Tag Archives: traybake

Sausage Traybake with Apples and Onions

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With Oktoberfest festivities in full swing, this meal is sure to be a top contender. It is simple, versatile, a one-pan wonder and sure to please! Wide, low-sided baking sheets are ideal for oven-easy dinners; they facilitate heat circulation for better browning.

Savory sausages are paired with sweet apples and onions, which get a flavor boost from spicy mustard. A glug of hard apple cider or beer is used to deglaze the baking sheet. The double dose of apple flavor from cider is spot-on, though a crisp lager or malty amber beer also is delicious.

Select apples with a firm texture, yet thin skin that stays tender during roasting. Honeycrisp (our selection) and Gala are good options. Of the other choices, we used bratwurst, one each of red and yellow onions, hard apple cider, a combo of both Dijon and whole grain mustards, and both sage (which we tripled to 3 tablespoons) and thyme from our herb garden.

And is doesn’t hurt to have an extra-large dollop of a whole grain and Dijon mustard mixture on the plate.

Sausage Traybake with Apples and Onions

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 medium red OR yellow onions, halved and sliced about ½ inch thick
  • 1-3 Tbsp. torn fresh sage OR 2 tsp. fresh thyme; plus more chopped sage or thyme to serve
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1¼ lbs. firm apples, quartered lengthwise and cored
  • 1½ lbs. kielbasa OR bratwurst OR sweet or hot Italian sausages, poked in several places with a paring knife
  • 1/4 cup hard apple cider OR beer OR broth
  • 2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard OR Dijon mustard, plus more to serve

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the onions, torn sage, oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; distribute in an even layer. Roast until the onions begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from the oven and stir the onions. Add the apples and arrange the sausages on top. Roast until the centers of the sausages reach 160°F and the onions and apples are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Transfer the sausages and apples to a platter, leaving the onions in the pan. Pour the cider over the onions and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the mustard, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to the platter, spooning it around the sausages and apples. Sprinkle with chopped sage and serve with additional mustard.
  4. Optional garnish: Chopped fresh dill OR pickled peppers OR both

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Curried Salmon and Tomato Traybake

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This Curried Salmon and Tomato Traybake recipe is packed with lean protein, vegetables, and healthy fats from the salmon. The salmon fillets nestled on top of a bed of roasted red onions, bursting cherry tomatoes and a curry-inspired sauce, all roasted together in a single baking dish.

For the salmon, our only option at shopping time was to purchase two separate prepackaged filets which we then cut down into 5 equal-sized pieces. In the end, it was a bit more fish than the recipe called for, but we were more than fine with that.

The timing was off when blistering the tomatoes, which took an additional 10 minutes on top of the 15 minutes indicated in the directions. Also, we have a gas broiler which always takes slightly longer to brown efficiently compared to an electric oven broiler.

NOTE: Make sure to use a broiler-safe dish such as copper enamel. Glass baking dishes usually shatter at such high heat.

As a side, we paired with tricolor couscous using homemade shellfish stock as opposed to water for a more substantial flavor.

Curried Salmon and Tomato Traybake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 4 x 6-oz. center-cut salmon fillets (each 1 to 1¼ inches thick), patted dry
  • 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided, plus 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 475° F with a rack in the upper-middle position. In a small bowl, stir together the curry powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Season the salmon all over with the mixture; reserve the bowl.
  2. In a broiler-safe 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the onion, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in the now-empty bowl, whisk the tomato paste, coriander, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ½ cup water. In another small bowl, stir together the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  3. Remove the baking dish from the oven; heat the broiler. Stir the tomato paste mixture into the onion-tomato mixture. Nestle in the salmon, skin side down, then spoon some of the onion-tomato mixture over the top. Broil until the fish flakes easily, 4 to 6 minutes.
  4. Cool for 5 minutes, then spoon on the parsley mixture.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Milk Street

Honey-Miso Salmon and Broccolini Traybake

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Here is a wonderful fish and veggie dish from Milk Street. Miso, soy sauce and honey make a savory-sweet, umami-rich marinade for meaty, fat-rich salmon. Some of the mixture is set aside and combined with orange juice and zest, creating a savory-sweet sauce for drizzling over the finished dish.

