So tray bakes ...
Well, first ... I was at my sister's in Cornwall the last few days, walking on this beach ...
Spending time with my family, laughing and playing, and also lots of time creating, writing and cooking.
It's very different cooking for a family than for one or two adults (usually) and it made a really lovely change.
I especially liked the simple and delicious tray bake we made last night - just putting chicken thighs into a dish with cherry tomatoes on the vine, a couple of chopped rashers of bacon,, a garlic clove, minced, and new potatoes - served with steamed tenderstem broccoli.
And all the way home, five hours on the train, I was half thinking, half brewing, what I could do for a Thai-inspired version of an easy one-pot tray-bake.
I had a friend coming for dinner tonight, so she was going to be my guinea pig!
I wasn't sure to be honest that it would work.
BUT we LOVED it!
And I'm SO utterly thrilled it was so good, and so simple too!
Current favourite easy dinner!
OK, what you need for two people:
Some new potatoes, however many you want to eat! (I think I allowed 5-6 each)
Approx 150 ml coconut milk (I had this cute 165ml tin so used that)
150 ml stock made with chicken or veg stock cube
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (put half aside)
a small (maybe a thumb sized) piece of ginger, minced (put half aside)
zest and juice of one lime
I red birds eye chilli, finely chopped
2 fillets of salmon, boneless and remove the skin if you can
some green veg - I had broccoli, asparagus and a couple of sliced spring onions
coriander leaves, chopped, to serve - if liked
I used my trusty remoska to make this, but you can just use a glass/pyrex dish or roasting dish - and pre-heat the oven first to a medium heat.
Slice the potatoes quite thickly and arrange in a layer over the bottom of the remoska or dish.
Mix the coconut milk, stock, sesame oil, 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the ginger and pour over the potatoes.
Then add the zest and juice of a lime, and the chopped red chilli.
Stir and cook for around 20 minutes.
You will need to make a decision here as to the right time to add the fish and vegetables based on how cooked your potatoes are.
Mine needed 30 minutes cooking plus another ten for the fish and veg, but I think if you're using a pre-heated oven you'll only need 15-20 for the first part, so do check and use your own intuition (and knowledge of your own oven).
When the potatoes are 5-10 mins away from being done, add the salmon, the vegetables and then the remaining garlic and ginger.
Cook for another ten minutes of so until done.
Remove from heat and add a handful of chopped coriander leaves, if liked.
Serve either in the dish it's been cooked in, or if you're using a (kind ugly but the BEST) remoska like me, then serve in a bowl, maybe with extra lime wedges on the side.
We really loved this!
I hope you do too.
