Sunday, January 31, 2010

Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemon

I pick up a lot of different magazines while I’m waiting in check-out lines. One day last November, it was Real Simple that I tossed into my cart. I’ve never subscribed, but I have read issues of it before here and there. The food section always grabs my attention. The photos make the food look irresistible, and the recipes actually are 'real simple.' I cut a couple of pages from that November issue and just recently got around to trying two different dishes. Since I had a bounty of fresh, local carrots last week, the timing was right for the roasted chicken and carrots recipe. This meal couldn’t have been easier as everything roasted together on one baking sheet and required no work while it cooked.

I was thrilled to have bay leaves and a lemon from my own trees to use in this dish, and they were combined with the carrots, seasoned chicken, and olives on a baking sheet. Whenever I’m planning to have chicken for dinner
, I now always follow Judy Rodgers' advice regarding seasoning it early. I cut the whole chicken into pieces and seasoned them with salt and pepper early in the day. The pieces were covered and left in the refrigerator for several hours. Once everything was on the baking sheet and tossed with olive oil, some paprika was sprinkled on the chicken for additional seasoning. Then, it baked for about an hour. I did turn the carrots and the smaller pieces of chicken at the half-way point just to be sure nothing got too brown on one side. A sauce from the lemons and olive oil formed on the baking sheet while everything roasted, and it mingled its way around flavoring the chicken and carrots nicely. The olives added a salty, savory bite to this low-maintenance meal.

For a previous meal, I tried the broccoli and gruyere gratin which was also in the November issue. I changed it up just a little by using a mix of broccoli and cauliflower, but otherwise, I stuck to the recipe as it was. A simple bechamel was made, and grated gruyere was melted into it. The sauce was tossed with steamed broccoli and cauliflower, the mixture went into a baking dish, it was topped with more cheese, and it baked until bubbly and browned. It was another winner. Both these recipes resulted in simple and delicious dishes, and now I’ll be flipping to the recipes section a little faster with future issues.





24 comments:

  1. Looks lovely. I love bay leaves. It would be great to have a tree to have fresh ones. Maybe I should try growing one as a potted plant :D

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  2. A refined dish! Lovely!

    That gratin looks scrumptious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. I also succumb to magazines at the checkout. Both of these recipes look like real winners.

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  4. I have to wait in line at the checkout counter blindfolded for fear that I'll buy every magazine on the stand! I do like Real Simple though. Their recipes are always good.

    The chicken and gratin look perfect for a chilly Sunday. I have so many carrots that need to be used right now...I will definitely be checking out that recipe.

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  5. They both look absolutely delicious but it is the broccoli dish that makes me want to dive right in!

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  6. The chicken looks delicious. I have all those ingredients and will make that tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  7. My roast chicken always comes out so pale compared to the gorgeous color of yours! Should I move up the rack? Turn up the heat?

    Although I'm not a huge carrot fan, they are so incredibly appealing in this dish. How I wish I had lemon and bay laurel trees!

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  8. Aw ... this looks like one of those dishes that are so packed with many different flavors -- you know, the kind that activate all of your tastebuds at the same time. I don't cook with lemon enough, but this inspires me to cook more with it.

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  9. Yum! I love the chicken and carrots! It looks perfectly cooked and crispy and it all looks so flavroful! That broccoli looks luscious!

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  10. Great looking dish! I love roasted carrots...

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  11. Yummy-looking chicken. I love olives and lemon with chicken, adds such a piquant flavor to it that is just perfect!

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  12. I love the addition of olives in there for that extra tang and depth. I wonder if green olives are ok too?

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  13. Sophia: Yes, I'm sure green olives would be great too!

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  14. this looks great, lisa, but is it bad that i'm completely distracted by the gratin? :)

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  15. I saw this issue today and that front cover really caught my eye - thanks for testing it out for us - it looks stunning and sounds DELISH! ~Mary

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  16. The veggie combo sounds nice. Sweet carrots and salty olives. Really nice.

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  17. These both look comforting and delicious! The chicken's so very flavorful and the gratin sounds heavenly.

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  18. What a delicious, warming combination Lisa! The aromatic roast chicken adn the cream gratin. It's food like this that makes me love Winter! :D

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  19. Wow, great meal...roasted chicken with olives and the grating...yummie yummie...both look so tasty, great combo!

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  20. That roasted chicken looks amazing! I love anything that uses lemon and chicken and olives, and carrots sound like they add just the right amount of sweet.
    I looove Real Simple, and I've never tried a recipe of theirs I didn't like. I'd probably subscribe if it the Canadian subs weren't so dang expensive. :(

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  21. That is one of my favorite reads as well... this reminds me of something I had from a friend this weekend, and I love those ingredients! Lemon and olives seal the deal for me!

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  22. Looks amazing. I love anything with olives and lemons a truly Mediterranean affair.

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  23. Looks pretty good. Thanks for this recipe!

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