SND - Lemon Roasted Chicken, Greek Potatoes, and Quick Asparagus

Okay, so I’m a slacker. It’s been eight days, and I’ve broken my promise of, “two recipes a week!!” I’m sorry. This one is going to be a doozy, because there are multiple recipes in one. For some reason, in my infinite wisdom, I decided against taking individual pictures of things, and only taking one of the plate. Fail. Everything is here, but you’ll just have to sift through some prose and other recipes to get what you want out of it. It won’t happen again. :o(

One of my best friends and roommates for next year returned from Spain a couple months ago, and came down to visit us for the weekend. As always, I asked her to thumb through a cookbook to find something for me to make for dinner. After about an hour of debate and asking everyone else what they would like, she settled on lemon roasted chicken. I patched together some side dishes in my mind, and headed out to the store. When I got back, I discovered she has never really handled an entire raw chicken before, so I had some fun grossing her out when I was cleaning it. Let’s just say I “accidentally” pulled the bag of organs out the wrong end so it burst open and went everywhere, making her reaction hilarious. (and if you know Amy, I’m sure you can imagine what it was like)

I whipped up the roasted potatoes I’ve become very skilled at making (since I pumped out 60lbs of these puppies for a catering event), some quick roasted asparagus, and threw some aromatic vegetables under the bird. Being enthralled in grossing out Amy, I accidentally (for real this time) cooked the bird upside-down in the roasting pan, and forgot to tie the wings back, so they burned a bit…oops. Other than those minor flubs, it came out as delicious as planned.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

1 5.5lb thawed chicken
2 lemons
1Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
2 Tbsp Olive oil, give or take
Salt and Pepper
1 lb carrots, sliced
1 fennel bulb, large chop
½ large Vidalia onion, large chop

Remove the organs from inside the chicken, rinse, and pat dry the bird. Rub the olive oil all over the bird, making sure to get into every crevice. Sprinkle the basil, rosemary, salt and pepper all over the chicken, and rub it in. Chop the vegetables, and put them in the bottom of the pan. Place the bird on top of them, quarter a lemon, and put it inside the cavity. Juice and zest the other lemon into the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil, and roast at 350F for about 20 minutes per pound. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes so the chicken can brown. Let rest for 10, then carve and serve.

Roasted “Greek” Potatoes

The butter-y-er the potato, the better. Try to stay away from the waxy potatoes. Also, If you can’t find Cavender’s seasoning (which is available at specialty stores), a blend of equal parts sage, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and pepper will so the trick.

8 large potatoes
1 large potato per person
3 Tbsp Cavender’s all purpose Greek seasoning
1 Tbsp dried Rosemary
2 Tbsp dried Sage
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pepper

Slice the potatoes into medium sized chunks of equal size. Put the potatoes, spices, and oil into a large zip-top bag. Seal the bag, and shake until everything is coated. Remove the potatoes from the bag onto a foil lined baking sheet. Roast at 350F for 50-60 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until they are browned and soft.

Quick Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

On a foil lined baking sheet, pour the olive oil over the asparagus. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over them, and toss until evenly coated. Broil for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are crispy, and the centers are soft. **
** Do this after the chicken and potatoes are removed from the oven.

SND - Tequila Lime Chicken (Taco) Salad

College is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding; when you have classes all day, work all night, and then have to wake up and do it again the next day, there is only one shining beacon of hope – that’s right, Sunday Night Dinner. I instituted an SND ritual the first semester I had my apartment to gather all of my close friends together for one home-cooked meal a week. Some of them still live in the dorms, and let’s face it, the dining halls are glorified microwaves and toaster ovens. There’s something about a home-cooked meal that just makes you feel like you’re back home with your family, and classes, work, and responsibilities just fall away. Seriously, we could use a few hours off with some good company, and food.

Generally, I’m the one who cooks the dinners, but my roommates have taken to helping me. I enjoy it because it makes the work easier on me (a 4-course meal, plus dessert all from scratch…I have homework too) and I get to teach them things I’ve learned. Sometimes we do potlucks, sometimes we go out, but most of the time I get to show off my culinary prowess and make something that no one would expect a college student to whip out of his eight foot, galley style kitchen. Oh, and all of the appliances are electric – THAT took some getting used to.

Normally, I’d make something like a pork roast, or a leg of lamb; however, summer here means 90+ days, humidity and a complete disregard for anything that isn’t fruit, oatmeal, or Koolaid. So I thought, “What can I make that’s light enough to be enjoyed, can be produced in quantities of 8-12 easily, and won’t send my wallet flying down the sewers?”. And then I looked at the bottle of Tequila sitting on my kitchen counter; thus the birth of Spicy Tequila Lime Chicken (Taco) Salad. It’s made with healthier ingredients than regular taco salad, so it’s not nearly as bad for you, and it still tastes like the real thing. Plus jalapeños are in the same category as bacon in my book.

(I apologize for the half-eaten picture. I forgot to take a picture until after I had eaten some…oops)

Tequila Lime Chicken (Taco) Salad

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 hearts of Romaine Lettuce, chopped
2 Jalapeño peppers, sliced with seeds
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 large pinch Red Pepper flakes
¼ cup Tequila
¼ cup Lime Juice
Dash of cinnamon
Sour cream and Shredded Cheese, for garnish

In a small bowl, mix together the red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, olive oil, hoisin sauce, tequila and lime juice. Stir together until combined. In a large resealable bag, put the chicken breats and pepper slices. Pour the marinade over the top, seal the bag, and massage the chicken with the marinade. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Prepare your grill(pan) and grill the chicken until it is not pink anymore and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side. Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice chicken and place on a bed of lettuce. Cover with cheese and sour cream and enjoy!! Serves 4.