as they say, “the way to a man’s heart is through is stomach” and this recipe is definitely a modern (albeit backwards) spin on that saying. a few weeks ago, i watched anna and kristina test it out on their cooking show (who else loves those girls?), and figured i had to give this simple and promising recipe a try! it’s a perfect recipe to ring in the season, beyond easy, and only calls for a few ingredients so i really didn’t expect the result i got: …the most delicious roast chicken i’ve ever had.

(roll over the images to pin to your pinboards!)

the trick to roast chicken is getting it cooked to perfection – that means moist, and tender with rich and tasty juices to drizzle upon serving. if you’re a nervous chicken cooker (i.e. you overcook it for fear of salmonella – trust me, i hear you!), invest in a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature instead of drying it out. yes ladies, for those of you who are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear if he approved – he certainly did. does that mean a ring? well, no… but he did ask me to make it every monday night, and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?

i always modify a recipe, and these are the modifications i used:

• organic chicken which i’m sure did make a difference in the outcome.
• cut the lemons before i stuffed them into the chicken so the juice would escape easily.
• i basted it halfway through and added a few cloves of garlic to the pan to flavour the pan gravy as the chicken roasted
• i was also liberal with the application of salt and pepper and rubbed the bird with olive oil to help crisp it up.

i kept the meal healthy and served it with roasted broccoli and cauliflower inspired by my friend erin who had me over for dinner the other night – the dish she made was spectacular and i had to try and replicate it.

simple roasted broccoli and cauliflower

combine veggies, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic cloves, capers, sea salt, pepper, chili flakes, and chopped onion. use any amount of each ingredient you’d like but only a small amount of vinegar. sauté at low heat for 10 minutes, and then toss onto a baking sheet. throw it into a 425 degree oven until the veggies are caramelized and slightly crispy, about 30 minutes and tossing on the pan halfway through the roasting process.