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Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan with Sorghum

Posted on by biglittlebites

Sorghum is the New Super Grain

The mild, earthy flavor of naturally gluten-free sorghum combines so well with the warming spices in this dish! Did you know that sorghum contains high levels of magnesium, iron, calcium, protein and fiber, making it a super nutritious grain to switch things up? With more than double the amount of protein per cup and plenty of healthy fats to round out your meal, sorghum definitely deserves some shelf space in your pantry. 20 grams of protein guys! In ONE cup! Sorghum also contains some really important antioxidants not commonly found in other foods and it’s directly linked to reducing ones chances of developing certain cancers. While the nutrient profile is totally awesome in my book, my personal favorite reason to use sorghum, is for the texture! It resembles pearl couscous, my previously favorite grain which actually has little to offer in the way of nutrients. * When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

How to Make a Meal Plant-Based 

It would be really ‘comfortable’ to just add steak or chicken to the Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan, but we aren’t going to do that. I’m not saying steak or chicken wouldn’t be delicious, I’m sure it would be – but I believe eating plant based multiple times a week is really important for a balanced diet with enough vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from plants. Replacing meat and poultry at least a few days a week, leaves room for subbing in important plant foods that most Americans are not getting enough of. In this recipe, I use sprouted chickpeas in place of animal protein. 

I use sprouted chickpeas as the meat alternative in this recipe, because their flavor is neutral and sort of takes on whatever herbs and spices you cook it in. If you really want to amp up the protein power, check out how to sprout the chickpeas here.

Are Canned Chickpeas OK to use?

Soaking chickpeas, let alone sprouting them, can seem daunting and be time consuming. It would be a lot faster to use canned chickpeas, but here’s why I don’t suggest it. Metals enter your body through the food we eat, and can accumulate over time in our bones and organs, damaging them over time and contributing to or causing behavior changes and trouble with memory and thinking clearly. While small amounts of aluminum in our environment could be detoxed by our bodies naturally, aluminum already exists in so many foods, is present in most homes pots, pans and serving utensils, is an ingredient in many vaccines, is laced in common deodorants… the list goes on, and the exposure is regular! In my post about How to Make Pumpkin Puree, I talk some more about why I avoid canned foods. 

spices in a spoon and vegetables on a cutting board

How to Make Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan with Sorghum

I first made this roasted eggplant and chickpea dinner for the family on a cool, rainy night and it was just the perfect, cozy meal.  The bulk of the Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan with Sorghum dinner is cooked on one sheet pan. This means clean up is INSANELY easy!!

  1. Line your sheet pan with parchment paper,
  2. Salt the eggplant slices to release their bitter juices,
  3. Mix the spices, garlic and oil in a large bowl and add the eggplant, onion and chickpeas.
  4. Spread the entire mixture evenly on the lined sheet pan.
  5. Pop your meal in the oven, and then serve directly from the pan.
  6. Once you’re ready to clean up, simply throw out the parchment paper to reveal a clean sheet pan!

When I’m cooking in the oven, I choose parchment paper EVERY time, over aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is definitely the more common choice for most people, so what do I have against it? Simply put, the same reason I don’t purchase canned foods (as described above), is to limit my familys exposure to metals. 

Once the Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan comes out of the oven, I love to immediately top it with freshly chopped cilantro and sliced avocado. A squeeze of a lime can add that little bit of acid that rounds the whole thing out. 

To serve Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheet Pan dinner: 

I alternate between two favorite ways of serving this healthy, plant-based meal. On a night when you’re not rushed, it’s fun to serve this sheet pan dinner as a DIY bar on the island countertop, setting out toppings in individual miniature serving bowls and letting kids and husband build-their-own-bowl. On a busy night, I prefer to divide the precooked sorghum evenly between six dinner bowls, and top it with the roasted eggplant and chickpea mixture myself. This way, I can get the littles fed as soon as possible.

