January 23, 2012

Cilantro-Lemon-Lime Roasted Chicken (EASY Entree,2g carbs per serving)

Active Prep Time:  10 minutes (Do this the night before you plan to roast the chicken to allow ample marinating time for the best flavor.)
Marinating Time:  4 to 48 hours
Roasting Time:  50 minutes
Broiling Time:  5-to-10 minutes, until nicely browned

Ingredients:
  • 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (This is approximately 3 pounds.  (You can substitute 3 pounds of other bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, if you prefer.  Just use all the same cut so all pieces get 'done' at the same time.) 
  • Olive Oil Spray (You won't need this until roasting time.)
Marinade*:
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon-pepper, or to taste--I like mine very lemon-peppery (BE SURE to use a no salt brand like Mrs. Dash®.)
  • 2 Teaspoons minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1/2 Cup white wine
  • 1/4 Cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 Cup lime juice
  • 1/4 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup fresh tarragon, chopped
Preparation:
  1. Place thawed chicken in a large resealable plastic storage bag or in a plastic storage container that has a tight-fitting lid.  Set aside.
  2. Combine marinade ingredients well.    (*Can prepare marinade in a food processor/blender to save time and work.)  Pour marinade over chicken, cover  TIGHTLY and shake container/bag to thoroughly coat chicken. 
  3. Refrigerate 4-to-48 hours before cooking.  (The longer you let it marinate, the tastier the chicken will be.)  Shake container/bag several times during the marinating time for better final consistent flavor. 
  4.  When your marinating time is complete and you are ready to rock 'n roast, remove chicken from refrigerator.  Let it sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
  5. Place your oven rack in the middle position of your oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Coat two 9" x 13" baking dishes with olive oil spray.  Place five chicken thighs SKIN-SIDE DOWN in each baking dish.  Pour marinade from container/bag into a glass bowl (preferrably with a lip) and whisk to evenly redistribute the seasonings.  Once you have it well-mixed, pour marinade evenly over chicken.  Cover baking dishes with aluminum foil.  (If you can't tolerate aluminum foil, use baking dishes with tight-fitting ovenproof lids.)
  6. Roast chicken 10 minutes.  Remove foil/lids and turn chicken over so that the skin-side is up, brush with pan juices, replace foil/lids and continue baking  10 minutes longer at 450 degrees.
  7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Remove foil/lids and brush chicken with pan juices.  Continue baking UNCOVERED at 350 degrees for 30 minutes longer, basting with pan juices every ten minutes. 
  8. Turn broiler on high, baste chicken once more and broil 5-10 minutes, until chicken is nicely browned.  Remove from oven and allow it to rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
Numbers you need to know:
Cilantro-Lemon-Lime Roasted Chicken yields 10 servings, 1 thigh per
serving.  Each serving has, as follows:  216 Calories; 15g Fat (4g
Saturated, 6g Monounsaturated, 3g Polyunsaturated); 16g Protein; 2g
Carbohydratetrace Dietary Fiber; 79mg cholesterol; 102mg Sodium. 

Nita's notes:
I get SO MANY compliments on my nice, juicy thighs.... my succulent
roasted chicken thighs, that is.
                                  .
The thigh is my favorite-est piece of chicken.  It's higher fat content (as
compared to the breast) helps it stay moist and delicious while it's
roasting.  You can substitute bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts to save
11 Calories and 5g Fat per serving; but, your chicken won't turn out as lip-smackingly juicy.

No matter what chicken "pieces" I'm roasting, I use specific
time-and-temperature guidelines.  No, I didn't come up with these
on my own.  I discovered this roasting method in the cookbook, Living Lean and Loving It.   (See credits.)

I find that following that roasting method guarantees  perfectly roasted
chicken every time.  And, yes, that same cookbook still claims a
favorite spot on my dining room cookbook hutch.  I would never part
with it.  I couldn't.  Lots of culinary inspiration in that late-80s book.

What I'm trying to say is that this method should suit any of your
baked/roasted bone-in chicken recipes.  Try the time-and-temp
specifications with your favorite recipe.  You'll get a much moister,
more flavorful result.

This dish is lovely paired with pearl barley (if you do grains) and a
raw-veggie salad/pico de gallo or sauteed onions and broccoli.  (These
sides are not included in the recipe nutrition breakdown.)
  
Hope you enjoy this as much as my church-folk  (Gwynne, sorry it's
taken me this long to get it posted), my family and I do.  There are
never leftovers!  And that makes me smile.  Try this recipe and there'll be
smiles aplenty.
 
Now, get in that kitchen and whoop up something yummy.  And, as
always, make healthier choices for a happier life!

Anita Peacock
Lifelong Type 1 Diabetic
Email:  MyDiabeticBag@gmail.com
eCommerce site:  http://mydiabeticbag.com/


MyDiabeticBag.com
















Credits:
The timed-temp roasting method I used in this recipe came from "Eight
Ways with Barbequed or Broiled Chicken" published in Living Lean and
Loving It cookbook by Eve Lowry & Carla Mulligan Ennis;  Publisher: St. Louis :  Mosby/Forman, 1988.  ISBN: 0801632153   DDC: 641.5638.

You can get new and used copies through Amazon.  Some are as low as a penny plus $3.99 shipping--that's quite a bargain for such a great cookbook!  (I've ordered several 'used-like new'  cookbooks through Amazon and that's a GREAT way to expand you culinary resources.)  Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0801632153/sr=8--
1/qid=1327206724/ref=olp_tab_used?
ie=UTF8&coliid=&me=&qid=1327206724&sr=8-
1&seller=&colid=&condition=used

Mrs. Dash (http://www.mrsdash.com/) is a registered trademark by
ALBERTO-CULVER INTERNATIONAL, INC. in Melrose Park, IL,
60160-1163.

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