1 whole cut-up chicken (more economical) or my kids like drumsticks and thighs
Garlic Salt
1 lemon
Dried Oregano (flakes, not the powder)
1 teaspoon coconut oil or other butter substitute

Wash chicken, pat dry, and then sprinkle each piece with garlic salt. Place chicken in a Pyrex dish or roaster pan. Squeeze juice from one lemon and pour over chicken. Sprinkle chicken generously with oregano, and coconut oil. Place in oven at 350 degrees and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, depending on size of chicken. Serve with rice, pouring juice from the chicken over the rice.

1 chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
Small handful of fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 medium onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place lemon, orange, garlic, onion and salt inside cavity. Tie legs closed with string. Lightly brush a little olive oil on skin and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees until 165 degrees on a meat thermometer when stuck into the thigh.


To top

Combine the syrup and the juice from the oranges in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in bowl and marinate in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place marinated chicken breasts in an oiled baking dish sprinkling with salt and pepper, and bake for 20 minutes or until done, basting occasionally. Serve with wild rice and green beans.

2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 cup pecan meal (finely ground)
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried parsley
3 chicken breasts, skinned and chopped into nugget-sized pieces
Safflower or sunflower oil for frying

Whip eggs and water. Mix pecan meal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and parsley. Dip chicken in egg, then coat in pecan mixture, fry. Drain on paper towels. If you undercook these a little, you can freeze them for later use. Reheat in oven at 350 for 20 minutes if frozen.

1 cup ketchup
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
Dijon mustard
garlic, chopped
1 cup GFCF BBQ sauce
1 whole chicken

Boil chicken until tender and falling off bones. Let cool and pick meat, discarding fat, skin and bones. Sauté garlic, onion & pepper. Add in all other ingredients. Simmer on low heat 2 hours.

1 3-3.5 lb chicken
Adobo seasoning*
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons oil

Remove neck/giblets from chicken.  Rinse and pat dry.  Slice each garlic clove in half.  Make 4 slits in chicken skin to put garlic in.  Season outside of bird with Adobo and thyme.  Cook at 375 degrees for 80 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 175.  Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Cooks note: Use chicken carcass to make your own stock.  It can be used for flavorings in other dishes-like mashed potatoes, rice, etc.  You can freeze it in ice cube trays for future use.

*Adobo is available in the spice or Latin section of the grocery store and is similar to a season salt with garlic.

1 chicken, about 3 lb.
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 c. chicken stock

For the walnut salad:

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 Tbs. walnut oil
1 1/2 tsp. Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
5 cups green-leaf, red-leaf or other leaf lettuce, or a mixture

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Rub the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper. Using your fingers and starting at the cavity, gently separate the skin from the breast meat, reaching as far back toward the neck and as close to the thighs as possible to create a pocket. Be careful not to tear the skin. Slip the garlic slices between the skin and the meat, spreading them evenly over the breast. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Add the stock to the pan.

Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170°F, or until the juices run clear when a knife is inserted into the thigh joint, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, begin making the salad: In a small fry pan over low heat, toast the walnuts, shaking the pan often, until a nut piece is golden brown when cut in half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the walnut oil, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper. Tear the lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces and add them to the bowl. Using tongs, toss gently to coat the lettuce well with the dressing.

Arrange the salad on a platter and sprinkle with half of the toasted walnuts.

Carve the chicken, slicing the breast meat and separating the thighs from the legs. Arrange the thighs, legs, wings and the sliced breast meat on top of the salad, including any bits of garlic that slipped from beneath the skin while carving. Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts and serve warm.

1 chicken, about 4 lb.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 fresh thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves
3⁄4 lb. baby carrots
3⁄4 lb. baby turnips
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. chicken stock
2 to 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 375ºF.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard excess fat. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 4 of the thyme sprigs in the body cavity. Place the chicken in an oval roaster. Scatter the garlic, carrots, turnips and the remaining 4 thyme sprigs around the chicken. Drizzle the chicken and vegetables with the olive oil. Cover and roast for 1 hour.

Uncover the pan and preheat the broiler. Broil the chicken 4 inches from the heat source until the skin is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170ºF, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken, carrots and turnips to a warmed platter (leave the garlic in the pan), cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Remove the thyme sprigs from the pan and skim the fat from the pan drippings. Add the stock, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Puree the mixture with a blender or stick blender until smooth. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Carve the chicken and pass the sauce alongside.


To top

1 tbsp. green peppercorns, plus freshly ground green peppercorns, to taste
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) GFCF margarine, at room temperature
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1 chicken, about 5 lb.
1 lemon, cut into slices 1/4 inch thick

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a mortar using a pestle, crack the 1 tbsp. green peppercorns. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the margarine, lemon zest and juice and the 1 tsp. salt and stir until blended. Set aside.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Starting on the back of the chicken, gently slide your fingers under the skin to loosen it, being careful not to tear the skin, and rub the meat with some of the lemon-pepper paste. Turn the bird over, loosen the skin on the breast and work your way down to the thigh. Rub the meat with the remaining lemon-pepper paste. Pat the skin firmly back in place, making sure to remove any air pockets. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices.

Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and ground green peppercorns. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170°F, 35 to 40 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Carve the chicken, arrange the pieces on a warmed platter and serve immediately.

1 chicken, 4 to 5 lb.
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. herbs de Provence
2 tbsp. sea salt

For the salt-baked potatoes:

1 1/2 cups plus 1/2 Tbs. coarse sea salt
4 bay leaves
2 lb. baby red potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat an oven to 450°F.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken with the olive oil. Using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the herbs de Provence. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the salt. Generously season the chicken with the mixture; you may not need all of it. Place the chicken, breast side down, in a 5-quart Dutch oven; do not cover the pot. Set aside.

To prepare the potatoes, pour the 1 1/2 cups salt into a small lidded ovenproof pot. Arrange the bay leaves in the bed of salt. Wash the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, stir together the potatoes and olive oil. Arrange the potatoes on the bed of salt, sprinkle with the 1/2 Tbs. salt and cover the pot.

Transfer both pots to the oven. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side up and continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, 25 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

At the same time, roast the potatoes until they are easily pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the bed of salt, brush off the excess salt and place on a warmed plate.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately with the potatoes. Serves 4.