Be A Better Cook: Awesome Simple Dinner Technique

In my last column I covered the herbs and spices I suggest you ought to have on hand in your spice drawer, spice rack or pantry. I'll follow up with a review of the pantry staples I think are most important to have.

But, like you, I've been really busy lately with two teenagers and a grade schooler, swim meets, parties and just plain life as we know it. So before I go into another list / lecture about staple foods, I'd like to share a simple, simple technique for a one-pan meal that I've used several times during the past few hectic weeks.

The technique comes from Jamie Oliver, and the idea is that you line a roasting pan with vegetables, herbs and seasonings, toss them in oil, then place a main ingredient over the top and roast for about 40-60 minutes depending on the main ingredient. While fresh herbs are the best choice for great results, you can use dried if that's all you've got. Substitute a little less than one teaspoon for each "sprig" of fresh herbs in the recipes that follow the next posts.

Slight variations in this roasting formula have produced:

Savory Croutons, Chicken Drumsticks and Crispy Pancetta for Jamie's Proper Caesar Salad
Italian Sausage over Herb Roasted Tomatoes

and my own creation:

Chicken Stuffed with Capicolla and Mozzarella over Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel

Below you'll find a small gallery of photos of these dishes. In the next post, my recipe for the stuffed chicken. Next week, I promise, we'll discuss pantry staples. How exciting!! Well, it's exciting for me, and I hope for you too.