While the fish marinates, the broccolini gets a head start on roasting. Then once the quick-cooking salmon is added, the traybake is nearly done. Serve with steamed rice if desired (we didn’t), and perhaps a leafy green salad alongside (we did).

Traybakes are a wonderful weeknight option because you are using only one pan in the cooking process and they tend to be quick. But let’s talk about the broccolini. In the end, ours was over-charred, and that is even after removing it from the sheet pan before the salmon was finished.

The directions indicate to cook the broccolini spears in a 425°F oven for 15 minutes before turning and adding the salmon. Well, it was perfectly cooked at that point, so we should have removed it to a plate and covered it with foil until the salmon was ready, but against our better judgement, we let the broccolini cook longer.

After about 8 minutes of cooking the traybake, we yanked the over-charred broccolini and let the salmon cook longer. Instead of four pieces, we cut our fillet in half which added to a bit of time to come to temperature. Word to the wise, if your broccolini stems are on the narrow side, perhaps only cook them about 5-8 minutes before adding the salmon.

Honey-Miso Salmon and Broccolini Traybake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. white OR red miso
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil, divided
  • 4 6-oz. center-cut salmon fillets (1 to 1¼ inches thick), patted dry
  • 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 lb. broccolini, trimmed OR broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch florets
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, soy sauce, honey and 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer half of the mixture to a wide, shallow dish; add the salmon skin-side up and set aside. Stir the orange zest and juice into the mixture remaining in the bowl; set aside.
  2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the Broccolini with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Distribute in an even layer, then roast until beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a wide metal spatula, scrape up and flip the Broccolini, pushing it to the edges. Add the salmon, skin-side down, to the center of the baking sheet. Roast until the fish flakes easily and the Broccolini is lightly charred and tender-crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the miso-orange sauce.
  4. Optional garnish: Toasted sesame oil OR toasted sesame seeds OR sliced scallions OR red pepper flakes OR a combination

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Malcom Jackson for Milk Street

Greek Chicken and Potato Traybake

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The Greek dish known as kotopoulo skorthato is typically called “Greek garlic-lemon chicken” in English, but the ensemble also includes potatoes, making it a delicious complete meal. OK, so we added a side of roasted broccolini to make it a more veggie-forward dinner.

For this riff, Milk Street used their trusty traybake technique—roasting the ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet in a hot oven to ensure the quickest cooking possible and to develop nice caramelization.

As a finale, toss in black olives, dill and capers to ratchet up the flavors. If using chicken breasts, try to purchase pieces that are close in size so they cook at the same rate. Since we used both thighs (for The Hubs) and breasts (for Yours Truly), we cut the breasts halves in half again, making them more uniform in size to the thighs.

Because we cooked 4 pounds of chicken pieces (25% more), we doubled the spice mixture so that we had enough to sprinkle on all sides of each piece. This meal was sooo flavorful, and not difficult at all!

Don’t use extra-large bone-in chicken breasts if you can help it; 12-ounce pieces work best. If unavoidable, keep in mind that bone-in breasts weighing about 1 pound each require 40 to 50 minutes of roasting.

Greek Chicken and Potato Traybake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 4 12-oz. bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or 3 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed and patted dry
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ lbs. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, not peeled, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
  • 2 lemons, halved crosswise
  • 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers
  • 3 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh dill, divided

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, stir together the oregano, pepper flakes, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the mix onto all sides of the chicken. To the remaining seasoning mix in the bowl, add the oil, potatoes, lemon halves and garlic, then toss to coat.
  • Place the garlic in the center of a rimmed baking sheet, then arrange the chicken, skin up, around the garlic; this placement helps prevent the garlic from scorching during roasting. Arrange the lemons, cut sides up, and the potatoes in an even layer around the chicken. Roast until the thickest part of the breasts (if using) reaches 160°F and the thickest part of the largest thigh (if using) reaches 175°F, about 30 minutes.
  • Using tongs, transfer the chicken and lemon halves to a serving platter. Push the potatoes to the edge of the baking sheet, leaving the garlic in the center. Using a fork, mash the garlic to a rough paste. Add the olives, capers and 2 tablespoons of the dill to the baking sheet, then, using a wide metal spatula, stir and toss the ingredients, scraping up any browned bits.
  • Transfer the potato mixture to the platter, placing it around the chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Rebecca Richmond for Milk Street

Hoisin Broccoli and Tofu Traybake

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Traybake, a savory, one-pan meal cooked on a baking sheet in the oven is a home chef’s friend. This simple vegetarian traybake combines several pantry staples—hoisin, soy sauce and garlic—with broccoli and tofu and yields a hearty, satisfying main.