Either way you choose to do it, the second best part of this meal (flavor is first!) is the easy cleanup! Simply toss the parchment paper in the trash once dinner is over, give your sheet pan a quick cleaning (because thanks to the parchment, there won’t be any debris stuck to it) and place the dinner bowls in the dishwasher! 

Have you made this recipe? Please reach out in the comments below, to let me know what you think! 

Print Recipe

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Sheetpan with Sorghum

Course: Main Course
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Sheet pan

Ingredients

  • 2 c sorghum
  • 6 c vegetable broth or water
  • 1 large eggplant, sliced 1/2" thick
  • 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp reserved
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp coconut, avocado or olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 2 c sprouted chickpeas
  • 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • 2 avocados, cored and sliced
  • 1 lime, juiced

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Cook the sorghum in a medium pot, according to package instructions, in water or vegetable broth. It will cook for 45-50 minutes.
  • Set the eggplant rounds side by side on top of clean dish towels. Liberally salt the tops and let stand for 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel and slice the eggplant rounds into 1" cubes.
  • In a large bowl, mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the spices and the garlic with oil. Stir in the cubed eggplant, sliced red onion and chickpeas being sure to coat well.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the eggplant and chickpea mixture onto the sheet pan and spread evenly.
  • Place the sheet pan in the oven for 45-60 minutes. Once the mixture begins browning lightly, remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Divide sorghum evenly between 6 bowls. Serve roasted eggplant and chickpea mixture atop sorghum, with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of lime juice.

Roast Harissa Chicken Sheet Pan with Creamy Garlic Sauce

Posted on by biglittlebites

Dinner on One Pan

Been wanting to try a sheet-pan dinner? Since I have this pretty intense obsession with all the flavor that is harissa, I set out to make one of my favorite chicken recipes, in a sheet pan! Harissa reigns from North Africa and is a spice mixture made from a combination of smoked chili peppers, red pepper, cumin, caraway, coriander, garlic and mint. It’s flavor profile is complex and fiery and adds depth to traditional roast chicken. When paired alongside the flavors of garlic, lemon and cilantro in this Roast Harissa Chicken Sheetpan with Creamy Garlic Sauce, the result is a mouthwatering, full-flavored dish cooked all on one pan!

Sheet pan chicken makes for a super easy clean-up, and a delicious meal! Win-win, right?! The flavor is out of this world, bright and spicy at the same time, and is sure to impress your family and friends. Now, one could make harissa from scratch, or you could keep things easy and simply purchase a spice blend that you mix on a 1:1 ratio with water and rub into your chicken. I go the latter route, and find it helps me get a big meal on the table faster, for my hungry family of 6! *When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

 

How to Make Roast Harissa Chicken

Once you rub the harissa seasoning onto all of the chicken, you want it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. On weeknights, that’s about all I have time for to be honest! However, when I am entertaining family and friends, I like to marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours, or even overnight in the fridge, to get the most intense flavor.

While I let the chicken marinate, I start working on the garlic sauce. Simply place all of the ingredient in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth, adding more water as needed. Fresh cilantro paired with lemon and raw garlic, creates the perfect tart and spicy flavor combination for this dish. Hate cilantro? Flat leaf parsley will work well also, giving the dish only a slightly different taste.

Combine the marinated chicken, chickpeas, potatoes and carrots in a bowl and toss to spread some of the marinade before spreading on the sheet pan. Place into the preheated oven for 20 minutes, pulling it back out halfway through, to add the leek (or red onion) and lemon mixture evenly across the top. Once the sheet pan is completely finished roasting, it is ready to be served. Since potatoes, chickpeas and carrots are roasted right alongside chicken on the sheet pan, this meal is all-inclusive, minimizing the need for side dishes, work and cleanup in the kitchen.

Plate the servings with a drizzle of garlic sauce, or a dollop on the side for dipping. 

