Sweetie Pie

Gazpacho

When it's too hot to even consider turning on the stove or the oven (!) there's nothing like a refreshing bowl of cold tomato soup.  There's absolutely no cooking involved and eating it will make you feel as cool as a cucumber.

This recipe is from Andalusia, the southern region of Spain.  It gets just as hot there as it does here in South Carolina, but most homes there do not have air conditioning.  It's no surprise that such a simple and wonderful recipe for scorching summer weather would come from another famously hot climate. 

The hardest part of this recipe is peeling and seeding the tomatoes.  The best way to accomplish this is to blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds and then plunge them into an ice bath.  The skin will slip and slide right off.  I seeded mine over a sieve on top of the blender to save all the flavorful tomato juice.

Gazpacho can be served in a tall glass like a Bloody Mary, or in a bowl with lots of delicious garnishes for a complete summer meal.  There are just tons of variations on this recipe, but the basic ingredients are the same.  You will need ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, garlic, peppers, olive oil and some bread.
Gazpacho

3 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cucumbers peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 slices white bread, crusts removed

1 small red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sweet peppers

6 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Place all the vegetables and the bread in a blender and pulse until it is well combined.  It should be approximately the consistency of a slurpy or milkshake.  Pour the gazpacho into a glass or ceramic bowl and add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Garnish with chopped cucumber, tomato and croutons.   If you're really hungry you can add some chopped hard boiled egg and bacon on top.

 Because the tomatoes and cukes are peeled, the soup will not have much color, but the taste is lively and bright.  You could vary this recipe in many ways.  I followed this recipe, which I found here, but it's not necessary to measure the ingredients exactly.  Just follow the basic proportions, then adjust it to your liking the next time.

 

Sesame Baked Tofu with Snow Peas and Almonds

This time of year I start to crave fresh, healthy food.  I check on my garden frequently, willing the veggies to grow faster.  Tired of those earthy winter vegetables like potatoes, this recipe caught my eye because it calls for my favorite green vegetable, snow peas.  This is the type of pea you typically see in Asian cuisine.  You eat the pod and all and they are sweet and crunchy when they're fresh.  They are also very easy to grow and I plant them every year but never get enough.

For this recipe you want to buy extra firm tofu.  You need to let it drain by putting it in a sieve or colander and weighting it down for about 20 minutes, then turn it over and let it drain on the other side for 20 minutes.  This will get out some of the water so that you can achieve those crispy edges which are so nice.  Be gentle with it or you'll end up with messy crumbles.  I like this recipe because you can put the tofu in the oven and then work on the rest of the recipe without babysitting a skillet the whole time.

This recipe is taken directly from the book The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden by David Hirsch.  There are a few ingredients here that you might not have on hand but are well worth trying.  I don't think this recipe would be very good at all if you do too many substitutions.  Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section at your grocery store.  Buy a small piece that looks plump and juicy, take it home and wash it and peel it before using it.  The fresh scallions make a huge difference in this recipe as well.

Sesame Baked Tofu with Snow Peas and Almonds

1 12 ounce block extra firm tofu

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup whole raw almonds

2 cups snow peas

1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and place in a singe layer on a baking sheet.  Mix the 2T sesame oil and 2T soy sauce together and pour over the tofu.  Bake for 30 minutes.

While this is baking, bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the snow peas for 30 seconds, then drain.  To blanch just means to drop them into the water for a very quick boil, the vegetables should have a bright color and still be crunchy when you pull them out.  I used half sugar snap peas and half carrots because of course I didn't have enough peas.  You could substitue other fresh vegetables as well, but I wouldn't recommend anything frozen.

Now, set a timer for 5 minutes and bake the almonds on a separate sheet in the oven.  When the timer goes off, take out the nuts and let them cool.  Pull the tofu out also and gently turn it all over with a spatula and put it back in the oven. Do this twice more before it's done so that all sides get browned and crispy.

I served this over rice, so I got that going while the tofu was baking as well. 

The rest of the ingredients are for the dressing.  Combine the vegetable oil, 2t sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, coriander, honey and salt in a bowl and mix well.  When the tofu is crisp enough for your liking, take it out of the oven and gently toss it with the snow peas, almonds and dressing.  Garnish with scallions and serve alone as a side dish or over rice for a very healthy meal.  I consider it a success when my husband and child willingly eat tofu, and this recipe meets their approval.

