6 Points Plus - Roast Chicken With Mint Cilantro Pesto

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 (3 3/4 lb) whole roasting chickens
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• cooking spray

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°.
• 2 remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat.
• 3 starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.
• 4 combine mint leaves and the next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until finely ground.
• 5 rub herb mixture under loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks.
• 6 tie ends of legs together with twine.
• 7 lift wing tips up and over back, and tuck under chicken.
• 8 place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a roasting pan.
• 9 bake at 375° for 40 minutes.
• 10 increase oven temperature to 450°, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 170°. remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes.
• 11 remove skin from chicken; discard.
• 12 carve chicken, and serve immediately.