sweet and spicy roast chicken

As you may know, I've got a lot of chicken in my freezer. So having a simple, scrumptious recipe that I can do quickly is a necessity. Plus, as cooking is not exactly my forte, I need something fairly doable. I've tried a few staple recipes and I use a lot of variations, but this one has become our family's favorite. 

It's so easy to whip up for company yet it looks like you have been slaving away all day. Some days I just cook it up in the morning so I have chicken to work with for the next couple days. Although, if your anything like our family, an entire bird is demolished in one sitting.

It's great on summer nights paired with an easy salad or fresh fruit, preferably served up on a blanket under the glowing twilight sky. Hopefully along side something cold and slightly naughty to drink and surrounded by people you love. Or during winter with mashed potatoes and carrots and a warm mug of mulled wine. Your call, but I think you'll love it either way.

You will need:

1 chicken- preferably non-gmo and free ranged 
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
olive oil, coconut oil or ghee
lime
1 tbsp honey

Pre-heat your oven to 375F

Now grab that beautiful bird and place it in a baking tray. Slice up your lime in quarters and place it inside your chicken, followed by the honey. Drizzle your oil of choice over the outside of the chicken. Not too much here, just enough so our rub will stick and we can get the skin a little crispy.

Combine your brown sugar and spices together and gently massage all over your meat til it's beautifully covered in a sweet and spicy blend. Pop the whole thing into your oven on the middle shelf and leave it there while you go play for a bit.

About 20 minutes per pound is common. I usually cook mine anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours. Ten minutes before its finished, take it out and spoon some of that delicious juice all over it. By this point it should be looking all golden, juicy and tantalizingly scrumptious.

My littles and I need dipping sauce, everything just tastes better when you can dip it in something. For this recipe I usually combine 1 ripe avocado with 1/2 a lemon juiced, 1/4 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, then add some salt, cumin, chili powder and a drop or two of hot sauce. It goes perfectly with the sweetness of the brown sugar and the heat from the spices on the chicken.

Don't forget to save all those delicious juices and of course all your bones. You'll definitely want to make chicken stock with that. Have no fear a recipe is coming! Now go on, get cooking!