Roasted Butternut squash....it is almost that time!

Reprinted from Fall of 2012.... Because it is almost that time!


I must admit, I am a picky eater.  But in the 21 years I have been married, I have gotten much better.  So I really don't care for cold sandwiches with all different condiments or deviled eggs (OK, the list goes on...).   I now can say  have a true appreciation of all different kinds of squash.  First it was acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, then it was spaghetti squash with maybe a little marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. Well now it is roasted butternut squash. 

A few weeks back we invited our foodie friends over for dinner and some great wine (Stags Leap).  I had picked up a roasting chicken at our local grocery store and decided to try Ina Garten's - Jeffrey's Roast Chicken. Now what to go along with the chicken that our foodie friends would like... 



Roasted Butternut Squash


Ingredients
1 large (4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and 1-inch-diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the squash on a rimmed foil lined baking sheet, add the olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands. Roast until tender, tossing once during cooking with a metal spatula so the cubes brown evenly, 30 to 40 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

1 (4-5 lb) roasting chicken
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lemons, quartered
1 whole head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise olive oil
 Small amount of fresh thyme (My addition to the recipe)
2 Spanish onions, peeling and thickly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Remove and discard the giblets. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Place two lemon quarters inside the cavity along with the garlic.  (I added some fresh thyme form my herb garden.)

Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Place the chicken in a small (11x14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too big the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Place the pan on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stocks a and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect on the platter under the chicken and taste for seasoning. Carve the chicken onto the platter and spoon the onions and sauce over it. If the lemons are tender enough to eat, serve them, too. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot or warm.

Chicken ready for the oven. 

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