It’s summer, and it’s natural to want to maximise the time you spend enjoying the season and minimise time in the kitchen.
You’ll also be craving healthy ingredients that you can source hassle-free from your fruit and veg home delivery.
This is where our recipe for roast chicken with summer vegetables comes in. It’s an easy one-tray roast, perfect for entertaining or a midweek meal.
Chicken is a low-fat, low-calorie meat that is high in protein, which helps the body develop muscles and maintain a healthy weight. Protein also guards against bone loss. What’s more, protein-rich foods give you a feeling of satisfaction so you won’t be tempted to overeat. This is great news for anyone keeping an eye on their weight.
Chicken is also high in many other nutrients that are great for your health, including phosphorus. This mineral supports the formation of teeth and bones and helps your kidney, liver and nervous system work well. Chicken is also rich in niacin, which plays a key role in preventing serious diseases such as cancer.
Meanwhile, the vegetables used in this recipe offer a whole spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Zucchini is especially high in vitamin B6, a natural energy-booster, vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system, and vitamin K, which supports a healthy brain and bone strength.
And tomatoes are one of nature’s superfoods. As well as being rich sources of vitamins and minerals, they also contain the antioxidant lycopene, which can help prevent cancer and lower blood pressure. It can also keep your brain, eyes and bones healthy.
This has got to be one of the easiest and most satisfying dinners of the summer. The tomatoes and zucchini add a freshness, with the finishing touches provided by fresh herbs. Serve with couscous or potato salad to complete the meal.
Ingredients
- 80 grams butter (softened at room temperature)
- 4 tablespoons chopped herbs ((any combination of oregano, parsley, coriander and basil))
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 medium chicken
- 650 grams tomatoes (quartered)
- 350 grams whole baby zucchini (or quartered full-size zucchini)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (or 180 degrees Celsius if it’s a fan oven). Mix the butter, chopped herbs and the garlic into a paste, then season with salt and pepper. Stuff the butter mixture all the way under the chicken’s skin.
- Place the tomatoes in a high-sided roasting tin or baking tray. Put the chicken on top with the breast side facing upwards. Pour a small glass of water over the vegetables.
- Roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes before adding the zucchini. Carry on roasting for approximately 20 minutes. Check that the meat is cooked by piercing with a skewer and seeing if the juices run clear. Once cooked, let the meat rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve the chicken and serve with a portion of the cooked tomatoes and zucchini.
Notes
Top tip: Don’t discard the chicken carcass. You can make an easy and delicious soup by simmering it in just enough water to cover it along with any leftover vegetables until the meat falls off the bon
Fruit and veg online near me
Why not order your fruit and veg online?
You can get the vegetables you need for this recipe, as well as a supply of fresh fruit, delivered straight to your door from Bright n Fresh, Brighton’s favourite grocery store.
Offering fruit and veg delivery in the Melbourne area, we make it super easy to get all the fresh produce you need.
Contact us to know more about the easy way to get all your fruit and veg in Brighton.
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