Garlic-Roasted Chicken

Anyone else need a good cleanse as you kick off 2012. Garlic is one of the best things to cleanse, build up your immune system & prevent illness. If only I didn't have to avoid the human population for 48 hours after consumption, but it's worth the benefits. Dr. Weil eats 2 raw cloves {gag} everyday as part of his routine.

{Taken from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast book}:: "Roasting softens and mellows garlic, turning it into a mild, delicious spread for crusty bread. Leftover chicken can be used in dishes like chicken enchiladas. The garlic tops serve as a rack for the chicken. Garlic bottoms are flipped halfway through to soak up juices." And wow...that garlic is SO good spread over fresh bread.

This chicken was moist, full of flavor & EASY! Enjoy.

Serve with your favorite sides. I served it with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe.

Serves 4-6; Prep: 10minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 10minutes

Ingredients:
4 heads of garlic (see I wasn't messing around)
8 sprigs of fresh oregano (I used dried b/c I didn't have fresh)
2 whole chicken breasts (3.5lbs) rinsed and patted dry
2T olive oil
Coarse Salt & Fresh ground pepper.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops from garlic heads, reserving the bottoms; arrange the tops, cut sides down, in the center of an 11-by-17-inch roasting pan. Place 1 sprig of the oregano over each garlic top, and arrange the chicken breasts over the garlic.
2. Place the reserved garlic bottoms, cut sides up, next to the chicken in the pan. Drizzle the chicken and garlic bottoms with the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place the remaining 4 sprigs of oregano on top.
3. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes; turn the garlic bottoms cut sides down, and rotate the pan. Continue roasting the chicken until the skin is browned, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more.
4. Pour the pan juices into a measuring cup; skim the fat from the top. Serve the juices with chicken and roasted garlic.