Good Sheet Pan Meal

im sleep deprived, but hey! we're here.

wow.

I am so tired. I’m tired 87% of the time but we’ve now breached into the 99th percentile of exhaustion. So many factors can be at play here: the mystery illness I’m waiting to see a GI doctor about, a book I’m so terribly behind on, a job I’ve been in the application process for, an apartment in Mexico City I’m ready to depart from, my 31st birthday in 21 days…

Options galore, baby.

Fortunately for me (and for you all), I posted an IG story picture with the recipe I developed for my job interview and a sweet follower said to me “ wow give us that recipe you worn out raccoon woman” and I looked at the dm and said, “ah hell yeah sure, I have nothing else to offer anyway”.

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Happy Sheet Pan Season ya’ll. I’m going to take my little nap before my yap session with The Lady (TM) aka my therapist…

Moroccan Style Chicken and Vegetables

Serves 4 - 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

If you’re fortunate in this lifetime, you’ll encounter a meal that’ll have a lasting impact on you --  an impression that sticks to your ribs long after you clear the plate. For me, it was the chicken tagine my roommate cooked in our tiny Brooklyn apartment nearly seven years ago. The warming aroma of ginger, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric filled the pocket of air that was our 30 square foot kitchen. From this humble, two piece clay pot, came a stew-like wonder of tender chicken, simmered alongside simple, yet hardy, vegetables. Thanks to the fat and moisture sealed inside while cooking, dried fruit had transformed into jammy and lucious jewels that were like warm, softened butter to the tongue. The briney nature of the olives served as the exclamation point at the end of every bite and a top note of preserved lemon reset my palate in anticipation of my next forkful. Now, this recipe by no means claims to be tagine. Instead, it borrows elements and flavors from the North African meal that'll get you in the ballpark when you have neither a tagine to cook in or an abundance of time. 

A tagine works by pulling moisture up onto the walls of the dome shaped top, then returning it into the food like a rain cycle. The magic of this sheet pan recipe is its ability to mimic that effect with a tent of aluminum foil and a super hot oven. Cauliflower, onions and carrots boast a high water content making them ideal for this technique.  Because sheet pans have a larger surface area, allowing the ingredients to crowd and overlap,  rather than spreading them out, encourages them to steam instead of roast. This creates the base for a sauce as the liquid mingles with the tomato paste, olive oil and bone broth. 

This weeknight sheet pan dinner delivers on three promises: the prep will be simple, the clean up will be quick and the results will not only be a feast for your stomach, but one for the eyes as well. Nearly every element of this recipe can be customized, so don’t feel beholden to the vegetables called for. Broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes and various squash will also be great substitutes. Just keep in mind to cut your vegetables into equal sizes to ensure even cooking. If apricots aren’t your vibe, consider medjool dates or tart, dry cherries. Cilantro can easily be switched for flat leaf parsley, mint or dill. Regardless of the direction you take, you’re sure to find success. 

Ingredients

1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ tablespoon ground cumin

½ tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 pound cauliflower florets, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 large carrots, peeled

1 red onion, peeled and halved through the root

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

10 dried apricots

¾   cup unsalted chicken bone broth

14 Castelvetrano olives

½ cup cilantro, cleaned with some stems attached

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven then preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, paprika, ginger, cinnamon and 2 pinches of salt in a large mixing bowl with the chicken thighs. Use your hands to combine the marinade and massage it well into the chicken. Be sure that all of the chicken is coated before setting aside.

2. To cut the carrots, hold it with the bottom tip facing you then angle your knife over the carrot at 45 degrees and make a 2 inch cut. Rotate the carrot ¼ of the way and cut again at the same angle.  Continue cutting and rotating until you have oblique shapes. Add the carrots to a bowl with the cauliflower and remaining olive oil. 

3. Slice the onion lengthwise into ½ inch pieces, taking care to keep the layers intact. Spread the onions evenly across the bottom of the sheet pan and pour in the chicken stock. Sprinkle the apricots and garlic over the onions then top with the remaining vegetables. Nestle the chicken into the mixture and scrape any tomato marinade on top. Hit the vegetables with another pinch of salt and some pepper then tent the pan with aluminum foil. Cook for 20 minutes.

4. After 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and very carefully remove the foil. Crush and tear the olives, sprinkle them on top of the vegetables, and return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and garnish with more olives, cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve straight from the pan for razzle dazzle.