 

Cinnamon Chicken and Couscous with Preserved Lemon

I love cinnamon in savory dishes and stews.  The spring weather feels a bit too warm for a heavy slow cooked meal, so I opted for a straightforward cinnamon chicken.  This was very simple to prepare and needed no special ingredients.  Everyone, even people who rarely cook, has cinnamon in their pantry. 
I was also pleased to find an easy way to use some of those preserved lemons I made months ago.  I liked the uncomplicated lemon flavor and the simplicity in preparing this couscous. 
Cinnamon chicken recipes offer all kinds of variations.  This is a basic recipe to start with and become familiar with the concept of using what we usually consider a 'sweet' spice in a meat dish.  You can use whatever cuts of chicken you prefer.  I used skinless, boneless breasts because that's what I had in the freezer.  It's easier to cut chicken (less slimy and goopy) when it's partially frozen so I cut it into smaller portions and let it finish defrosting in the marinade overnight.  The smaller pieces cooked quickly which was a bonus!

Couscous is so quick and simple to prepare.  You really don't need a recipe.  I used 1 whole preserved Meyer lemon.  These lemons are very salty, so I washed it thoroughly in clean water and then chopped it up.  Boil the water according to package directions, then drop in the preserved lemon a moment before you add the couscous and take it off the heat.  Stir in the couscous and cover the pan to let it sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.  So.  Easy.  Next time I'll chop the lemon more finely because the large chunks are so salty.  I have cilantro and parsley in the garden, so those were used to garnish the dish. 

The chicken was so tender and juicy, which is no small feat when you're working with boneless and skinless white meat.  My little family gobbled it up and asked for more.  The cinnamon flavor is not overwhelming - it's just yummy.

Cinnamon Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts

2/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 clove garlic, chopped or minced

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

splash of water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and marinate in refrigerator at least one hour or overnight.  Roast in a 400 degree oven 20 minutes for small pieces, longer for larger cuts or until chicken is done.  This would also work well on the grill.  Serve with preserved lemon couscous and cilantro. 

Roasted Garlic

This is just a suggestion, a gentle nudge in the direction of something scrumptious.  Roasted garlic doesn't need a special occasion, any fancy equipment or ingredients, or even a recipe.  It's just garlic, only better. 

Roasted Garlic

One whole head of garlic (you can do more at a time and save them for other recipes)

A splash of olive oil

A pinch of salt

Foil

That's it!  Just peel off the loose papery skin of the garlic and cut the top off to expose the cloves.  Place it in a square of foil, drizzle it with oil and give it a sprinkle of salt if you wish.  Close up the foil to form a package and place in a hot oven for an hour or so. 
You can just put it in the oven with whatever else you're cooking and leave it until it's soft and creamy.  Or, you can preheat the oven to 350 or hotter and roast it up.  It's sort of like baking potatoes, it's hard to mess up unless you don't cook them long enough or you burn them.  There's a lot of room for variation in between these two problems.

When you roast garlic, it becomes mellow and creamy.  You can eat it plain it's so mild.  Or add it to any dish you would use raw garlic in for a less intense flavor.   It's good spread on a pizza crust, used in salad dressings, in sandwiches, or with pasta.  Our favorite way to enjoy it is to smear it on crackers with cream cheese and a dab of jelly.  The sweet, salty, garlicky, crunchy mouthful is all you could want in an appetizer or snack. 

 How do you like to eat garlic?

Gwendal's Pasta (a.k.a. Bacon Pasta)

Let's talk about bacon.  It is the magic ingredient in this oh so simple, oh so wonderful recipe.  If you start with good bacon, this dish will be simply delicious every time.  I get my bacon from Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork which is located right here in South Carolina.  The swine on this farm live the good life, and you can absolutely taste the difference. 
The first time I bought this pork perfection and tried it I had a bacon epiphany.  This is everything bacon should be.  I imagine it's very similar to the bacon many of our Southern grandparents and great grandparents grew up eating.  I never understood why people love pork so much, but now I do.  I can not say enough good things about this product, but please click on the link and read more for yourself. 

