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An Easy Roasted Chicken Recipe

Last night was quite an adjustment. When I walked through the door at 7pm, there was no delicious aroma or a friendly face greeting me. Instead, the house was dark and the only light was the bathroom light we forgot to turn of that morning.

Yesterday, Bo started his new job. Evenings of home cooked meals which took hours to prepare were quickly forgotten. While the house was still neat, my week’s errand list still remained untouched on the counter.

Instead of missing the dinners and aroma, I decided to role my sleeves up and make my husband proud. Dining alone is not an excuse to be lazy and resort to deliver, cereal, and soup. Sometimes cooking alone can be relaxing, therapeutic, and enjoyable.

However, failing at your first attempt is no way to find inspiration. Therefore, I chose to make my favorite easy dinner last night. This main course is a perfect way to entertain a new love interest, impress your next door neighbor, or bring a smile to your roommate or significant other’s face when they smell the aroma. It takes only a few minutes of preparation but can result in at least two days worth of food! IMG_4010 (640x478)

A Healthy, Happier Bear’s twist on  Perfect Roasted Chicken

 Ingredients:

– one all natural small fryer chicken

– one cast iron skillet or roasting pan

-1 small onion, peeled and quartered

– 2 lemons, halved

– unlimited garlic cloves, peeled and quartered

– salt & pepper

– Safflower oil, or another cooking oil

IMG_3996 (640x478) Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

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2.  Unwrap chicken and remove giblets from chicken cavity. The giblets should be in a bag and easy to remove. After discarding the giblet bag, thoroughly rinse the chicken with cold water, inside and out. Dry the chicken using an old towel or paper towel, careful to dry both the inside cavity and under the skin folds. IMG_4001 (640x478) 

3. Place the onion, lemon, garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Salt and pepper the inside cavity with more seasoning than you believe necessary. It is almost impossible to over season! IMG_4005 (640x478)4. Truss (tie) the legs together with kitchen string, mostly closing the cavity opening. Tuck the wings under so the tips overlap the breast and tie in place, securing the wings to the body. I highly reference using this video to help with trussing the bird.

5. Once the chicken is tightly trussed, give it a good massage with the oil. Cover the entire bird, remembering to flip it over during the process. Follow with a healthy dose of salt and pepper all over, being careful not to over season on this step.

6. Place the chicken in your roasting pan or cast iron skillet, breast side down. IMG_4007 (640x478)

7. Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side up and continue roasting, approximately 1 1/4 hours. I use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, removing the chicken when it registers between 170-175 degrees.

8. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

9. Enjoy!

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Question: What is your favorite side to enjoy with a simple dish like roast chicken?

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ashleyd /

Oven Beer Can Chicken

First of all, thank you so much for the sweet comments, emails, and notes about the changes taking place right now in our world.

It was definitely unusual waking up alone this morning for my workout. I’m accustomed to having a gym and commute buddy each day so it was a bit lonely. To avoid hitting the snooze button since I don’t have anyone to hold me accountable, I may have set my phone alarm for 5:40, 5:42, and 5:45. Success!

IMG_3349 (480x640)Due to a change in schedule with my trainer, I did my 3 mile run and spin today. There wasn’t a class that worked with my schedule so I just hopped on a spin bike and did my own thing for 20 minutes.

My legs felt a bit tight this morning after the workout so I spent a few minutes icing with vegetables because I’m classy like that.

IMG_3350 (478x640) The rest of my day was uneventful, other than the fact that I captured a picture of EVERYTHING I ate for the first time in ages. A few readers have requested that I make my daily food a more regular feature on the blog. I’m going to give it a try for a few days and see how I feel. I’m also definitely open to feedback.

IMG_3188 (478x640) Breakfast included oatmeal, banana, cinnamon, and 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder. I also enjoyed a cool and refreshing iced green tea on the side. Did you know that if you save your cup and you have a Gold Card, you get free refills at Starbucks?

My stomach was growling 30 minutes before we stepped out for lunch so I enjoyed my homemade fruit cup of strawberries and grapefruit.

