Make juicy chicken drumsticks paired with cruciferous vegetables all in one pan. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net or 504-0545.
For this ultra-easy dish, you’ll need your largest sheet pan, or just use two, placing the chicken and vegetables on both so the vegetables catch the flavor from the drumsticks. Roasting time will vary depending on how big the drumsticks are and how you cut your vegetables.
Although this is a simple one-pan meal, it’s also a delectable, satisfying entree that you’ll want to make again and again. There’s just something about chicken drumsticks and eating all those vegetables will make you feel so good about yourself.
For a treat, there are chocolate cookies – flourless ones. Although these can be baked right away after mixing them, they are thicker and chewier if you have patience and wait. If you do that, of course, you’ll want to turn the oven off after the walnuts have toasted and turn it on again when you’re ready to bake the cookies.
Also, when making the batter, you’re not making meringues here, so do not beat the egg whites until stiff. Just mix the ingredients together until moistened and not runny. These are so wonderfully chocolatey.
Chicken drumsticks with charred vegetables
1½-2 pounds chicken drumsticks
1/2 medium cabbage, cut into chunks
2 large leeks, (white part only), cut lengthwise then crosswise
1 head broccoli, broken into medium-size florets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
2 teaspoons thyme, divided
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and thyme. Add salt and pepper. Stir to coat all drumsticks with oil and seasonings, then place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes.
While chicken is roasting, place all the vegetables in the large bowl with the remainder of the olive oil and seasonings. Add salt and pepper. Stir to coat well.
When the drumsticks have roasted for 30 minutes, turn them over and add the vegetables to the pan in a single layer. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes. Give the vegetables a stir and turn the chicken again, if needed. Roast until the drumsticks reach 165 degrees and vegetables are tender and charred on the edges, about another 20 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings
Chocolate walnut cookies
2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
A few sea salt flakes to finish
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnut halves on a large, rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop them.
Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower the temperature to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and salt with an electric mixer at low speed. Stir in walnuts. On medium speed, add egg whites and vanilla and beat just until the batter is moistened.
Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds, just over 1 tablespoon, or use a No. 40 cookie scoop. Sprinkle with sea salt. Allow them to rest at room temperature on the baking sheets for 30-60 minutes. Waiting gives them a taller dome, but it’s also fine to bake them right away.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment paper with the cookies on it onto two wire cooling racks and allow them to cool completely. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
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