altogether, or he picks up another favorite:  Chick-fil-A (Oh so delicious, but the #1 is not especially good for the waistline).  While at Costco last weekend, we picked up lots of healthy snack options for him and also decided to grab one of their 2-packs of organic whole chickens.  This way, we could have something on hand in case our menu changed over the course of the week.  Since it rained all. freakin’. weekend., I decided to make this recipe, so that Hubby wouldn’t have to stand over the Big Green Egg with an umbrella (that has definitely happened before).

This is also a great recipe to use up whatever you have in the fridge.  It calls for sage and thyme, but any herbs would be delicious.  Any vegetables you have that you would normally roast would also be great!  This time, my onion was rather large, so I ended up using only half for the cavity; I spread the other half with the other veggies around the chicken.  Delicious!  I couldn’t find celery root this time (if you haven’t tried it before, please give it a go!), so my picks were turnips, parsnips, and some old carrots.  You could easily use baby carrots to save on the prep time.  I’ve used sweet potatoes and regular potatoes before, too.  I considered throwing in some Brussels sprouts, but they were earmarked for another dinner, so I stopped myself.  My point is: use whatever sounds good!  Have I sufficiently talked-up this recipe?  😉

Whole Roasted Lemon-Herb Chicken on a Bed of Vegetables

(Via Eating Well)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs, divided
• 2 lemons, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken
• 4 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 medium turnips, peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 celeriac roots (1 1/2-2 pounds total), peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400ºF.
2. Chop 8 sage leaves and place in a bowl with 2 teaspoons thyme leaves. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon into the bowl. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Set aside.
3. Pierce the remaining lemon all over with a sharp fork. Cram the lemon, onion and the remaining sage and thyme into the chicken cavity.
4. Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board. Use your hands to gently loosen the skin covering the breast, thighs and the top end of the drumsticks. Smear the lemon-herb mixture under the skin, covering as much of the meat as possible.
5. Toss carrots, turnips and celeriac in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper until well coated.
6. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan (but not on a rack). Scatter the vegetables around the chicken. Bake, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
7. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the vegetables from the roasting pan to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much of the fat as possible. Serve the chicken with the vegetables.

I have a good size round Le Creuset (thanks to my MIL) that is perfect for this dish!  Best part:  oven-to-table, and it’s festive enough for company!  I also use the probe setting on my oven.  Do y’all have this option?  It’s pretty great!  Hubby usually cooks the big pieces of meat on the Egg, so I don’t pride myself on being a great judge of “doneness.”  (Apparently, “doneness” isn’t a word 😉 )  We’ve tried several different kitchen thermometers, but I must have a knack at breaking them!  So far, though, the probe has worked well for me.  On my oven, I preheat to the desired temperature.  Then, I go into the options and select probe cooking.  I then have the option to select the temperature at which the meat should be considered done AND the temperature at which I want it to cook.  Insert one end of the probe into the port in the oven and the other end into the meat.  Then, just wait for the oven to beep and tell you “probe cooking end.”  Easy peasy!  No fooling with a hot oven and hot piece of meat trying to get an accurate read!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the finished chicken before Hubby cut into it, so all I have is a picture of my favorite part: the leg with a spread of yummy veggies!

Whole Roasted Chicken

Remember when I said sometimes plans change and we MAY pick up a pizza instead?  Well, my plan was to cook this Sunday evening for dinner and then have the leftovers available for Hubby for the week.  But, our grocery trip was delayed, and there was no way I could prep AND cook in time for dinner.  (The only downside to this meal is the cook time.)  So, we picked up Fellini’s, and I made the chicken AFTER we ate dinner.  It cooked while Munchkin had bath and story time, and Hubby was able to prep his salad for lunch the next day before bed.  Not what we had planned, but it ended up just fine!

Bon Appétit!