Go to the All Local Farmers Market, Rosewood Market, or order from the website and experience bacon bliss for yourself.  It's so decadent that a little bit goes a long way.  Notice how thick it is, and how much fat there is.  You can keep some on hand in the freezer to transform any ordinary meal into something wonderful. 

For this recipe you will need just a few pieces of bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes.  You can substitute pancetta if you like.  Actually, this is more of a method than a recipe.  You can change it as you see fit.  I'm giving it to you exactly as it's found in Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. 

3 Tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces slab bacon cut into 1/4 inch cubes

2 onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 carrots, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, coarsely chopped

2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

3 sun dried tomatoes, diced

1 pound spaghetti

Chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pan.  It's important to use a heavy duty pan so that everything can caramelize without scorching.  Add the bacon, onions, and garlic and saute 2 or 3 minutes until the fat is rendered and the onions are translucent.  Add the remaining veggies, stirring to coat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened and sweet.  Don't be afraid to let the bacon and veggies brown a little; that's where the flavor is.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water.  Drain, reserving a small cup of pasta water.  Add the pasta to the sauce, with a bit of the cooking liquid if you feel it looks dry.  Stir in the chopped parsley and a good grinding of pepper.  Enjoy.

I've made this recipe with and without the fennel, zucchini, and/or sun dried tomatoes and it's always very, very good.  As Elizabeth Bard said, "If you have the bacon and an onion, you're well on your way."

Popovers with Apples and Caramel Sauce

This is a perfect weekend breakfast.  It's indulgent, not tricky to make, and reasonably healthy.  Popovers are so much fun to bake.  I love peeking into the oven and watching them pop up.  The recipe is so simple and they always turn out. 

We usually eat these plain for breakfast, maybe with a little honey drizzle.  But that big hole in the middle and their neutral custard flavor are begging for a filling. 
I saw a recipe on tv for french toast with caramel apple sauce.  This seemed a bit too rich but I tried the caramel sauce with apples cooked in it.  It did not go well.  The apples were mushy and the sauce got too thin from all that fruit  juice.  I kept working on the caramel sauce and decided that crunchy raw apples chopped small would be better.   If I'm being completely honest I have to admit that I made not one, not two or three, but let's just say about five caramels before I got it right.  However, it was all in the name of perfecting the recipe to share with you.  The husband wasn't complaining as each batch needed to be tasted and sampled. 

For the popovers you will need:

A blender

well greased muffin pans

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons melted butter (use real butter or don't bother making them)

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Dump everything in the blender and whir it up.  Scrape down the sides and make sure it's well combined.  Pour the batter into very well greased muffin pans.  It's so frustrating to crush your popovers trying to pry them from the pan if they stick.  Spray the pans, then spray them again, and maybe once more just to be sure.  They will rise higher if plenty of hot air can circulate around each one, so only use the outside edges of the pan as shown in the picture. 
You will need one 12 muffin pan and one 6 muffin pan.  Fill the cups about 3/4 full.  Let them bake for 20 to 30 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.

While they are baking you can make the caramel sauce.  You will need:

 a heavy, thick saucepan

a whisk and a wooden or heat resistant spoon

a large bowl of ice water

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup cream

 Make sure you have everything ready and no small children underfoot before you start making caramel.  The sugar gets VERY hot and will cause a bad burn if you splash or drip it.  Never ever use your finger to test it, even when it's on a spoon.  If you do get some hot sugar on you (!) dunk the burn into the bowl of ice water (don't stick that burned finger in your mouth or you'll toast your tongue too). 

This recipe is for a 'dry' caramel.  I like the method because it's faster.  Place the sugar in your pan over medium heat.  Pick up the pan and swirl it around every once in a while.  You will see the sugar melt and brown around the edges and in the middle. 
You can start stirring now.  The sugar needs to stay in an even layer on the bottom of the pan so that it will melt evenly.  Once all the sugar is melted and it begins to boil, stop stirring and go back to swirling until you've reached the color you want. 

Caramel should be dark golden brown, but some people like it a little lighter or darker.  Begin adding the butter in pieces and whisk briskly.  Be careful because it will foam up and spit at you.  Keep adding and stirring until all the butter is incorporated.

