Who doesn't enjoy a roast dinner? It is certainly enjoyed in our household, by kids and adults alike. However, I often find that the cooking process and the need for perfect timing when serving, can leave you with a stressed chef and a kitchen where every single pot and pan has played a part in making dinner. I'm always looking for ways to minimise preparation and washing up time and last week I put together this dish as a one pan alternative of roast chicken with vegetables, which ticks both these boxes.
In this recipe I used a combination of butternut squash and the normal white potato (which my husband struggles to leave out with a roast!) but you can use any root vegetables you have in. However as a simple guide I always try to go for vegetables with strong or dark colours - e.g. squash, beetroot, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots - for added nutrient content.
In this dish, the chicken is cooked on top of the cabbage which seasons the cabbage nicely ready to be served at the end. The juices created in the pan will have a citrus and garlic aroma, making a great basis for the gravy.
They other achievement I had when making this dish was that it finally got both of my girls aged 3 and 7 to happily eat butternut squash. I often find that if I serve them a new vegetable (or a vegetable they have rejected in the past) next to one that they do like, they are more likely to taste it as there is less pressure to eat it. As you can see on the picture above, my girls were also very hungry this evening, hence the missing piece of chicken on the left!
Recipe
Serves 4
Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken
1 lemon
1 garlic bulb
olive oil
thyme, sage, black pepper & salt
Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 whole cabbage (I used pointed cabbage)
1 small butternut squash (750 g)
2 large potatoes
salt & pepper
fresh basil to serve
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180'C (fan oven at 160'C).
2. Stuff the chicken with the sliced lemon and whole garlic cloves.
3. Rub the top of the chicken with olive oil, herbs and spices.
4. Cut the cabbage into large chunks and place in roasting pan.
5. Place the chicken on top of cabbage and roast for 45 mins (if the chicken is large, add 15 mins to cooking time).
6. Chop the butternut squash and potatoes and coat in ghee/coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
7. Place the vegetables in the pan with the chicken and cook for a further 60 mins (approx), stirring occasionally. Once the chicken is cooked (when juices run clear) let it sit for 10 mins.
8. Scatter with fresh basil before serving.
Have you tried this? Then please leave a comment and let me know how you got on.
Jennifer
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