Roasted Spring Chicken, Mediterranean Spice

Ingredients

Yield:

4

• • 1 3 lb whole chicken skin on ( spine removed )
  • 1 Large Red Onion / 225 gms
  • 1 Lemon / 125 gms
  • 2 T extra virgin Olive oil
  • 2 t Zatar Spice
  • 2 t Sumac
  • 1 t Sea salt
  • ½ t Pepper

• Mixed Dry fruits and Nuts Couscous

  • 1 lb bag of mixed dry fruit and nuts
  • 1 small Red / 125 gms
  • 1 Lemon / 125 gms
  • 2T extra virgin Olive oil
  • 2t dukkah
  • 1 cup cous cous
  • 1t Sea salt
  • ½ t Pepper

• Baba Ganoush – Roasted eggplant dip

  • 2 medium eggplants approx 900 gms or 2 lbs
  • ¼ cup or 60 ml Tahini
  • ¼ cup or 60 ml lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • ¼ t ground cumin
  • ½ t kosher salt
  • 2 T chopped fresh Italian flat parsley
  • 1 T olive oil

Preparation

Difficulty:

Easy

Time:

3 Hours

Total Time:

30 Minutes

1. 1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F
   2. Take the whole chicken and lay it on a board with the breast side down. Sprinkle salt and rub the chicken
   3. Cut the onion into medium pieces (approx 8 to 10) and place in the bottom of your roasting pan
   4. Place the chicken on the bed of onion and lemon, skin side up
   5. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and then sprinkle the zatar , sumac spice and pepper evenly over the whole chicken
   6. Place the chicken in the oven, cook for 15 minutes . Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees f and cook for approx another 1 hr and 15 minutes. Please make sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken it should be at 165 degrees F
   7. For the pan sauce, add ½ cup water or any left over white wine, stir to mix the dark bits with water. Pour liquid into a bowl and spoon out excess fat
   8. Serve with Spring Mix or a platter of Spring Veggies for a simple Dinner

2. Mixed Dry fruits and Nuts Couscous

   1. Bring 375 ml water to boil in a sauce pan
   2. When the water boils, stir in cous cous , remove from heat. Put a lid. Let it sit for 15 minutes
   3. Chop the onion
   4. Sauteé onion with olive oil, salt, pepper , dukkah, dry fruit and nut mix
   5. Take a large bowl , add your cous cous and the sautéed nuts and fruits mix. Toss well. Place in serving bowls
   6. You may chill this mix for later serving or you may even serve it as a side for an entrée dish

3. Baba Ganoush – Roasted eggplant dip

   1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and turn broiler on ( high heat). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
   2. Place eggplants onto the baking sheet, pricked with fork at several places, this will help the steam escape while the eggplant roasts. 2 minutes on each side. Turn broiler off
   3. Heat oven to 375 degree F ( 190 c) roast eggplants for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes until you can easily handle the same
   4. Combine tahini, lemon juice, cumin, garlic and salt in a medium bowl
   5. Peel the roasted eggplants, mash the eggplants using a fork until somewhat smooth but still a bit chunky. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix it nicely
   6. Garnish with chopped parsley. Drizzle olive oil of top
   7. Serve with flat breads or use as a base for entrées