Once all the butter is whisked in, take the pan off the heat and count to three.  Then add the cream slowly in a stream while continuing to stir.  Keep stirring until it's all incorporated and creamy.  You can pour this into a heat proof jar or bowl to let it cool.  It will be fine in the refrigerator for a week or two.  This recipe will give a thick sauce.  If you'd like it thinner and richer you can increase the butter amount to 6 tablespoons and the cream to 1/2 cup.  By the way, half and half does not work.  I tried it and tried it, then finally bought some heavy cream.

The popovers should be done by this time.  Take them out of the pans and slice up the apples.  Make them small bite size so they'll fit into the shells.  Fill the popovers with apples and then drizzle them with warm caramel sauce.  You will love this breakfast!  The crisp apples, silky rich sauce and popover shell all go beautifully together. 

The recipe for popovers is from The French Chef with Julia Child.  The caramel recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes.

 

 

 

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Meyer lemons taste like sunshine on a bleak winter day.  I just want to bottle it up, put on a shelf and save it so that I can open and enjoy it any time.  But how?

Marmalade.   The word alone brings happy things to mind:  Paddington Bear, Seville oranges, sweet breakfast treats, and CITRUS. 

I MUST make Meyer Lemon Marmalade.  But do I dare?  I have limited jam making and canning experience and even less appropriate equipment.  It looks so simple, and it would be the perfect way to both use and save my beautiful lemons.

I have two living grandmothers in their eighties, maybe they would have some words of wisdom.  They used to come up to our house and help my mom with the summer vegetable canning.  No one seemed to enjoy this activity, especially on a sweltering summer morning before our family got air conditioning.  They were however very efficient, well equipped and knowledgeable and our pantry was stocked with tomatoes and green beans year round.  Surely I could make a simple marmalade under their supervision. 

My mom and grands were happy to help, but it turns out that none had made marmalade of any kind before.  They have made plenty of blueberry and blackberry jelly, but always used a product called surejell.  This makes the process go very quickly, and they sealed the jars with wax instead of canning them in a water bath.  So they were really just there to keep me company.  This was a good thing because after two hours over a stove with little progress, you need someone to talk to. Let me explain.  I'm not going to provide the recipe in detail because you can just follow this link to One Green Generation where I got it.  These instructions are simple, clear and easy to follow.  The only ingredients for this recipe are lemons, sugar and water.  It calls for 2 1/2 pounds meyer lemons, which I found to be somewhere between 10-13 lemons depending on their size. You will also need some jelly jars, lids, pots for boiling, and time.  What this recipe didn't tell me was that I would be stirring lemons for hours while waiting for them to 'jell'. 

Here's what I learned.  First of all, you need a HOT stovetop and gas is probably best.  We made the first batch at Grandmommy's house on her flat top stove and it took over two hours for the lemons to reduce and turn to jelly.  That's a long time, plus waiting for them to boil before even adding the sugar.  If I had known, I would have brought a book.  Secondly, it's not necessary to use a candy thermometer.  I used one for this first batch and nearly cooked the marmalade into pure candy because it never reached the proper temperature.  Just look for the signs, and maybe drip a drop onto the counter and see if it looks like jelly when it cools. 

The second batch was made at my mom's house on a gas range and it went much more smoothly and quickly.  If you have children I would recommend that you do this at your mother's house so she can entertain them, or just wait until they're in bed because it will take over an hour and you wouldn't want it to scorch while you're tending to the kids. 
When the lemons jell, they will turn into a thick frothy boil.  You can turn the heat off, take the sanitized jars out of their bath and fill them up.  Once the lids are on, put them back into the boiling water to seal.  When you pull them out, you'll hear them pop quietly as they form a vacuum seal. 

The first batch yield was 6 half pint jars and the second batch produced 7.  Both batches are very very thick, but the first is darker and more condensed in flavor and texture.  If you think this seems like a lot of work for a bakers dozen jelly jars, it's only because you haven't tasted it.  Pure lemon, a clean citrus taste and texture that leaves the mouth feeling happy.  It's pretty sweet, so I like to eat it on something plain like toast, but my favorite way to enjoy this marmalade is with a spoon, straight from the jar.  (Did I mention that I love lemons?)

