Roast Chicken & Fall Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb organic chicken

• Olive oil

• Thyme

• Lemon

• Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

• Mushrooms (baby Bella and portobello)

• Turnips

• Carrots

• Brussels sprouts

• Yellow onion

• Couscous or quinoa if you want a carb

Preheat the oven to 325 or 350, depending on how much time you have. The lower the temperature the juicier, but it may take over two hours, depending on the size of the chicken.

Chop up all of your veggies. Use one pan for the chicken and include some of your chopped veggies, and another for the remainder of the vegetables. To prepare your chicken, season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Lift the skin to season as well, place some thyme under the skin, and rub with olive oil. Next, squirt lemon all over and stuff the cavity with the lemon and thyme. Finally, as I love spice, sprinkle cayenne pepper on top for a little kick. Place the chicken in the pan with some vegetables in the bottom and cover with aluminum foil.

You may want to wait to put the vegetables in the oven until the chicken has been roasting for 45 minutes to an hour, so that everything is done at the same time. As for the vegetables, I like spicy brussel sprouts (surprise!), so I season them heartily with cayenne pepper, as well as Dijon mustard. I also love the health benefits of cayenne (http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-945-cayenne%20pepper%20%28capsicum%29.aspx?activeingredientid=945&activeingredientname=cayenne%20pepper%20%28capsicum%29).

This turns out to be a delicious, hearty, perfect for fall meal. It also makes your kitchen smell amazing!