Garlic Roast Chicken For You and Your Dogs

This recipe is my special dedication to all busy dog owners!

With the rising price lately, chicken still remains one of the favorite types of meat among many including our pet dogs. After all, what’s not to love? Chicken is versatile, tasty, a healthier choice of meat, and a good source of protein. One of my favorite ways to cook chicken is by roasting it. You get the full flavor of the meat, accented by whichever spices or herbs you choose to marinate the chicken with. Furthermore, it frees up my time as I get to walk my dogs while the chicken is cooking.

Note: Although you may use any regular chicken in this recipe but I’d suggest using organic chicken as they have higher crude protein levels. Not only it will help you to maintain lower cholesterol levels, but also your dog’s cholesterol level as well. Unlike regular chicken, organic chicken are fed with natural animal feed that isn’t chemically and genetically altered.

In my busyness, juggling work and studies, cooking for myself and my dogs everyday (almost) can be an uphill task if I don’t improvise the way I cook. One of the ways to minimize my cooking time is to prepare both meals at one go. This isn’t something new as I’ve written many recipes that it’s safe for human and canine consumption. Now, what if you want to use certain herbs, spices, and ingredients to enhance your meal that aren’t suitable for canine consumption WITHOUT having to prepare and cook twice. I’m sure a few busy pet parents have tried this before but for the benefit of all, I will demonstrate how I go about preparing two “almost different” meals simultaneously using half the amount of time required to cook two meals.

Servings: One human and 3 small dogs

Main ingredients for both, to be divided into 2 portions:

• 1 whole organic chicken
• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 4 medium-sized carrots
• 8 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Ingredients (Dogs’):

• ½ Chicken
• 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced half an inch diagonally
• 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

Ingredients (Yours):

• ½ Chicken
• 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced half an inch diagonally
• 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon of paprika
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt (optional, I rarely use salt in my recipe as I prefer herbs to salt)
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and quartered

Methods:

1. (Dogs’) In a medium-sized bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic powder.
2. (Yours) In a medium-sized bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
3. (Dogs’) Place the half chicken into the bowl and rub the mixture all over it including inside.
4. (Yours) Place the half chicken into the bowl and rub the mixture all over it including inside. Lay the rosemary sprigs on the inside of the bird.
5. (Dogs’ and Yours) Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and leave them in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.
6. (Dogs’ and Yours) Remove the chicken from the fridge half an hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 350°F.
7. (Dogs’) In a roasting pan, toss the potatoes, carrots, and garlic with 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well.
8. (Yours) In another roasting pan, toss the potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic with 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well.
9. (Dogs’ and Yours) Place the chicken, inside facing upward, on top of the vegetables in their respectively pans. Pour each remaining sauce from the bowl over the chicken and vegetables.
10. (Dogs’ and Yours) Place both roasting pans, along side one another, into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. (Make sure both pans can be fitted into the oven before attempting this recipe, otherwise you’ll end up spending twice the amount of time required.)
11. (Dogs’ and Yours) Turn both chicken, thighs facing upward, for another 30 minutes or until the skin turns crisp and golden.
12. (Dog’s and Yours) Remove both chicken from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Special Note: Remember to debone your dogs’ chicken and cut the potatoes and carrots into halves or cubes before serving.

Personal Note: I don’t eat much within one setting; at most, I can only consume ¼ of a chicken. I usually use the leftover to make chicken sandwiches for the following day’s lunch and share them with my neighbor who happens to have a small stomach like mine. If sandwich is not what you fancy, you can always use the leftover with your soba noodles (another one of my favorite meals). The best way to heat up the leftover is to steam it. That way, the chicken retains its moisture. Nobody likes eating dry and hard chicken if you preheat it using microwave oven—hopefully you’ve discarded that deadly box by now!