 

Roasted Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

I love it when I find a recipe that we all like which doesn't include any dairy (the kid will eat anything with cheese on it).  It's even better if it's easy, doesn't dirty too many dishes and includes some kind of vegetable.  This one does all of this and more. 
It works well with chicken thighs, which I like because they're cheaper and the dark meat is more flavorful.  It uses cherry tomatoes which are available, delicious and not too pricey year round.  This recipe is simple and puts you well on your way to a complete dinner.  Just add baked potatoes and a salad. 

For this recipe you will need:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4-6 chicken thighs or whatever cut you like

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

vinegar

oil

salt and pepper

One large oven proof skillet or dutch oven

If you're using frozen chicken, make sure it's defrosted before you get started. One other thing to do before you get started is to peel the cherry tomatoes.  I know this seems a little ridiculous and you can certainly skip it if you want, but hear me out. 

 
Peeling the tomatoes allows them to release their juices to flavor the chicken.  Instead of washing the tomatoes, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Then pull them out and put them in another bowl and add cold water and ice cubes.  This will make the skins split.  You can then peel them with your fingers, use a fingernail to get it started if you need to.  Don't worry about it if you can't get it all off - it's not imperative to spend all afternoon painstakingly scraping tiny tomatoes.  Some will peel easily and some hardly peel at all, just do what you can quickly and move on.

Next, preheat the oven to 400.  I used a cast iron skillet for this recipe and it worked really well, but you could use any oven proof pan.  Put the skillet on a burner and turn it on medium high to heat it up.  Sprinkle your chicken with salt and pepper.   When the pan is screaming hot, add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirl it around, throw in the chicken and stand back - it will sizzle and pop.  If you're using chicken with the skin on, there's no need to add the oil, just place the peices skin side down.  Leave the chicken alone for at least five minutes.  Don't stir it around or anything, just let it get golden brown all by itself. 
While it's browning, chop up the onion, mince or chop the garlic and oregano and add this to the tomatoes.  Mix the veggies with salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil and stir it up.  Now, check the chicken to see if it's brown.  It should release from the pan if it is, and flip it over.  It should go more quickly on the second side. 
Add the tomato mixture right into the pan with the chicken and transfer it to the hot oven.  It will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces you use, but this will need to cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done.  Another thing I like about chicken thighs is that you can not overcook them - they never dry out.  So leave them in there until you're ready to eat and the potatoes are done. 

You'll be so pleased with the beautiful dinner you've made when you pull this out of the oven and serve it.  The onions melt into a lovely sauce, the tomatoes turn sweet from roasting and it looks nice too. 

 

 

 

Preserved Lemons

If I told you I just bought 45 lemons would you think I'd lost my mind? 

Well, I'm not crazy.  I just know a good deal when I see one.  It is completely irrelevant that I already had a bag of regular lemons in the refrigerator.  These lemons are special for two reasons.  They are Meyer lemons, and they are organic.  Meyer lemons are sweeter than the ordinary ones, and their skins are a little thinner.  They have a particular floral fragrance to their zest which is wonderful.  It's important that these are organic because I plan to eat them rind and all! 

I wish I could say I first learned about preserved lemons in Morrocco, but that would be stretching the truth since I have almost no idea what I ate there.  The truth is that I read a good book full of recipes and asked my husband to pick one to try.  Of course he picked the one with an impossible to find ingredient.   I couln't find them anywhere but was determined to do it correctly if I was going to make the dish.  So I looked everywhere from the grocery store to specialty stores and small markets.  Not only did no one have them but they all looked at me like I was insane, especially when I explained that it's sort of like a pickled lemon.  Most shopkeepers tried to sell me marmalade, which obviously I didn't want or else I would have asked for marmalade.

Finally, I stopped into a farm stand and discovered a small store as well.  The owner is from Egypt I believe, and he was delighted when I described what I was looking for.  He said he likes to eat these lemons plain on toast.  I was skeptical but bought his only jar and used them to make the recipe (Chicken Tagine with two kinds of Lemon).  It was outstandingly good.  I'll make it again and write about it another day.  However, that was probably a year ago at least, and the last time I checked those lemons smelled a little like Lysol so I'm not sure I want to cook with them any more. 

