Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken is a lot of people’s favorite family meal.   I’m sure we all are trying to buy the  healthiest meats, fruits and vegetables that we can get for our families.    But picking out the healthiest chicken at the store has not become all that easy.   It only makes sense that I would buy an organic/free range chicken to make my Roasted Chicken.  Recently we all have become more aware that our food is being modified, numerous chemicals and antibiotics are being used and we just don’t have too much control over what we eat.   The Meijer grocery store that I use only has one brand of organic chicken.  You can choose organic or organic/free range.  What’s the difference?

Organic chickens must be fed only certified organic feed, which is grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides, from the time they are two days old. They may not receive hormones or antibiotics at any time, though they may receive vaccinations to prevent common diseases.

In order to be labeled Free Range chickens must be raised in an environment that allows them to wonder freely for at least half there life.    But gosh, the regular chickens were about $8.00 and the Organic chicken was about $11.00 and the Organic/Free Range Chicken was about $18.00.  So which one would you choose for your roasted chicken?   I chose the organic one.  At least I know that there aren’t antibiotics or pesticides in the chicken.    Sorry Chicken,…. that you didn’t get to roam around !!!

This Roasted Chicken recipe has the addition of orange and onions inside the chicken to give it a delicious flavor.  On the outside of the chicken I used a combination of vegetable oil, salt, seasoned pepper, sage, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and orange juice.  I like to serve the roasted chicken with rice that is cooked with onions and orange juice.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Chicken, giblets and neck removed from cavity
• vegetable oil
• salt
• pepper
• sage
• paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• 1 large onion cut up into 8 pieces
• 2 large oranges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove chicken from wrap and wash under running water, place in roasting pan.

Rub with vegetable oil and then sprinkle a liberal amount of salt, pepper, sage, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder over all surfaces of the bird and inside the cavity.  Cut up the oranges and place 1 cut up orange inside the bird and 1/2 of an onion.

Place chicken in middle of oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then turn down the oven to 350 degrees.  Continue roasted the chicken for about 20 minutes/ lb of chicken or  place meat thermometer inside the thickest part of the chicken.    When thermometer reaches 190 degrees the chicken with be done.    Watch the chicken and when the thermometer reaches 160 degrees pour juice of second orange over chicken and add 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover with aluminum foil.  Continue cooking until thermometer reaches 190.   Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before you carve it to serve