Sunday is the day here in Munich where shops are closed (more on this later), the church bells ring in the day over the morning hours and on spring days like today you can’t wait to get outside. It’s been unseasonably warm over the past couple of days, I’m definitely not complaining, quite the contrary, trying to soak up as much sun and warmth as possible. And so the transition happens of not wanting to be inside cooking and staying warm by the stove to batch cook for the next couple of days, but rather be outside for as long as possible. This quick and easy dinner also doesn’t heat up the kitchen as the oven in only on for 30-40 minutes and the clean up was a snap.
When I got inside, I knew I needed to eat. It’s often funny how my stomach can still rule my world. Even though I’m on the road the next three days, I still went to the farmers market on Saturday and picked up some fresh bratwurst (when in Munich…) some fresh broccoli, and sweet potato. In the name of simplicity, I decided to attempt the ultimate chunky one “cast iron” pan dinner. Sweet potatoes simply and roughly cut into wedges, the brats tucked in around them, and finally my “new” broccoli steaks on top. That’s it, no seasoning, no cooking fats (the sausages took care of that as they cooked) and an oven temperature of about 200 d C/375 F. I checked on the process twice. Once at around 15 minutes when I flipped the broccoli and again 10 minutes after to pull the pan out of the oven. It was delicious, one of those meals that will easily find itself into my rotation for weeknight dinners as well. Next Sunday, I will be back to roast chicken but for tonight, this easy dinner was tasty, comforting and delicious.
The bonus of course, besides really no clean-up is that I have lunch tomorrow. And this is always one thing less to stress about especially when traveling with some dietary restrictions. I always find that I feel better if I start my journey knowing that if (scratch that if, and focus on the when) I get hungry I know I’ll have something within easy reach. I won’t need to find a grocery store and piece together whole food snacks to make a meal. I often do this, and it’s no trouble but I’d rather eat a proper meal. My body and blood sugar are better for it this way.
Quick recipe:
1 head broccoli cut vertically into “steaks”
2 small sweet potatoes cut into wedges
2 pair Bratwurst ( Any organic sausage will do in it’s place)
Toss together in cast iron skillet or oven proof dish. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 200C top and bottom heat.
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