Roast chicken dinner made healthier
You can't beat the delicious simplicity of a roast chicken. This healthier version has all the trimmings, including roast vegetables and stuffing. This makeover recipe has fewer calories and less saturated fat than traditional roast chicken recipes. Dig in!
Serves: 6
Time to make: 1 hr 40 mins
Total cost: $27.12 / $4.52 per serve
(at time of publication)
Ingredients
- Chicken
- 1 size 16 chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- bunch fresh herbs, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut in quarters
- 1 medium oven bag
- Stuffing
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
- rind of ½ lemon, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds or pine nuts
- 1 egg
- Healthy roast vegetables
- 4-6 cups vegetables – we used kumara, onion, pumpkin, parsnip, yam, potato and beetroot
- Garlic roast vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- herbs, fresh or dried
- Honey and balsamic roast vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Healthy gravy
- 3 tablespoons fat-free cooking juice (see tips)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 2 cups salt-reduced chicken stock (if you have extra fat-free juice, use this and make up to stock amount)
Log In or Sign Up to save this recipe to your shopping list.
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 180ºC. Remove excess fat from chicken. Rub skin with crushed garlic. Fill cavity with herbs and lemon pieces, or make stuffing (see below). Place in oven bag. Tie bag. Pierce to let the steam out. Place in an oven dish.
2 Cook for about 1 hour 40 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken breast is pierced.
3 Remove from oven, rest for 5 minutes. Cut a corner off the bag and allow juices to empty into a jug. Remove skin before serving chicken.
With stuffing
4 In a bowl, combine all stuffing ingredients. Fill chicken cavity and cook as above.
Garlic roast vegetables
5 Place vegetables in an ovenproof roasting dish. Mix flavour ingredients and stir through vegetables.
6 Cook at 180ºC until tender. Small chunks take about 30 minutes, bigger chunks, longer.
Healthy gravy
7 Place juice in a small saucepan with flour and mustard. Mix well.
8 Slowly add stock and cook until thickened. Season to taste. If lumpy, strain before serving.
HFG tip
Fat-free cooking juice
You can freeze fat-free cooking juice and use it as stock or in gravy.
Step 1 Refrigerate cooking juice from chicken in a jug or bowl. The fat will sit on the juice’s surface.
Step 2 Separate fat from the liquid using a fat separator. This has a spout at the base of the vessel (available through kitchen shops). Or pour slightly cooled juices into a strong plastic bag, snip a tiny piece off the corner and allow stock to pour out. Stop pouring before fat comes out.
Why this roast chicken dinner is healthier
Traditional roast chicken dinner (per serve):
- Total energy per serve 3420kJ
- Total fat per serve 51g (18g saturated fat)
HFG roast chicken dinner (per serve):
- Total energy per serve 2320kJ
- Total fat per serve 25g (7g saturated fat)
Note: Nutritional analysis based on roast chicken with stuffing, garlic roast vegetables and healthy gravy.
Nutrition Info (per serve)
-
Calories 554cal
-
Kilojoules 2320kJ
-
Protein 50g
-
Total fat 25g
-
–Saturated fat 7g
-
Carbohydrates 35g
-
–Sugars 8g
-
Dietary fibre 6g
-
Sodium 610mg
-
Calcium 100mg
-
Iron 5.5mg
Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.
For more healthy recipes and expert diet advice go to www.healthyfood.com
© Healthy Food Guide All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission prohibited.
© Healthy Food Guide All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission prohibited.
