Another one-pan wonder... chicken sausage and veggies!

One of my most popular posts was back in the fall when I posted the Autumn chicken one pan wonder! So I was trying to figure out how to translate that dish into a spring/summer version. I wanted to highlight all of the delicious fresh veggies that are popping up in my local produce department. 
One trend in veggies I am completely obsessed with at the moment is rainbow varieties of vegetables! Rainbow carrots are absolutely gorgeous and make any dish beautiful! Each color tastes slightly different (sweeter or more savory)! White carrots are a sweeter variety while purple carrots are a little more robust in flavor. I managed to find a large bag of them at Costco and then rainbow mini potatoes at Kroger last week! Perfect for this colorful one pan dish! 

This fabulous dish graced our table Monday evening because I was so excited to make it! It also has provided wonderful leftovers throughout the remainder of this week. I love when things make great leftovers. As someone who HATES most leftovers this one is definitely a dish I can reheat over and over and it tastes just as delicious! 

One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 !

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 when served with rice or quinoa

Source: Chelsea's Messy Apron blog

Ingredients

• 2 large carrots ~2 cups (I used more with my rainbow carrots)
• 2 red potatoes ~2 cups (I used a variety of colored mini potatoes)
• 1 small-medium zucchini ~2 and 1/3 cups
• 2 red peppers ~2 cups
• 1 head broccoli ~1 and 1/2 cups
• 16 ounces Smoked Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage (I used a mild chicken/apple sausage)

Seasonings

• 1/2 tablespoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional (I didn't want heat so I left this out)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, optional (I didn't want the calories so left out)
• 4 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: fresh parsley, salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil (easy clean-up) and set aside.
2. Prep the veggies: *It is important to prep the veggies according to directions to ensure they all cook at the same time*
3. Peel and very thinly slice the carrots.  Wash and (if desired peel, we love the peel on) chop the red potatoes. You want the pieces quite small here. (I halve the potatoes and then cut each half into 10-12 pieces)
4. Halve the zucchini and then cut *thick* coins of zucchini. Coarsely chop the broccoli. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and chop into medium-sized pieces. Chop the sausage into thick coins.
5. Pour all the veggies and sausage on the sheet pan.
6. In a small bowl combine all of the seasonings and salt and pepper if desired (I use about 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt) with the olive oil. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the seasoning & oil mixture on top of the veggies and sausage and thoroughly toss to coat.
8. Place in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and toss around the veggies + sausage and return to the oven for another 10-20 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender.
9. Remove and top, if desired, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
10. Serve on top of rice or quinoa if desired. (Also great plain!)

Savory Sides

Whenever I'm deciding what to make for dinner the main dish is never the problem. I get so excited about the main dish that I'm often just finishing it up when I realize... "Oh no, there is nothing to go with it." We have often had meals like an amazing chicken dish that are absolutely delicious - but that's all we had.... CHICKEN! So when I find easy to make, delicious side dishes I get really excited!!
Last week I discovered the amazing way to eat a Kale salad. Kale is so good for you packed with vitamins, minerals, and all sorts of nutritious things. However kale is one of those vegetables that has a very strong flavor. This salad lightens the kale flavor a little and is very refreshing and perfect for summer!

Simple Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette 

Author: Annie Chesson

Ingredients
2 bunches kale, fibrous stems (in the middle of the leaf) removed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup slivered almonds
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
1. For the kale, remove the fibrous stems, leaving you with just the greens. On your cutting board, pile all the leaves on top of each other and massage with your hands for about three to five minutes, until the leaves are no longer bitter. You use a similar motion as you would kneading bread! Move the leaves around every several kneads so you aren't massaging some more than others. I know it sounds weird, but it really works!!
2. Slice the massaged kale into bite size pieces
3. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined 4. To assemble the salad, place the kale, almonds, and Parmesan into a large bowl. Top with dressing and toss to combine
5. You may need less dressing (or maybe a little more) depending on the size of your bunches of kale. Just dress to your preference. The dressing is super easy to whip up if you need to make a little extra (for extra large bunches!)

Recipe by The Garlic Diaries
http://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/simple-kale-salad-with-lemon-vinaigrette/

The other side dish that was simply amazing this week came as a Whole 30 recipe from my Pinterest boards. We had oven baked chicken that evening with some fresh green beans from a local organic farm. I wanted to have just one more side and potatoes sounded great! This is one of those recipes I had intended to make for many months. Now I am wondering WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?! It may be my favorite potato recipe yet and the best part is it's totally clean eating!

CRISPY SALT AND VINEGAR SMASHED POTATOES

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds mixed baby potatoes (Yukon Gold, red, etc.)
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus addt’l for sprinkling
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add potatoes and 1 Tbsp. kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Add butter and gently toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer. Using a heavy mug or glass, smash each potato to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and turn each with a spatula. Drizzle with olive oil and continue baking for 20 minutes more.

Once baked, sprinkle with vinegar, chopped chives, salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Taken from http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2014/07/crispy-salt-and-vinegar-smashed-potatoes.html 

BON APPETIT FRIENDS!