I've gotten some feedback from you all and apparently my roast chicken looked appetizing enough to comment. I wanted to share my recipe with you since it's super easy and you too can whip up a beautiful home-cooked meal with minimal effort.

Through my years as a young adult and going through the dating scene myself, it was always fun to look back at my parents' early days of dating. My dad told me a great kernel of wisdom in that you should know how to cook one thing by heart so that you can cook it and woo that one person you love (his was tortellini by the way). Though we've been dating for almost three years, I still try to woo Alan through his stomach.

Roast chicken is my game, and it's even better because I make the sides on the same pan. Are you hungry and have about 45 minutes to cook? Keep reading for the recipe!

To start, we grab a chicken that weighs around 1.5 kg (3 lb) organic, free-range chicken. We support healthy livestock and fully believe that good produce is worth the money and efforts of the farmers that raise them. For the sides, we like to have some sort of starch, usually potatoes or sweet potatoes, and then another vegetable side (Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots) for roasting. For today's recipe, I'm going to cook chicken with a sweet potato and Brussel sprouts. Just a note, if you look at the photo we're severely lacking in greens, but please dont judge us too hard.

Note to you all, I'm no professional chef by any means, but I do love to cook with Alan during the weeknights. We're both imprecise and taste as we go (since we're not baking) and by no means do you need to stick with my method if it doesn't work for you. Our ovens might hold different temperatures, and our chickens may be different sizes, so go with your gut and enjoy your masterpieces.

Cooking:

I like to spatchcock the chicken which is a method of cutting out the spine (sometimes with scissors) and slicing, from the back, to expose the sternum so that the bird lays flat. Making the chicken lay flat allows for even cooking, juicier meat, and a faster cooking time. Alternatively, you can continue to cut the bones out from the breast so that all that's left are the wings and legs. This method takes a bit more time, but it makes eating the breast easier since there are no bones to navigate around. It also allows for more surface area on the pan so that it gets crispier. It's my preferred method, but when in a rush, using the trusty scissors isn't a terrible option.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, 1.5 kg (3 lb)
1 sweet potato
1 kg brussel sprouts

optional:
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Once the chicken is spatchcocked, rub it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil and whatever else you'd like to flavour it with; honestly, go crazy and experiment. It's a chicken after all. Put that on your pan and then prep your veggies. Before you start though, pre-heat your oven to 200°C/392°F.

I like to chop my sweet potatoes into 3 cm/1 in thick slices, and they're ready to go straight into the oven. For the Brussel sprouts, cut the rough ends off and get rid of the loose outer leaves. Once you have the clean canvas of greens, toss them in whatever seasoning you'd like; I like to use soy sauce, garlic powder, honey, and olive oil for a simple soy glaze.

For those of you who love garlic just as much as us, throw in some whole garlic cloves when you have about 20-30 minutes left on the clock. They'll come out incredible creamy and so damn pungent.

Once it's all on one pan and the oven is to temperature, stick it in the oven and set it for 45 minutes. The chicken will have a beautiful, crispy, brown skin, the sweet potatoes will be succulent and tender, and the Brussel sprouts will probably look burnt, but they'll be juicy and tender. If you love garlic (like we do), stick a few cloves in about 20 minutes before the chicken is ready. They'll be some of the most creamy and delicious morsels of food you'll ever have.

Voila! Now go woo your boo and feast like the kings and queens you were born to be.