Fall has definitely arrived. I’m missing the charcoal grill, but enjoying the return to the soups, stews and braises I cook  in the cooler weather. This new find from the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living is a one-pan meal that is ready in less than an hour. Chicken pieces are roasted with prunes, olives, garlic, oil, vinegar and lemon. I added hot pepper flakes to spice it up a little.

The chicken is tossed with olives, prunes and lemon wedges

The recipe suggests squeezing lemon juice into the pan drippings and using the result to sauce the chicken. I didn’t do this, in order to reduce the amount of fat per serving. The result was very tasty. I served the chicken with herb and vegetable couscous.

Everything is roasted in one pan and is ready in less than an hour

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, make sure the olives and prunes are all-natural. Many dried fruits contain sulfites, so read the label carefully.

Roast chicken with olives, prunes and vegetable couscous

Ingredients:

1 chicken (about 3 lb., cut into 10 pieces)

¾ cup pitted prunes

½ cup pitted green olives

3 tbsp sherry or cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 lemon, quartered

Preparation:

In roasted pan, toss chicken pieces with prunes, olivs, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon.

Roast, skin side up, in 450-degree F oven, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Remove lemon and squeeze juice into drippings. Return lemon rinds to pan and whisk to combine. Pour over chicken. Serves 4.

Each serving, without the skin, has about 437 calories, 33 grams of protein, 24 grams total fat (5 grams saturated fat), 23 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fibre, 125 mg cholesterol, 694 mg sodium, 615 mg potassium. Regarding recommended daily intake, each serving provides 4% calcium, 16% iron, 6% Vitamin A, 13% Vitamin C and 4% folate.

From the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living