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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.

~Winston Churchill~

Monday, September 30, 2013

Whole Life Challenge

Ever since Sept 5th I've been participating in the Whole Life Challenge.  It's a form of lifestyle change challenge where you sign up to eat clean, be active and track each day.   Mostly, I've done ok.  Missed some workout from a back injury, but I've been able to do small modified workouts at home that count - For example - 3 rounds of 25 squats, 25 push ups, 1 minute planks, 10 lunges.  The goal is a minimum of 10 minutes workout and 10 minutes stretches or mobility.  The stretching is easy for me - I stretch my hamstrings when I blow dry my hair upside down each morning, then at lunch when I'm in the break room microwaving my lunch 2-3 minutes I stretch.  One day someone will catch me in downward dog in front of the microwave...sigh.  Then in the evenings, I spend some time with the foam roller working on my back.  There are 3 levels to the challenge, and I went for the intermediate since I had already gone gluten free. 

Anyway, below is my recipe for Roast Lemon Chicken that I pretty much devoured last night.  It is within my intermediate level of the challenge.
 Camera Roll-1325
 
1 Whole Chicken (4-6 lbs)
zest of one lemon - reserve lemon for stuffing in cavity - cut in half
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon more for topping
1/2 rough chopped onion
4 T. cubed butter
1 C. chicken stock
1 c. white wine
1/4 c. olive oil
I used a mortal and pestle to grind up Zest, thyme, rosemary, garlic and 1 t. salt & pepper until it reaches a paste consistency.
Rinse chicken in water and pat dry with paper towels.
Drizzle olive oil all over chicken.and then rub in the paste all over the chicken.  Reserve a about 1/2 teaspoon of the paste for the cavity.

Put the chicken in a roaster/dutch over on a rack breast up.
Into the cavity stuff the lemon used for zesting (cut in half) - I put one half in first, with two tablespoons butter cubed up, then a little of the paste, then chopped onion, then 2 more tablespoons cubed butter and close with the remaining lemon half.
In the pan pour in chicken stock and white wine - if you have it.
Sprinkle chicken breast side up with remaining salt - I use a french sea salt, but your preferred salt is fine.

Put into a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Then reduce oven to 375 for 1 hour.
Check internal temp at breast or thigh to be 160.  once 160 is done, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Note - I also baste it with the pan juices two or four or five times during cooking...

3 comments:

Denise said...

Oh my goodness that looks yummy! Congrats on your progress with the life challenge!

Regena said...

congrats on keeping up with this. I have been following your progress and it looks hard.
let me know if it worked or had any positive effects

Karen said...


That chicken looks delish! I'll have to add that to this week's dinner menu :)