Guest post: "Newlywed Kosher" authors, Yael and Jason Gevertzman, make Honey Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

A hat tip to my dear sister, Phyllis,  for introducing me to the talented authors of one of my favorite cookbooks,  Newlywed Kosher: A Marriage of International and Traditional Kosher Cuisine.  Newlyweds Jason and Yael Gevertzman began compiling all of their original recipes and exciting adaptations of traditional favorites into a cookbook that features cuisines from around the world.  This cookbook has been featured in the New Jersey Jewish News, The Jewish Standard, and The Jewish Voice.  I asked the Gevertzmans to write up a recipe for Rosh Hashanah that was frugal, easy enough for kitchen-challenged cooks like me, and delicious.  If you love the recipe, buy the book!  You can now purchase their wonderful cookbook for a limited time for only $26.99.  This special price is good until 9/26/11. 

Take it away Yael and Jason!

As a newly married couple (we recently celebrated our two year anniversary!), we know all about cooking on a budget. The two of us have a strict weekly food budget. We clip coupons, and go to different supermarkets in order to get the best deals. We also love making dinners that last for two nights, as this saves both time and money.  Another way to save comes from cooking what we like to call “all-in-one-dishes” which include both a protein main and a veggie side dish. We tried to incorporate the ideals of cooking on a budget into many of our recipes in our cookbook Newlywed Kosher: A Marriage of International and Traditional Kosher Cuisine.  Just because a recipe is easy to make or has simple ingredients doesn’t mean it can’t be gourmet!

One of our favorite recipes to prepare for the Jewish holidays is Honey Roasted Chicken with Vegetables. The honey roasted chicken has, of course, a favorite holiday ingredient, honey. The glaze that coats the chicken and veggies is both sweet and tangy.

This recipe is an all-in-one-dish. It's got a protein main dish along with a side of delicious and earthy roasted veggies. This dish is also flexible in terms of ingredients. You can use an 8-piece chicken cut up, a whole roasting chicken, or chicken legs; all the glaze ingredients remain the same. We use potato, sweet potato, carrots, and onions as our veggies.  However, if you have parsnips, turnips, or any other root vegetables in your pantry, feel free to use those as well.

For today, we are going to be using an eight-piece cut-up chicken.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 8 piece cut up chicken (or a whole chicken)
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 potato
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• garlic powder
• paprika
• pepper

Coat a roasting pan generously with vegetable oil cooking spray. Chop all the veggies and place them into the bottom of the pan.

Next, we will need to make the honey glaze that will be going over the chicken and vegetables.  This will be a sweet and tangy glaze that everyone will love.  It can also be used on beef and fish as well.  Combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, 1/4 t. garlic powder and orange juice.  Mix well until the sauce is smooth and consistent.

Pour a small amount of the glaze, about a quater of it, over the vegetables.  Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. 

Next we are going to rub some spices into the top of the chicken (and under the skin if you prefer).  This will add an additional layer of taste to the chicken, and also enhance the color of the chicken under the glaze.  In a small bowl mix a sprinkle of pepper (we generally assume a sprinkle to mean 1/8th of a teaspoon), 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon paprika.  Rub these spices over the chicken pieces and try to spread so they are evenly covered.  You can add a drop of oil or water to the spices to make them easier to spread if you like.

Pour the remaining glaze over the chicken.  We like to drizzle a little bit more honey on the chicken before applying the glaze.  This helps the glaze to adhere better to the chicken, but isn’t necessary.

Roast the chicken in the oven uncovered for 20 minutes, then cook covered for an hour and a half or until the chicken is fully cooked.  It helps to baste the chicken every so often so that the glaze continues to cover the chicken. This spreads the sauce evenly, preventing it from settling on the bottom of the pan. After approximately two hours of roasting, you should have an amazing chicken veggie dish that really can function as a complete meal.  B'tayavon!

For a limited time, you can purchase Newlywed Kosher: A Marriage of International and Traditional Kosher Cuisine at a reduced price of $26.99 (usually $32.50) by clicking here.

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