Recipes: Basil-Roasted Chicken, Chicken Salad, Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

Basil-Roasted Chicken With Garlic

Serves 8.

Note: The garlic in this recipe is unpeeled. It roasts along with the chicken and then is puréed into a rich, brown, slightly sweet sauce. From "Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland," by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson.

• 2 chickens (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb. each)

• 1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) butter, softened

• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 30 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

• 1/4 c. lemon juice

• 2 c. low-salt chicken broth

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the fat, neck, liver and gizzards from the body cavity, and then rinse and pat the chicken dry. Gently separate the skin from the flesh, running your fingers from the front to the back of the chicken and along the leg and thigh, being careful not to rip the skin or detach it from the bird.

Mix the butter, chopped basil and parsley, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub half of the butter mixture under the loosened skin of one chicken; be sure to get it under the skin around the leg and thigh. Repeat with the second chicken.

Put four of the garlic cloves into the body cavity of each chicken and scatter the rest in the roasting pan. Add the lemon juice and broth. Place the chickens, breast side up, on top of the garlic and broth. Roast in the oven, basting occasionally with the pan juices, for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced. Transfer the chickens to a heated platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Pour the juices with the garlic cloves into a blender and purée, then place through a sieve into a medium-sized saucepan, pressing on the garlic skins with the back of a spoon. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes, and add salt and pepper to taste. Carve the chickens and serve them drizzled with the sauce and garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates5 g

Protein35 g

Fat21 g

including sat. fat8 g

Cholesterol120 mg

Calcium64 mg

Dietary fiber 1/2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable exch., 5 lean meat exch., and 1 fat exch.

Chicken Salad With Apples, Walnuts and Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6.

• 1 to 1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless poached chicken breast, cut into 1/2-in. chunks (or leftover chicken to equal 2 1/2 to 3 c.)

• 1 c. diced celery

• 2 large tart apples, cored, skinned and cut into 1/2-in. chunks

• 3/4 c. lightly toasted chopped walnuts

• 1/3 to 1/2 c. Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe)

Toss together the chicken, celery, apples and walnuts with just enough dressing to lightly coat; refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve the salad, place the chicken mixture on a bed of fresh greens and drizzle with additional vinaigrette.

Nutrition information per serving with 1/2 c. vinaigrette:

Calories370

Carbohydrates20 g

Protein26 g

including sat. fat3 g

Cholesterol58 mg

Sodium92 mg

Calcium58 mg

Dietary fiber3 g

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

Makes 2 cups.

From "Savoring the Seasons."

• 1/3 c. cider vinegar

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1 tsp. smooth Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. coarse mustard

• 2/3 c. maple syrup

• 1 c. vegetable oil

Nutrition information per 2-tbsp. serving:

Calories160

Carbohydrates10 g

Protein0 g

Fat14 g

Cholesterol0 mg

Sodium26 mg

Calcium13 mg

Dietary fiber0 g