one-pan chicken thighs and vegetables roasted in an AIP Italian herb marinade

Some nights the honest effort available is a marinade whisked in a jar and 1 tray in the oven, and on AIP that still counts as real care. 10 minutes of prep, 1 pan, almost nothing to wash after, and that is still you feeding yourself on purpose.

Carrot and white sweet potato both hold beta-carotene, the precursor the body uses to build vitamin A, 1 building block for keeping mucosal tissue, the lining that faces the outside world, doing its job. Broccoli on the same tray contributes vitamin C and sulforaphane to that same general work of keeping an Autoimmune system's defenses steady.

The tray goes in with real color on it: orange rounds of carrot, green broccoli, a marinade catching the light before the oven changes everything. Laying it out in a single layer, not piled, is what lets it roast instead of steam, and that little bit of care is not wasted time. It shapes how the meal lands once you sit down to it.

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (nightshade-free blend - no paprika, cayenne, or chilli)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Bake:

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, sliced into rounds
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 large white sweet potato, sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

*Excluded from AIP version: black pepper - omitted.*

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the marinade. In a bowl or jar, whisk together the avocado oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and garlic powder until well combined.

Prepare the vegetables. Toss the sliced onion, carrot rounds, broccoli florets, and sweet potato rounds with the 2 tablespoons of avocado oil and a pinch of sea salt. Arrange them in a single layer across the baking sheet. Do not pile them - a single layer ensures they roast and caramelize rather than steam.

Add the chicken. Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. Pour the marinade over everything, turning the chicken so it is well coated. Spoon any excess marinade over the vegetables.

Roast. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 74C / 165F) and the vegetables have browned at the edges. If the broccoli starts to over-brown before the chicken is done, loosely cover that section with a small piece of foil.

Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the pan juices over everything at the table.

Air fryer variation

This works well for smaller batches. Toss the vegetables with oil and half the marinade and air fry at 200C / 400F for 10 minutes. Add the marinated chicken thighs, placing them on top or beside the vegetables, and cook for a further 18 to 22 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Check at 18 minutes. The vegetables will be crisper and the chicken skin (if you leave it on) will be more rendered than in the oven.

*Adapted from Cook2Nourish (Indira Shyju)*