Meal: Double Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, and Mixed Green Salad with Maple Sherry Vinaigrette

Double Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes: I highly recommend using fresh herbs rather than dried as it will really enhance the flavors. If you have leftover chicken you might like making Enchiladas Verdes.

Ingredients
1 (5½-pound) roasting chicken
3 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 fresh basil leaves
Cooking spray
8 red potatoes, quartered lengthwise
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°.

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

Combine 2 tablespoons chopped oregano and garlic cloves. Rub seasoning mixture under loosened chicken skin and drumsticks. Carefully place basil leaves under loosened skin. Tie ends of legs with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken.

Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Pierce skin several times with a meat fork. Arrange potatoes on rack around chicken. Coat the chicken and potatoes with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken and potatoes with 1 tablespoon oregano, salt, and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer into the meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° (do not remove chicken from oven); bake an additional 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 180°. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin. Remove chicken from pan; place on a serving platter. Serve with roasted potatoes.

Cookinglight January 1999


Mixed Green Salad with Maple-Sherry Vinaigrette: This is an excellent winter salad.

Ingredients
Salad
1 small head red leaf lettuce
1 navel orange, sectioned
3 oz dried cranberries
3 oz crumbled chèvre (goat cheese)
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Dressing
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoons cranberry juice
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5 tsp olive oil

For the dressing: Stir together first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Add mustard, and slowly whisk in olive oil until incorporated.

For the salad: Combine all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl; toss gently with dressing to mix. Serve immediately.

Cookinglight January 1999