Spatchcocked High-Heat Chicken, Miso Carrot Salad, and Roasted Zucchini and Bell Pepper

Spatchcocked Chicken

Whole chicken (3-4 lbs.)

Salt

20 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon

Miso Carrot Salad

Dressing

2 tbsp. white miso paste

1/2 cup of red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 shallots, minced

Salt

Pepper

1/2 cup of canola oil

Salad

12 medium carrots, peeled

2 green apples, cored and halved

Zucchini Pepper Salad

Dressing

3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. & 1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

Salt

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 sprigs of fresh mint

Salad

2 large red bell peppers

3 medium zucchini

1. Spatchcock the Chicken: take a whole chicken and flip it breast-side down. Using kitchen scissors cut the spine out of the chicken

2. Bake Chicken: place the chicken breast-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the chicken in salt, olive oil, and garlic cloves. Bake for 20 minutes at 500*F.

3. Prepare Veggies: as the chicken bakes, cut the bell peppers and zucchini into large chunks for roasting. I chose to roast the veggies instead of charring/grilling them because it is winter and it is cold. Season with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Chicken and Veggies Continued: drop the oven to 400*F and continue cooking chicken for 25-30 minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper to the oven on a separate baking sheet. Roast veggies until chicken is done.

5. Prepare Veggies Part Two: cut 6 carrots into small rounds and grate 6 carrots. Thinly slice green apples. Add both to a large bowl.

6. Prepare Roasted Veggies Dressing: whisk together white wine vinegar (I used red), mustard, mayonnaise, and salt. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to whisk. Stir in mint leaves.

7. Prepare Carrot Salad Dressing: whisk the miso paste (I used soy and fish sauces) and vinegar together until smooth. Add brown sugar and shallots. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and oil.

8. Add dressings to salad and veggies, cut up chicken, and enjoy!

This yummy supper included a whopping 3 recipes from "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli. I have always wanted to spatchcock a chicken. I am not a chicken-lover, but this chicken came out juicy with crispy skin. Chicken is chicken, but the skill of spatchcocking will come in handy in the future. It sounds much fancier than it is!

The carrot salad was a fresh take on a veggie that is sometimes overlooked. The dressing was the star of the dish as it gave a nice acidity to the crunchy salad. I also ate some of this salad leftover and it was still crisp! Anything that is yummy leftover is a win in my book.

Roasted red bell peppers and zucchini are not a new sight in our house. They are a reliable and yummy side with almost any protein. The dressing however was a nice change. Star of the show: fresh mint. It was a relatively thick dressing with both the mustard and the mayonnaise, but the fresh mint made it much lighter.

Although this supper may seem intense in preparation, it really wasn't that overwhelming. Preparing the veggies while the chicken was cooking made up a lot of time and all dishes came together at about the same time.

Next up: Blondies! We are baking friends!

As always, more yums to come xo