It's Thyme for Chicken!

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” - Maya Angelou 

Fun fact: did you know that the word thyme is Greek in origin, and means courage?  Well, I think YOU are courageous for taking steps towards good health by cooking your meals instead of indulging in processed foods today. Your body thanks you!

Even though I love my perfect roast chicken recipe, which you can find here, I do like to spice it up (pun intended, haha) every once in a while and try new things! So here is an alternative roast chicken recipe based on the fantastic flavors of thyme and lemon.

Ingredients:

1 tablespon thyme

½ tablespoon lemon juice

½ tablespoon lemon pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups gluten-free chicken broth

1 yellow onion

1 package baby carrots (can be substituted with any vegetable you'd like!)

1 whole chicken

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425F. In a small mixing bowl add melted butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, lemon pepper, thyme, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly.

Step 2: Remove chicken giblets and rinse chicken. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Gently peel the skin back from the chicken without removing the skin. Using half the mixture, rub the chicken with the mix that you created in step 1. Rub under the skin, over the skin, and in all the crevices for the ultimate chicken experience!  

Step 3: Add gluten-free chicken broth to the remaining half of the spices mixture and stir. Set aside.

Step 4: Cut onion into large chunks. Put one chunk inside the chicken for added flavor, but not the whole onion! Place the remaining onion pieces around the roasting pan. Add carrots to the roasting pan as well.

Step 5: Take the remaining mixture and chicken broth that you set aside and pour it evenly over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Place in oven and cook 80-120 minutes (basting both the chicken and the vegetables half-way), depending on the chicken size and your oven. Remember to cook thoroughly! If you add additional vegetables to stuff your chicken it will take longer to cook.

Enjoy!

Steamed Lobster Tails

"The world is my lobster." - Henry J. Tillman

The first time I had lobster was when my fiance convinced me to begrudgingly try it. I always claimed I wasn't a "fish person," but one bite of lobster and I was hooked! I think lobster is one of those foods that tastes great without a bunch of extra spices to change the flavor, so this is an extremely simple recipe that lets the natural lobster flavor shine.

Ingredients:

2 lobster tails

2/3 cup water

1 lemon

salt and pepper (pinches)

1-2 T of butter

Directions: 

Step 1: In a large frying pan add water and juice squeezed from half the lemon. Bring water to a boil.

Step 2: Cut the lobster tails down the middle (in a butterfly cut). Carefully partially separate the shell from the meat and rinse off any broken pieces of shell.

Step 3: Add the lobster tails to the pan and cover, steaming for 8 minutes. 

Step 4: Microwave the butter for 30 seconds in a small bowl. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Step 5: Remove the lobster tails from the pan and serve immediately, using the melted butter for dipping.

Serves 2.