CK's Kitchen: Honey-mustard chicken bake is a veggie dish to share

If you follow my Pinterest account, you would think all I do is eat lemon ricotta desserts and fresh salads. Or at least that I aspire to do those things. Unfortunately for me, the aspirational aspect is with the salads. I deliver in the desserts department. While I'm a huge fan of cooked veggies, raw ones don't truly appeal to me all that much. Freshly home from my first farmers market of the season, I flipped through my "Skinnytaste One & Done" cookbook hungry for inspiration. I found it when the page turned to this honey-mustard chicken. Featuring flavorful chicken thighs paired with asparagus, cauliflower, red onion, red bell pepper and fresh thyme and dressed in a homemade honey mustard sounded like the perfect summer dish for this particular Sunday night. Chicken run A quick trip to the grocery netted me the cauliflower — this wasn't available at the local market — and an extra red pepper, as well as some antibiotic-free skinless thighs. I had fresh thyme in the garden and I was good to go. Aptly, prepping the thyme was the most time-consuming portion. Those darn leaves are so small. I added extra pepper just because. Because I'm a bit particular, I used a tape measure to figure out the right level to set the rack for broiling. In my oven it was the third rung. Thick honey I was amazed at how incredibly easy it is to make a delicious honey mustard sauce. It's literally equal parts honey and Dijon mustard with a bit of thyme, in this case. My honey was extra thick but I enjoyed the process of watching the last bit slowly flow out of the glass jar into the ¼ cup measure. It's the little things! The dish takes about 45 minutes of total cook time, not to mention the prep, so I would allow about 75 minutes from start to finish. But I used the cook time to vacuum my downstairs and switch laundry. The end result of this one-pot meal: a delicious dinner that I was happy to share with my best friend, who I met for a rainy walk right after a six-minute broil time. I watched it closely, but don't be afraid to broil it longer than you think. We both enjoyed the veggie combo and the honey mustard sauce is the bomb. In my opinion, it doesn't even need a side dish! This dish doesn't disappoint! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. Honey-mustard chicken bake Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided ¼ cup honey ¼ cup Dijon mustard 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and chopped 1½ cups cauliflower florets 1 medium red onion, chopped, layers separated 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1. Position one oven rack in the center and the other 6 inches below the broiler. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. Season both sides of the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Transfer to a plate. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. 3. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss together the vegetables, olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme. Roast on the center rack for 10 minutes, then remove the baking dish from the oven. Toss the vegetables and then place the chicken on top. Spoon or brush half the honey-mustard sauce onto the chicken. 4. Return the baking dish to the center rack and roast until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Spoon or brush the remaining honey-mustard sauce onto the chicken. Switch the oven to broil, move the baking dish to the upper rack, and broil until the chicken begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 383 calories; 12 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated); 162 milligrams cholesterol; 29 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 37 grams protein; 23 grams sugar; 824 milligrams sodium. Source: "Skinnytaste One & Done"