One way to stay cooler in the summer is don’t use your kitchen oven for cooking your meals. You can roast a whole chicken with vegetables right on top of the range and your family will enjoy it as much as oven roasted chicken.
Start with a whole organic chicken. The Farmers Market in Hollywood is where I purchase my organic chicken and fresh organic vegetables. Sweet onions are my choice for cooking and even to add to salads, but red onions are a great choice too. Onions, organic carrots, small red potatoes, and red peppers and/or green peppers, celery, fresh garlic and lemon are just some vegetables that are excellent for roasting. You will savor each bite through the organic fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano that flavor the chicken and vegetables. While everything is roasting on the stove top, the essence of the aroma excites your palate with the expectation of waiting for this delicious, tasty meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 organic whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- organic olive oil spray for pan
Wash all vegetables before cutting up
- 1 lemon cut in half, one half sliced into thin rounds (or you can substitute 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar)
- 4 or 5 stems each of thyme, rosemary, and oregano (herbs can be left on stems or removed and chop the leaves)
- 3-pound bag of small red potatoes, quartered
- 1 or 2 sweet onions, quartered and separated
- 1 red and 1 green pepper, clean out the seeds and cut into bite size pieces
- 5 or 6 of carrots, scrubbed and sliced into rounds
- 1 or 2 ribs of celery, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (or you can use garlic powder)
- Salt & pepper, paprika
You will need an 8 or 10-quart dutch oven with lid to use for roasting your chicken and vegetables.
DIRECTIONS
- Spray the inside of the pan with the olive oil spray to prevent sticking
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan
- Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Heat the pan on medium-high
- Add the chicken breast side down in the pan and cook 5 minutes to brown it
- Turn the chicken over on its back and brown another 5 minutes
- Remove chicken from the pan and set aside
- Add the onions, peppers and celery to the pan and sauté, stirring often until just softened
- Add the garlic and cook for one minute while stirring
- Remove all the sautéed vegetables
- Place the chicken back into the pan, breast side up
- Squeeze the half of the lemon on top of the chicken or drizzle balsamic vinegar on the chicken and salt and pepper to taste (if you did not use fresh garlic, sprinkle garlic powder on top)
- If using juice of lemon, place the lemon rounds on top of the chicken
- Top off the chicken with the fresh herbs
- Add the sautéed vegetables around the chicken on the bottom of the pot
- Next, place the cut carrots on top and around the chicken
- Add the potatoes, salt and pepper them and sprinkle with paprika
FINAL INSTRUCTIONS
Put the cover on the pan and reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through. Check it in one hour to see if the chicken and potatoes are done. You can insert a thermometer between the leg and breast without touching the bone. If it reads 165-degrees, the chicken is done. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can still check to see if the chicken is done by cutting the chicken between the leg and breast. If the juice is clear, then it’s done. If it is pink or red, your chicken is not done so continue cooking it on low, and check every 15 minutes until the juice runs clear or the thermometer reads 165 degrees. The chicken will make its own juice and will be used to flavor the potatoes and vegetables when served. Assemble a quick lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber salad and prepare your dressing. When you are ready to serve dinner, dress the salad.
Take the chicken out of the pan, place it on a dish and while you are removing the potatoes and vegetables, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before cutting it. Use a spoon to remove the potatoes and vegetables and place them in a bowl. You can simmer the liquid while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to simmer the drippings and liquid until it reduces by a third. Use a ladle to remove the sauce and pour it over the potatoes and vegetables in the bowl and ladle some of the sauce over the chicken for added flavor and moisture. Garnish the plate of sliced chicken with several stems of rosemary and thyme. Dinner is now ready to serve.
Bon appetite!
Attribution for Photo:
New year image created by Valeria_aksakova – Freepik.com