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I tried a new salad combination today at lunch and loved the heartiness, flavor, and variety.

IMG_3367 (640x478) IMG_3369 (640x478) Today’s mix included grilled chicken, beets, baby spinach, 1/2 portion blue cheese, red onions, chopped tomatoes, celery, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. On the side I enjoyed Baked Ruffles.

I knew Bo and I would be eating dinner later tonight since I had an after work appointment, so I bit into a juicy peach around 4!

IMG_3368 (640x478)  My after work appointment was a facial!

IMG_3370 (640x478) IMG_3376 (480x640) IMG_3377 (640x478) Melissa makes fun of my spa obsessions but appointments like this are a great way to relax. Also, I wouldn’t say getting a massage once a month makes me an addict, but if it does, I’m okay with that.  I only get a facial once or twice a year so it’s a relaxing treat that also has wonderful side affects. In full disclosure, I’m working with Equinox to put together a special promotion for local New Yorkers but will also be doing a more in depth post regarding skin care and some of the things I learned today. The good news is a lot of the tips and tricks were free or very inexpensive!

The best part of the day though, was walking through the door to the smell of grilled chicken! Holy goodness! Who knew you could make beer can chicken in your oven?! IMG_3392 (640x478)

Tonight’s dinner included:

  • Butter lettuce salad with chopped tomatoes, red onion, salt, pepper, and Trader Joes Parmesan Ranch dressing
  • Beer Can Chicken made in the oven using our cast iron pan
  • Grilled squash and zucchini

IMG_3388 (640x478) IMG_3386 (640x478) IMG_3387 (640x478) IMG_3390 (640x478) Clearly it was a delicious dinner enjoyed by both of us.

Last but not least, a portion controlled dessert to answer my screaming sweet tooth.

IMG_3393 (478x640) Question: Do you enjoy the more thorough food pictures which document everything I eat?

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Life Changes

Today we have the pleasure of revealing something that Bo and I have been keeping secret for the past three months.

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Today he resigned from his  current job.  While this was a bittersweet decision due to the wonderful relationships and experiences he gained over the past three years, it’s now time to move on to new experiences. While Bo will begin at a new, larger firm in three short weeks this still means that there will be some adjustments in our life.

Until he starts, you can look forward to the nightly culinary creations as he plans to cook each night. His goal is to continue balancing flavor and health in each dish.

In addition, his marathon training will return to normal as he gets to start running again and he is looking forward sharing a few thoughts with readers regarding training smarter his second time around in hopes of staying injury free.  Who knows, there may even be a triathlon thrown into the mix if he can find a redemption race.

Beyond that, there won’t be much change that will affect y’all. Our travel together may be less frequent the first few months as he is starting a new position and expected to be available. But, I on the other hand will be traveling to many new destinations with my new job during August and September!

The cooking started immediately with tonight’s dinner, Cooking Light’s Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches.

IMG_3359 (478x640) This dish made Bo retract every negative thing he’s ever said about Cooking Light. The recipe, while simple and ready in less than 30 minutes, resulted in a meal that was bursting with flavor and left us dreaming of New Orleans.

IMG_3354 (640x478) Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 cups packaged cabbage-carrot coleslaw
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 (1-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted

He only made two alterations to the recipe which says a lot! Our local Whole Foods didn’t have catfish, so he substituted tilapia. He also reduced the ground red pepper as 3/4 teaspoon is actually quite a bit! I can’t handle a lot of heat in my dishes, especially red pepper, so he used 3/8 teaspoon.

IMG_3352 (640x478) Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of fish with paprika mixture. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add fish; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

2. Combine yogurt, juice, and honey in a medium bowl. Add cabbage and cilantro; toss well to coat. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup slaw and 1 fillet. Top each fillet with remaining slaw.

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We were lucky enough to have homemade okra and tomatoes in our freezer which we defrosted for an easy side dish.

We both loved this meal and were stuffed afterwards. If you’re looking for an easy meal that will impress without leaving you stressed than this is a great option!

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