Deconstructed One-Pot Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

I just discovered that I prefer to roast a chicken after it’s been cut up by someone else other than me. Why? It’s just easier. Roast the vegetables together with the chicken.

Roast Fryer with Vegetables in one pan.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Fryer
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Carrots, cleaned and sliced in half
  • Potatoes, rinsed and sliced into large chunks
  • Fennel, cut into chunks
  • Garlic Cloves, peeled and left whole

 

Put all in a roasting pan or a paella dish. Brush or rub with oil (I used coconut oil) , salt and pepper and herbs.

 

Roast at 400 for 65-80 minutes depending upon how crispy and done you prefer your chicken and vegetables. This is now a go-to, one-pot dish in the Gibbs household. So easy and delicious. 

No need to roast a chicken whole.

No need to roast a chicken whole.

 

Eggplant : Tapanade Recipe

Easy Eggplant Tapanade

Easy Eggplant Tapanade

This is one of my go-to healthy appetizer recipes that can be made quickly or made ahead. Like all of the recipes I post here, you can change it up easily adjusting the measurements or using different spices and seasonings and it will still be easy and delicious. While an eggplant tapanade is usually considered Italian, it is also something commonly seen throughout the Middle East. The spices I use were inspired by an eggplant dish at a Moroccan restaurant we used to go to for special occasions. The vinegar and honey add a great “sweet and sour” element to the recipe.

 

The only problem with frying eggplant in oil is that it absorbs so much of the oil that it becomes heavy and caloric. I start with a little bit of oil for flavor and add water instead. It

You can replace the tomato paste and honey with ketchup.

You can replace the tomato paste and honey with ketchup.

works great and the eggplant stays moist. 

 

  • 1 Eggplant, cut into cubes
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
  • Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons
  • *Tomato Paste, 4 Tablespoons
  • *Honey, 2 Tablespoons

(*Instead of tomato paste and honey, you can use ketchup.)

  • Capers, 2 Tablespoons 
  • Ground Cumin, 1 Tablespoon 
  • Ground Chili Powder, 1 Tablespoon 
  • Fresh Basil and/or Fresh Cilantro chopped

 

Slice the Eggplant into rounds first, then into cubes.

Slice the Eggplant into rounds first, then into cubes.

Slice the eggplant into rounds and then into cubes.

Tear the red pepper open and remove the step and seeds with your hands.

Chop the onion. 

 

 

 

Heat the oil in the pan and add the vegetables. Stir.

Add a little water (1/3 of a cup or so) and continue to cook on a low flame. Stir. 

Add more water as needed to keep the pan moist, not dry.

 

Use water in addition to the oil so the tapanade stays moist, not oilyl.

Use water in addition to the oil so the tapanade stays moist, not oily.

When eggplant is soft, add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cool and serve with crusty bread, crackers or endive leaves if you eat gluten free.

 

Pommes Anna : Recipe : Easy

I love making Pommes Anna mainly for the pretty factor. That and of course the ease of making the recipe that you just throw in the oven after preparing. Your kids will also enjoy helping you layer the potatoes. 

 

Sliced Potatoes, Butter, Salt & Pepper.

Sliced Potatoes, Butter, Salt & Pepper.

Ingredients:

 

  • 6 peeled Russet Potatoes, sliced thin. 
  • 1/2 Cup (1 Stick or 4 ounces) Butter, melted in microwave in 10 second increments or alternatively, Olive Oil if you are a Vegan.
  • Salt and Pepper (I used Truffle Salt for an extra layer of flavor. You can add extra flavor as you like with Grated Parmesan Cheese, or Chopped Fresh Rosemary etc…)

 

Use a Pastry Brush to cover an Iron Pan with melted butter

Layer slices of potatoes. 

Brush with butter. Sprinkle salt on top of layer. Continue to layer, butter and salt.

Drizzle the remaining butter over the potatoes. 

Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through.

Just bake until golden brown. Slice like a pie.

Just bake until golden brown. Slice like a pie.

Slice like a pie and top with sour cream. A great gluten free side for any dinner.

Pineapple Juice – Rafael’s traditional recipe

Fall is officially here. But here in California, it is still warm. While it gets darker a little bit earlier, and the sunless mornings feel like the middle of the night when the alarm goes off, there are just a few leaves on the ground and few people have started to decorate their homes for Halloween or even attempted to make any pumpkin recipes. While I am craving cool weather and the rain,  I discovered this beverage at my friend’s birthday party in Hermosa Beach from (what we in California refer to so eloquently as)  the “taco guy”.

 

Delicious Agua de Pina.

Delicious Agua de Pina.

This pineapple juice , or ” Agua de Pina ” (as Rafael said it’s called at his home) really hit the spot on a sunny Sunday. I was amazed at how delicious but so refreshingly real this juice recipe tasted. It was like drinking a fresh pineapple. How is it after all these years in California , considering this is an an easy, traditional way to make homemade juice that most Mexican families in Los Angeles make, I’ve never seen it before? Mixed with champagne or sparkling wine (which I did at the party) the drink evolves into something completely unique and new – a step up from a Mimosa. Just simply delicious.

Per Rafael, he used 6 ripe pineapples to 4 gallons of water to fill a 5 gallon container for the party. I’ve adjusted the recipe to make approximately a little over a quart.  

 

  • 1 ripe Pineapple
  • 3 1/2 Cups Water
  • Sugar to taste (about a 1/2 Cup) or Honey or Agave Nectar

 

Use a knife to cut the skin of the pineapple off.

Cut into small chunks.

Blend 1/2 of the pineapple with 1/2 of the water and strain into quart sized pitcher.

Blend the remaining pineapple and water and strain into the pitcher.

Done!