#313 Roast Chicken, By: V

This was a quiet week and happy to have it that way.  Friday I'll be off to Cabo San Lucas for the weekend on a bachelorette trip with a dear college friend of mine, and three others.  Looking forward to the good times and to getting away from this cold weather!  

Yesterday, we braved the fiercely cold winds and went to the Washington Auto Show, which has been going on in D.C. for the past two weeks.  It was my first time attending an auto show, and I have to say it was fun sitting in different cars and checking out some classic cars - which always look so cool!  Afterwards, S and I went to our favorite spot for pizza, Matchbox, and shared our go-to choice  -Fire & Smoke Pizza (and we top it with some chicken).  The base of the pizza is a chipotle pepper tomato sauce, and the pizza is topped with spanish onions, fire-roasted red peppers, garlic puree, smoked gouda and fresh basil.  It's spicy, but delicious! 

Then we went home and I made this quick Roast Chicken dish (quick in terms of prep time and easiness), to have fo lunch this week.  Today's a big day in U.S. culture haha - it's SUPER BOWL SUNDAY.  Usually I have plans for what I'm going to make to snack on, but not so much this week.  I'm rooting for the Seahawks, solely because their Quarterback and another player are Virginia natives - so, of course I have to support! 

With Cabo San Lucas next weekend, my next post may not be until the following Sunday (Valentine's Day weekend!).  But, I hope you all enjoy this recipe and have a wonderful week ahead! 

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2  3 lb. chickens
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsps softened butter
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the chicken giblets.  Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Remove any excess fat and pat the outside dry.
3. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken.
4. Stuff the cavity of each chicken with 1 lemon and half of the sliced onion.  
5. In a bowl add the softened butter and thyme.  Mix together.  With your hand spread this mixture under the skin on the outside of each chicken.  
6. Place 3 garlic cloves under the skin of each chicken. 
7. Surround the chickens with veggies of your choices - carrots, potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes (literally anything of your choice). 
8. Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.  
9. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for 20 minutes before serving.  This will make the meat juicy.

I made this easy dish yesterday and plan on eating it atop a salad or in sandwiches for my lunch this week.