Looking forward to Thanksgiving? There are so many fabulous traditional foods that bring back memories—here are a few main courses that can grace your table!
Tahini Chicken with Cauliflower, Sweet Potato and Figs
If you are looking for a great Thanksgiving recipe for a smaller crowd, this is it! Traditional sweet potatoes are included with the chicken, with healthy and delicious roasted cauliflower and figs, adding a touch of sweetness. The tahini sauce puts this meal over the top with its savory addition to the chicken and veggies. Make extra and leave on the side for all to enjoy extra! Tahini, made from sesame seeds, is a favorite in the Middle East and available in many grocery stores and certainly online. I received a trio of flavors from a monthly package I receive from boutique businesses in Israel. Recipe is easy to multiply for more mouths to feed!
Tahini Chicken with Cauliflower, Sweet Potato and Figs
#Thanksgiving #main #cauliflower #sweetpotatoes #tahini #figs
Yield 4 servings
Spices
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 chicken thighs
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
5-6 figs, cut in half
5 cloves garlic, skins removed
Tahini Sauce
½ cup tahini paste
5 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 tablespoons hot water
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Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
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Mix spices together.
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Drizzle olive oil on chicken. Dredge both sides of chicken in spices. Spread cauliflower and sweet potato on an oven proof pan with sides. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Snuggle chicken into veggies.
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Place garlic cloves amidst the veggies.
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Bake 1 hour or until chicken measures 160 F and the cauliflower and sweet potato are crispy on the edges.
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Tahini Sauce: Mix tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Add water one tablespoon at a time until you get a desired consistency.
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Plate chicken and veggies and drizzle with tahini. Serve. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat and then drizzle with tahini sauce.
Expandthetable suggestions
Add other veggies: Add any root vegetable, chopped, such as parsnips, turnips, carrots, butternut squash or white potatoes to the mixture.
Meat free: Omit chicken and add 1 can, drained and rinsed chickpeas; 2 peeled, chopped, salted and drained eggplant (smaller eggplant doesn’t have to be peeled or salted). Baking time may have to be reduced to 40 minutes. Check with a fork to test for doneness.
Adapted from Whitney Fisch
Foodie Lit
Author Julie Simmons told me that her novel's theme, The Lost Canvas, “is the resilience of the human spirit. I wanted to show that through the characters who represent entirely human constructs – joy, grief, success, failure, desires for goals, and regrets. The kinds of things that we all experience. They use these abstract sentiments, their layers, the makeup of what it is that gives us our human spirit as introspection to lean into it, and move forward because within all of us is the power of resilience. We get to choose. We can decide to become victims of our circumstances or to be the heroes of our own destinies.” This is a story and characters that you will love to read about!
