Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken & Easy Chicken Gumbo

Easy Chicken Gumbo

  

This recipe was inspired by my trip to Branson, Missouri, with my husband and sister-in-law, Marilyn.  We were students of the famed magazine Midwest Living's Culinary & Craft School at Silver Dollar City.  This magazine celebrates a 25-year history of sensational recipes and brings to life traditional recipes coupled with the best of today's fare.  We learned this recipe first-hand.  It is versatile and can be cooked for one dinner and with a little kitchen magic can be turned into a totally different meal the next night.  My previous blog recipe for Herbed Brown Rice pairs very well with this chicken, and can be turned into a simple and delicious Chicken Gumbo.  Both recipes follow for a Two For One dinner extraordinaire.

Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Rinse chicken body and cavity; pat dry with paper towel.

In a small bowl, measure 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

Add 1/4 tsp. ground thyme.

Then add 1/2 tsp. garlic salt.

And add 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper.

Whisk to combine.

Brush oil mixture over chicken.  Roast, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hrs., if chicken is about 2-1/2 to 3 lbs.  If chicken is 3-4 lbs., it will take 1-1/2  to 1-3/4 hrs. to roast, until the drumsticks move easily in the sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees). When cooked, let juices redistribute by resting 10-15 minutes under an aluminum foil tent.

Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken

At this point, carve the chicken, and reserve half of it for Meal Two:  Easy Chicken Gumbo, recipe below.

For Meal One, serve this Lemon-Thyme Roast Chicken with Herbed Brown Rice (previous blog).

Easy Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients:

• Reserved Lemon-Thyme Baked chicken (see above recipe)
• Herbed Brown Rice (see previous blog)
• 2-14.5 oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun Seasoning
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced 
• 1 yellow or white onion
• Vegetable or olive oil 
• 1-16 oz. bag frozen okra
• 1- 14.5 or 16 oz. can or jar of chunky salsa
• (In place of the chopped green & red bell peppers and onion, you may use 2 cups or 1/2 of a 16 oz. package of frozen green and red peppers and onion stir-fry frozen vegetables)

Assemble the ingredients.

Chop the green bell pepper.

Chop the red bell pepper.

Seed and finely dice jalapeno pepper.

Dice the onion.

Set chopped vegetables aside.

Remove meat from the chicken; discard bones.  Chop chicken; set aside.

Pour 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil in the bottom of a large saucepan.

Heat over medium high heat.

Add chopped peppers.

Add chopped onion.

Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.

Add frozen okra.

Do not over cook okra, it will become slimy if it is cooked too long.

Add chicken broth.

Add salsa.

Add 1 1/2 tsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning.

Stir ingredients together.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat.

Stir in chopped chicken.

Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

In a microwave-safe container, reheat the Herbed Rice.

In serving bowl, spoon serving of  warm Herbed Rice into half the bowl.

Remove from heat.

Ladle gumbo into other half of serving bowl.

Beautiful Fall Flavors from Midwest Living recipes.

Enjoy the Two For One.

Fall at Silver Dollar City & 

The Midwest Living Culinary & Craft School