We all know one of the healthiest meats we can eat is chicken. Whenever we have a period of feeling like we may have splurged a little bit too much or maybe indulged for a day or two, we will stick to roasted chicken breasts and veggies for dinner for a couple of days. It helps us get back on track and be more aware of what we are consuming daily. But I will be the first to admit that gets boring after awhile so I have started something new that works out really well for our family and keeps our fridge stocked with healthy meals ready to eat for the entire week. Ive found that being able to grab something healthy quickly, cuts down on the snacking. The following is just a simple roasted chicken and vegetables that is super healthy, delicious and I can easily make a few different meals out of it. I prepare 2 chickens at least every two weeks. Some I roast like this, others I put in the slow cooker. For these I only use Organic chicken. Yes, they are a tad pricier but are well worth it for the health benefits and the taste. I dont splurge on the higher priced meats always but because I use the meat in so many ways, and more importantly, I use the bones for my Healing Bone Broth, I believe these should be Organic. If you are not familiar with all the FDA food labels, here is a chart you can have a look at. They can be overwhelming and deceiving. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/reportChickenLabels.cfm
Best Healthy Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
2 whole Organic chickens
Carrots- One bag ready to use or chop them yourself.
Sweet Potatoes- About 3, I use actual sweet potatoes, not Yams. I know alot of people think are almost the same but Sweet Potatoes are white inside and look enough like a Baking Potato that no one seems to think about the difference. Its an easier switch for people that are used to White Potatoes.
Celery- About 3 stalks
Onions- 2 medium
Olive Oil
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Hot shot or pepper
Nonstick baking rack
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Clean you chickens well and be sure to get all the innards from your chicken cavity. You can save them for another use or, like me, just feed them to your dogs. They love it and it is a healthy treat for them.
Place the chickens each in a 13x9in baking dish. I pull the end of the skin up and place a few pats of butter under the skin. Spread a bit more over the top of the skin. When I say butter, I mean real butter! NOT MARGARINE! And when I say a few pats, I mean small amounts! Sprinkle your seasonings of choice (I use basically the same I use on the veggies with maybe an addition of Seasoned Salt if I feel like it) all over the chickens.
Place in the oven for about 40 minutes. Chop your Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Celery and Onion. Place them in a large bowl and pour a few tablespoons of Olive Oil and season to taste. I use Garlic salt, Onion salt and Hot Shot. Hot Shot is a product that is a mixture of Black Pepper and Red Pepper. I dont use too much because I have infants eating also but I like the extra flavor and the added health benefits of the Red Pepper. Mix in your oil and seasonings well. Your looking for your chickens to get started roasting but still about 30 minutes from being done. Pull them out and carefully remove them from their baking dish. I find the easiest way is to stick tongs inside and lift them. Set them aside on a baking sheet and divide your seasoned veggies between the two baking dishes. Stir them well into the juices of your chicken that have already puddled in the bottom. Place your baking rack over the top and spray with some Olive Oil. Place your chickens on top and carefully put it all back in the oven. I use one rack across both pans so I find it easier to place the dishes of veggies back on the oven rack and then placed the baking rack and chickens. Turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees. Cook about another 25 minutes.
Your looking for an internal temperature of about 165-170. I always use a meat thermometer for this. There is not much worse than cooking a great meal only to have someone cut into it and its raw. You also want your veggies where they can just be punctured by a fork.
When everything is done I lift the rack with chickens off the top of the veggies and place them on a baking sheet then remove my veggies from the oven. You can also do this if your chickens happen to get to temp before your veggies are as tender as you would like them. This chicken is so tender I just break it apart with my hands. We will usually eat about half of one the same day I cook them and refrigerate the rest. I will add a few of the other recipes that I make from them and be sure to save ALL the bones for a Healing Bone Broth, another recipe I will be adding in the next day.
