Recipe: Seasoned Chicken (and 5 low salt seasoning blends)

SEASONED CHICKEN

Parts of chicken, with skin, either white or dark meat*
Seasoning blend of your choice from the following recipes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together the ingredients from the seasoning blend to make a paste.

Wash chicken pieces under cold running water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Carefully pull back the skin, using the tip of a boning knife, if necessary, to loosen the membrane under the skin from the meat. Evenly rub the seasoning paste directly on the meat. Pull the skin back to cover the meat.

Place a roasting rack inside a roasting pan and treat with nonstick spray. Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack so that they aren't touching. (Juices that drain from the meat and the baked "bits" that adhere to the roasting pan can be used in sauces or gravy provided you first drain off any fat.)

Bake until the juices run clear - about 40 minutes for legs or thighs and about 50 minutes for whole chicken breasts. Reduce baking times by 10 minutes if using boneless, skin-on chicken pieces. Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest on the rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pull the skin away from the meat, using a boning knife, if necessary, to cut away the still-attached end. (The skin can usually just be torn off.) Serve immediately.

SEASONING BLENDS:

FINE HERBES CHICKEN:
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried chervil
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon freeze-dried chives
1/16 teaspoon dried orange granules, crushed

SPICED ORANGE CHICKEN:
1 teaspoon Cascadian Farm frozen Organic Orange Juice Concentrate
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground mace

ZESTY LEMON HERB CHICKEN:
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons freeze-dried shallots
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/8 teaspoon salt-free chili powder
2 drops lemon oil

CHILI-JALAPENO CHICKEN:
2 teaspoons jalapeno jelly
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon (hot or sweet) paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon thyme
Pinch ground cumin
Pinch ground coriander
Pinch cayenne 1/16 teaspoon dried lemon granules, crushed

HERBES DE PROVENCE CHICKEN:
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried mint
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon dried lavender
1/16 teaspoon dried lemon granules, crushed
1 teaspoon white dry wine (or enough to form a paste)

*POULTRY PRIMER:
A heart-healthy menu calls for smaller meat entrees. When you plan your meals to include lots of grains, vegetables, and fruit, 3 to 4 ounces is usually a sufficient serving of meat. As a general rule, a whole chicken breast is split in half to yield 2 servings. The cooked- meat yield (minus the bones,) will depend on the size of the breast, but is usually around 6 ounces per half breast, so a whole breast is sometimes enough for 4 servings. The cooked-meat yield for a chicken leg will be around 2 ounces; a thigh will yield 3 to 4 ounces, on average.

Source: The Everything Low-Salt Cookbook Book by Pamela Rice Hahn