Serves a Crowd

Very Simple Dinner Inspired by a Side Dish

by:
May 19, 2011
4.8
4 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

When I see a recipe on a cooking show or read one, I get eager to make it right a way, and even if I don’t have all of the components, I will make with what ever I have.
Yesterday I was watching Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn.
She had a guest and he cooked a side dish with sautéed radicchio and endive, as a base and chickpeas with walnuts on top.
I didn’t have radicchio or endive, that is why I made it with spinach, and add this side dish to my dinner menu.
The whole Mane dish cost about 8-10 dollars. There were six of us at the dinner table.
Kukla

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • • 1 large split chicken breast (on the bone and with the skin on)
  • • 6 medium-small red-skin potatoes cut in half lengthwise
  • • 1 medium head cauliflower (separated and large florets cut in half)
  • • 1 medium size bag spinach
  • • 1(15-oz) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • • ¾ cup of walnuts half’s
  • • 4 large garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • • pure olive oil
  • • 1 tablespoon butter for sautéing spinach
  • • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • • 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl combine salt, black pepper, paprika and Herbs de Provence (this mixture is the seasoning for the whole dish). Season the chicken breasts all over and under the skin; cut 2 cloves of garlic in half and push it under the skin.
  2. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil on top. In a large bowl season potatoes and pour 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer to a large roasting pan.
  3. In the same bowl repeat the same with the cauliflower. Orange the cauliflower next to potatoes (both cauliflower and potatoes should make one layer).
  4. Put chicken breasts on top, cover the whole pan with foil and transfer to the middle wrack of the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes, bake the breasts for 15 more minutes, and get them out to rest. Bake the vegetables for a few more minutes until they are golden brown.
  5. Meanwhile in a smaller skillet, add remaining garlic clove with a tablespoon of olive oil. As garlic browns, add chickpeas and the 3/4 cup of walnuts. Season with the seasoning mixture, and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, until chickpeas are heated through. Set aside.
  6. In the same skillet, sauté 1clove of chopped garlic with about 1 tablespoon of oil. When garlic is beginning to slightly brown, throw in the spinach. Season and add the 1 tablespoon butter. Stir the spinach and cook until softened, about 2 minutes, squeeze in some lemon juice.
  7. To assemble; take-of the skin from the chicken breasts and discard the bones. Cut diagonally and orange in the middle of a large platter. All the other components orange as you like.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

3 Reviews

Kukla May 20, 2011
I was writing this recipe just before the last minutes for submission time and forgot to add one important step.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and bake the breasts for 15 more minutes, then get them out to rest.
Bake the vegetables for a few more minutes until they are golden brown.
Sagegreen May 20, 2011
All the contrasting textures are especially wonderful in this!
Kukla May 20, 2011
Thank you for the nice comment!
For me, if made a small portion, I would cut chicken, potatoes and cauliflower bite size pieces and mix all the ingredients, but in my family are some peaky eaters. My daughter doesn’t like cooked spinach and her children don’t like cauliflower. That’s why I arranged every component of the dish separately.