Herb Roasted Chicken With Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes

Roasted Chicken

• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, neck and giblets removed

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 yellow onion, quartered

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat chicken dry. Rub with oil and sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper on all sides and inside. Place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Place onion quarters inside the cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen twine to help the chicken keep its shape and cook more evenly. Roast 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with juices in the pan. Return to oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and roast another 30 to 40 minutes, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when a knife is pierced into thigh or a meat thermometer reaches 165°F. Cover and let rest 5 minutes before carving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts (about 1 bag)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 3/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

• 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp crushed red pepper (I like my a little spicier so I use more)

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp honey

Instructions

Around the time you are basting the chicken (25-30 minutes after you started the chicken).  

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or use a silicone baking mat.

2. Cut the bottom off of the Brussels sprouts and slice lengthwise.

3. In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, lemon juice, Himalayan pink salt, crushed red pepper pepper, and balsamic vinegar (coat thoroughly).

4. Place sprouts on baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

5. Place sprouts in the large bowl you just used. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the honey. Toss to coat. Add more seasoning if needed.

These Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts are so easy to prepare and taste amazing. There is just the right amount of sweet and spicy that make these an all time favorite.

Potaotes

Ingredients

4-6 red or golden potatoes

3/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

3/4 tsp Black pepper

3/4 tsp Zoës Kitchen spice of life

All ingredients here are to taste.

Instructions

The potatoes can be roasted along side the Brussels sprouts and cooked for the same amount of time. You can either coat them the same as you did the sprouts or just sprinkle some salt and pepper on them and place them on the cookie sheet next to the sprouts. I personally prefer to to add a little Zoës Kitchen spice of life, I got from our local Zoës Kitchen restaurant. If you don't have a Zoës Kitchen near you, you can substitute with some oregano and parsley just fine. I personally just sprinkle enough to cover (a quick shake).

Being Italian/Irish I don't measure my ingredients 99% of the time. I learned by trial and error. That was too much, that wasn't enough, and ok that tastes good to me. So experiment, if the ingredients here aren't exactly your taste, do something different, tweak until you are happy with it. Cooking is an art, not an exact science. We add a little here and leave a little of this out, nothing is going to blow up. :-)

Lavender Tea Bread

Ingredients: 3/4 cup milk 2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped flowers 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 6 Tbsp. butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs

Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 1. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then steep until cool. (Lavender Milk) 2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in bowl. (Flour Mixture) 3. In another larger bowl place your softened butter and gradually add sugar and eggs (one at a time), beat with fork until light and fluffy. (Buttery Mixture)

4. Add flour mixture to buttery mixture and mix well. (Butter/Flour Mixture) 5. Now add lavender milk slowly to the butter/flour mixture, mixing and blending as you go. Mix well but do not over-beat.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, drizzle with a simple sugar glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with sprigs of fresh lavender.

Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons milk

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until spreadable (mixture will thicken slightly as it sets).

#recipe #lavender