A roast chicken dinner in 30 minutes? Believe it

We may be able to do without a shower, but when it comes to cooking, no or little water in the kitchen makes preparing meals and washing up very difficult.

This recipe comes from my Great Meals Fast Cookbook, published over a decade ago, and as I'm always one looking for tasty meal solutions that don't require hours in the kitchen, this recipe is a life saver for many reasons:

It's an easy meal in one dish that's prepared efficiently in the microwave in less than 45 minutes and needs less than half a cup of chicken stock.

It needs little or no washing up as it cooks in an oven roasting bag and uses all the pan juices to make a yummy gravy.

The aroma of the chicken cooking is certain to make everyone hungry.

This is what you need:

80ml (⅓ cup) butter or cooking margarine

1 clove of garlic, crushed

15ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce

15ml (1 tbsp) brown onion soup powder or use 15ml (1 tbsp) Marmite or Bovril

2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1 stalk of celery, sliced

1 onion, quartered

100ml chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1kg whole chicken

Salt and pepper

1 oven-roasting bag

Combine the butter, garlic, soy sauce and soup powder. Toss the veg in half the butter mixture.

Place all ingredients, except the chicken and balance of butter mixture, in the roasting bag and place in a glass/Pyrex dish that will fit snugly into the microwave without crowding the ingredients.

Brush the chicken with the remaining butter mixture, saving some for basting later. Season the chicken. Place the chicken in the bag breast side down. Tie the bag loosely with an elastic band or string. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. 

Open the bag carefully and allow the steam to escape. Carefully turn the chicken over and brush with remaining butter mixture and reseal the bag. Microwave for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave in the unopened bag. Allow it to stand for another 15 minutes.

Pour the liquid from the bag if making gravy and make a paste of 10ml (2 tsp) flour mixed with a little water. Stir it into the liquid, then cook on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute until thickened. Serve gravy with chicken and vegetables.