Last night was quite an adjustment. When I walked through the door at 7pm, there was no delicious aroma or a friendly face greeting me. Instead, the house was dark and the only light was the bathroom light we forgot to turn of that morning.
Yesterday, Bo started his new job. Evenings of home cooked meals which took hours to prepare were quickly forgotten. While the house was still neat, my week’s errand list still remained untouched on the counter.
Instead of missing the dinners and aroma, I decided to role my sleeves up and make my husband proud. Dining alone is not an excuse to be lazy and resort to deliver, cereal, and soup. Sometimes cooking alone can be relaxing, therapeutic, and enjoyable.
However, failing at your first attempt is no way to find inspiration. Therefore, I chose to make my favorite easy dinner last night. This main course is a perfect way to entertain a new love interest, impress your next door neighbor, or bring a smile to your roommate or significant other’s face when they smell the aroma. It takes only a few minutes of preparation but can result in at least two days worth of food! 
A Healthy, Happier Bear’s twist on Perfect Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
– one all natural small fryer chicken
– one cast iron skillet or roasting pan
-1 small onion, peeled and quartered
– 2 lemons, halved
– unlimited garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
– salt & pepper
– Safflower oil, or another cooking oil
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Unwrap chicken and remove giblets from chicken cavity. The giblets should be in a bag and easy to remove. After discarding the giblet bag, thoroughly rinse the chicken with cold water, inside and out. Dry the chicken using an old towel or paper towel, careful to dry both the inside cavity and under the skin folds. 
3. Place the onion, lemon, garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Salt and pepper the inside cavity with more seasoning than you believe necessary. It is almost impossible to over season! 
4. Truss (tie) the legs together with kitchen string, mostly closing the cavity opening. Tuck the wings under so the tips overlap the breast and tie in place, securing the wings to the body. I highly reference using this video to help with trussing the bird.
5. Once the chicken is tightly trussed, give it a good massage with the oil. Cover the entire bird, remembering to flip it over during the process. Follow with a healthy dose of salt and pepper all over, being careful not to over season on this step.
6. Place the chicken in your roasting pan or cast iron skillet, breast side down. 
7. Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken breast-side up and continue roasting, approximately 1 1/4 hours. I use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, removing the chicken when it registers between 170-175 degrees.
8. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.
9. Enjoy!
Question: What is your favorite side to enjoy with a simple dish like roast chicken?
