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.