Roast Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes, Garbanzo Beans and Shrimp

I wasn’t fibbing when I said I had a lot of chicken dishes planned for you.  These roast chicken breasts with tomatoes, garbanzo beans and shrimp are packed with unusual flavors and it’s all in one pan!  The prep time is only 15 minutes and then into the oven.  So let’s dig right in so I can tell you all about it.

I’m excited about this dish because I love shrimp and chicken together and when you add roasted tomatoes you just know it’s going to be incredible!  I originally saw this recipe on Epicurious.com but have changed it up considerably including the addition of shrimp.  My fellow blogger friend, Bobbi from Bam’s Kitchen is going to laugh about this because she loves to tease me about my bottomless appetite for shrimp but really, it’s a natural – right?

You guys this is so amazing because there is smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, Asian chili sauce and cilantro in the spice mixture that is put both on the chicken and the tomatoes and beans.  I even added a little to the shrimp!  This combo of ingredients creates such a tantalizing dance on your taste buds you won’t believe you made it yourself.  If the kidlets are not fans of heat, just reduce the red pepper flakes and omit the Asian chili sauce and it will still be fantastic.

The pic below is the pan just before it goes into the oven.  You don’t have to use a cast iron pan, any large baking dish will do the trick.  Be sure not to cover up the chicken.  The shrimp gets added in the last 8 minutes of roasting.

Cooking this on extra high heat makes it an quick and easy weeknight meal and will guarantee you some super juicy chicken.  I left the skins on again after the success I had with last week’s Spicy, Sticky Chicken and I am now wondering why I haven’t cooked with the skin on more often.  It’s certainly cheaper at the store and you can remove it before serving.

I may put the spices on the night before and let the chicken marinate overnight next time.  I enjoyed this spice mixture so much, I’m now wondering how I can apply it to other dishes – halibut anyone?

I added a handful of spinach when it came out of the oven because I like green in my dish and it’s so nutritious but if you don’t have any on hand, it’s not necessary.  I added yellow peppers too because I love a bright, colorful plate.

Use some of the spice mixture to add to a half cup yogurt for a delicious addition.  If you’re turning up your nose, don’t! and don’t let your kids either.  Just get them to try a small bite with the yogurt and they’ll be convinced.

This is a great weekend dish as well if you’ve got busy days with outdoors activities.  Such a delicious comfort meal that’s ready in no time.

I’ve got a wee bit of leftover today for lunch and I can’t wait to dig in.  Cheers!