Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat After Forty (37 page)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the drumsticks in a large roasting pan. Generously drizzle them with olive oil, then season with sea salt, pepper, and the garlic and fresh herbs. Place the lemon slices on top of each drumstick and the leftovers
in the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook for about 80 minutes. While roasting, turn the drumsticks and scrape the lemon slices from the bottom of the pan from time to time to loosen and evenly brown. Serve the drumsticks with the cooked lemon slices and crispy herbs.

ROASTED TURMERIC CHICKEN

Protein, Vegetables, Healthy Fats
Detox, Level 1, Level 2

Serves 6

I love how a roasted chicken makes the whole house smell; it feels comforting and safe. Anyone can roast a chicken. It’s easy to do and delicious. Plus you can make a chicken last a week by using leftovers for chicken salad and the carcass for chicken soup. Chicken is already a great food, but adding the turmeric turns it into a superfood!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make a paste with the olive oil and turmeric. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and brush on the paste, covering the entire chicken until it is a beautiful orange color. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and pepper, then scatter the fresh herbs over the top. Dot with half of the butter. Roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (about 20 minutes per pound). The skin should be golden and crispy.

To make a quick gravy out of the pan drippings, remove the chicken and herbs from the pan and place on a cutting board. Pour most of the fat out
of the roasting pan, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Place the pan on the stovetop over high heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn off the heat, then add the remaining butter and swirl until combined and smooth.

Carve the chicken, and serve with a spoonful of pan gravy and a sprinkle of herbs.

CILANTRO GINGER LEMON CHICKEN

Protein, Vegetables, Healthy Fats
Detox, Level 1, Level 2

Serves 4 to 6

Packed with flavor and antioxidants, this dish puts the typical boring chicken dinner to shame! Thanks to garlic, ginger, chiles, cayenne, coriander, turmeric, and fresh lemon juice, this super chicken is a superfood. This is great with brown basmati rice, if you choose to have Carbohydrates with it.

Add the olive oil to a large sauté or braising pan (choose a pan with a lid as you’ll need it later) and heat over medium high. Season the chicken with sea salt and white pepper. Brown the chicken pieces, in small batches, on all sides in the hot oil. Remove as they are browned and set aside. Add extra olive oil as needed.

Once all the chicken is browned, use the same pan and oil to sauté the garlic, ginger, and chile on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the cayenne, coriander, and turmeric and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the spices are well combined and release their fragrance. Add the cilantro and fry in the spiced oil for about 2 minutes. Once the herbs and spices are fried, remove about half the herbs with a slotted spoon and set aside. Place the chicken back into the pan. Add the lemon juice and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and cook another 15 minutes, until tender.

Serve the chicken pieces over a bed of basmati rice. Spoon the accumulated sauce over the chicken and rice. Top with the reserved crispy cilantro.

BUTTERFLIED ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH PAN JUICES

Protein, Vegetables, Healthy Fats
Detox, Level 1, Level 2

Serves 4

When Alan and I traveled to Tuscany to celebrate his seventieth birthday, an Italian housewife taught me to make this incredible chicken. It has all the flavor of a whole roasted chicken, but without the bones. You must make friends with your butcher to make this dish a reality. The first time I asked my butcher to remove all the bones from my organic roasting chicken, it took him a very long time! Now I know to call in advance and order it. I always ask for the bones in a separate package so I can make incredible homemade broth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan. Make a paste with the olive oil and the turmeric and brush it liberally over the entire chicken, then season with sea salt and pepper. Lay twigs of fresh rosemary on top of the chicken and dot with half of the butter. Place the roasting pan in the oven and cook for about 1 hour. The skin should be crispy. If it is not crispy, turn on the broiler and crisp the skin under it for a couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it, as it can burn quickly.

To make a light sauce from the pan drippings, remove the chicken and herbs from the pan and place onto a cutting board. Pour most of the fat out of the roasting pan, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Place the pan onto the stovetop, turn the heat to high, and add the chicken broth, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn off the heat, then add the remaining butter and swirl until combined and smooth.

Carve the chicken. Spoon the buttery juices onto each plate, and lay the chicken pieces on top with a sprinkle of the crispy rosemary.

SOUTHWEST ROASTED CHICKEN