Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Za’atar, Potatoes, & Greens

This sheet pan meal was a healthy and delicious weeknight dish. I especially loved that the kale was even wilted under a broiler on a sheet pan. The entire dish is made in one oven on two sheet pans- great.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in and adapted the cooking method.

Yield: Serves 6

• 4 teaspoons za’atar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 10 boneless, skinless (about 2.5 to 3 pounds) chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 1 bunch (8 to 10 ounces) laminate or Tuscan kale (cut into 2-inch pieces), or baby kale, spinach, or arugula (about 4 packed cups)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. In a small bowl, mix za’atar with 2 tablespoons oil and 2 teaspoons salt.
3. Rub za’atar mixture all over chicken. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Add lemon halves
4. Toss onion wedges with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper; add to baking sheet along with chicken pieces and lemon halves.
5. Roast in the center of the oven until a thermometer inserted into thickest parts of chicken registers about 150 degrees, about 20 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking process.
6. On a second parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
7. Roast simultaneously in the lower third of oven, stirring once, until starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove potatoes from the oven.
9. Switch oven to broiler setting. (I put my oven on Convection-Broil-Max at 450 degrees.)
10. Move baking sheet to upper third of oven; broil until chicken is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Drizzle kale lightly with oil or pan drippings; season with salt and pepper. Scatter kale over chicken and broil until just wilted and thermometer inserted into thickest parts of chicken registers 165 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes more.
12. Let cool slightly, then squeeze lemon halves over chicken.
13. Remove kale to a platter, place chicken on top; toss remaining vegetables together and serve alongside.

One Year Ago:

• Chipotle Chicken & Greens

Two Years Ago:

• Za’atar Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
• Green Goddess Roasted Chicken

Three Years Ago:

• Pork Tenderloin with Greens & Polenta

Four Years Ago:

• Chicken with Leeks & Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce
• Poisson Meunière or Fish with Lemon & Browned Butter Sauce

Roasted Squash with Cherry Tomatoes & Eggs

Similar to my last post, this is another lovely breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. A nice vegetarian meal! I (almost) always make roasted acorn squash with maple syrup, so this was also a nice change of pace. The chile paste made it amazing.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used my CSA acorn squash and festival sweet dumpling squash and added roasted potatoes. We ate it for dinner with a green salad on the side.

I’m sharing this dish at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #139, co-hosted by Antonia @ Zoale and Sandhya @ Indfused. Enjoy!

• 2 small acorn squashes (up to 1 1/2 pounds each)
• 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 sprigs
• 2 cups (12 oz) mixed cherry tomatoes
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (or other chile paste), plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved crosswise

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably set to convection roast, with racks in the center, upper, and lower thirds of the oven.
2. Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Toss potatoes with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Rub squashes all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Prick inside surface all over with a fork. Season with salt and thyme leaves.
5. Place squash cut side down over thyme sprigs on a prepared baking sheet. Place on upper rack of oven and roast for 10 minutes.
6. Along with the squash, add potatoes to oven on the lower rack. Roast for 10 minutes as well.
7. Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes in the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread on the third baking sheet in a single layer.
8. After the initial 10 minutes of roasting is complete, add the tomatoes to the oven on the center oven rack and roast about 20 to 25 minutes more, or until tomatoes are beginning to collapse. The squash should be tender and the cut surface of the potatoes lightly brown.
9. Remove tomatoes and potatoes from the oven. Set aside, in a warming drawer, if possible.
10. Turn the squashes cut side up and roast 5 minutes more.
11. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon chile paste into each hollow, then crack an egg into each. Season with salt.
12. Return to oven and bake until whites are set but still a bit wobbly and yolks are soft, about 10 minutes.
13. Let stand for 3 minutes. Then, serve garnished with roasted tomatoes, more chile paste, salt and pepper with roasted potatoes on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Lobster & Corn Chowder
• Clams Casino #2

Two Years Ago:

• Baked Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

Three Years Ago:

• Eggplant & Wild Mushroom “Meatballs” in Tomato Sauce
• Cornmeal Summer Berry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Pork Tenderloin with Warm Harissa, Couscous & Roasted Vegetable Salad

I wanted to make this dish because it was so pretty! 🙂

I am obsessed with Harissa- and this recipe has an amazing homemade version. This fabulous Moroccan spice paste is then mixed into an Israeli couscous-based warm salad with roasted potatoes and vegetables. Wow. It lived up to its photo in the magazine- really lovely! The leftover Harissa was fabulous over the pork slices. This delicious recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

I’m bringing this dish to share at Fiesta Friday #73, co-hosted by Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake and Juju @ Cooking With Aunt Juju. Join the party & check out their wonderful blogs as well!! Enjoy 🙂

Yield: Serves 6

For the Harissa Paste:

• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 1 small clove garlic
  
• 1/4 teaspoon chili paste (I used chili powder)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  
• 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
  
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Couscous:

• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups Israeli couscous
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch small carrots, preferably heirloom in a mix of colors, scrubbed or peeled and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt

For the Pork:

• 2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola or safflower oil

For the Warm Salad:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• coarse salt
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Harissa Paste, plus more for serving

Make the Harissa Paste:

1. Roast the red pepper over the flame of a gas burner, turning with tongs, until blackened and blistered. (Or roast under broiler, turning as needed.) Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 15 minutes. Rub off skin with paper towels, then remove and discard ribs and seeds.
2. Puree pepper with garlic, chili paste, spices, oil, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. (I used a Vitamix.) Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Couscous:

1. Bring broth and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a medium pot. Add couscous and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, about 8 minutes more.
2. Remove from heat, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.
3. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, spread in an even layer, and let cool, 10 minutes.

Make the Roasted Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (on convection roast, if possible).
2. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes and carrots with olive oil; season with salt.
3. Spread in a single layer and roast, tossing halfway through, until tender, about 20 minutes for the potatoes and up to 30 minutes for the carrots. Let cool completely on baking sheet.

Cook the Pork:

1. Raise oven heat to 425 degrees (on convection roast, if possible).
2. Season pork all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Swirl in canola oil to coat. Add pork and brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 6 to 12 minutes total.
3. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until a thermometer inserted in middles registers 140 degrees, about 11 minutes. (I used my oven probe.)
4. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 15 minutes before cutting into 1/2-inch slices.

Make the Warm Salad:

1. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium. (I used the same pan the pork was cooked in after removing the meat to rest after cooking.)
2. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Transfer to a large bowl, add tomatoes and herbs, and toss to combine.
4. Add prepared couscous, roasted vegetables, and harissa paste to the salad; toss to combine. Season with salt.
5. Arrange couscous mixture on a large platter and top with pork. Serve, with extra harissa on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Shish Taouk: Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs
• Turkish Bulgur & Vegetable Pilaf

Two Years Ago:

• South Carolina Mustard Pulled Pork
• Perfect Coleslaw