Lemon Chicken with Roasted Onions and Tarragon

It's lemon time again here in the desert south west so what better way to put them to use then roasting a whole chicken and adding onions as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 5 pounds)

3 lemons

4 small yellow onions

2 tsp dry tarragon (divided)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

 freshly ground black pepper

Curly Parsley for garnish

PREPARATION:

Process the dry tarrigon with a spice mill. Peel and halve the onions horizontally.

Rinse the chicken, trimmed of excess fat, and patted dry. Sprinkle the cavity with t tsp of dry tarrigon. Cut one of the lemons in half and stuff one half into the cavity. Tie the legs together with butcher's string.

Squeeze the remaining lemons until you have ¼ cup of juice.

Melt the butter in a small pan and then add the lemon juice, stirring as it is added. Add 1 tsp of tarrigon and the mustard then mix well; set aside.

Brush some of the butter mixture over the surface of the chicken. Place the prepared chicken  breast side down on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Arrange the onion halves around the chicken and also brush them with the butter mix.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F

COOKING:

Place the roaster into the preheated oven and roast for 30 min. Pour the stock into the bottom of the roaster and spoon the vinegar over the onions. Then baste with the pan juices. Roast for another 30 min. Remove from the oven and turn the chicken breast side up. Baste with all the remaining butter mix and grind on some fresh pepper. Return the chicken and roast for an additional ½ hour or longer depending on the size of the chicken, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165 degrees and juices run clear, about 1-1/2 hours total.

Remove pan from oven, and let chicken stand 10 minutes.. Arrange chicken and roasted onions on a platter. Garnish with the parsley. Carve chicken at the table. Serve with the pan juices along side.

Banana Nut Layer Cake

Here's a recipe that's been around for many years, but more commonly in a loaf pan then a layer cake. There's just something special about a layer cake versus a loaf cake.

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup buttermilk*

1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
3/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

PREPARATION:

Line the bottoms of 2 9" cake pans with wax paper and cover the sides with shortening.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.

Measure the first 8 ingredients into mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on low speed. Add bananas, and vanilla continue beating for another 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Pour into 9 inch prepared cake pans.

BAKING:

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. When done, place on rack to cool 5 minutes before turning out of pans.

When completely cool, ice the cake with the icing (see below). Yields one layer cake.

ICING:

1/4 lb. butter

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

PRPARATION:

Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add the vanilla and sugar, mixing well until smoothly blended.

* Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then, add milk until the amount reaches one cup. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. It should look curdled. Stir and you have buttermilk.