Upscale Sheet Pan Dinners

Ever feel like you wear all the hats? You do all the things and still get stuck with all the dishes. I am someone who truly loves the art of cooking and feeding other people. However, dishes are not my favorite post meal activity. After I am done cooking a delicious meal, my fantasy world looks a lot like a husband who helps with the dishes and children who rinse their plates thoroughly and put them in the dishwasher. My reality however, is just the opposite.

Today we are going to talk about scrumptious homecooked meals with minimal dishes. One pan and one pot meals have already trended, but that does not mean that they should be dismissed as a trend of the past. As we transition out of summer and out door grilling into school schedules and a busier pace of life, there is no reason why we shouldn’t cut our selves some slack and cut down on the dishes while we are at it.

Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad- My twist on this classic French salad is packed with flavor, is simple to make and is a great transition from a summer salad to a hearty meal.

Ingredients/Instructions:

(makes 4-5 salads)

Salad Dressing:

4 garlic cloves

½ cup EVOO

1/2 cup lemon juice

¼ cup honey

1 tbsp Dijon

1 – ½ tsp salt

1/3 oz of dill (half a package)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor and transfer to a lidded container. Put your food processor in your dishwasher and you’re done with the dressing.

For the Salad:

4 portions of salmon

3 cups/240 grams of French green beans

1 lbs baby potato medley

English cucumber

1 cup kalamata olives

½ cup of capers

4-5 hard boiled eggs

½ bushel of radishes

Arugula or other salad greens

EVOO

Salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes

Lemon slices

Garlic cloves

Dill

1. Place either a silicone mat or parchment paper onto a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You are going to add things to the sheet pan in shifts, so please follow along. The potatoes will be in for a total of 30-35 minutes. The green beans will be in for a total of 20-25 minutes and the salmon will be in for a total of 15 minutes.

2. Quarter your baby potatoes and put them on the sheet pan. Generously drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I also like to cut a few garlic cloves in half to add to the aroma and flavor of the potatoes. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes never hurt anyone either.

3. After the potatoes have been in the oven for 10 minutes, pull the pan out and add the green beans. Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Also add a few more halved garlic cloves and some of the extra dill sprigs. Return the pan to the oven.

4. After the green beans have been in the oven for 5-10 minutes, remove the sheet pan and add the salmon. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add a sprig of dill and some lemon slices to the top of the salmon. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

5. Begin plating by adding a base of lettuce.

6. Add a portion of salmon to each dish.

7. Add an equal amount of potatoes, and green beans to each plate. Halve a hard boiled egg and add 2 halves as well.

8. Add sliced cucumber, sliced radishes, a tbsp of capers and a quarter cup of kalamata olives to each salad as well.

9. Drizzle with dressing and you’re ready to go. Enjoy!

Ingredients/Instructions :

For the chicken:

2 lbs of chicken thighs

6-8 garlic cloves

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup EVOO

5.5 oz (1 package) plain Greek yogurt

½ tsp salt

½ red pepper flakes

½ tsp coriander

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp dried parsley

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp white sugar

1 thumb of ginger

1. Add all ingredients but the chicken into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. In a lidded container, toss the chicken in the marinade until each thigh is coated. I highly recommend letting the chicken sit in the marinade for a minimum of 2 hours. I leave mine in the fridge for 24 hours and it is great!

Other Ingredients/Instructions:

1 yellow onion

2 red bell peppers

Naan

Tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Kalamata olives

Feta

Tzatziki

1. Put the oven on the broil setting. If you happen to have a baking rack that fits into your baking sheet, I highly recommend it. This allows the moisture the cooks out of the ingredients to fall below and the ingredients to cook properly.

2. Remove chicken from the marinade and place it on the baking sheet. Add sliced yellow onion and whole bell peppers to the sheet as well. Drizzle the sliced onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Broil for 10 minutes on one side and remove from the oven. Flip the chicken and the red peppers. Give the onions a little toss, putting extra dark pieces under pieces that are not as dark.

4. Broil and additional 10 minutes. Check for doneness on the chicken and remove from the oven.

5. Once the chicken has cooled, thinly slice it. Slice the roasted red peppers as well.

6. Assemble your gyro by beginning with toasted naan bread. We always put a little bit of butter on our naan and toast it first. Warm bread always trumps cold bread.

7. Add some shredded lettuce, diced cucumber, onions and peppers. Add your chicken and then tzatziki, kalamata olives and feta. You are more than welcome to add or omit any other ingredients that you see fit.

8 Enjoy!