Simple Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens

Simple Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens

Roast Chicken and Farro Spring Salad

There are many ways to go with Easter, sometimes my family chooses turkey or ham, but we usually go with lamb shish kebab when its nice enough to barbeque outside. With a side of pilaf and tabuli salad, we call it a good Easter feast. I'm not sure what we'll have this Easter, but this recipe is a great  idea, especially at an Easter brunch table. Without roasting a whole turkey, (save all the work for Thanksgiving) you can make a simple roast chicken. It's simple and tasty with no added fat. You only need the chicken, rosemary, and 1 onion, thats it! Let the oven do the rest. I think the key to a good roast chicken is covering it with foil in a high-temperature oven and turning it frequently to mimic a rotisserie. It takes some love and patience but the golden beauty is your reward!

With the basket of organics I pick up weekly, I have been trying to keep up with abundance of fruits and veggies we're getting. I found a great use for those tough collard greens, saute and place them under the roasted chicken so they can soak up all the meaty flavor. Much better than cooking them the Southern way with bacon fat!



Simple Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Onion (4-6 servings)

• 1 4-lb whole chicken
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Kitchen equipment needed: kitchen twine, baking dish and rack, foil, thermometer

1. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Place the chicken on a V-rack in a roasting pan, if you have one. (Its a great way for fat to roll off chicken) Otherwise, you can use a glass baking dish. Prop the chicken up and remove the bag of giblets in the cavity. Place the onion, rosemary, and salt in the cavity. Tie the legs up with kitchen twine. Put the chicken back side up (to prevent breast from drying out) and  cover with foil, creating a tent over the chicken. Place in oven for 40 minutes.

2. After 40 minutes, turn the bird to its side and and cover with foil again. Let cook 20 minutes. 

3. Then, turn the bird breast side up, cover with foil and let cook 20 more minutes.

4. Finally, remove foil and turn oven down to 450 F. Let cook 20-30 minutes or until internal thigh temperature reads 180 F. Be careful, the fat drippings may splatter. 

Check temperature at the thigh, 180 F is cooked

Let cool 20 minutes before carving. Serve with collard greens and garnish with rosemary springs if desired. Accompany with Farro Spring Salad. 

Sautéed Collard Greens (3-4 servings)

• 1 bunch collard greens (about 3 cups sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Wash collard greens in sink with generous amount of water. Then pat dry. Remove tough inner stems. Roll up greens and slice as thinly as possible.

2. Heat oil in medium saute pan and swirl 2 garlic cloves on fork, in the oil. Its a cool trick a chef in France taught me to avoid little bits of burned garlic. Then, place collard greens in pan and cook 3-5 minutes, or until they turn a bright green. Then, lower heat, add chicken broth and cover another 3-5 minutes or tender to taste. 

Garlic on fork

3. Place in a ring and place chicken on top to continue flavoring the collard greens.

For Nutrition Facts on Simple Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens, please visit Shape Up America!

Simple Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens

Roast Chicken and Farro Spring Salad

There are many ways to go with Easter, sometimes my family chooses turkey or ham, but we usually go with lamb shish kebab when its nice enough to barbeque outside. With a side of pilaf and tabuli salad, we call it a good Easter feast. I'm not sure what we'll have this Easter, but this recipe is a great  idea, especially at an Easter brunch table. Without roasting a whole turkey, (save all the work for Thanksgiving) you can make a simple roast chicken. It's simple and tasty with no added fat. You only need the chicken, rosemary, and 1 onion, thats it! Let the oven do the rest. I think the key to a good roast chicken is covering it with foil in a high-temperature oven and turning it frequently to mimic a rotisserie. It takes some love and patience but the golden beauty is your reward!

With the basket of organics I pick up weekly, I have been trying to keep up with abundance of fruits and veggies we're getting. I found a great use for those tough collard greens, saute and place them under the roasted chicken so they can soak up all the meaty flavor. Much better than cooking them the Southern way with bacon fat!



Simple Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Onion (4-6 servings)

• 1 4-lb whole chicken
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Kitchen equipment needed: kitchen twine, baking dish and rack, foil, thermometer

1. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Place the chicken on a V-rack in a roasting pan, if you have one. (Its a great way for fat to roll off chicken) Otherwise, you can use a glass baking dish. Prop the chicken up and remove the bag of giblets in the cavity. Place the onion, rosemary, and salt in the cavity. Tie the legs up with kitchen twine. Put the chicken back side up (to prevent breast from drying out) and  cover with foil, creating a tent over the chicken. Place in oven for 40 minutes.

2. After 40 minutes, turn the bird to its side and and cover with foil again. Let cook 20 minutes. 

3. Then, turn the bird breast side up, cover with foil and let cook 20 more minutes.

4. Finally, remove foil and turn oven down to 450 F. Let cook 20-30 minutes or until internal thigh temperature reads 180 F. Be careful, the fat drippings may splatter. 

Check temperature at the thigh, 180 F is cooked

Let cool 20 minutes before carving. Serve with collard greens and garnish with rosemary springs if desired. Accompany with Farro Spring Salad. 

Sautéed Collard Greens (3-4 servings)

• 1 bunch collard greens (about 3 cups sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Wash collard greens in sink with generous amount of water. Then pat dry. Remove tough inner stems. Roll up greens and slice as thinly as possible.

2. Heat oil in medium saute pan and swirl 2 garlic cloves on fork, in the oil. Its a cool trick a chef in France taught me to avoid little bits of burned garlic. Then, place collard greens in pan and cook 3-5 minutes, or until they turn a bright green. Then, lower heat, add chicken broth and cover another 3-5 minutes or tender to taste. 

Garlic on fork

3. Place in a ring and place chicken on top to continue flavoring the collard greens.

For Nutrition Facts on Simple Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens, please visit Shape Up America!