Roasted Chicken and Sautéed Kale

When it comes to meat, I am not actually a huge fan.  I read the phrase "meat as a condiment" somewhere and thought that it was a good description of my opinion on how meat should be eaten.  I rarely enjoy eating just eating meat (a good steak really isn't my thing) but I do enjoy all of the sauces and dished that go with it.  All of my favorite dishes include meat, they just also tend to involve slow cooking it with a lot of other things so that the flavors meld together.  That being said, I seem to be doing a lot with whole chickens these days.  (I like being able to use the carcass to make stock.)  Also, since I'm cooking for a bunch of friends this summer, they tend to prefer a bit more meat.

(Edit:  Can you tell that my brother and I are basically the same person?)

I made the easy standard roast chicken dish that my family generally makes.  I cook this dish mainly for the onions that go with it.  The chicken turns our well and is flavorful but the onions that cook in the lemon and chicken juices are by far my favorite part.  Also, since I don't particularly enjoy just eating chicken, this recipe leaves plenty of leftover meat that I can use in another recipe later in the week.  I served it over rice with some sautéed kale on the side for a complete meal.

Roast Chicken with Onions and Lemon

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 large yellow onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tbsp. Olive oil
• A few sprigs of thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

Chock onions into about 3/4 inch chunks and put in roasting pan.  Clean and dry chicken and coat with oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and place on bed of onions breast side up.  Pour lemon juice over chicken and onions.  And roast in the oven until done.  A chicken in done when the meat thermometer reads 165-170 degrees F or the juices run clear when you cut into the chicken.
If, like me, you don't happen to have a roaster or oven space, (hooray for college dorm kitchens) you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker on high.

Sautéed Kale

• 4-6 cups of Kale (this sounds like a lot but I didn't pack the Kale at all and it cooks down)
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves or garlic
• 2 pinches of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of white wine
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Olive oil

Directions:

Cut the stalks out of the kale leaves and roughly chop.  Slice the onion into thin strips.  Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent.  Mince the garlic and add it to the pan with the red pepper flakes.  Cook for another minute and then add the wine and the kale.  Cook until the kale is bright green and then add the lemon juice.  Cook for another 2 minutes or until the kale is done to your liking.

(Note:  The measurements on this recipe are not fixed.  I made this dish by taste and sight, and this tends to be how I cook in general.  Use ingredients to taste.)

- Sophie