I went to Atlanta this past weekend to enjoy time with some old friends. One of them lives in the Old Fourth Ward of the city, and she’s within a few hundred yards of the infamous BeltLine, an extraordinary 22-mile loop of trails and parks that connects 45 neighborhoods – no car access; walking, biking or rollerblading only. Along the path, you can find tons of restaurants, breweries, art galleries, local businesses, and so many murals and other art installments.

It was all incredible, but our favorite thing about it was the walkable fast access to more food options than we could have ever dreamed. Tapas, French bakeries, craft cocktail bars, Italian coffee shops – it was all there and more. We tried as much as we could.
Most of the weekend was spent in the corners of bars and restaurants, reordering drinks and trying new appetizers, catching up and laughing for hours. We paused these indulgences only to ride electric scooters to the Botanical Gardens and visit a few famous plant shops. Spring is calling, after all – though we were quick to squeeze into the next booth after these outings.

Many, many rich, delicious calories were consumed, and by the time I made it home I was ready for a reset-button meal. Veggies, lots of veggies, and a basic protein without all the extra salt. Plus, I needed something easy so that I could make time to get my life reordered post-trip.

I settled on a spicy marmalade chicken with lots of roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and cauliflower – a dish that still feels like I’m on vacation without all the extra heaviness (and cost) of restaurant dining. I use chicken tenderloins, though you can really use any pieces you want and you can use whatever vegetables you’re craving, though I would recommend keeping the sweet potato at the very least. It just compliments the sauce so nicely.

Ahhh, marmalade. I use it in everything: spread with sharp cheddar on crackers, mixed with stone-ground mustard for a glaze, or stirred into my hot evening tea as a treat. As Melissa Clark, of NYT Cooking, said, “Marmalade’s bittersweet brightness chases the grayness of winter away.”

As fellow food columnist Kristin Lynch will tell you, you can prepare your own, and if you shoot her an email, I bet she would be willing to give you a few tips. However, I used a jar of Bonne Maman Orange Marmalade from Kroger and it was great. I really enjoyed its thick, chunky texture with the visible bitter orange peel. Though really, you can use any kind of marmalade here. Orange, lemon, grapefruit – any will work nicely.

The citrusy, sweet and sour sauce you make with your marmalade will get caramelized by the oven’s high heat and the chicken and veggies come out of the oven coated with a sticky, bright glaze. The combination of fish sauce, soy sauce and garlic gives salty flavors that round out the sweetness of the marmalade, while crushed red pepper adds sharpness and heat. This dish also stores well for the week if you want to double the recipe and treat yourself to the ease of leftovers.

If you don’t have fish sauce on hand or would prefer a sub, use coconut aminos or Yondu instead. For some extra flair, I serve this with crushed almonds on top and Austin loads his up with a ton of fresh chopped scallion. We love it alongside some steamed white rice and a nice salad. Bonus: because it’s a sheet-pan recipe, cleanup is easy. Reset button, indeed.

SPICY ORANGE MARMALADE CHICKEN WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Ingredients Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup marmalade, large peels chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
2 tablespoons fish sauce, coconut amino acids or Yondu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound of chicken tenderloins or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (you don’t have to peel them), cut into 3/4-inch-thick pieces
4 carrots, sliced into medallions
1 head of cauliflower, broken down into pieces
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving

Directions:
■ In a large bowl, whisk together marmalade, scallion whites, fish sauce, soy sauce and crushed red pepper.
■ Season chicken lightly with salt. Rub garlic all over the pieces and under the skin and add to the bowl, turning to coat them with the marinade. Let marinate while you prepare the potatoes (up to 30 minutes at room temperature or up to eight hours in the refrigerator).
■ Heat the oven to 425 degrees. If you like, you can line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. The marmalade will probably scorch a little at the pan edges.
■ Put the vegetables on the sheet pan and toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Spread veggies out in one layer and place in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes.
■ To the bowl with the chicken, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Grate the zest of the lime into the bowl, then halve the lime and squeeze one half of it in as well (save the remaining half for serving). Toss well.
■ Add chicken skin-side up to the sheet pan, nestled among the vegetables (but not on top of them; make sure the chicken is touching the pan). Spoon any extra sauce over everything. Roast, tossing the vegetables once or twice, until chicken is cooked through and caramelized and the vegetables are soft, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Taste and add more salt and lime juice if needed.
■ Top with scallion greens and almonds, if you prefer, and serve.

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  By Ashlynd King • 2 days ago