Cumin roasted chicken with chickpeas

Sometimes, you just want something you can make for dinner that is easy, that everyone will like and that won’t keep you in the kitchen for ages. This might just be the trick, then. The chicken is nice and juicy, the chickpeas are really flavorful and keep you full, and – maybe most importantly – it all comes together really quickly. An additional use for this chicken might be to top salads with it; warm chicken and chickpeas on salad is really a great dinner!

Cumin Roasted Chickpea Chicken Bowls

-original recipe found on pulses.org

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts with skin (you can use thighs, too, if you’d rather)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed

Marinade:

¼ olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed

½ tsp salt

frsh pepper to taste

1 T honey

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

1 tsp paprika (smoked is really yummy, if you have it)

For serving:

Cooked grains (quinoa, faro, or whatever you are currently liking)

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries (something tart-and-sweet)

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large plastic ziptop bag, mix the marinade. Combine the oil, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, honey and apple cider vinegar. Pour this over the chicken and chickpeas.
Put chicken and chickpeas in the bag. Seal, pressing out any extra air. Squish it around to get the marinade all over the chicken and chickpeas. Let it marinate in fridge for 10-20 minutes.
Get a baking sheet ready. When using for sheet pan dinners, I like to line the pan with aluminum foil to facilitate clean-up; do as you see fit. Scatter the chicken and chickpeas on the sheet; reserving marinade.
Place the sliced onions around the chicken and chickpeas.
Drizzle the extra marinade on top of the whole pan, coating evenly.
Sprinkle with paprika and a pinch more salt and pepper if desired.
Roast 400F for 25 minutes to 28 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Broil last minute to get the honey to caramelize a bit with the chicken/chickpeas
Remove from oven; let sit for a few minutes. If you choose, you can transfer the chickpeas and chicken to a serving dish; you can slice the chicken into thinner strips, if you’d like. Spoon the juices onto the serving dish.
Serve with your grains, garnishing with pomegranate seeds.