Recipe: Roasted Rosemary Chicken and Vegetables

by Elizabeth on July 26, 2011 · 8 comments

in cooking for one, main dishes, recipes

I rarely talk about how I cook for one, because I know most of you out there are more worried about feeding 3, 4, 5, etc.  However, I do live alone and I do cook for one, and I know there must be a few of you out there who are in the same boat.

Not that this recipe can’t be easily doubled or tripled, because it can.  The original recipe actually made 4 servings, I just sized it down for me.

I look for three things in a recipe I cook for just me.  1) It has to be easy, I’m not going to spend a ton of time on myself; 2) it should have minimal ingredients and prep work; and 3) it should be something that I don’t mind eating again because there’s a good chance I’m going to have leftovers.

I liked this recipe because I could cut it down and it seemed very simple.  I was very happy with the resulting recipe and it yielded enough to make a nice-sized lunch for me the next day.  I was also happy that it cooked in one pan which means less clean up!

Roasted Rosemary Chicken and Vegetables – serves 1 with leftovers
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1 (4-6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 small to medium new potatoes
6-7 baby carrots
1 very small zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons dijon or whole grain mustard
1/2 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound (or roll) your chicken so it’s all the same thickness.  If your chicken breast is bigger than you can eat in one meal (mine almost always are), cut it in half.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Quarter or sixth the new potatoes, cut the baby carrots in half length-wise, and slice the zucchini into strips about the same size as the carrots (I basically cut it into eighths); put the veggies in a bowl.  Add in the olive oil, mustard, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste and stir to get everything coated.  Add the chicken and get it coated in the mixture as well.  Depending on the size of your vegetables and chicken, you may want to add more mustard or oil.  Let the chicken and veggies sit for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors a little.

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Spray a small baking dish (I used a 9 inch cake pan) with cooking spray.  Put the chicken in and then spoon the vegetables around it.  Try to make sure everything is in a single layer.

Roast for 25 minutes then flip the chicken and stir the vegetables.  Bake for another 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken) or until the chicken is cooked through.  Spoon onto a plate and serve!

-Adapted from Real Simple

Anyone else out there cooking for one?  What do you like cook?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday,  Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and This Chick Cooks

 

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Ally July 26, 2011 at 8:59 am

if I actually “cook” it’s generally stirfry – I like to cook, but I hate to clean, so I refuse to use more than one pan just for myself (So I am so trying this recipe when I get back home because yay! one pan!)

I’m hoping to try and figure out how to create “mexican stirfry” and “italian stirfry” and whatever other kind of non-asian flavors I can come up with just because it’s so much easier, but not everyone wants korean or thai inspired stirfry every night of the week… But this roasting idea in the oven may help out on this too – never thought about using a cakepan when sizing down these type things!

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2 Elizabeth July 26, 2011 at 9:48 am

I do a lot “skillet meals” where I basically throw olive oil and garlic, some protein, some seasonings, and veggies in a skillet and cook it all together. I’ll add in some pesto or tomato sauce sauce sometimes too and then serve it over pasta. “Italian stir-fry”. 🙂

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3 Amelia July 26, 2011 at 9:02 am

This looks delicious. I’m always looking for recipes that serve one or are easily cut down for 1 serving.

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4 Elizabeth July 26, 2011 at 9:49 am

It is delicious – and easy! I’ll have to start including some more smaller-sized recipes since there seems to be an interest.

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5 Ally July 26, 2011 at 10:02 am

Please do – it seems very hard to find much on cooking for one out there – or even if it is, it’s more complicated than one wants to go to for just themselves

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6 Elizabeth July 26, 2011 at 2:20 pm

I’ll work on it, Ally. Paring down recipes is so second nature to me know that I don’t eve think about it, but I’ll definitely try and (hopefully) come up with some good posts!

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7 carolinaheartstrings July 27, 2011 at 12:27 pm

That looks so tasty and I have some wonderful rosemary bushes growing so what better way to use it. Come over and visit us. We have a great grilled squash recipe and tomorrow an easy sorbet.

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