Month-of-Mediterranean: Honey Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

Soy sauce in a Mediterranean-themed diet? Yep. But that’s because . . . See the February 1^st post where I explain what we’re all about this month. Mediterranean diet principles: lots of veggies—check; low fat—check; small amount of animal protein—check; high flavor—check.

I modified this recipe from BEST BITES on AOL.com by adding in parmesan potatoes and switching to regular carrots from baby ones. I used olive oil instead of sesame, and I subbed basil for the cilantro. Other than that, I mostly followed the recipe below. Oh, and don’t let the number of ingredients faze you. You’re making one sauce and one rub. The rest of the ingredients are the meat and veggies.

Honey Lemon Chicken and Vegetables (serves 4)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon basil paste (I use Gourmet Garden)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder 

1 pound of green beans

4 carrots, cut in quarters long ways

20 baby potatoes

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil for coating carrots, potatoes, and beans

8-10 chicken tenders

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400º F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and basil paste.

In another small bowl, combine smoked paprika, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Coat chicken tenders in seasoning.

Rub baby potatoes with olive oil and then roll in parmesan cheese.

Cut carrots into length-wise quarters. Lightly coat with olive oil.

Trim the beans and lightly coat with olive oil.

Place potatoes and carrots at opposite ends of the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the chicken tenders in the middle. Paint on half the sauce mixture. Reserve the remainder. Put the green beans on the

other two sides of the chicken.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the baking pan from oven and flip each tender to the other side. Drizzle chicken, green beans, and carrots with half of the remaining sauce and a pinch of salt to taste.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove sheet pan and drizzle chicken with the remaining sauce.

Set the oven to broil. Place pan back in oven and broil for 2 minutes.

DH’s Rating: 3 ½ Tongues Up

“Too sweet. The flavors are good otherwise, but I don’t like the sweetness.”

I thought it was more like a 4, but he’s the rater. My objection was that the rub and the sauce didn’t seem integrated. Two distinct flavors going on with the chicken. And he loves my Honey Garlic Chicken and Fish Sauce Chicken, both sweet. So what gives?

Sharon’s Note: Next time I make this, I’m going to make a marinade of the sauce and rub and let the chicken sit in it for a half hour. I’ll baste with the mixture, too, as the recipe directs. But this will make for a more even flavor.

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Za'atar Chicken Chunks with Veggies

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Za’atar, pronounced zay’-ter, is a seasoning spice mixture used in Middle Eastern cooking as a condiment. Regional variants are sometimes a closely-guarded family secret. Generally za'atar contains sesame seed, thyme, oregano, and marjoram as the base for additions such as savory, cumin, coriander, fennel seed, sumac berries, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, rosebuds, and caraway. Pretty much what you want it to be, right?

Some nights you need like a flash dinner, you know. And chopping food into smaller chunks is your greatest secret for making that happen. This recipe comes together for a very fast weeknight dinner. Prep is just a few minutes and can be done ahead and refrigerated for roasting later. Serves three-ish. The only carbs are from the veggies, and you know how little that is! Eat as much as you want guilt-free.

Also, you can use the same technique with different seasonings to make different meals. So roast up a second pan at the same time and have it ready to serve for a super-fast dinner later in the week. This is a really versatile pan meal. You can make two pans at the same time. Eat one for dinner tonight and use the other pan in a different dinner later in the week.

This recipe uses za’atar, but try other seasonings. You could use cumin and make soft tacos from the other pan. Or seasoned with cumin, toss into a pot with diced, seasoned tomatoes for a quick chili. Or toss the veggies and chicken with salt and pepper, make a quick chicken gravy to mix in and serve over noodles for a super-fast meal later in the week. This is a wonderful combo that can be used in myriad ways.

Za’atar Roasted Chicken Chunks and Veggies (serves 3-4)

1 large breast (or two medium)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

2 tablespoons Za’atar seasoning (or Italian, tarragon, cumin etc.), divided

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

½ cup onion, sliced

1 cup mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut into coins

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup broccoli florets

½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.

Prepare a large zipper bag with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon za’atar (or other seasoning). Add ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Moosh to combine.

Cube the chicken in bite-size pieces. Add in chicken chunks and massage to coat. Remove from bag, put on a plate, and cover to refrigerate until ready to cook.

Add remaining oil, za’atar, salt, and pepper to same zipper bag. Mush to combine. Chop vegetables into big chunks. Add to bag and massage to coat.

Arrange chicken on baking sheet and put the vegetables all around the chicken chunks. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture in the zipper bag on the pan ingredients.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables show char marks and the chicken is done. Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: almost 4 Tongues Up

Believe it or not, he made himself a salad to go with this veggie-heavy meal! What can I say? Anyway, he noted that this was a spice he didn’t recognize. I explained what it is and that he’ll be tasting it in a variety or upcoming recipes. He thought it was fine, but not something he’d request necessarily. He doesn’t do change well. He might have liked it more over rice, but this is a one-pan meal. I thought it was an interesting dish and one I will make again.