A 475°F oven develops the right amount of flavorful char on the broccoli and cooks the florets to a pleasing tender-crisp texture. While steamed rice is the usual accompaniment, we went a step further and made Vegetable Fried Rice.

A bit short on the hoisin sauce, we decided to make up the 1/4 cup deficit by including oyster sauce. The end result was less sweet and more to our liking.

Don’t skip the baking-sheet prep. Be sure to line it with foil and mist it with cooking spray. The sugar in the hoisin makes things a little sticky in the oven. The foil and cooking spray help ensure the broccoli and especially the more fragile tofu release from the baking sheet.

Hoisin Broccoli and Tofu Traybake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into 1½-inch florets
  • 14 oz. container firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices and pressed dry
  • Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil. In a medium bowl, toss the broccoli with half of the hoisin mixture until evenly coated. Distribute in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Transfer the remaining hoisin mixture to the now-empty bowl, add the tofu and gently toss to coat. Place the tofu on the baking sheet, arranging it in a single layer, being sure that all the slices lay flat against the baking sheet.
  4. Roast the broccoli and tofu without stirring until the broccoli is charred and tender-crisp, about 25 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

http://www.lynnandruss.com

By Calvin Cox for Milk Street

Lebanese Baked Kafta with Potatoes and Tomatoes

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“It’s easy to see why kafta bil sanieh, a casserole, if you will, of sliced potatoes, rounds of tomatoes and flavorful kafta (seasoned meatballs or meat patties), is Lebanese comfort food. The ingredients are shingled into a baking dish and baked until the flavors meld and the textures become deliciously succulent and tender.”

This Milk Street rendition, based on a recipe from “The Palestinian Table” by Reem Kassis, starts with a simple no-cook tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, where juices collect during baking and form a delicious sauce. To ensure the potatoes cook evenly and thoroughly, precook them by roasting them for about 10-15 minutes, enough time to begin making the kafta. If you are squeamish about lamb, use 80 percent lean ground beef instead. You can serve it with rice pilaf, but we did not.

I doubled the garlic, putting half of it in the meat mixture, the other half in the tomato sauce. To press the meat balls into 1/4″ thick discs, I used a flat-bottomed glass that was dipped into cool water between each smashing. Then I put the entire tray into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up while the potatoes cooled. This made it easier for assembly.

Speaking of assembly, it helps to start with uniform sizes for the potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. In the end, there was not enough ingredients to make 3 full rows from front to back in the baking dish, but any left over slices of veggies were just positioned in the back. Unable to buy a small can of crushed tomatoes, we chose whole peeled tomatoes and crushed them with an immersion blender.

Lebanese Baked Kafta with Potatoes and Tomatoes

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, not peeled, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. ground lamb or 80 percent lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 14 ½ oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 1 lb. plum tomatoes, cored and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 2 small green bell peppers or Anaheim chili, stemmed, seeded and sliced into thin rings

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position.
  2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Distribute in a single layer and roast without stirring just until a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, 10 to 13 minutes (ours took 16 min). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
  3. While the potatoes cook, line a second baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, onion, half the minced garlic, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, mix gently until just combined; do not over-mix.
  4. Divide the mixture into about 20 golf ball-size portions (1½ to 1¾ inches in diameter) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball into a patty about 2½ inches wide and ¼ inch thick (it’s fine the patties are not perfectly round); set aside until ready to assemble.
  5. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the crushed tomatoes, garlic, the ¼ cup oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir well, then distribute in an even layer.
  6. Shingle the potatoes, tomato slices, green pepper rings and meat patties in 3 or 4 rows down the length of the baking dish, alternating the ingredients. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with pepper.
  7. Bake, uncovered, until the kafta and potatoes are browned and the juices are bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street