A great “one-pan” meal with earthy flavors is simple to prepare. Assemble in about 15 minutes, pop it in the oven for about an hour for a healthy feast.

Ingredients

6 plum tomatoes
3 medium yellow squash or zucchini
4 large carrots
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs (bone in work fine too)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 Tb. fresh)

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cut the tomatoes & squash lengthwise into quarters. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes, and cut the squash into 3-4″ long pieces. Peel and cut the carrots into bite sized pieces 1/2 inch thick. For a nicer presentation, cut them on an angle to make the pieces longer (see photo).

Put the vegetables in a large baking dish and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Nestle the chicken into the pan so the vegetables surround the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of  salt, 1 tablespoon of oil, minced garlic, lemon zest and the lemon juice. Rub this mixture on the pieces of chicken. Season with some fresh ground pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Stir vegetables and add the rosemary to the pan. Return to the oven for 20-30 minutes until chicken is done.

Serve with white rice or roasted potatoes.

Serves 6

Variation: Cut 6 red bliss potatoes into pieces and add them to the vegetables to make this a real “one pan meal”.

Everything is cooked in one pan, but two seperate steps. Very simple and takes only 15 minutes to get it to the table.

Ingredients

1 pound green beans
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium shallots sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms (button or any kind you like) sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the water in a frying pan just to the boil. Add the beans and cook covered for about 5 minutes, just till fork tender, but they still snap.

Drain the water and put cooked beans in a covered dish to keep warm.

In the same pan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Cook till almost brown and the water they give off has evaporated, 6-8 minutes, and then add the shallots. Cook till shallots are just soft.

Return the beans to the pan and toss to re-warm.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4