A Week of New Recipes -- Day 7: Roast Chicken with Panzanella

Beautiful, huh?  You know how they say, "Make a rainbow on your plate..."?  Well, I definitely got the red part of the rainbow covered! 

Day Seven - the last day of the week of new recipes.  This was actually the second time I tried this recipe (even though it was in the new recipe plan, it looked too good to wait for a few weeks back).  The last time I tried it we took lots and lots of pictures, because it was so cool to make croutons from scratch and when all of the items were mixed together they looked so lively.  Unfortunately, my camera was on manual focus during the process and I didn't notice until I uploaded them on the computer :(  Oh well, all's well that ends well, right?  And this definitely ended well.

While I had the chicken roasting in the oven, I just put together a few ingredients...

Tossed...

And then we enjoyed.  :)

I loved making these recipes this week.  So many fresh, great ingredients and simple ways to mix things that I never would have thought of on my own.  But I must be honest, I am ready for food I do not need to read the directions for in order to make.  I am ready for some Tiffany Food, the kind that has a recipe living in my head.  Maybe some tuna casserole and mashed potatoes ;) 

This recipe, like several others this week, will make it into my regular planning.  It is nice to know that after I make them a few times I will not need to look at the directions anymore, and they too will become Tiffany Food.  Which is a good thing, because they sure were tasty!



*I used chicken thighs for this recipe instead of a whole chicken.  It was easier that way, and still tasted great.

INGREDIENTS:

• One 5- to 6-pound chicken (OR CHICKEN THIGHS)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the chicken breast side down on a work surface. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone; pull out and discard. Open the chicken like a book and flip skin side up. Press on the breast until the bone cracks. Pat dry.
2. Place a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Rub the chicken all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast side up in the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast until the skin is crisp and golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted into the thigh, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
3. Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet; toast until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss. Serve the chicken on top of the bread salad.

(Recipe from rachaelray.com)

COST = $10.05       PER SERVING (3) = $3.35