I’ve been wanting to roast a chicken for quite some time now and I figured a juicy, moist roast chicken served with some sweet potato fries would provide a healthy alternative to curb my craving for some comfort food.  And, the bonus with a roasting a chicken is that I get to make a delicious salad with the leftover chicken.  I have to say, the chicken was wonderful and the sweet potato fries were even better than I expected.  Even if you don’t like sweet potatoes I guarantee you will like these fries!  I want to acknowledge Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network for the chicken recipe – as you may be beginning to tell she is one of my faves!  Hope you enjoy these recipes – I know I will be making them again in my household.

Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Citrus

Ingredients

• 1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• Chicken broth ( approximately 28oz.)
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tsps. dried oregano (use more if you are using fresh oregano)
• Kitchen string

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F and place rack in center of oven.

Remove neck & giblets from chicken (discard), pat dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper (inside and outside).  Stuff the cavity with the quartered lemon, quartered orange and garlic head.  You may have some difficulty getting everything inside the chicken which is okay, just place any remaining items in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Place chicken (breast side up) on rack of roasting pan.  Pour a small amount of chicken broth on the bottom of the roasting pan to keep pan juices from burning.  Tie legs of chicken together with kitchen string to help hold its shape.  Place chicken in oven and roast for 1 hour.  Baste occasionally and continue to add chicken broth to pan as needed to keep pan juices from burning.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, olive oil, chopped garlic and oregano.  After the chicken has cooked for an hour, brush this mixture over the chicken.  Return to the oven and cook for an additional 45-60 mins, until a meat thermometer reads 170F.  Continue to baste the chicken during this time,  adding chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and brushing with the orange juice mixture.

Once the chicken has cooked, transfer to a platter and tent with foil.  Do NOT discard the juice from the bottom of your roasting pan.  Place the roasting pan directly on your stove over medium low heat.  Whisk in any remaining broth ( I added about 1.5 cups) and any additional orange juice mixture you may have leftover.  Cook this until it has reduced to approximately one cup of liquid (stirring often).  Once reduced, strain liquid into a bowl to remove any solids.  Spoon fat from top of sauce and serve pan sauce with chicken.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes (approximately 1 per person)
• Olive oil
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher salt
• Chili powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F.

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges.  Approximately 8-12 wedges per potato.  Just be sure to cut all the wedges the same size so the potatoes cook evenly.

Toss the wedges with enough olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle with salt, brown sugar and chili powder.  The amount will really depend on how many potatoes you are making.  I made two potatoes using approximately two tsps. of brown sugar,  two tsps. salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder.  Certainly adjust these measurements depending on how sweet or spicy you like it!  If you like things extra spicy, a pinch of cayenne pepper would do the trick.

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and cook for approximately 30 minutes, turning once during cooking.

I’m going to prepare some oven fried chicken for dinner tonight so my next post will include a photo (hopefully!), recipe and comments on how it went.  In the meantime, I just wanted to review some of my must have pantry staples that I always keep in the kitchen.  Most of these will seem pretty obvious but I thought I’d share with those of you that are new to cooking and want to get started.

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – pretty obvious I know.  I buy large bottles of it at Costco and then put it in smaller containers throughout my kitchen.  I have a bottle I use to drizzle on salads, pasta, bread, etc.  Olive oil is so versatile – it’s great for cooking but also to make a vinaigrette (I try to make my own dressings which will be another upcoming post), drizzle on pasta, dipping bread, moisturizing your dry fingers and cuticles, massaging a little into your dry scalp or I even like to coat my measuring spoons and cups with  it before I measure out something sticky (i.e. – honey) so the ingredient slides right out and makes cleanup much easier!
2. Honey – speaking of honey….I love it!  It’s a great natural sweetener that I use in many, many recipes.  I’ve been experimenting with some different types of honey (i.e. – wildflower, clover, alfalfa, buckwheat and sage to name a few) and I’m really enjoying the different flavor profiles that these honeys provide.
3. Dijon mustard – another ingredient I buy in bulk.  Great for dressings and sauces but also just rub some on a pork tenderloin or salmon with some salt, pepper and herbs and you have yourself a great meal.
4. Soy sauce (low sodium) – I am partial to Asian inspired flavors and use soy sauce frequently for marinades and sauces.
5. Kosher salt and Whole Peppercorns – no explanation needed.  I will say that I always grind my own salt and pepper – I think it makes food more flavorful.
6. White wine vinegar – as I previously mentioned I always try and make my own dressings and a good white wine vinegar is a must have.  I also enjoy experimenting with different types of vinegars – champagne and pomegranate are currently my two favorites.
7. Jasmine rice – a great side dish that goes well with most dishes and can be eaten on its own or add your favorite ingredients to really elevate this pantry staple.  I’ve been replacing some of the water with coconut milk to get a creamy and delicious side dish.
8. Low sodium chicken stock - a must have for making pan sauces and of course soup.  However, I cook rice and orzo in chicken stock instead of water to really elevate the flavor.  I know there are some cooking purists that only make their own stock but I think the box options are pretty good for most dishes.  I do generally make my own stock for soups though – it’s very easy but takes some time.  I will share my recipe in an upcoming post.
9. White wine – a must have for deglazing pans, making sauces and of course for risotto.  Just use one that is good enough to drink.  Besides, the chef should have a little sip while cooking!
10. Garlic – I sometimes feel like I use garlic in everything I make because I buy it all the time.  A head of garlic lasts a pretty long time and it so useful for almost any dish.  I know they make the kind in the jar but it doesn’t take too much time to peel and mince a clove or two of garlic and the results are so worth it!

Hope this list was helpful – wish me luck on preparing a new recipe tonight!