Mint Limeade

Yield: 1 drink

1/4 cup mint leaves
2 ounces honey syrup
1 1/2 ounces lime juice chilled club soda, tonic water or seltzer

In 12-ounce glass, muddle mint and simple syrup for about 8 seconds. Add ice and lime juice, then fill with club soda. Stir well and serve.

Fresh Mint and Ginger Lemonade

From Epicurious

Yield: Makes 4 servings

 Ingredients

1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup honey
2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (about) cold water

Ice cubes
Fresh mint leaves
Lemon slices

Preparation

Combine chopped mint, ginger, and honey in medium bowl. Add boiling water. Let steep 30 minutes. Strain into 4-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Add lemon juice and enough cold water to measure 4 cups total. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Fill glasses with ice cubes. Add lemonade. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices and serve.

Rosemary Lemon Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
- 5lb whole chicken
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4 tbsp butter, shaved or cut into slivers
- Salt/pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- Olive oil

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 425.
(2) Throw chopped carrot and celery pieces into the bottom of a large, high-sided baking/roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste.
(3) Remove entrails bag from inside your chicken, rinse out the cavity, and pat your chicken dry.
(4) Sprinkle a little salt into the chicken cavity, then stuff lemon slices and 3 sprigs of rosemary inside.
(5) Carefully insert half the butter shavings under the skin of your chicken, as well as your last sprig of rosemary.
(6) Rub the rest of your butter over the entire surface of your chicken.
(7) Lightly season your chicken with salt/pepper to taste on both sides.
(8) Lay buttered/seasoned/stuffed chicken breast-side up on top of the bed of carrots/celery.
(9) Stick everything into the oven, and bake for 1hr 30min, or until juices run clear.
(10) Pull chicken out of the oven, tent loosely with foil, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Warm Chickpea Salad

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 dried red pepper, deseeded and broken into pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cups basic chickpeas or 2 (14-ounce) cans organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup stock, water or chickpea broth
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
Juice of ½ a lemon (optional)
Sea salt, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a sauté pan or large frying pan. Add the red pepper and the garlic. Cook until the garlic starts to turn golden, then add the shallots. Cook until the shallots have softened and started to take color, about 8 minutes. They should not be burned, just golden.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, and have started to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add a little of the reserved chickpea stock as you cook to keep the pan moist.
3. Add the drained chickpeas, Parmesan cheese, and stock or broth. Mix well and cook until the sauce looks syrupy and the chickpeas are warmed through. Add the chopped herbs. Mix well cooking for another minute. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Serve warm.

Roasted Balsamic Beets and Carrots

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh beets, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4-5 medium beets)
2 cups fresh carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2-3 carrots)
1 tsp olive oil ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cut the beets and carrots and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and begin to wrinkle, tossing once halfway through cooking. Place the vegetables back in the bowl, add the vinegar and toss to coat. Serve immediately.