Skip to today and this blog and the lemon bonanza I'm enjoying, and here I am making my own preserved lemons.  If this turns out I'll always keep some on hand because it could hardly be easier.  This recipe works perfectly well with regular lemons, but I'm using Meyers because that's what I have.  All you need is a clean glass jar with a lid, kosher or sea salt, and lemons.  Don't use regular table salt because it will give a chemical taste to your lovely lemons.

Wash the lemons and cut off any woody stem that might be still attatched.  Sterilize the jar just to be safe - I boiled mine while I was working on the lemons.  Now cut the lemons on one end in an X shape, stopping about an inch from the other end.  So you're quartering the lemons but leaving them intact.  Pack each lemon with salt and don't be skimpy.  You'll need a tablespoon or more per lemon.  Put the lemons in your clean jar along with any spices you want.  Some common suggestions are coriander seeds, chili, cinamon, and bay.  I used some bay leaves because I want my preserved lemons to be versatile and bay leaves are pretty in the jar.

Press the lemons down into the jar and pack in as many as you want.  Cover and let these stand 24 hours.  I watched in fascination as the level of juice slowly rose even on the first day.    The next day, open the jar and press down on the lemons.  Do the same thing for 2 or 3 days until they are completely submerged in their own juices.  If you need to add fresh lemon juice to accomplish this that's okay.  You can see in the pictures how the lemons squish down more and more each day.  I squeezed an extra lemon over it on day 3 just to make sure they're covered.  Leave this sitting out for a month.  The lemons will turn soft and they are ready to use.  Store them in the refrigerator for six months to a year.  I wonder if all that space at the top of my jar is a problem.  I guess I'll find out.

I got these instructions here.  I'll post some recipes using preserved lemons once mine have cured.  In the meantime, for more information and recipes, look here.  You may be wondering what I'm going to do with the rest of the lemons.  I'm sure your really concerned that I don't let them go to waste!  Never fear for I have a plan, stay tuned.

 

 

 

The Whole Bird

I got a free chicken at Earth Fare today, and this is what I did with it:

Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken

1 lemon

1 small onion

2 or 3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

oil

This is all you need!  I also used celery and rosemary because I had some, but it's not necessary.  If you've never cooked a whole bird, don't be scared.

First, preheat the oven to 450.  Then get everything ready.  Get the chicken out of the refrigerator, cut the lemon into quarters or slices, cut the onion into chunks, and put plenty of salt and pepper in a bowl with some olive oil.  Get out your pan:  I'm using a cast iron skillet; you could also use a roasting pan or even a cookie sheet (you might want to line it with foil for easier cleanup).  Now you have everything all set before you get your hands into the raw chicken. 

Unwrap the bird and put it either in a bowl or straight on your pan.  The idea here is to season the chicken by rubbing it with the salt, pepper, oil, lemons etc...  If you're squeamish just rub salt, pepper, and oil all over the chicken, squeeze the lemon all over it, then stuff everything else inside and you're done.  If you don't mind getting up close and personal with your dinner, use your hand to separate the skin from the meat and slide some seasonings under the skin.  I put lemon slices, sprigs of rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic under the skin on the top and bottom.  The rest of the lemon was squeezed over the outside along with salt, pepper and oil and rubbed in.  I put the chopped up onion, squeezed lemon, celery, more rosemary and garlic inside the cavity of the bird.  Don't forget to pull the gizzards out of the cavity first ( although I know from experience that it won't really hurt anything if you do). 

Put the chicken in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn it down to 350 degrees until it's done.  Most birds are around 3 1/2 pounds and will need to roast for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes total.  If you have a bigger chicken add 20 minutes per pound to the time.  The method of starting the oven at a high heat and then turning it down to finish cooking ensures that the finished bird will be nice and juicy.  The high temperature makes the skin get crispy and seals in the juices.   If you check on it and see that the top is looking really brown, cover the bird loosely with a piece of foil while it finishes.  You can be sure the meat is done when you use a thermometer and it reaches an internal temperature of 165.  Otherwise you can look at the juices.  When the juices run clear or buttery yellow, it's done.  If you see rosy colored juice, it's not done.  Leave the chicken under it's foil for at least 10 minutes before you slice it.  This allows the juice to settle in so it won't all run out when you cut into it. 

We had this yummy roasted chicken with our free mashed potatoes and free carrots.