Italian Rotisserie Chicken and Purple Carrots, Oh My!

I hope you all had a wonderful new year!  Today I'm sharing a kick-ass recipe for rotisserie chicken that will blow your mind.  Seriously, you will never want to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store again. Rotisserie chickens are one of those really tasty, super easy meals that never disappoint. When you can make it yourself using a free-range organic chicken and simple, chemical free seasonings? That's winning!

This post is curtsy of my dad, master of the grill.  It really is his expertise (and my family's amazing gift giving abilities) that allowed this crispy, golden brown chicken to happen.  This year my family got my dad a rotisserie for his weber grill.  Genius!  Actually, last year they got him a smoker which is another tasty toy, however today I'm going to focus on rotisserie chicken perfection.  I will have to share some smoked meat recipes in the future!

My Aunt Barbara from Vermont brought two free-range organic chickens with her when she came down for Christmas so my dad could break into his gift asap.  I love that even my family's minds are oriented towards good food :)  Now Nick and I have been making some pretty good roast chicken in the oven lately, so I already had a seasoning in mind for these birds.  (You can make this chicken in the oven if you don't have a rotisserie attachment for a grill!)  The prep is simple; tie the legs and wings together with twine, then rub the chicken with oil and sprinkle liberally with the seasonings.  I kept true to my Italian roots with the seasonings, using garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Simple yet flavorful.  I bet you have all those ingredients in your spice cabinet right now!

Throughout the prep of these chickens, my dogs were waiting like vultures for any scraps to fall.  No such luck :)  While my dad got the grill ready, I cut up some brussel sprouts and purple carrots to roast as a side dish.  I decided to go real simple with the sides.  My aunt also brought the purple carrots from Vermont.  Purple carrots pretty much taste like regular carrots only slightly sweeter. Where they really differ is the deep purple ring that surrounds an orange center.  I love colorful foods and my aunt is a super-star of organic gardening so I always learning new techniques to apply to my garden, as well as being introduced to fun new vegetables.  Thanks Aunt Barbara!

Roasting the veggies was actually more work than roasting the chicken.  For the veggies, you have to stir every 15 minutes or so.  For the chicken, you just leave it go until the temperature reaches 165 F. Hard work I know!

Needless to say, last night we had a delicious dinner.  Simple, fresh, and oh-so-tasty.  You can use any leftover chicken to make this apple-bacon chicken salad and throw any of the extra veggies in an omelette.  I'm going to try and start highlighting how to use the leftovers of the dishes I make, because if you do it right you only have to cook a few meals a week to make a variety of things!

Italian Rotisserie Chicken 

1 whole free-range, organic chicken
olive oil
twine

Equal amounts of:
garlic powder
onion powder
dried basil
dried oregano
dried parsley
coarse sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Prep:
1.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Rub generously with olive oil, then liberally sprinkle with the seasonings, making sure to cover the entire chicken.  Gently pat the seasonings onto the skin.

For the grill:
Tie the drumsticks together with twine, and run a long piece of twine under the body of the chicken and secure the wings.

Place the chicken securely on the rotisserie spit.  If making more than one, place the counter weight in the center to balance the turning of the chickens.  Secure the end of the spit.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (about 350 F- 450 F).  Place a tin foil pan in the center of the grill, to catch chicken drippings.  Following the instructions of the weber rotisserie, lock the spit into the rotisserie attachment and place on the grill.  Cook for about 1 hr 30 minutes with indirect medium heat, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F and the skin is crispy.

For the oven (roast Italian chicken):
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Place seasoned chicken in a oven-safe baking dish.  Add about a 1/2 inch of water to the bottom of the pan.  Cover with tin foil.  Bake for 1 hour with the tin foil on, then remove the foil.  Bake another 30 minutes or so, until the internal temperature reaches 165F and the skin is crispy.

Garlic Roasted Purple Carrots and Brussel Sprouts

1 lb brussel sprouts, cut in half

1 lb purple carrots, diced large

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 head roasted galric, removed from skin

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp lemon zest

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2.  Add the cut brussel sprouts, carrots, and onion to a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Season with salt, pepper, and sprinkle with the dried thyme and lemon zest.

3.  In a small bowl, mix the roasted garlic paste with the olive oil until smooth.  Pour over the veggies and using your hands, gently toss to evenly coat the veggies with the garlic mixture.

4.  Bake for about an hour, stirring every 10 minutes.  The veggies are done when they are tender and beginning to brown around the edges.