Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 oz. white wine
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 whole chicken, giblets and fat removed
• 2 cups turnips, peeled, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups carrots, peeled, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut in 1 1/2-inch florets
• 1 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4-6 Servings (4 oz. of chicken & 1 cup vegetables per serving)

1. Place a shallow roasting pan with a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Combine 1 ounce olive oil, wine, mustard, rosemary, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Gently loosen the skin from the breast and legs of the chicken, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub 3/4 of rosemary mixture underneath the skin of the chicken. Rub the remaining 1/4 all over the skin. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper.
4. Place the chicken  on the rack in the roasting pan in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. Toss the vegetables with 1 ounce olive oil. Place around the chicken in the bottom of the pan. Every 10-15 minutes, baste the chicken with the juices and fat that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan, and turn the vegetables. Roast another 45-50 minutes until the juice runs clear or until the chicken is 165°  at the thigh or about 160° F at the breast.
6. Let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Who doesn't love a good roast chicken once in a while. This roast chicken with roasted vegetables is kicked up a notch with the sophisticated flavors of  olive oil, white wine, garlic & Dijon mustard. The chicken had a nice aroma and taste to it. You can replace the turnips and carrots or use them with sliced onions or fennel, Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, parsnips or rutabagas, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces and your meal will be delicious. If you serve this dinner to your kids along with the vegetables, they will eat this meal up and not care about the vegetables. Don't forget to serve white wine with this dish for the adults.

Chicken Cassoulet

Ingredients:

• 6 (6-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small rutabagas or turnips, peeled and diced (1 1/4 lbs.)
• 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp unsalted tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Makes 6 Servings

1. Heat oven to 425 F.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add rutabagas, carrots, celery and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Transfer to a cassoulet to a large casserole dish and bake until browned and bubbling, 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.
    

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Just because it's cold outside, it doesn't mean you can throw a delicious and colorful dinner party. I have come to really love French food and this dish is so comforting, colorful and deliciously filling. A cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole dish orginating in the rustic, southern French country that usually contains pork sausages, goose, duck and sometimes mutton, pork skin and white haricot beans. The chicken was cooked beautifully, the vegetables added color and flavor to the dish and the wine gave this dish a nice aftertaste. You can use chicken or turkey in this dish to trim the fat in this dish. This was the first time I ate a rutabaga and it was really delicious with the beans, carrots, celery, tomatoes and onions. This was such a delicious meal I would immeadiately eat this again. This is a time comsuming dish but it is worth the time and effort.