USING The Basics

Hello my Foodie Friends!

before and after frying for baking cookies, scones, vegetables, potatoes, fish, meat, croissants, pastries, breads, pouring out toffee or chocolate bark, cookies and so much more.

Sheet pan dinners have skyrocketed in popularity because they are such an easy way to cook veggies and proteins together in one pan, allowing flavors to blend and avoiding a sink full of dishes to clean. For too long this workhorse of the professional kitchen was a chef’s secret, helping bear the loads for prep cooks, caterers and bigbatch bakers. No more. Sheet pans

Sheet Pan Chicken and Rainbow Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt divided

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 medium breasts)

Instructions

• 1 small head broccoli cut into florets (about 2 cups florets)

• 1 red bell pepper cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 zucchini halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick half moons

• 1 yellow squash halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick half moons

• Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For easy cleanup, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick spray.

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat and then spread into a single layer on the baking sheet. Keep the bowl handy. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are just beginning to soften on the outsides but are still too firm to eat.

3. Meanwhile, in the bowl that you used previously for the sweet potatoes, place the chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. Drizzle are popping up in the kitchens of recent grads and grandmothers alike — and not a moment too soon. These sturdy rimmed stainless steel or aluminum sheets are good for so much, there is little this pan cannot do.

We carry Nordic Ware and USA Pan rimmed baking sheets. Both of these brands are excellent quality and have stood the test of time (and frequent use). The 12×17-inch size is just the right size for a dozen cookies, and the rimmed edges prevent any sauces/syrups from dripping off the sheet.

The Nordic Ware naturals was Voted "Best Baking Sheet,” the Baker’s Half Sheet is an essential tool in the kitchen you will use in a variety of ways from sheet pan dinners, to baked goods to food prep. Our top-rated Naturals® Bakeware collection is made of pure aluminum for superior heat conductivity and produces consistent evenly browned baked goods every time. These premium pans have a lifetime durability and will never rust. Encapsulated galvanized steel rims prevent warping. Creativity meets natural aluminum sustainability.

The rimmed baking sheet from USA Pan includes a unique fluted design that facilitates air circulation and maximizes pan strength to help resist warping. It is Made with the same standard high-performance features used for bakeware in commercial bakeries. The USA Pan is easy for clean up with a nonstick silicone coating: FDA approved for safe contact with food. Looking for those basics for your kitchen? Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Let us assist you with the cool tools that make a difference in your kitchen. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

Take Care, John & Paula

• 2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the lemon zest and juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat.

4. Transfer the chicken and vegetable mixture to the sheet pan with the sweet potatoes, using a spatula to spread everything into an fairly even layer and stirring it a bit if needed.

5. Return to the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 additional minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle and the vegetables are tender but not mushy. (They won’t be browned and caramelized but will be delicious to eat.) Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of beyonddiet.com