Roasted Split Chicken

I'm not a big fan of eating meat off the bone. Call me crazy. Okay, okay...one exception is Gramma Doogie's Back Ribs. I'll post that recipe in the near future. As far as eating off the bone though, maybe it's all the little tendons and ligaments or something. Ribs just have the one substantial bone that doesn't leave any stringy things behind. I like that. Alright, this is about chicken, right? Yes. Thank you.

Since I've noticed that my kids are eating a lot more than they used to, and because this is all coinciding with grocery (and everything else) prices that are going up noticeably, I've come back to reality. How silly to avoid cooking and eating meat with the skeletal structure still in tact. Hey, I just bought a whole chicken (in pieces) that was discounted for quick sale for $2. So, now it's roasting away in my oven.

It's also good for my kids to see an intact chicken once in a while, so they don't get any crazy ideas like there is such a thing as a "Boneless Chicken Ranch."(I've always loved this Far Side.)

One more thing before we start roasting...
Let us all just say, "No!" to poached chicken breasts, okay? Please? There's something about the water just sucking the life, taste, moisture, character, dignity... No, wait. Just say you won't boil chicken! No matter what you make with it, you can do yourself less harm (as well as less flossing and fewer TMJ treatments) by roasting it. An' yer taster 'll thank ye too. =)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (will lower temp later)
Whole chicken--either split or all the parts and pieces
Jelly roll pan or baking sheet with an edge
Roasting rack (I use my cookie cooling rack)
2-3 TBSP olive oil
~1-1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
~1/2 tsp. pepper
~2 tsp. dried thyme or rosemary
(You can use any number of herbs that you like. Start experimenting! Rub your herb of choice together between your fingers as you sprinkle it on the chicken. It seems to wake up the aroma and flavor!)

Put the roasting rack in the baking sheet. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the roasting rack so that there are no chicken parts hanging over the edge of the baking sheet (let's not force the need to clean the oven). Drizzle olive oil over the chicken, then sprinkle on the salt, pepper and herbs.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes on 450 degrees, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees (or else it'll go spitter-spatter all over your oven 'til Kingdom come) for another 30 minutes, or until chicken is done--juices run clear and meat is not pink. Remove chicken from the oven, cover with foil for 10 minutes, then slice, shred, dice--you choose. (I remove the skin first. Remember, I'm still a wimp and don't eat all the body parts.)

I pulled mine apart in big chunks this time.I usually shred it with a couple of forks, but I also like to let it cool and dice it...or just pull it off the bone and leave it for others to do as they wish. I'm flexible--sometimes. You know what? It's your chicken. Do what you need to do!

When you lower the oven temp to 375, this is a great time to throw in some veggies to roast (diced sweet potatoes, new potatoes, zucchini, onions...toss with olive oil, salt & pepper). Then it'll all be done and hot at the same time.

That is, unless you're just using the chicken to make Tortilla Soup, or Italian Chicken Salad, or for Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas, or...oh, stop me now. Forget the veggies, maybe you should just throw in another chicken.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Since Joe absolutely LOVES green chile—ever since he went college in New Mexico—I had to get this recipe from his sister, Ellen, when she said she had the one from her Aunt Jean. Aunt Jean, who is known for this recipe, is an absolute stitch. She loves to entertain and once told us that she had saved up from months of selling her plasma in order to throw the party we were attending! I still need to experiment to make this gluten free--by making substitutions for the soups. Ellen has made some substitutions and adjustments that make the recipe just as tasty without a little of the hassle. Her adjustments are shown in parentheses below. You choose!

4-5 boneless chicken breasts (5)
1 can (10 oz.) cream of chicken soup (2 cans)
1 can (10 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion (omit, and just use a couple of shakes garlic powder)
1+1/4 cup frozen green chile, drained (or use canned 18-20 oz.)
2 TBSP butter (omit)
12 corn tortillas (18)
1 lb. grated cheese (cheddar, Jack or mixture) = 4 cups (6 cups)
¼ cup chicken broth (1/3 cup)

Cook and shred chicken while still warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion in butter until slightly soft (omit this step since not using onion/butter) and combine with soups, broth, chile (& garlic powder). Cook a little.

Tear 6 (9) tortillas into small pieces and cover the bottom of a 9” x 13” pan. Spread ½ of the chicken over the tortilla pieces, then ½ of the sauce, and ½ of the cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake for 45 minutes until very hot, bubbly and lightly browned.

Italian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups (12 servings)

This recipe is from Everyday Italian and we LOVE it! It's a great dish for warm weather summery parties! I've served it a couple of times when I've hosted bunco, and I've also brought it to friends after they've had a baby or surgery (not the full recipe!). Our kiddies have just started to enjoy eating it all. Before they appreciated all the flavors, I just took one of the chicken breasts and sliced it up for them to eat. Ooh, I'm getting hungry for it right now!

Here's the original recipe. Thank you, Giada! Since I've made VERY minor changes (fewer capers, more honey, etc.) to the recipe, I added the modifications in the recipe below. It's the only way I'll remember how to make it again next time!

10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 3 good-sized rotissiere chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cup paper-thin slices red onion
¾ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼-1/3 cup capers, drained
1-1/2 cup (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads) or bib lettuce—whatever is more economical, I’ve started just serving over torn Romaine lettuce.
1 (4 oz.) pkg. shaved Parmesan cheese (you can get this next to the regular grated)

Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Do-ahead tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified. (I just make this dressing using my dressing plunger instead of a processor. You can also just shake it in a large jar with a lid). Shake well again before adding to salad.

NOTES: I use three rotisserie chickens from Costco (they are 3 lbs. instead of 2 lbs. like the grocery store chickens…and they’re a lot less expensive).