Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

Miss me?  I have been on an extended break from the blogosphere.  Knocked down by the flu during the holidays, my post-election blues (I promise to refrain) and the wet dreary weather kind of got the best of me.  But I’m back!  Ready to tackle 2017. This year’s theme will be comfort food from soup to dessert, food for the soul.  Food for family and friends-dishes to share, meals that bring us together and make us happy. Nothing better than sitting around the table eating, talking and laughing.  What better buffer to our crazy mixed-up world right now.  If you have a favorite recipe I would love to share it on my blog and if there is a story behind your dish, I definitely want to hear it.

This first post was going to feature soup.  You know how much I love soup, yep I could live on just soup.  Not to mention soup is the perfect antidote for cold wet weather and when you’re not feeling 100%.  In fact, I had an easy soup recipe in mind, a family favorite that I make whenever my kids are home but a recipe for Chicken Tikka from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen caught my eye.  I had to try it.  It is a one pan meal loaded with flavor from spices like garam masala, chili, cumin, paprika and garlic.

The hard part maybe rounding up the different spices used in this recipe.  Fortunately quite a few markets now carry Indian and Asian spices.  Try Whole Foods or there is always Amazon or online spice stores like Penzey’s.  If you have an Indian market or Middle Eastern market in your area, definitely check them out.  Spices are usually very reasonable.  Once you have the spices the rest is easy peasy.

Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt, cut cauliflower and potatoes into chunks, season and scatter them on a sheet pan. Place chicken pieces in between the vegetables and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Voila’ dinner is ready to be served.  With my first bite, I could taste the tang of the yogurt and the kick from the chili and jalapeño. The cauliflower and potatoes, with their crispy edges and smooshy (is that a word?) centers, were the perfect foil to the chicken.   I can’t wait to make this again.  Added bonus, JUST ONE PAN to wash, uh-huh, uh-huh.

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Sheet Pan Magic (Chicken Tikka)

Ingredients

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For the chicken

• 1 3/4- inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
• 1 fresh green chili jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne or adjusted to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 pounds chicken thighs drumsticks or halved chicken breasts (skin-on, bone-in)

For the vegetables

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds about 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 3/4 pounds 1 small or half a very large head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

To finish, if desired

• A few thin slices of red onion
• Lemon wedges
• Salt
• Dollops of yogurt optional
• A few tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro parsley or mint, or a mix therof

Instructions

• Combine ginger, garlic, fresh chili, yogurt, salt, spices and sugar in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.
• Heat your oven to 425°F.
• Line a half-sheet (13×18-inch) with foil and coat it with 1 T of olive oil or use parchment paper.
• Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss together until evenly coated. I like garlic so I added a minced glove of garlic as I was tossing the vegetables.
• Remove chicken from marinade and leave excess behind.
• Nestle the chicken pieces among the vegetables throughout the pan.
• Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then toss the potato and cauliflower to ensure they’re cooking evenly
• Return the pan to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes more (i.e. 30 to 40 minutes total roasting time) until chicken and vegetables are cooked through.
• If necessary remove chicken from pan and turn broiler on to crisp the potatoes and cauliflower
• While it roasts, if you’d like to use the lightly pickled onion rings that we did on top, which added a nice tangy fresh zip to the dish, separate the rings and toss them in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.
• When chicken and vegetables are cooked, top with garnishes of your choice.
• I used thinly sliced red onions, cilantro, mint and diced scallions to garnish.