Mindful Content: Quick & Easy No. 25 - One-Pot Roast Chicken

By Marcus Coates, @homeinriyadh, 11th November 2021

Comfort Food!

Sometimes I get a hankering for a traditional roast. And then I think of all the preparation needed and the endless pots and pans required to make it — and I eat a salad instead!

Making a traditional roast, though, doesn’t have to be endless preparation and washing up.

And now that I’ve got into the habit of making the roast using one roasting tray, I’m eating hearty food a lot more often … good for the soul if not the waistline!

Here’s my one-pot chicken roast: minimal preparation and only one tray to wash up … what are you waiting for!

Ingredients

• 1 x pack of chicken thighs (use other chicken if you prefer)

• 5 x large carrots

• 5 x large courgettes

• 5 x large potatoes

• 2 x Spanish onions

• 1 x bunch of parsley

• Seasoning

• Olive oil

• Paprika (optional)

Preparation Method

Note: A large oven tray is required for this recipe.

First, peel, wash and coarsely chop the carrots and potatoes, and place them in the roasting tray.

Next, wash and coarsely chop the courgettes and add them to the roasting tray.

Peel and coarsely chop the onions, and add those to the roasting tray.

Afterwards, wash the chicken thighs and (you guessed it!) add them to the roasting tray.

Lastly, season, and pour olive oil over the ingredients in the roasting tray to coat the vegetables and chicken.

On medium heat, roast the vegetables in the oven.

After fifteen minutes or so, add a half litre of hot water to the mix — this will prevent the ingredients from sticking to the roasting tray and will soak into the vegetables to assist cooking and make the chicken more tender.

Continue roasting for another thirty minutes. The dish is ready when the chicken is cooked (try cutting a thigh in half to see if cooked all the way through) and the vegetables are soft.

Remove from the oven when ready. Wash and coarsely chop a bunch of parsley and scatter abundantly over the roast.

A hearty meal awaits!

Image from Unsplash: Michael Anfang

Serving (serves six to eight)

Ladle the roast into bowls and use the juice as a natural gravy.

Pro Tip:

Try eating your roast with a big dollop of natural Greek yoghurt and a side of crusty bread with lots of butter spread on top. Ah! Winter suddenly feels better!

Jokes

Chicken Joke:

Q: Which day of the week do chickens hate most?

A: Fry-day!

Vegetable Joke (added for the vegetarians):

Q: Which vegetables make the best detectives?

A: Carrots, as they get to the root of every case!

Wisdom

How do you cook with parsley if you don’t have much of it?

Well, sparsely is best!

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