Roasted Chicken!!!!

Who will admit roasting a whole chicken seems like a scary, daunting, and gross task. Nobody? Okay, maybe it's just me. Growing up, beef was a staple in my home, not chicken, and especially not WHOLE chicken. Sure, I can bake a bird and all that jazz, but I've never learned how to roast a whole chicken.

Last week, I watched Oprah and saw the episode featuring Jessica Seinfeld.  She was promoting her latest cookbook. I believe this is the second time she's made an appearance on Oprah. The first time was in 2007. That show also inspired me to cook and I went out and bought that book. I'm so impressionable when it comes to Oprah. :0   Here is that post from way back when....

On last week's show, Seinfeld made "Seriously Basic Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetable." After watching that episode, I had a moment:  Yeah, I can make that! So, Sunday I made this for my family and my house smelt like lemon-rosemary-chicken. This meal was so easy to make, affordable, and most importantly it tasted great. I'm a fan of simple, whole ingredients, and it doesn't get any healthier than this.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (4 pounds) - I used organic Harvestland ($4.80)
• 1 Tbsp. and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt - Had this in my pantry
• 3/4 tsp. crushed black pepper - Had this in my pantry
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil - Had this in my pantry
• 1 lemon - Had this in my fridge, but what do they cost? ($0.25)
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary - My rosemary plant is still growing strong
• 1 pound carrots , cut into 3-inch sticks - Organic carrots (0.99)
• 1 pound parsnips , cut into 3-inch sticks - I decided not to use this
• 1 pound small red potatoes , halved - Instead of using this, I bought what was on sale, a 5 lb locally grown bag of potatoes ($2.68)

For the full recipe with directions go here

Making a Meal Stretch and Spending Less Time in the Kitchen
Sunday Dinner: Roasted Chicken with Veggies
Monday Lunch: Chey enjoyed a chicken leg and potatoes, while I had a chicken pita with the veggies on the side.
Monday Dinner: We gave the bird a break and went with italian food.
Tuesday Dinner: Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

We know how to make a meal stretch and we still have a few pieces of chicken. I'm really excited about this recipe and I have a feeling the next time I entertain, I will definitely consider making this. Who wants to come over?