In the meantime - last night! Wednesday night is Greg's night to cook. I go straight from work to the gym where I teach BodyFlow. By the time I get home, supper is usually done and quite often Greg and Olivia have already finished eating, except when O is in a slow poke mood.
Greg goes along with my fanatical meal planning and makes whatever I set out (most of the time!) with one caveat: it must be easy. This week was an easy, no cook meal requiring minimum prep: from September 2010's Today's Parent: Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.
This recipe will not knock your socks off. It could be improved with the addition of onions, peppers, cucumber, and my all-time favourite--goat's cheese--rather than feta. However, if you ever buy rotisserie chicken "meal deals" at the grocery store, you might want to try this out as a healthier option. As an afterthought, I would recommend adding a baguette to the side.
Verdict: recipe gone to the recycling.
If you decide to make it, you can easily use a store-bought pre-cooked chicken. If you have time and want to control the salt level of your food, try making the chicken yourself. For this recipe I cooked a chicken the night before, using one of two all-time favourite roast chicken recipes, this one from May 2008's Chatelaine: Perfect Roast Chicken. It is unbelievable to me that they don't have this recipe online, but they don't, so I've typed it out for you below.
If you've never cooked a whole chicken, this is a fabulous recipe to start with. The only times I've ever screwed it up were when (a) my chicken was still partially frozen when I put it in the oven and (b) I didn't realize my oven sucks and I need to crank up the heat and then keep an eye on the food. With a decent oven and a fresh chicken, you really can't go wrong. Have fun!
Perfect Roast Chicken
1 large lemon
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1.75 kg whole chicken
pinches of coarse salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place rack in shallow-sided roasting pan.* Lightly spray with oil and set aside.
Cut lemon into 4 wedges. Coarsely chop garlic. Remove neck and giblets from body cavity of chicken. Set aside and use for gravy, if you like.** Sprinkle garlic and salt over the inside of cavity. Stuff in lemon wedges.
Place chicken breast-side up on rack in roasting pan. Rub butter over skin. Sprinkle all over with salt. Tuck wings underneath bird.
Roast, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 170°F (77°C) and leg moves easily, about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 45 min.
Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before carving (to allow juices to redistribute).
*If you don't have a rack, I really don't think it matters. Ditto roasting pan.
**I've never done this. Someday I must remember to do so.
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