This feeds 5-6 people.

roasted chicken thighs on a sheet pan with carrots and potatoes
roasted chicken thighs on a sheet pan with carrots and potatoes
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5 from 1 vote

Roast Harissa Chicken Sheet pan with Creamy Garlic Sauce

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp harissa spice mixture, dry paprika, caraway, crushed red chili pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, garlic, peppermint
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2.5 lbs chicken thighs and breasts
  • 1 c sprouted chickpeas, raw or you may use cooked unsprouted chickpeas
  • 4 carrots, sliced horizontally and halved
  • 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
  • 1/2 red onion, or 1 leek, cut into 1/2" thick slices
  • zest of one lemon
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Creamy Garlic Sauce

  • 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 c mayonaise or veganaise
  • 1/4 c cilantro leaves
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 tbsp water as needed, to thin out

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
  • In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix the spices with the minced garlic, water and oil; set aside.
  • Trim fat from the chicken pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Pour the spice blend over the chicken, and rub it into all of the pieces really well. Add the potatoes and carrots to the bowl and set the mixture aside for at least 30 minutes, while you start the creamy garlic sauce (directions below).
  • Put the sliced leeks into a small bowl with the lemon zest and a shake of salt and toss.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chicken, carrot and potato mixture evenly across the pan. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Leaving the oven on, pull out the rack with the sheetpan, flip the chicken pieces and top everything with the leek and lemon zest mixture. Roast for another 30 minutes.
  • Serve with the creamy garlic sauce.

Creamy Garlic Sauce

  • Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.
  • If the mixture is too thick, add 2 tbsp of water a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Posted on by biglittlebites

stuffed sweet potatoes on a plate

Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes are your gluten-free, vegetarian answer to a meatless meal. This recipe is a go-to for me, when I want a clean, vegetarian meal and a great way for me to get the rest of the family in on going meat-free too! Everyone in this house can get down with Mexican flavors, and we feel like taco night, every night! However, I get tired of bread as a vehicle in too many of my meals, and since it typically lacks any natural nutrients, I really limit using it to once in a while.

Substituting sweet potatoes for tortillas, is a no-brainer since these beautiful orange potatoes are so rich in nutrients and add a lot more value to a Mexican taco style dinner. Sweet potatoes are high in magnesium, manganese, potassium and vitamins A and C. When cooked, you cut a slit down the middle of the sweet potatoes to help shape them into little boats… a new vehicle for taco toppings 🙂

What do I love about Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes? Lots of fiber, protein and healthy fats… all in one meal!!! You guys, this is the combination I strive for to achieve a balanced meal because it makes me feel my best! These stuffed sweet potatoes are full of flavor, aren’t overly complicated and best of all, a plant-based alternative to your next taco night!

This recipe will feed a family of 4 – figure one sweet potato per person.

Print Recipe

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Course: Main Course
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 avocado, shelled
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 c black beans, cooked I sprout mine first
  • 1/4 c chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 c purple cabbage, chopped
  • 1/4 c carrots, shredded or minced
  • salt to taste
  • black sesame seeds, toasted
  • cotija cheese optional
  • Mary's Gone Crackers Jalapeño flavor, crumbled on top optional

Instructions

  • Wash the sweet potatoes, and rub them down with coconut oil.
  • Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven for 40-60 min.
  • Remove the potatoes from the oven, once a fork easily pierces through to the middle.
  • In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the garlic and lime juice.
  • Chop any vegetables you haven’t prepped yet, and mix them well in a medium bowl with the beans and cilantro.
  • Once the potatoes are done cooking, slice them down the middle, about 1/2 inch from each end. This way, once you open them, you can push the ends together to kind of scrunch it open more in the middle. 
  • Put a scoop of the veggie and bean mix into each potato, then a scoop of the avocado mixture, top with a little more veggies and beans. 
  • Sprinkle with salt, toasted sesame seeds  and cotija. For a crunchy, spicy kick – top with crumbled jalapeño crackers!