25 Minute Convection Steam Meal with Sesame Soy Chicken

The key to successful cooking with your steam oven is learning how to orchestrate the cooking of an entire meal at one time.  After all, what's the point of a great appliance if it can't make food preparation simpler. 

Cooking with a combination of convection and steam ensures better flavor, texture, and nutrient value. Since we can cook multiple dishes at one time in convection with no transfer of flavor a convection steam oven is the perfect appliance to cook an entire meal.

A recipe for a simple meal such as baked chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli may not be necessary, but an outline of the cooking plan to cook the entire meal in a steam oven will ensure great results. It is important to take into account the cooking temperatures and timing that work best for each food to avoid overcooking different foods. 

Here are the cooking steps:

1. Begin cooking the chicken at 400 F (205 C) for 10 minutes.

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F(180 C), add the sweet potatoes, and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the chicken and set it aside to rest. Add the broccoli to the pan with the sweet potatoes and cook for 10 minutes.

   
   

Once the chicken has rested, you can slice it. When the vegetables come out of the oven, they will be ready to serve. Everything will be cooked to perfection. Cooking a simple meal such as this in a combination of convection and steam really elevates the results. To add extra pizazz, marinate the chicken and add your favorite seasonings or spice mix to the vegetables.

Tip: Marinating the chicken for a few hours or overnight or even giving it a dry rub in advance adds lots of flavor. Ideally, remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least ½ hours before cooking so that it comes to room temperature.

INGREDIENTS

2 bone-in chicken breasts

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" chunks

1 or two bunches of baby broccoli, trimmed and cut into 3" sections

Marinade

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Dash chili oil

2 tbsp honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

PREPARATION

Combine the marinade ingredients in a glass container large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Heat the oven in the combination Convection + Steam mode to 400 F.

Spray a small rimmed baking sheet with some spray oil or line it with a piece of foil, shiny side down.

Place the chicken on the tray. When the oven comes to room temperature, place the tray on the oven rack and set the timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer elapses, reduce the temperature to 350 F. 

Toss the sweet potatoes in a light coating of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano, and spread them into the solid oven pan. Slide the pan into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.

When the timer elapses, remove the chicken and set it aside to rest.

Give the broccoli a light spritz of spray oil and add to the pan with the sweet potatoes.

Set the timer for 10 minutes.

Serves 4