Tray Baked Chicken and Vegies with Potatoes and Peas

I guess I grew up eating meat and three veg type meals the same as many of us did.  Usually the plate would have a large chunk of meat, a pile of mashed potatoes or chips and then one or two steamed or boiled vegetables.  I realised recently that this is a type of meal my children eat very rarely, it's just not the way I cook.  While we are not vegetarians, we do eat only a small amount of meat and aim to eat at least 80% of our food intake from plant sources.  I notice when I do cook meat that I try to make the portion sizes quite small per person and still include a lot of vegetables or whole grains in the meal.  This dinner idea is based on that philosophy and is a big hit with my girls. 

In this instance I didn't use herbs but generally I'll mix oregano, thyme or rosemary in with the chicken and vegies.  I also use less pepper if the children are eating and then just add it at the table.  You can vary the vegetables to suit you by adding sweet potato or pumpkin to the chicken.

What you will need: (serves two hungry children, double to serve a family of four)

• 2 chicken thighs
• 1 medium or 2 small zucchini
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 4 button mushrooms
• Mix of fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme or rosemary, roughly chopped
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tsp capers
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you need to do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius.

2.  Wash the potatoes and chop into small cubes, leaving the skin on.  Place in a baking tray and toss with olive oil and a little salt and pepper and place into the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes.

2.  Chop the chicken thighs into chunks, removing any fat and place in a baking tray.

3.  Chop the zucchinis, tomatoes and mushrooms and add to the tray with the herbs if using.  Toss with olive oil, a little salt and pepper.

4.  Cook for about half an hour or until chicken is cooked and golden and vegies are tender.  Give it a stir around about half way through cooking as the tomatoes will create a lovely sticky sauce and this will coat the chicken and other vegies if you mix it around.  Be careful not to overcook or it will all dry up. 

5.  When the baked vegies and chicken are almost ready, gently cook the peas and then drain.  Return them to the pan with the capers and a splash of olive oil and some pepper and heat gently and then they are ready to serve.

 

Egg Tomato

When my husband and I travelled to China over ten years ago we ate this dish in many different parts of the country.  Surprisingly it rarely seems to make it on to Chinese restaurant menus over here.  It's a quick dish to make and is a very tasty vegetarian meal that could be eaten for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

What you will need:

• 2 free range (ideally organic) eggs per person
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, depending how many you are cooking for
• 1 medium or 2 small ripe tomatoes per person, cut into wedges. (I find the 'egg' tomatoes are best)
• 1-2 spring onions, sliced finely
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
• peanut oil

What you need to do:

1.  Lightly beat the eggs, adding half the soy sauce to the mixture.

2.  Heat the peanut oil in a hot wok.

3.  Add the garlic, spring onions and tomatos and cook stirring continuously oper a high heat, until the tomatoes begin to soften.

4.  Add the eggs and cook until they are as set as you like them.

5.  Add the remaining soy sauce and the oyster sauce and mix well.

6.  Serve and garnish with a few extra spring onions.

Note:
I usually serve the egg tomato with rice and usually a green vegetable which I stir-fry quickly first.  Below I've made a stir-fry celery with black pepper and sesame oil.  The green vegies are ok if they cool to room temperature, but the egg is best cooked just before serving.

Roast Potato, Vegetable and Quinoa Frittata

I guess I'm in a bit of a frittata mood of late and this is a variation of an earlier recipe I posted for Roast Potato and Pumpkin Frittata Roast Potato and Pumpkin Frittata.  The family is divided as to which one we prefer of the two but ultimately this is another delicious option that makes an easy dinner with leftovers to go in the lunch-box the next day.

What you will need:

• 4 to 5 small to medium potatoes (enough to fill a roasting tray with one layer)
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 1 - 2 zucchinis, halved and sliced
• 5 - 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup mixed fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, parsley, basil, rosemary
• 7 eggs
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 - 2 tsp tamari (gluten free)

What you need to do:

1.  Chop the potatoes and place in baking tray.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and put in the oven to roast.

2.  Fry the onion until it begins to soften then add the zucchini and mushroom and continue to fry over a low to medium heat.  Add the herbs and fry another minute or so.  Add the peas and quinoa and mix well then set aside and allow to cool.

3.  When the potatoes are cooked through and very slightly golden remove from the oven.  Make sure they are not stuck to the bottom of the tray and are spread out evenly.  Sprinkle the onion and vegie mixture over the top of the tray.

4.  Lightly beat the eggs then add the milk and tamari.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over the vegies and spread evenly.

5.  Bake in an oven at 190 for 35 - 40 minutes or until the centre is firm to touch and the top is golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before slicing and removing from the tray.

More step by step photos:

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4