Roast chicken and root vegetables
Served with a green salad, this recipe with roasted chicken and root vegetables makes a hearty and satisfying meal as the weather starts to cool. This recipe makes enough for leftovers that can be made into a dinner salad later in the week. And the chicken carcass can be used to make homemade stock.
Ingredients
- 3- to 4-pound free-range or organic whole chicken
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 lemon
- 5 to 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
- Olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
- 4 to 6 ounces vermouth, white wine or chicken stock
- 3 pounds roots and tubers (potato, parsnip, sweet potato, turnips)
- 1 red onion
- 8 to 10 cloves garlic
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Rinse whole chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
- Slice yellow onion into eighths and place half in the cavity of the chicken, along with 2 lemon wedges and one large sprig of rosemary.
- Coat chicken with olive oil freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Place chicken in roasting pan with the breast facing up. Add vermouth to cover the bottom of the pan and add the remaining onion to vermouth.
- Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and roast for 40 minutes more or until the thermometer reads 160 degrees when placed in chicken. Remove chicken from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Carve on cutting board.
- While chicken is roasting, chop roots and tubers into cubes, slice the red onion into half-moons and peel 8 to 10 whole garlic cloves. Spread everything onto two baking sheets. Season vegetables with finely chopped fresh rosemary, freshly ground black pepper, and sea salt, then drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Place both sheets in the oven at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until tender and caramelized.
- Serve with this picture in mind: 1/2 plate salad, 1/4 plate roasted root vegetables, and 1/4 plate chicken.
The nutrition behind the dish:
- Chicken: protein; fat; niacin; selenium; phosphorus; zinc; iron; vitamins B 1, 2, 5, 6 and 12; potassium; magnesium
- Root vegetables: carbohydrate; fiber; protein; vitamins C, A, and B6; potassium, manganese, folate
- Onions: carbohydrate, fiber, protein, vitamins C and B6, manganese, potassium