Try something new with roasted lemons and garlic. With whole lemons (you can eat the peel and the fruit in its entirety) and garlic, a high-temperature roast mellows out any harshness, so don’t fear the amount. You’ll be making this sophisticated, winterized take on Caesar salad every week thanks to its ease of preparation and clean-up.
Roasting technique
This one-skillet meal works well in both conventional and convection ovens, crisping the chicken skin, croutons, and kale quickly to retain their juicy flavour. A relatively quick roast means dinner is on the table ASAP.
Make-ahead
Serve this roast the next day for a chilled wintry panzanella lunch. Shred chicken when it’s cool, toss with salad, and enjoy at home or to go.
Roasted Garlic, Lemon, Chicken, and Kale Skillet Caesar
Ingredients
- 1/2 whole chicken, skin and bones intact, cut into 4 portions (breast, thigh, leg, and wing)
- 4 whole garlic cloves, skin intact
- 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground black pepper
- 2 slices whole grain sourdough bread or gluten-free bread, roughly torn
- 1 bunch lacinato or curly kale, stems removed, roughly torn
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 mL) gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories341
- protein22g
- fat18g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates27g
- sugars1g
- fibre4g
- sodium <373mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). To large cast iron skillet or ovenproof high-sided skillet, add chicken, garlic, and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until juices run clear on chicken. Transfer chicken and garlic to plate; set aside and leave oven on.
02
To hot skillet with lemon, toss bread and kale together, add back to oven, and roast until kale is wilted and dark green, about 5 minutes.
03
Meanwhile, for dressing, squish now-soft garlic out of its papers into small bowl, discard garlic paper, and whisk in oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce until combined. When kale mixture is out of oven, toss with roasted garlic dressing, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
04
Add chicken pieces back to skillet and serve family style, or plate warm kale mixture with chicken on top.
Allison Day, RHN
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016), are out now. She is currently working on her third cookbook, Modern Lunch (Appetite by Random House).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
GF Almond Tahini Ice Cream Cookie Cake
Ice cream cakes and/or cookies are everyone’s favourite. And here’s a great option for a delicious “Dad’s” cookie cake that’s gluten free! A simple-to-make cookie cake that’s made even easier when the dough is tossed together in a food processor. End a delicious Dad’s Day meal with this deliciously cool and creamy sweet dessert. Best beer? Extra yum when served with small glasses of chocolate-flavoured stout or porter. When Dad loves his cookies We made this delicious dessert into a cake, but it can easily be made into individual ice cream cookies. Roll out dough into 1/4 in (6 mm) thickness and cut into 2 in (5 cm) rounds. Bake, cool, and chill. Once chilled, spoon ice cream in between chilled cookies. Freeze until firm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into melted chocolate.
Pork Tenderloin with Espresso BBQ Sauce
Coffee-flavoured BBQ sauce? Why not? It’s a strikingly flavourful combo—sweet, tangy, bold, and rich. It can be used not only on pork but on a variety of other meats. We marinated tenderloin in it and doubled up on the smoky flavour by grilling it on a cedar plank. Serve with a side order of grilled broccolini for extra yum. Best beer? You can’t go wrong with an IPA or a honey lager to complement this flavourful dish. Looking for an easy way to grill broccolini? Toss with a little oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Near the end of grilling, place broccolini beside plank with tenderloin on hot grill for about 6 or 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn a few times until tender and lightly charred. Place on platter with sliced pork and drizzle with lemon juice and some shaved Parmesan.
Everything-But-Meat Salad
If there’s a vegan or vegetarian in the crowd, then this dish will be sure to please. Chock full of complementary textures and flavours, it not only qualifies as eye candy, but is also a substantial stand-alone meal—a stunning meal in a dish! Best beer? Serve this salad with an IPA or pale ale. For a more adventurous sip, it’s equally delicious with a Belgian pale or dark ale. Endlessly customizable When it comes to this powerhouse salad, the sky’s the limit. Swap out apples with orange wedges, or mix up your greens by substituting spinach for endive. Bump up the protein with some canned chickpeas or black beans, if you wish. Or cut up some corn tortillas into bite-sized strips, fry in pan until crisp, then toss over salad for added crunch.
Grilled New Potatoes and Lentils with Creamy Lemon Dressing
Early summer potatoes, cooked and grilled, are just the ticket for this fabulous salad. Coupled with lentils, they’re a delicious add-on to any meal plan. This recipe offers an added bonus: it can be made in stages, so you’re not cooking all afternoon. Best beer? You can’t go wrong serving this dreamy salad with a simple and uncomplicated pale ale. Variety is the spice of potato-salad life Potato salad lends itself to any number of variations, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. Try swapping out microgreens for baby spinach leaves. Another interesting slant: crisp up (optional) prosciutto on the grill before breaking into bite-sized pieces and scattering over the salad.