Classic Roast Chicken and Vegetables

Okay, so ... let's just say it's been a while and not focus on the fact that I haven't allowed myself the time to sit down and write for over a year.  

To say that a lot has happened in this last year would be a dramatic understatement,
but they are all wonderfully good, amazing things.  Our adoption is finalized (I hear him awaking from his afternoon nap as I type, actually) and the joy that he has brought into this home is contagious.  Big T is a huge fan of being an older brother and the two of them were besties from the start.  It blesses a mama's heart to see her children love one another like that.  Truly.

DH and I have never been in better shape (well, at least since we've known each other!)  Crossfit is our new daily routine and our diets have transitioned to whole, clean foods. We try our best to steer clear of all grains, legumes and very limited dairy (except, of course for butter and ice-cream for treat days...lol.  We do live in Wisconsin, now, don't we?)  I use coconut oil as my cooking fat most of the time. We're almost finished reading It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.  This book has really helped us understand why diet has changed the way we feel.  Our experience has proved that it works for us, but the science behind it helps us explain it to others.

 I was just emailing a dear friend about "go-to" recipes and thought I'd share one that our family has been enjoying almost weekly, ahem, for the last year.  So, since it's my first post back, here you go. I use the Joy of Cooking guidelines for making our weekly feast and copied the instructions from there.  Bon Apetit.

Classic Roast Chicken and Vegetables

1 whole chicken -- (4-7 pounds)

• 1-2 large sweet potatoes -- peeled and quartered
• 1 large sweet onion -- peeled and quartered
• 3 medium carrots -- peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium celery stalks -- cut in 1" pieces
• 3 tbsp butter -- melted
• 3/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper -- to taste

Prepare the smaller amount of vegetables and other ingredients when roasting a 4- to 5-pound chicken, the larger amount when roasting a bigger bird. Since the vegetables should be cooked in a single jumbled layer, you will need to use a wide pan such as a 12 X 16 X 1/2-inch baking sheet. Because the vegetables will absorb most of the chicken drippings, it is not possible to make a pan sauce or gravy. Still, there will be a few browned bits on the bottom of the pan, which it will be worth your while to dissolve in a little chicken stock and pour over the chicken. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put chicken in roasting pan and rub with salt, then brush with remaining 2 T. melted butter. If you have a V rack, I like to put the bird first on its side, rotate to its opposite side 30 min. later, then finally place breast up to finish the roasting process. This guarantees beautifully, moist breast meat every time!   

Peel, cut and toss vegetables, 1 T. melted butter, thyme, salt and pepper. 

The vegetables need to cook for about 1 hour. If you are roasting a 4-pound chicken, scatter the vegetables over the roasting pan in a single layer as soon as the chicken goes into the oven. If you are roasting a larger chicken, add them to the pan about 1 hour before you estimate that the chicken will be done. (If the chicken happens to cook more quickly than you anticipate, continue to roast the vegetables while the chicken stands before carving.) Stir the vegetables every 15 to 20 minutes during cooking. Remove the vegetables to a platter and, if feasible, remove any fat in the pan. Pour chicken stock into the pan. Set the pan on two burners over medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer, and scrape with a spoon until the browned roasting bits are dissolved. Carve the chicken, arrange on the platter with the vegetables, and drizzle the deglazing liquid over all.

The caramelization that happens to these veggies is unbelievably delicious.  Try it! You won't be sorry.