We at FoodieTown are so excited to add Breanna MacDonald as a contributor. Brea, or locally known as the hilarious foodie Instagrammer @Tablefortynine, has been creating delicious festive winter dishes, like the best roast chicken, that double down on the nutrition, affordable ingredients and the flavour. We are so lucky to have her as our contributor allowing us to publish her recipes on our site. PS, we can’t wait for the Table49 cookbook! But until then find her Patron account for recipes and tales of Sex & Sandwiches.

There is nothing like a good roast to inspire comfort, penny saving, and a multitude of uses for the week. This is my go to QUICK roast chicken that will give you optimal juiciness with a crisp skin in a short amount of time. If you haven’t made your roast chicken yet this week, this will be part two for setting you up for a week of waste free cooking. How to video available below:

Food is not only about nourishment for your body, it also plays a massive role in your mental health, and home cooking especially does this.

A 2018 review article ( aka a study of 377 smaller studies discussing the subject), published in the Journal of Health Education and Behaviour, found that home cooking increases self esteem and improved psychological well-being. It also appears to reduce anxiety and agitation in those experiencing trauma or cognitive decline.

Because it is a totally immersive experience for ALL of your senses, it’s also perceived as a form of mindfulness (I’ve ALWAYS said cooking is my meditation, so there you go!) Mindfulness and meditation are linked to sooo many health benefits but I’ll leave those for you to research.

There are very few activities that exist that are fully immersive, allowing all of your senses to work together to really, at the end of the day, take a break.

It is also very good at using both your working memory (short term) and procedural memory (long term) at the very same time. When we’re good at doing this, we are better at regulating our emotions. Aka finding that sweet spot of not dwelling on the past, but not worrying about the future, cooking helps you find that “be here now” while also teaching your brain to do that more regularly.

There is so much more to learn about not just the psychology of eating, but also the psychology of cooking, and I am excited to learn more with you ♥️

Table49’s Roast Chicken

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Recipe by Breanna MacDonaldCourse: DinnerDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

This roast chicken recipe is easy and yet delicious. You can customize it based on what spices you prefer or have on hand so get creative with the herbs and spices.

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 lb chicken with neck and kidneys removed

• 3 tbsp Kosher salt (optional)

• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)

• 1 tsp mustard

• 1 tsp Sambal

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 apple

• 1/2 lemon

• 2 carrots

• 1/2 onion

• 2 ribs celery

• 4 garlic cloves

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1/4 – 1 tsp your preferred spices

Directions

• (Optional, a few hour to a day beforehand) Mix 3 tbsp salt with baking powder. Rub literally all over the bird. Place bird on plate uncovered in refrigerator.
• When ready to cook, turn oven to 475˚F with rack in centre. If using cast iron or enameled Dutch oven place in oven to heat up now.
• Mix spices, oil, mustard, sambal, lots of pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Add salt ONLY if you did not pre-brine your bird in step 1.
• Rub spice mixture all over bird, in all the crevices, in the cavity. ALL over. Add quartered lemon, apple, onion, garlic to inside of bird, not stuffing it full, we want air to circulate.
• Very carefully remove your dish from the oven. Place celery and carrots on bottom of the pan in a criss-cross fashion, creating a raft for your chicken to sit upon. Place chicken on top.
• Place into oven and cook at 475˚F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn temperature to 350˚F and cook for another 30-45 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165˚F when inserted, Remove from oven and allow to rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Not sure what kind of herbs and spices to add? Brea suggests sage, tumeric, cayenne, rosemary, oregano, thyme, paprika and or onion powder. All offer great health benefits and flavour.

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About Me

Breanna MacDonald, Caterer & Creator

Food excites me, it always has. More than that, it excites me to share my love of food. It’s how I express love, it’s how I heal, it’s how I flirt; it is everything. And the cooking thing, I’ve been doing it with the help of mentors for over 10 years.
I don’t want to brag, but I know how to crab, prawn, pluck a chicken, and milk a cow. Brea is founder of tablefortynine.com, an Okanagan based caterer and makes wicked recipes that not only help you save money but are nutritious!