I’m so excited to begin this Cooking with Kay segment on MyFabFinance. My goal is to help you create simple, economic and tasty meals because preparing your own food is not only good for your body but also your wallet. Rest assured you will not need any high end gadgets to replicate the dishes, I want everyone to learn that good food is technique not expensive tools.

As this dreary winter departs, the vegetable aisle is looking sparse and CSA’s and farmers markets have been stocking the same dull root vegetables since October.

What’s a financially fab eater to do?

Carrots!

Carrots are just finishing their season and you can get pounds of them at inexpensive prices anywhere you shop and they’re great in sweet and savory applications. Over the next few weeks I will show you how to use them from Dinner to Dessert. I recommend you pick up the thickest carrots you can find and keep the tops, as the thicker carrots will keep well in the crisper for a month.

Check out our video below for a classic, simple roasted chicken recipe followed by written instructions.

The following recipe serves 2-4 with leftovers
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40-60 minutes

1 Whole Chicken
3 large potatoes
3 Large Parsnips
1 large Onion
1 Whole Head of Garlic
2 Pounds of Large Carrots*
Your favorite Herb (I recommend Thyme)
Lemon – Optional
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

*So I know you are like 2 pounds of carrots, but why? We are roasting the extra pound to use in the roasted carrot soup (Which I will  give you the recipe for it next week.) If you aren’t making the soup or don’t care to store the carrots in the fridge only roast one pound.

As far as choosing your cooking vessel. You want to roast the chicken in a pan that has low sides so all of the dry air can circulate around the chicken, melting the fat for tasty drippings as well as crisping up the skin. I use an old baking sheet but a roasting tray will do just fine.

1.Take your chicken out of the fridge so it can start getting to room temperature. and turn your oven to 500°. We want a smoking hot oven because a super hot oven creates crispy skin.

2.While the oven is preheating wash and dry your vegetables, removing the peel from the onion. Cut your potatoes and onions into large chunks that are roughly the same size, leaving the garlic, parsnips and carrots whole, only removing the tops of the carrots. Store tops in your fridge reserving for other uses such as garnishes and salads.

3. Arrange your onion, potato, parsnip, carrots and whole garlic on the tray as a bed for the chicken, drizzle with olive oil, taking care to coat the head of garlic, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. This bed of veggies creates a rack for the chicken but you can use your roasting rack if you have one over the vegetables. You can also roast the vegetables in a separate tray.

4.Thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towel. (Removing this excess moisture increases the crispness of the skin.) Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper inside and out to taste. We are not going crazy with seasoning here because we want to taste our food but if you have a spice you want to try on chicken feel free to sprinkle it on as well. If you are using the lemon cut it in half and stuff both halves inside the chicken along with a few sprigs of thyme.

5. Place the dry, seasoned bird atop the vegetable bed or roasting rack breast side up. Place in the oven legs first, cooking 10 minutes per pound ex: 6 pound bird will roast for 60 minutes. That’s it, no flipping, no turning, no million seasonings.

6. Separate half of the carrots and place in freezer safe container for next weeks recipe. Remove roasted garlic from tray and store in fridge for later use ( next week’s garlic goat cheese spread). Store any leftover chicken for a tasty addition to sandwiches or salads and if you are feeling up to it use the carcass to make chicken stock

Bon Appetite!

We will post the following delicious recipes pictured above next week to help you put those left over carrots to use:

Carrot Pear Soup with Garlic Goat Cheese Spread
Shaved Carrot Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Carrot Cake cupcakes with Blood Orange Ginger Glaze