Sheet pan cauliflower, chicken, and almonds with lemon yogurt sauce

With big, Mediterranean flavor

Hi and happy Thursday, the last one before Christmas! After what felt like weeks of kids swapping illnesses, I’m hoping we are through the worst of cold/flu season and can press on with all of our holiday plans.

We managed to squeeze in a late showing of the Nutcracker with sweet friends this week, we baked gingerbread cookies and “sugar” cookies, and we celebrated our baby girl Millie’s first birthday. I found myself last night sleepily jotting down thoughts on the past year, which I’m sharing today, so this week’s newsletter is a bit more than just a recipe. I can’t help it… if you do read it below, I appreciate you. 🙂

And about that recipe… I am sure it will come in handy on a night when you’re really feeling the “dinner, again?” slump.

If you have a stocked spice cabinet/drawer, you have the majority of the ingredient list! The only other main ingredients you will need are chicken tenderloins, a red onion, and a head of cauliflower. It all roasts on a sheet pan, in 25 minutes, and features savory, Mediterranean-spiced chicken and veggies with a lemon-garlic yogurt sauce on the side.

I don’t plan on putting together Christmas dinner menus to share, since I know people have so many different family traditions and food traditions this time of year, but if you’re looking for some inspiration, I’m full of suggestions!

• Low-carb/keto chicken enchilada skillet or low-carb green chicken enchiladas (both are so good, easy, and fun for Christmas Eve!)

• Braised beef shanks

• Mushroom and sausage “risotto”

• Halibut cheeks with pomegranate salsa

• Reverse seared Tomahawk steaks

• Red wine braised chuck roast

• Pan-seared halibut with brown butter

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A ONE-derful year

Like I mentioned earlier, our sweet Matilda Camille had her first birthday on Tuesday. This time around, because I knew she was our last, I found myself extra sentimental about every baby milestone and stage she was in, wishing it to slow down so I could enjoy it for just a little bit longer.

This is for my Millie girl, our forever Christmas gift.

A slowed-down Christmas season, waiting on a hospital bed for a week but they were all full (could it be more fitting?). Then she arrived, right on her due date, and the days/weeks that followed were a blur of quiet breastfeeding in the dark and that soft newborn fuzz and little baby caps and early-morning, gummy smiles.

A year of re-learning every faded yet familiar baby stage (wondering how did we do that last time?) and experiencing the new kind of joy that is watching a small baby steal the hearts of her older siblings.

A year of de-escalating arguments between a brother and sister over who gets to hold her/rock her/ feed her/ soothe her… because she is loved.

A year of discovering all the wonderful stages of this new little person and her big personality and how they fit perfectly into our daily rhythm, more proof she was made for our family and God knows.

A year full of studying a sleeping-angel-baby-face in awe, of whispered “thank you’s” sent up in the middle of the night/morning/afternoon for this miracle when there was loss/doubt/fear that came before her.

A year of early mornings, only because my 10-year-old, the early riser, simply must see his baby sister first thing;

of deep breaths behind the wheel because our third is not a great car traveler and nothing can calm those cries;

of soft, squishy hands and melting at all they do: grasping at my face; clinging to a toy; wrapping around her own feet;

of willing the hard moments to speed up and every other moment to slow down;

of counting down the months until she turned a year and finding no time for “baby milestone” photos/Christmas cards/chores;

And now we’re here, at the end of the most wonderful year, and my willing didn’t work, of course, and this list of favorite things/experiences continues to grow. Just like my baby.

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The recipe

Every element of this recipe adds a whole lot of yum. I used chicken tenderloins so they cook quickly; I sliced the cauliflower thin to create small roasted bits that just taste better, in my opinion; and the Mediterranean-inspired spice blend of oregano and smoked paprika, cumin and a touch of cinnamon, adds a wonderful flavor that pairs well with the tangy yogurt sauce.

I’ve included many options for substitutions in the recipe notes, so make sure to read through!

Tip: If you’re cooking for a crowd in the next few days, this is also easy to double up. Use two sheet pans and alternate them in the oven about halfway through the cook time.

Sheet pan Mediterranean chicken and cauliflower

Yield: 4-5 servings

Prep time: 25 minutes