Traybakes are one of the best dishes to have under your belt, because they are one-pan wonders (so less washing up), they're super versatile (the ingredient combos are endless), and the oven does all the hard work, so once you've prepped, you're basically done! Make it veggie or vegan - Swap the chicken for 1/2 x 400g tin of drained borlotti beans or cannellini beans, and add the beans with the tomatoes in step 5. To make the pesto vegan, leave out the Parmesan cheese.
Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
red onion 1 (chopped)
baby potatoes 200 g (quartered)
lemon 1 (zest & juice)
chicken thighs 2
fresh basil 40 g (leaves picked)
cherry tomatoes 200 g (halved)
olive oil 1 tbsp
sea salt pinch
black pepper pinch
pumpkin seeds 50 g (toasted)
garlic cloves 2 ½ (peeled)
grated Parmesan 50 g (grated)
extra-virgin olive oil 50 ml
rocket 10 g
Method
Cook the traybake
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
Peel and roughly chop the red onion and quarter the baby potatoes, then put them into a small roasting tray.
Finely grate over a little zest from the lemon half and squeeze in half of its juice. Add the chicken thighs (or the drained borlotti or cannellini beans, if making it veggie/vegan — though for beans, add them later with the tomatoes).
Drizzle with 1⁄2 a tablespoon of olive oil, add a small pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss everything together and shake into an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes.
Make the pesto
While the tray is in the oven, make the pesto. This makes more than you need for one portion, so it can be made as a class or in groups.
Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds (or you can use sunflower seeds) in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant, then tip into a food processor.
Peel and add the garlic, pick in the basil leaves, then add the finely grated Parmesan (leave out for vegetarians and vegans), the extra virgin olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
Blitz to a fairly fine consistency.
Taste and adjust, adding a little more cheese, oil or lemon juice until you're happy with the flavour and texture.
Finish & serve
Pick half the basil leaves and halve the cherry tomatoes, then add both to the roasting tray (adding the drained beans now, if using). Return to the oven for 10 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
Make a lemon dressing for the salad
Meanwhile, make a lemondressing for the rocket: squeeze 1⁄2 a teaspoon of lemon juice from the remaining lemon into a bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Serve
Remove the tray from the oven, dot over 1 tablespoon of the pesto and scatter over the remaining basil leaves.
Toss the rocket (or mixed salad leaves) in a little of the lemondressing and serve alongside.
