This Roasted Chicken presents beautifully for a dinner party! It’s also great for kids — they don’t know that the stuffing is made of veggies and gobble it up every time!
Bottom half of the broiler pan
Sharp kitchen knife and/or kitchen shears
Small paring knife (optional)
1 Organic 5 – 5 1/2 Pound Roasting Chicken
3 Medium Carrots Roughly Chopped
2 Stalks Celery Roughly Chopped
1 Large Red Pepper Seeded & Roughly Chopped
1 Large Onion Roughly Chopped
2 Small or 1 Medium Zucchini Roughly Chopped
Chopped Garlic to Personal Taste
Handful Fresh Basil (About a quarter cup chopped)
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (or to personal taste)
2 Slices Organic Nitrate-Free Bacon Sliced Into Several Pieces
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the broiler pan with aluminum foil the parchment; this will make clean-up a breeze.
1) With your kitchen knife or shears, remove the backbone of the chicken by cutting down each side of the backbone carefully with your knife. Good kitchen shears make this job a lot easier.
2) Once the bone is removed, turn the bird over and butterfly it by spreading it out flat and giving it a little push with the heel of your hand to make sure that it’s laying flat.
3) With your fingers and perhaps the help of a small knife, loosen the skin of the chicken from the flesh, cutting through the tiny tendons with the knife when necessary. You can usually do this purely with your fingers. Reach all the way down to the thigh and as far down to the legs as possible — more room for stuffing.
1) In your food processor, add the chopped vegetables one at a time starting with the ones toughest to process. First the carrots, then the celery, then the red pepper, onion and zucchini processing as you go, in between each, until you reach a thick, almost soupy consistency. Now add the bacon slices and process again until the bacon is a smooth part of the puree. Add the 1 1/2 cups of walnuts now and process again — they act as your breadcrumbs in the stuffing and will help bind it together. You may add more if you feel that your stuffing it too watery still. The stuffing should be soft but just ‘together’ enough to handle. If you would like added bite or crunch to your stuffing, then pour the filling into another bowl and gently stir in the additional 1/2 cup of walnuts in.
2) Put about 1 -1 1/2 cups of the stuffing in a separate bowl, you may have some stuffing left over. This a a good thing — this stuffing is great in portobello mushrooms, artichokes, pork chops, etc
3) Next, push the stuffing under the skin of the chicken with your hands (or a spoon if you wish) in small batches spreading it out as evenly as possible as you go. Get stuffing as far down the thighs and legs as possible. When you have the bird completely stuffed it should have a big puffy chest and thighs. Next, with a wet paper towel, clean off the skin of the chicken and salt and pepper the skin.
4) Bake the chicken n the center of the preheated ovenfor an hour and half to two hours or until juices run clear.
1) Save the backbone in a freezer bag in the freezer as it make a great component for stock.
2) You may have left over stuffing which is WONDERFUL stuffed into stuffing mushrooms. Put them into the oven next to the chicken the last 15 minutes of cooking to serve them with the chicken. Alternatively, you can save the stuffing & stuff the mushrooms the next day for a lovely appetizer or side dish. Bake them at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 12 – 15 minutes with about 1 1/4 cup of wine, veggie broth or water in the bottom of the casserole to keep them nice & moist.
• 582 Calories
• 35 grams of Protein
• 13 grams of Total Carbohydrates
• 5 grams of Sugar
• 4 grams of Fiber
• 45 grams of Total Fat
• 9 gram of Saturated Fat
• 0 grams of Trans Fat
• 118 mg of Cholesterol
• 572 mg of Sodium
• 125% RDA Vitamin A
• 64% RDA Vitamin C
• 62% RDA Manganese
• 59% RDA Niacin
• 47% RDA Vitamin B6
• 38% RDA Phosphorus
• 36% RDA Selenium
• 30% RDA Copper
• 26% RDA Vitamin K
• 24% RDA Magnesium
• 24% RDA Sodium
• 22% RDA Zinc
• 21% RDA Potassium
• 20% RDA Riboflavin
• 19% RDA Pantothenic Acid
• 18% RDA Thiamin
• 18% RDA Folate
• 15% RDA Iron
• Glycemic load: 3
• Total Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 2987
Brief mention: “Results vary. This is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.”
