A half chicken, cut right between the breasts and back, is sold in most supermarkets and just what you want when cooking for one, offering both light and dark meat, and the juiciness that comes with all the bones. After it cooks — quickly, relative to a whole bird — it leaves you with two meals or one very hearty dinner. Here, this curry-rubbed chicken roasts over peppers and onion, which release their natural sweetness into the pan juices. It’s great over rice or with bread, and leftovers can be simmered with coconut milk for a stewed curry, or chopped and mixed with mayonnaise for a chicken salad sandwich.

Curry Roasted Half Chicken and Peppers
Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Madras or yellow curry powder
• 3 sweet bell peppers (red, orange and yellow), diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 whole half chicken (about 1 1/2 pounds), patted dry with paper towels
• Lemon or lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, garlic and curry powder. Toss the peppers and onion with 2 tablespoons of the curry oil. Spread in an even layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Set the chicken over the vegetables and rub the remaining curry oil all over the bird and under the breast skin. Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

Roast until the chicken juices run clear when you stab the drumstick with a paring knife, about 35 minutes. If you’d like, squeeze lemon or lime juice all over before serving.
Total time: 50 minutes, serves 1-2.