Garlicky Herbed Baked Chicken W/ Masala Cauliflower Side

Today's recipe is a impromptu Butterflied Garlicky Herbed Chicken recipe that I just came up with. Just a few ingredients and you can get started as well! Follow the steps and directions below to serve up this delicious chicken in your next lazy dinner night!

Found this beauty of a chicken at our regular neighborhood grocery. You can definitely use any 3-4lb roasting chicken, but you can find a fresh young chicken, I'd opt for that!

After cleaning the chicken well and patting it dry. Take a pair of scissors and cut thru the middle back of the chicken to butterfly it (Tips on butterflying a chicken: Get a sharp paring knife and a pair of kitchen scissors and get ready to butterfly your first whole chicken! Place the chicken on a cutting board breast-side-down. Working from the cavity opening up to the neck, cut down each side of the back bone with a pair of kitchen shears. Discard the backbone.) Lay the chicken down and drizzle some olive oil, salt, fresh ground black pepper and smoked paprika and rub it down.

To make the spice rub use the following: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemony juice, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, dried oregano, red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, sat and fresh ground black pepper and mix.

Spread the garlic herb mixture all over the back of the chicken and underneath the chicken skin as much as you can and let the chicken marinate for 30mins and pop it in the oven.

Chop up some Cauliflower (I had a few carrots that I just added in the mix). Add some evoo, salt, pepper, red chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and garam masala and mix.

Roast the spiced veggies for about 30 mins at 450 Degrees until its crispy and tender.

You can pop in the chicken and veggies at 450 Degrees. The Veggies will be done before the chicken, but once all ready it should look something like this...Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the Chicken

- 1 Young 3-4lb Chicken

- Half head of Garlic (6-7 cloves) minced

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 1-2 tsp of the following (red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, fresh ground black pepper)

- 3-4 springs of fresh thyme

- 1/4 of lemon juice

- Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Cauliflower & Carrots:

- 1-2 tsp of (turmeric, red chili pepper, garam masala, coriander, cumin powder)

- Evoo

- Salt & Pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Clean and pat dry the chicken well. Butterfly following the directions above. Coat top side of the chicken with evoo, salt, pepper, paprika and rub. Turn around and add in the spice rub mixture on the other side and let sit for 30 mins.

2. Put Chicken Skin side down on a cast iron and add into the oven at 450 Degrees for 20mins. Add in the Spiced Veggies in another pan and add in the oven same time as the chicken. After 20 mins take the chicken out and baste. Also give the cauliflowers a good stir.

3. Put the chicken and veggies back in the oven. Cook the veggies for an additional 10mins and another 25mins for the chicken. Once all done take out of the oven and enjoy!