Simple Roast Chicken with Vegetables

This is the simplest meal in the world.  Four ingredients, zero prep.  This isn't the healthiest ever, since everything basically cooks in the chicken fat, but it's just so damn good.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 lemon, halved
Any vegetables, chopped (or not!  I used asparagus + carrots, because that's what I had in my fridge)

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Place vegetables at bottom of a baking pan, and place chicken on top.  Cover in olive oil and 1/2 of the lemon.  Add lemon to the dish.  Bake for 1 hour if the chicken is small, 1 1/2 hours if larger.

THAT'S IT.

Egg, Asparagus + Pickled Onion Sandwich

This sandwich was so freakin' amazing.  It combines my love of asparagus, hard boiled eggs and baguette - what isn't to like?  Next time, I will chop up the asparagus to make the sandwich stay together better, because it is messy trying to bite through those stalks.

I also ate this open-faced.  Because I wanted it to last forever.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 bundle Asparagus, chopped
2 small Baguettes (or 1 large, divided)
4 Eggs, hard boiled and sliced
2 tbsp Olive Oil, divided
1/4 Red Onion, diced
French Mustard, to taste
1/4 cup Red / White Wine Vinegar
Lemon Juice, to taste
2 tbsp Fresh Dill, diced
Salt + Pepper

1. Place eggs in a pot and add water until eggs are just covered.  Boil water, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Place eggs in freezer to cool quickly.

Hard boiled eggs are also one of my favorite healthy snacks, so I made extras.

2. Dice red onion and place in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar to pickle.  Set aside.

3. Trim asparagus and chop into 1-inch pieces.  In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add asparagus.  Sear for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Don't move asparagus too much, to get a good char.

4. Dice dill.  Peel and slice eggs. Drain onions.

5. Split baguettes and toast.  Smear with olive oil and mustard.  Top with asparagus, eggs, dill, onions, and spray lemon juice on top.  Add salt + pepper to taste.

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Original Recipe:

The Kitchn

Pasta Salad with Asparagus + Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

This pasta salad was good, but a little bland.  Next time, I'll take the first ingredients and make a pesto to go over it.  And the original recipe called for tortellini, which would have helped too.  Though for a dinner party, which this was made for, the bowties were a good, cheaper substitute.

I also made way too much - always do with pasta.  And the original recipe serves 8-10, which is huge.  So the recipe here is cut down.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Fresh Basil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Garlic Clove
Salt + Pepper, to taste
1 package Asparagus, chopped
1 large package Tortellini (or Bowties)
1/4 cup Toasted Pine Nuts
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1. Boil water and add tortellini, cook until done.  Toss with a little olive oil and place in a large bowl (big enough to hold the whole salad).

2. Chop off hard ends of asparagus, and chop into 1-inch pieces.  Steam or boil until done.  Add to bowl and toss together.

The original recipe asked you to boil the asparagus, take it out of the water with a slotted spoon when done, and cook the pasta in the same water.  Let me tell you - not worth it.  Those little buggers are hard to get out.

3. Add halved cherry tomatoes and pine nuts to the bowl.

4. Puree olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a blender to make a pesto sauce.  Add to bowl and toss. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Finally - Add as much cheese as you damn well please.

If you want to make this in advance, you can cover it and refrigerate for a day.  To freshen it, add in a spoonful of olive oil and lemon juice.

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Original Recipe:

My Sister's Kitchen