Shrimp Scampi Linguine

So good. So easy.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
3/4 pound whole grain linguine
3 T unsalted butter
2.5 T olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a large pot of boiling salted water (add a little oil so your pasta doesn't stick), cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a 12 inch skillet, melt the butter and olive oil on med/low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, and pepper and sauté (stirring often) until the shrimp are pink (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and parsley. Toss.

When the pasta is done, drain it and put it in a bowl. Add the shrimp and sauce. Toss well. Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Chicken

I roasted a chicken for the first time tonight and it was a capital S success. I scoured the Internet for a recipe that I liked and felt confident enough to try, but ended up making my own "hybrid" by using alittlebitofthisandalittlebitofthat from various recipes :).

What you need:
4-6 pound whole chicken (without neck and giblets). I used a "Just Bare" chicken
Kosher salt
Pepper
Garlic (4 cloves)
Lemon (1 cut crosswise)
Onion
A bunch of Thyme
2-3 tbsp butter (melted)

What you do:
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
Peel and thickly slice two large onions
Spread the onions on the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven (drizzle with olive oil)
(You could cut up some carrots too)
Rinse the chicken (inside and out) and pat it dry
Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper (don't be shy)
Peel and smash (I use the broad side of my chooping knife) 4 cloves of garlic
Stuff the cavity with the lemon, garlic and thyme
Truss the chicken (I had to watch a YouTube video by some guy named Jerry like a thousand times. It was kind of funny though so I didn't mind.)
Place your chicken (breast up) on the bed of onions
Brush the chicken with the melted butter
Salt and pepper your bird (to taste...but liberally)
Roast your chicken (uncovered) for approximately 90 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 165 (in the thickest part of the thigh)... I had to YouTube that too...lol

And that, my friends, is how you roast a chicken!

(says the girl who's done it once).

Enjoy!