roast chicken done a new way

guess they liked it

this week my dad took out another whole chicken for dinner. roast chicken with a couple sides (rice, veg the usual) are consumed at least once a week over here and i wanted to put a spin on the meal. i did roast the chicken, just not like my dad does but my way, stuffed with herbs and seasoned with spices and lemon. then i made a delicious cheese sauce (first ever!!) and sauteed a little veg to add to the colour of the dish (nothing worse then a beige meal) and added it all to whole wheat pasta and baked it until the cheese bubbled. delish in a dish <3

roast chicken pasta casserole:

• whole chicken
• various herbs (parsley, chives, terragon, oregano, marjoram, thyme)
• salt and pepper 
• olive oil
• three tbsp of grainy mustard
• paprika
• one clove garlic
• half a lemon

stuff chicken with your herbs and the half a lemon then season and rub down the outside of the bird with olive oil, salt and pepper, paprika and a crushed garlic. pop it in the oven at 425C and cook for an hour or so dependent on the size of the chicken. 

• one eggplant chopped
• one and a half cup of grape tomatoes halved
• one broccoli chopped
• one onion chopped
• two cloves of garlic 
• cooking spray
• salt and pepper to taste

chop all veg and sauté lightly in a hot pan just so they are soft and chewy in the casserole. let rest.

• 3 pats of butter
• 3 tbsp of flour
• one cup of grated cheddar
• one cup grated pecorino 
• handful of fresh grated parmesan 
• salt and pepper
• milk to achieve creamy consistency (a cup or two)

heat butter in a small sauce and add flour once melted and whisk. when clumpy start to add in milk slowly to achieve a creamy texture. once achieved add in cheese and whisk until smooth. add salt and pepper and let sit.

• boil a box of whole wheat pasta- i used rotini

take out chicken, and chop into bite size pieces. place pasta in a pyrex dish and layer with chicken and veg. once all is in the dish cover dish with cheese sauce and top with roughly chopped tomatoes, torn basil and grated cheese for a nice crust (i had some gorgonzola and brie leftover yummmmy). bake until cheese bubbles! voila <3

p.s dont throw away bones or herbs from stuffing. boil and make a stock and stayed tuned for my next recipe....pumpkin, carrot lentil curry soup!