I have another fun recipe, it's my take on a roasted chicken. It's crazy easy, too. Only five ingredients.
I need to mention, although I don't state it each time (although I probably should) we only purchase grass fed free range organic meat (everything - beef, chicken, lamb, etc.), buying from farms/butchers that we know of and trust. We can't control every piece of meat that we put in our mouths, like eating at a friend's house or something, but as for our household, I figure the price is worth the value. Animals are naturally supposed to eat grass, not corn. Animals that eat grass are much higher in omega-3 fats instead of the corn fed which are high in omega-6. It's just a personal preference, not only for the nutritional properties, but also for humane reasons. I've mentioned this before, but I want to eat happy, healthy animals that have had fun in the fields before they came to my kitchen. Maybe it's morbid, but I like to think that it's supportive to their lifestyle. As far as livestock, those guys are the lucky ones. I guess I didn't really need to mention the whole thing, but if it makes even one person consider a switch, I'd be pretty excited. :)
So, onto the recipe......
Jess's Lemon Garlic Pesto Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 large lemon
3 tbsp fresh ground dried garlic (pure is best - no salt)
2 tbsp fresh ground pepper
4 tbsp pesto
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the innards of the chicken. (Some people cook them up for their dog. I didn't. I didn't want to risk any 'accidents' if you know what I mean.) Rinse the whole chicken, and cut any loose hanging skin around the hole (I don't know what to call that area). Cut the lemon in half. Mix the garlic powder and ground pepper in a small dish.
2. Place the two halves of the lemon inside the, um, 'cavity'? I wanted to say bum, but cavity is probably more appropriate ;)
3. Take a tablespoon of pesto and spread it under the skin of one breast, then do the same thing to the other breast. Use the remaining two tablespoons of pesto and spread it all over the chicken (top, and legs - don't get too low on the sides or it will just drip off while cooking).
4. Shake/sprinkle/spread the garlic and pepper seasoning all over the chicken. Cover the chicken with aluminum, making a tent so that the two don't touch. I move the oven rack down one wrung, so it's just below the middle, then place the little bird into the heated oven. Cook it covered in the 375 degree heat for 80 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and put the chicken back in the oven for 20 more minutes - that makes the skin crunchy.
5. Eat. Yummy!!!
I'm not great at cleaning the meat off of bones, but for the first time I don't have to feel bad about it because I'm making my own broth with the bones and drippings. We'll see how it goes :) I'm excited to have a homemade broth to keep in the freezer for an easy dinner in a pinch - just toss in some veggies at the last minute. My own broth? Who am I turning into? An adult? Jeez.
One more thing. You might notice that I didn't include any butter, olive oil, or salt. I promise, you won't even notice. If you have fresh ground garlic (We're lucky because we have a huge organic bulk section at PCC.), the flavor is so delicious and flavorful, you won't miss the salt.
