Roast Chicken with Stuffing, Peas and Corn

"What would you like for dinner?" asks Raul.

Well aware that Raul already has something planned, Drew just nods non-committally.

"We have beef, pork or chicken. Pick your protein," insists Raul.

"How about a beef stir fry?"

"The dog wouldn't eat the tandoori chicken we saved for him. I think it was too spicy," says Raul. "I was thinking of roasting a chicken, he always likes that."

Raul's roast chicken recipe is simple and is a variation on a Galloping Gourmet creation. Raul stuffs the chicken with two halves of a lemon and places it on top of coarsely chopped and unpeeled carrots, celery, garlic, onions and a bay leaf in a cast iron frying pan. The chicken is sprinkled with kosher salt and black pepper. He drizzles cooking oil around the chicken and then bakes it at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes he drops the temperature to 350 degrees and bakes the chicken for another hour and a half or until it reaches an internal of 165 degrees.

The result is succulent and tasty with crispy skin. The stuffing is a cheat - Kraft Stove Top that was on sale at Food Basics for 99 cents - but when it's jazzed up with cashews and dried cranberries, it's as good as from scratch. Drew does get to pick the vegetables. Peas and corn it is.

And yes the dog is wildly appreciative of non-spicy but still tasty chicken.