Last year I discovered that roasting lemons brings out their natural goodness – and it makes the rind edible. So, the other morning when I woke up craving juice (and then sadly realized that we didn't have any in the apartment) I decided to make a breakfast tabbouleh with roasted lemons. It was incredible. It was so good that I finished it in two mornings. And that was a boon for me, because it's a simple meal to make and the bright lemony flavor is perfect for a quick morning pick-me-up.

Roasted Lemon Tabbouleh

½ of a small lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

½ cup of bulgur wheat

¼ cup of lemon juice

1 1/4 cup of boiling water

2 scallions, diced

1 plum tomato, diced

¼ cup of flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the lemon slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and soft. In the meantime mix together the bulgur, lemon juice and boiling water in a medium bowl. Cover the bulgur with plastic wrap and let it absorb the liquid for approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Remove the lemons from the oven, let cool slightly and dice. Add the scallions, lemon, tomato, parsley and olive oil to the bulgur. Season with salt if necessary.

Serves 2.

(Photo by Launie Kettler)