Ever since I made Smitten Kitchen’s Chicken Tikka, I’ve been a bit obsessed with sheet-pan dinners. Everything on one pan, vegetables and protein? Boom. It’s quick, and delicious. I’ve done this now with a Harissa Sea Bass + Sweet Potato, as well as a Curry Chicken + Broccoli. Those recipes will come, but this is the first one I made that’s truly post-worthy and ready!
It’s a bit odd, now that I look more closely at these ingredients, as they are somewhat more winter-y than I realized. However, this works really well for a warm summer night. It has a lot of spice, but still is a light dish because the yogurt is subtle.
North African Chicken, Date, & Cauliflower One-Pan Dinner
Serves 4. Recommended: serve with brown rice (and this tahini sauce is a nice touch!)
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into large bite-size pieces
- 3/4 cup plain lowfat or full fat yogurt
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika or Berbere spice, divided
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons worth)
- 1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into large bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch black pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 5 pitted Medjool dates, diced or 1/4 cup raisins
Optional:
- Cooked brown rice
- Mint, for garnish
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, paprika, 1 teaspoon smoked Paprika or Berbere spice, turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemon, honey, sea salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside half of it in a separate small bowl. Then add in chicken to the half left in the large bowl and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl or plastic bag, toss cauliflower and chickpeas with the other teaspoon of smoked Paprika or Berbere spice, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, and pepper.
Line a sheet pan with foil. Spread chicken, as well as any remaining yogurt marinade onto foil. Add in cauliflower and chickpeas. The pan should be full, but not super crowded or stacked (if so, use an additional pan). Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Then take out pan, add in dates and pine nuts, and bake for another 10 minutes. Chicken should be white and fully cooked, and the cauliflower should be browned. Serve with brown rice and mint.
