WEEK 18: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

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This week we stepped up our chicken cooking a notch. Chicken and beef are such staples around here that I'm determined to find many ways to prepare. You may think, what does this have to do with feeding my baby or toddler. Well, just read GOAL: Eating With the Tamily and you'll get the idea. Over the past few months, we've really been making big steps as a whole family in eating well together. I'll also note that more things are changing around here in reference to Babies Changing Parents' Habits and I hope to share more on that in the coming weeks as well.

FOOD DESCRIPTION
Instead of baking, sauteing, or grilling chicken breasts, thighs, or tenderloins, we went for the whole bird. It really is super easy and you get a lot of meat for your endeavors. There's so many ways to season, but I've shown one option below that I tried this week.

PROCESS

• Roast Chicken with Rosemary & Lemon A tasty way to roast a nice, beautiful chicken right in your oven at home.

• 1 whole chicken, rinsed 
• Butter, salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 small onion, quartered 
• 1 lemon 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary (I only had dried on hand, but I think fresh would be best.)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Remove any giblets from the chicken. Rinse and pat dry.
3. Rub the chicken with the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle lemon juice on top. Stuff with the onion, rosemary, and lemon halves after juicing. 
4. Tuck the wings under the body and tie the legs together.
5. Place chicken a shallow roasting dish, breast-side up, preferably on a rack.
6. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes per pound, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of the bird and your oven.
7. Allow to rest, then carve and serve or store.

[I forgot to get a picture of the golden roasted chicken, but believe me...it was beautiful!]
I roasted in the morning, let it sit and served for lunch. I also carved the rest to store in the refrigerator for later lunches and dinner.

WHAT I LEARNED
Chicken is good, but much better when bought fresh, whole and roasted. It's juicy and flavorful and great for leftovers or use in other dishes.

REACTION
The chicken was a hit!

SUMMARY
Chicken will continue to be a primary source of protein around here and I've recently found that I can buy 2 whole organic chickens at Costco...yippee!

Please share your thoughts or ideas.
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