Simple Roast Chicken with Vegetables

This is the simplest meal in the world.  Four ingredients, zero prep.  This isn't the healthiest ever, since everything basically cooks in the chicken fat, but it's just so damn good.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 lemon, halved
Any vegetables, chopped (or not!  I used asparagus + carrots, because that's what I had in my fridge)

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Place vegetables at bottom of a baking pan, and place chicken on top.  Cover in olive oil and 1/2 of the lemon.  Add lemon to the dish.  Bake for 1 hour if the chicken is small, 1 1/2 hours if larger.

THAT'S IT.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

I just can't get enough of stews in the winter.  Nothing like a good hearty warm bowl of veggie goodness to get me through.  Not to mention, you can just throw everything into the crockpot and come back the next morning.  This stew is dependent on the spices and the eggplant - but you could throw any other veggies you had in and I'm sure it would be great.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
5 cups vegetable broth
4 carrots, sliced
1 small eggplant, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
3/4 cup currants or raisins
1 cup almonds, chopped
Salt + Pepper, to taste

1. Cook garlic, onion and all spices in either olive or coconut oil (highly recommended) for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat, allowing to brown.

2. Chop the additional vegetables and add all ingredients to crockpot.  Cook for 8 hours on high.

That's it.

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Original Recipe:

Cooking Light

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Rosemary

The original recipe called for lots of peppers and mushrooms, neither of which I had on hand.  I made up for it by adding carrots, diced and stewed canned tomatoes, and more celery.  I also didn't have red wine, so added more broth.

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
4 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 package Mushrooms
2 cups Broth
3 cups Water
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 8oz cans Diced Tomatoes
1 package Chicken (on the bone - I used drumsticks)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt + Pepper, to taste

1. Chop peppers, onion, garlic, carrots, celery.  Add these to the slow cooker, as well as rosemary and mushrooms.

2. Add in broth (or Bouillon cube), tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder and water.

3. Cut the fat off of the chicken and add in whole.

You just sort of have to get in there and pull it off.  Mmm.

4. Set slow cooker to low, and cook overnight, or until chicken falls off the bone.  Fish out the drumstick bones.

Great alone, and also over rice/barley.

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Original Recipe:

Jeanette's Healthy Living