One thing about the LC lifestyle is trying to find something quick some nights - that the kids will like too. Even though I do not eat pasta and bread I find lately that the kids' Mac and Cheese is tempting to take "just a bite." Making some meat/tofu and veggies is easy, but the prep time can be more than I feel like doing.
Recently my local grocery had whole chickens on sale and I could get a 3-4 lb bird for $2.50-3.00. It's hard to feed 4 spagetti at that price! Granted I needed a side dish, so I opted for cauliflower faux "mash potatos" (that was about $1.50 in cauliflower) and the kids got a roll too.
I do the chicken prep early in the day and store in the fridge until 1 hour and 1/2 before dinner when I am ready to bake. The cauliflower I chop and steam the last 1/2 of the chicken cooking, and then puree with sour cream and a dab of butter (you could use milk or cream too). That is fast. (My kids like gravy with this)
The chicken is so easy (you can always buy a premade roasted chicken at the deli for $4.99-5.99 too) I used garlic slivers under the skin, salt, pepper and olive oil for the skin, AND I place the chicken in the roasting pan _breast side down_ to retain moisture in the white meat. I roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound. If you hate spatters, use an oven bag. Once the chicken is roasting for 30 minture I baste with soy sauce, key lime juice, and a 1-2 tsp of jam or jelly mixture (use a sugar free one if you want). I baste again in 20 minutes (or when I remember and the last 20-30 minutes I raise the oven to 375 to crisp the skin more.
I cook until the thigh reads 180 on a meat thermometer. when you cut the chicken, the juices should run clear.
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