Kevin and I feel so blessed to have traveled to some pretty amazing places and we’ve eaten some absolutely fantastic meals on our adventures out and about. Our recent trip to Jerusalem, Israel, in October of 2018 was one such trip! I’ve wanted to go to Israel since my teens. Please….take it from me. Don’t wait that long! If The Holy Land has been on your radar you need to make it a priority. I can even give you suggestions for who to connect with if interested. Just leave a comment below!

Toward the end of our time there we enjoyed a meal with friends at a local restaurant in Jerusalem. It is easily at the top of my list as one of the best foodie experiences I’ve ever had! When you get to Israel someday be sure to go to Yudale’s !! It’s not just the food ~ although it could have stood on its own. But it was every component of the meal :: the people, the vibe, the food preparation being done right in front of you, the dancing, the laughter, the drinks, the dessert ~ the entire experience is something you don’t want to miss! I can’t wait to go back to Israel and you can bet I’ll be making this restaurant a priority stop!

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In the mean time, I’ll keep whipping things up here at home and having fun creating and trying new recipes and flavors and gathering people around my table to enjoy life and a meal together.

I’m a huge fan of Indian, Moroccan, Latin, and Caribbean inspired flavors. This recipe is made with one of my favorite moroccan spice mixes: Ras El Hanout ! And my favorite brand is Savory Spice Shops blend.

I’ve tried many varieties but this one is the winner for me hands down. The perfect mix of warm and savory, spunk and tart flavors. We love it on meat, poultry, veggies, and in tahini sauce - it’s all good!

So here is a fun little recipe for you to try! And its a sheet pan meal…well a double sheet pan meal so your veggies don’t get overcooked and mushy. Not a fan of that so I broke this recipe down to make it all come out perfectly done with flavor galore and all the right mix of chicken and veggies! With a lot of easy-to-prepare mixed in!

Enjoy!

Moroccan Inspired Sheet Pan Chicken

Serves 3-4

Sheet Pan 1:
2 medium sweet potatoes ~ medium to large chunk
1 Tbsp Avocado oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp Ras el Hanout :: or curry if you’re not able to find ras el hanout
4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
2 Tbls Ras el Hanout
S&P

Sheet Pan 2:
1 c onion large chop
1 c mushrooms quartered
1 c cauliflower broken into florets
½ c broccoli cut into small chunks
½ c zucchini large chunk
2-3 T oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2-3 tsp Ras el Hanout

Toss sweet potatoes in oil and season with salt, pepper and Ras el Hanout. Place on a sheet pan. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs and rub the Ras el Hanout on both sides ~ more rub on the skin side. Season with salt and pepper. 

Place chicken thighs over the sweet potatoes and bake at 420 for 20 mins, middle rack. 

While chicken and potatoes are roasting, toss onion, mushrooms, cauli, broccoli and zucchini in oil and season with S&P and Ras el Hanout. Place on a second sheet pan. 

When timer goes off. Move chicken and sweet potatoes to upper rack and place the second sheet pan of veggies on the middle rack. Roast for an additional 15 minutes. 

Tahini Sauce

¼ - 1/3 c of tahini
2-4 Tbsp water
1-2 lemons juiced
Pinch of pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Ras el Hanout
1 clove of garlic minced or pressed (opt)

Mix tahini, lemon juice, and water together. Add seasonings. Adjust lemon juice, seasonings, + water to desired consistency and taste. Place second sheet pan of veggies in serving dish. Layer chicken and sweet potatoes on top.  Serve up individual plates and drizzle with Tahini sauce and season with Salt and Pepper to taste.  

Susan Marks || Life in, Life out