Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted margarine or olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to

10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

Chickpea Curry (Recipe from Two Hippos):
Serves ~8-10

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
oil
3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
tomato paste
2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped
~12 oz fresh spinach
1 c. vegetable broth (liquid or hot water + powder)
curry
coriander
cumin
crushed red pepper
salt
pepper

Directions

1. Add oil to large saute pan and add the onion and garlic. Stir over medium heat.

2. Add 2-3 tbsp {this is where I didn’t measure so play around} of tomato paste and the tomatoes to the onion garlic mixture. Stir and let it cook into a sauce/gravy (~5 minutes).

3. Add some spices (start with the curry/coriander/cumin/red pepper in smaller amounts and add more to taste). You’ll probably want more curry/coriander/cumin and less red pepper.

4. Add the chickpeas and stir. Let it cook for ~5 minutes.

5. Add 1 c. broth (or mix 1 c. hot water + powder broth, stir, and add). Stir.

6. Let everything cook over low heat until the liquid has reduced into a gravy-like texture. Stir occasionally (~ 1/2 hour). Taste occasionally, adding any or all of the spaces as you see fit.

7.  Add spinach, mix in, and let it wilt into the chickpea mixture.

8. Taste again and add spices (e.g., salt and pepper) as necessary.

9. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato with Tehina

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower – washed, destemmed and cut into bite-sized portions
3 medium sweet potatoes – washed and cubed
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Chopped parsley

Tehina (I don’t use a recipe for making tehina so the recipe below is a best guestimate):
Tahini paste
Hot water
Fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Garlic powder

Directions

Preheat over to 425.

Toss chopped cauliflower and sweet potatoes into a roasting pan with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.  After tossing, sprinkle mixture with paprika until your desired amount.  Roast veggies until soft and crispy (about 45 minutes).  Let roasted veggies cool.  Meanwhile, put about 1/2 cup of tahini into a Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup fitted with a spout.  Gradually add hot water (not boiling!) until thick and creamy though not too runny (it should be about the same consistency as chocolate or caramel syrup on a sundae).  After achieving desired consistency, gradually add lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time.  Additionally, add pinches of garlic powder and kosher salt until desired flavor (I like a good balance of all but some folks like their tehina more garlicky than lemony and visa versa).  This is truly a recipe where you need to taste as you go.

After you have your tehina to the consistency and flavor of your liking, pour over veggies in an even fashion.  Sprinkle with parsley.