Nothing says Sunday dinner like a roasted chicken…….Honey Mustard Roast Chicken.
When I was growing up, having a roasted chicken was like a mini Thanksgiving. We usually had mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. We had corn because that was about the only vegetable my picky brother and I would eat. But, the best part was, my Grandma’s stuffing…….every family has a special dressing for holidays and my Grandma’s was the dressing that we all fought over when it was time to go home and she was packing the goodie bags. Lucky for me I lived right next door, so I had special access. The dressing has special memories of holidays and Sunday dinners.
Back in the day when everything, and I do mean everything was cooked until it was falling off the bone. The only complaint I had was that sometimes the chicken was dry…….well until you covered it with gravy. So, what to do to make that Sunday chicken moist……….
One of my favorite recipes is Simple Roasted Chicken ……….only salt and pepper on a very well dried bird and into a high heat oven…….I know, I was skeptical at first too, but it is truly the best chicken.
A nice sauce can produce a moist bird, as is the case with this “yard bird” recipe. On top of super yummy, it’s super duper easy. Mix, pour, bake, gobble up………more on the gobbler meal later in the week.
A simple sauce of yellow mustard, soy sauce, honey, and curry powder poured over the chicken and roasted……..hmmm,hmmm,hmmm………..it was delicious.
You can serve this with potatoes, rice, pasta, or as Tim and I did……… the Roasted Pear Salad.
Leftovers…….if you have any……..which I suspect you will not……….can be used in chicken sandwiches, or added to a pasta or soup dish.
When you can’t decide on what to fix for a special Sunday dinner, give this bird a try!!
Looking for a special side dish for the upcoming holidays?……… Roasted Pear Salad is it!
I am a recent convert to fruit on a green salad ………..well recent as in the last 10 years……ok so not so recent, but it is a taste to behold.
In my experience, salad was always lettuce,tomato,cucumber…….blah,blah,blah. So, the first time I tried fruit I was surprised how good it was, so I tried it again, and again and it kept getting better and better.
If you read my blog, you know if something catches my eye at the store it will make its way here…….lucky you!
I saw these pears and a fall salad came right to my mind. The pears on a bed of baby greens with walnuts and blue cheese……..sounded yummy. Some kind of vinaigrette to dress the salad……I had a plan.
Now, the biggest problem I have with apples or pears on a salad is that they turn color so easily unless you serve it right away and I am the make ahead type of gal!
I have tried lemon juice and the trick of soaking in 7-up, but never with much luck. I know you all can’t see it, but sometime a light bulb goes off in my head……..no really it does……..
If I roasted the pears the only color they would turn is a pretty, fall golden color, and what’s better than butter to make that happen?…….Paula Deen has the whole butter thing right, everything is better with butter.
So, cut side down in butter and 20 minutes later add a touch of balsamic…….it was going in the dressing, so why not add the flavor to the pears?…….light bulb! When they came out of the oven I wanted them to soak up all that balsamic butter flavor so, even though it was all I could do not too……..I left them cut side down until they were completely cool. When I turned them over…………I swear they were the most beautiful things, all glossy and golden. I knew I made the right choice. Another plus to preparing the pears this way besides them not turning colors, you can make them ahead,along with all the other things for the salad, and put it together at a moments notice. Perfect if you are going to a holiday happening and you are ask to bring the salad……totally portable.
Blue cheese and walnuts “pear” beautifully with pears. I like gorgonzola better than regular blue cheese. To me it has a smoother creamy flavor, but by all means use what ever blue type cheese you like best. Toasting the walnuts…….or any nut for that matter, enhances their taste, like a million, billion times………if you have never tried it, you really have too!
I used individual plates, but if you were taking this to a get-together you can use a platter and just slice the pears. But, I wanted a fancy smancy plate, so heres how it went…….Baby greens, roasted pear half ( cut side up to show all it beauty), sprinkle with gorgonzola and walnut……serve with Honey Balsamic Dressing.
Both Tim and I thought the presentation was elegant and beautiful…….then we ate the salad…….the seas parted and angels sang……..ok not really, but it was a little piece of heaven.
So, impress your friends, family or significant other with this beautiful looking and tasty fall salad Roasted Pear Salad……..it will “leaf” them breathless !
Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 8×8 inch baking dish. Place in oven to melt butter. Remove core from pears halves using a melon baller or a small spoon.
Place pears cut side down in the melted butter and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar,return to oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let set until room temperature. Do not remove the pears from the baking dish until completely cooled.
Divide the mixed green among 4 plates. Top greens with one pear half,skin side up. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts.
Serve with Honey Balsamic Dressing
Keywords: baby greens, pears, gorgonzola cheese, slaw, side dish, walnuts
As promised……. a “Date Night Dinner” recipe……..Spicy Honey Chicken………..now we had this on a non traditional date night…..Wednesday…….but any night can be a date night if you are with the right person. (check back every Thursday for a new Date Night recipe).Continue reading “Spicy Honey Chicken”
