Maple-Mustard Chicken with Roasted Nutmeg Cauliflower

This meal is a nice twist on the typical. The ingredients are not particularly exotic, but they're not particularly obvious either. You probably have them all in your fridge and pantry already, so just grab some chicken and a head of cauliflower, and you'll be set.

The chicken is really delicious, with a sweet-spicy contrast in every bite. Feel free to serve it with a different vegetable if you're not a cauliflower follower. You don't want to miss on the chicken, believe me. Neither of us are huge cauliflower fans, and I hoped that this somewhat unusual variation would win us over, but I'm afraid neither of us were totally convinced. The nutmeg certainly made the cauliflower more interesting, at least.

Bottom line? This meal is easy, tasty, healthy, and worthy of a Friday night dinner.

Maple-Mustard Chicken with Roasted Nutmeg Cauliflower
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Lay the cauliflower in a baking dish and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with nutmeg and salt, and toss to coat. Cover with foil.

3. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, garlic, marjoram, and maple syrup. Spread half of the mixture on each chicken breast, creating a thin layer of coating.

4. Put the covered cauliflower dish and the chicken dish in the oven. Bake the cauliflower for about 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is starting to get tender. Bake the chicken for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mustard sauce forms a crust and the chicken is cooked through. Serve.

Enjoy!