Tray Bake Chicken and Chickpeas.
Image: Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post
Aaron Hutcherson
The constant hamster wheel of figuring out how to feed yourself and your family can be tedious and exhausting at times, even for those of us who love to cook. Nonetheless, we still have to eat - and “Great British Baking Show” winner Nadiya Hussain wants to help.
The British television host, cookbook author and mother of three knows a thing or two about juggling priorities while trying to feed a family.
You can find more tips in Hussain’s latest cookbook, “Cook Once, Eat Twice.”
“It’s got all the essentials anyone needs to make this the most useful cookbook on your shelf!” she told me via email. “I wrote it as my kids are teetering on the brink of adulthood, but it’s not just for them to gain their cooking independence; it’s also for adults who don’t cook much or for those who want to get a bit more confident in the kitchen.”
The book’s pages are filled with not only approachable recipes, but also strategies to help keep meals exciting and manageable.
Take, for instance, her Tray Bake Chicken and Chickpeas
“Tray bakes are easy because everything goes into one dish in an even layer and you can have everything cooked and ready in the middle of the table in no time at all,” she said. I, too, am a big fan of sheet pan chicken dinners for their efficiency. But, at times, I get trapped in a flavor routine of garlic and dried herbs that’s hard to escape." During such moments, Hussain advocates for experimentation and simply using what you have on hand.
“Some of my best recipes come to life when I find ingredients I am looking to finish. That could be a stick of celery, a can of butter beans, a jar of sauce or half an onion,” she said. “Experimenting can give you some of the most unusual and unexpected recipes that often turn out to be delicious.”
This tray bake is a favorite of Hussain’s family and features chicken drumsticks and chickpeas. Dark meat chicken is my protein of choice when it comes to sheet pan meals because of its natural defenses against drying out.
If you’re looking for another reason to love this dish, it comes from a chapter all about repurposing leftovers. Living up to the cookbook’s title, it includes a companion recipe that instructs you to blend the chickpeas and vegetables with tahini, olive oil and lemon juice to make a hummus-like spread; top it with some of the chicken that has been pulled from the bones and shredded; and then serve with vegetable sticks and warm pita bread. I’d bet even the anti-leftovers crowd could get on board with this reinvention - if there are any leftovers to begin with.
Serves; 4-8
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.
Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds total)
Two 425g cans chickpeas, preferably no-salt-added, rinsed and drained
2 medium red onions , cut into 2.5cm pieces
1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded, plus wedges for serving
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Chopped fresh coriander leaves and tender stems, for serving
Well-stirred tahini, for serving
Chilli crisp or oil, for serving
Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 190C.
Lightly crush the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle. On a large sheet pan, combine the chicken, chickpeas, onions, eggplant, garlic, lemon, oil, paprika, salt, turmeric, coriander and cumin, and gently toss with your hands until everything is evenly mixed together.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick away from the bone registers at least 75C. Remove from the oven.
Carefully raise the rack to 15cm from the grill and preheat the grill to high. Return the sheet pan to the oven and grill for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned in spots.
Drizzle with tahini paste and sprinkle with chilli crisp and chopped coriander
Substitutions: coriander and cumin seeds - half the amount of coriander or cumin powder.
Chicken drumsticks - bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, with an adjustment to the cooking time.
Eggplant - zucchini or summer squash.
Neutral oil - olive oil.
Coriander - other tender herbs.