One pan meals. We all talk about how much we LOVE an easy meal that uses one pan, but when it comes down to it… we forget how much we love them until its time to clean up dinner. Insert the sheet pan meal (ta-dah)!

I don’t know about you, but I hate unloading the dishwasher. So, as much as I’d like to say one pan meals are for easy after dinner clean up, it really means the less dishes that go in the dishwasher, the less that have to come back out and be put up. Mr. McKinney recently had surgery so I’m spending my summer taking care of 2 babies – a little one and a big one!

In the summer, we like to spend time on the grill, and vegetables are usually the side to anything we are doing. But, our grill went “kaput” over the winter months and we have yet to replace it. (that doesn’t mean we have not made multiple trips to look at grills…but that’s a different story. I guess if he can walk the aisles of Target with me, I can walk the aisles at Home Depot to look at grills.) With Mr. McKinney down and this not being the summer I learn how to operate the grill, we are back to old faithful….the oven.

Summer also reminds me of time spent at my Papa’s house.

MG Jones was a gardener. Actually, I think I could go further and say he was a farmer. You could see his tomato plants from the highway and as long as his homemade scarecrows were doing what they were supposed to, those watermelon vines were also picture perfect. As a kid, I remember following him out to the garden behind his house, often wearing an extra pair of his shoes I found nestled by the back door. I’m sure it kept me out of my Grandmother’s hair for a bit, but I loved walking behind him to check on the plants. It’s amazing to me how you can put something in the ground and with water and sunshine it starts to sprout and do its thing… just all on its own.

Honestly, until I became a mom recently, I didn’t fully understand this process. Little man does the same thing. Every day I’m seeing new progress as he changes. That’s how I think my Papa saw his produce. Those little babies could win a prize. But, he grew most of it to give away. Yes, it always meant a summer of squash and zucchini, melon at every meal, and tomatoes running out of your ears. But, let’s be honest. There really is something about summer vegetables – the colors, the taste, the freshness. And, when you can connect with a local farmer or get it from your own backyard there is something different about the way it tastes.

Let me give you a little challenge this summer. Get out and go to your local farmer’s market. Meet a grower. Ask them how its going, and buy their food. I do usually get my produce from the Walmart Pick-up line, but this time of year I love to go to the produce stand at the main intersection in town and look around. I love the look and smell of a bushel basket. I love seeing greens and peas with dirt still on the stem or pod. I love seeing a sweaty farmer with their sun kissed shoulders and picking hat. I know that they were up as the sun rose and will probably do a quick sweep back through their rows as it sets.

But, I also know they are real people in my town, trying to feed the world one single piece of produce at a time!

Print Recipe

Salmon and Summer Vegetable Sheet Pan Meal

Salmon and Summer Vegetable Sheet Pan meals make for easy clean up with a healthy summer dinner option. Whether the grill is down or you are stuck inside, sheet pan or foil pack dinners are an easy way to make the best of the summer garden, keep your family healthy and get dinner on the table quickly - no matter the time of year, that's always a goal.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grill, one dish, salmon, sheet pan, summer

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1/2 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 carrots or 1 cup petite carrots
fresh green beans if preferred
1 cup grape tomatoes
4 salmon filet
1/2 cup sesame oil divided
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard divided
2 Tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons minced garlic divided
2 Tablespoons orange juice or 2 tsp lemon juice
2 teaspoons black pepper divided
2 teaspoons seasoning salt divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Cover sheet pan with foil.
Chop vegetables in to like size pieces, 1 inch is preferred.
Lay all vegetables, except tomatoes, on sheet pan. Mixed together, or separated by color or type.
In a bowl, combine - 1/4 cup sesame oil, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 Tablespoon orange juice or 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp seasoning salt.
Pour sauce over veggies.
Toss together to cover.
Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.
In the mean time, mix together remaining sauce ingredients and set aside.
Once 8 minutes complete, move around vegetables and make 4 holes for the salmon flanks.
Cover top of salmon filets with sauce and pour any extra over vegetables.
Bake at 400 for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.

BONUS – I’ve started following the account @uglyfruitandveg on Instagram. Did you know that 50% of produce produced in the US each year is thrown away? That’s 60 million tons or $160 Billion dollars each year. Let me challenge you this summer to take a second look at the produce you pick up. First, if you are shopping in a grocery store or supermarket, look for the “locally grown” label. In my state that means seeking out the Arkansas Grown or Arkansas Made labels. But, beyond that, can you look twice at the bruise or bump in your produce? Buy what you can and use it quickly. Let’s commit together to throwing away less and using up the garden a little more!