Roasted Chicken with Orzo

Warm Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad

The chicken and sweet potatoes cook in the slow cooker. All that is needed at the end of the day is to cook the orzo pasta and put the spinach salad together.

Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken
1 lemon, sliced
1 onion sliced
1 sprig of rosemary
1 tablespoon of butter for the chicken
1 cup of orzo pasta
1 tablespoon of butter for the pasta
2 large sweet potatoes
2 cups of spinach, torn into pieces
¼ cup of apple juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In the morning:
Wash and dry the roasting chicken
Rub the cavity with salt. Place the lemon, onion, and rosemary inside the cavity.
Rub the outside of the chicken with butter.
Lay metal cookie cutters on the bottom of the slow cooker. This will make a platform to keep the chicken and potatoes out of the juices as they cook.
Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
Wash the sweet potatoes and lay the them around the chicken.
Bake on low for 6-8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Cook the orzo according to package directions.
Heat the apple juice and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to thicken.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks.
Toss the sweet potatoes with the spinach. Pour the apple juice mixture over the top and stir to coat. The spinach will be slightly wilted from the heat of the sauce.
Take the chicken out of the slow cooker and place on a serving platter on a bed of orzo pasta.

Tip: Save the drippings from the bottom of the crock pot. Strain it and freeze in ½ cup containers. You will have homemade chicken stock on hand in premeasured ½ cup amounts for any recipe that calls for chicken stock.

Roasted Chicken in the Crock Pot

Roasted Chicken in the Crock Pot
Green and Gold Salad on Lettuce
Micro Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 whole fryer chicken
1 clove garlic
1 onion, quartered
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper
Italian herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
1 package of frozen peas
4 ounces mild cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
½ cup of cherry tomatoes
¼ cup of mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Iceberg lettuce
4 potatoes

In the morning:
Prepare the chicken by rinsing and patting dry.
Spread 1 tsp of salt on the inside cavity of the chicken.
Place the garlic and onion in the cavity.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the outside of the chicken.
Sprinkle the chicken with Italian herbs.
Place in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Turn it to high during the last hour.

In the afternoon:
Mix the frozen peas, cheese, tomatoes, mayonnaise and Dijon in a bowl.
Mound a spoonful of the pea mixture on a bed of lettuce in individual salad bowls.
Set the table. Put the salad on the table to defrost.
Bake the potatoes in the microwave for 4-6 minutes each. Test for doneness with a fork.
Take the chicken out of the crockpot. If it needs more browning a few minutes in an oven should do it.

As you can see in the picture, I forgot the bed of lettuce, and we had sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes. You can change things to fit your tastes when you're cooking. Don't be afraid to try new things.