LIVING WELL

E L E A N O R O Z I C H

Home wellness expert L I V I N G W E L L

Mastering the art of tray-bake dinners

Are you tired of making and eating the same evening meals? Transform your family ’s menu in four easy steps

Tray-bakes have revolutionised the way I cook during the week. I love the fact there’s almost zero clean-up, and in most cases, this cooking method takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time in the kitchen. If I have extra time up my sleeve, I’ll often prepare my tray-bakes in the morning, and then simply pop it in the oven just before we are ready to eat. Now that’s what I call clever cooking.

All you need is one tray and your favourite seasonal ingredients to make a fantastic, quick and healthy dinner. And if you ’re feeding a crowd, serve the dish with a simple salad or some extra rice, mash or pasta, and you ’ll have an incredibly satisfying dinner that takes no time at all.

Not sure where to start? Not to worry, as I’m sharing a fun method you can use to whip up new and unique tray-bake dinners.

Start by choosing a protein base ingredient such as meat or seafood: • Beef roast • Butter beans • Leg of lamb • Meatballs • Pork belly • Salmon • White fish • Chicken drumsticks or thighs • Chickpeas, lentils or butter beans. Combine the protein with seasonal vegetables. A few winter options include: • Broccoli or cauliflower • Carrot, parsnip or beetroot • Cavolo nero, spinach or kale • Celery, fennel and leek • Potatoes or kūmara • Red onion, shallots and garlic. Add your choice of flavour bombs to add plenty of extra oomph to your dish: • Dijon mustard • Fennel or cumin seeds • Chilli flakes or sliced chilli • Feta, haloumi or ricotta • Slices of orange or lemon • Olives, capers or preserved artichokes • Preserved lemons or sundried tomatoes. Choose your herbs: • Basil • Chives • Coriander • Dill • Fennel • Mint • Oregano • Parsley • Rosemary • Sage • Thyme.

To finish, consider which liquid you'd like to add to your dish to create an instant sauce: • Red wine for red meat • White wine for fish, pork or chicken • 1-2 cans of crushed tomatoes • 1-2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock Note: See the handy tips and tricks on why adding liquid is crucial.

Slow roasted pork belly with fennel & leek

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the pork belly in a large roasting dish, surround with roughly sliced leek, carrot, and apple, then pour over 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Sprinkle fennel seeds on top, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, then drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Top with a sprig or two of fresh rosemary, and roast for about three hours. If the crackling isn’t as crispy as you wish, grill the pork skin until done to your liking.

Baked salmon with basil, tomato & lemon

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Finely slice 3-4 large kūmara into thin rounds and layer in a roasting dish. Place salmon steaks and cherry tomatoes on top (canned also works well), a few wedges of lemon, then scatter fresh basil on top. Pour 1 cup vegetable stock around the edges, and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper, then roast in the oven until the salmon is cooked through, About 30 minutes.

Baked chickpeas with haloumi, onion & thyme

SERVES 2-3

Preheat the oven to 150°C. In a baking tray lined with baking paper, place 3 cups cooked chickpeas, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp chilli flakes, a finely sliced red onion, a whole bulb of garlic sliced in half lengthwise, and 200g haloumi sliced into 1cm thick pieces. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Toss until well coated. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with yoghurt and fresh herbs.

Baked salmon with basil, tomato & lemon.

Handy tips and tricks

• I cook most tray-bakes at 180°C. If you are using a larger cut of meat and it needs to be slow-cooked, such as beef roast, a leg of lamb or pork belly, you will need to have more time up your sleeve. At least 2-4 hours in the oven. • If in doubt, search for similar recipes online and look at the typically used cooking times and temperatures. If adding potatoes, legumes or vegetables to accompany the meat, keep in mind these will become well-cooked by the end of the process. I love this as all the accompanying ingredients tend to melt together into a delicious sauce. • To avoid burning or drying out the other ingredients, I always add at least 1-2 cups of stock to most tray bakes. This adds extra moisture and ensures you have a beautiful result with an instant sauce to serve alongside. You could also combine the stock with a splash of white wine for fish or chicken or red wine for beef or lamb. • Always drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper before cooking. • If using lots of different vegetables in your dish, cut them into similar size pieces so that they cook evenly. Always consider vegetables that take longer to cook, such as beetroot or potato. Cut these smaller to cook faster. • Salmon, white fish, most types of seafood, and haloumi usually cook in around 15-25 minutes. Ensure you choose complementary ingredients that are quick to cook, such as leek, onion, tomatoes, courgettes, eggplant or spinach. Don ’t fret too much about not knowing the exact cooking times. This cooking style can be forgiving, and experimentation is the best way to become intuitive about what will work well.