Oh Nadiya!

This is a dish that we gobbled up so fast when I first made it, that I forgot to take a photo! So I had to make it again, in order to do so (hence the beautiful pic below). It is one of those recipes which pretty much involves shoving everything on a baking tray, and leaving it to make itself. The whole meal is on the tray, and you end up looking fabulously talented for having prepared it all.

The creator of this easy feast is Nadiya Hussain. Now let me, for at least a paragraph, wax lyrical about this culinary gem. If you have never come across Nadiya Hussain, then where have you been? It probably means you have never watched The Great British Bake-Off (or the Great British Baking Show, as it is called in the US, I am disappointed to say). In which case, what have you been doing? You're missing the best show on earth! And you don't need to be a baker to watch it - it is just the best flipping telly there is - the relationships, the humor, the humility (which let's face it, you NEVER see in a US competitive show). It's all fab. And the new season starts on Friday! Woo hoo!

Anyway, it was GBBO which gave us Nadiya Hussain, who started the show as a shy, quiet mum of three, and blossomed before our eyes into a funny, confident (but still humble and unassuming) STAR. Never was there a more appropriate use of all caps. She now has a few TV shows of her own under her belt, and she is wonderful to watch. It feels like you are having a chat with a good friend in the kitchen. 

This particular recipe comes from her latest show: Time To Eat (on Netflix), which focuses on really easy and quick recipes for people with busy lives. (Hmmmm, who can she be talking about?). The recipe below is no exception. It is so quick to prepare and then just cooks all together in the oven, while you do something way more interesting. It isn't vegetarian, but it would be easy to make it thus, subbing the chicken for another vegetable or two. Moreover, it is just delicious, and tastes rich and flavorful, without being too spicy hot. If you want it hotter, you could always add more curry paste, or some minced chiles. If your family are spice-averse, then bear in mind it does have a bit of a kick, so you could always sub one of the TBSP of curry paste with an extra TBSP of honey.

Peanut Chicken Tray Bake
Adapted from Nadiya Hussain's Time to Eat

Serves 4 (or 3, if you include one teenager who is growing like a weed)

2 lbs chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick slices
3 medium heads broccoli, cut into small florets
2 red onions, halved and sliced 1/2" thick
1 16oz pack potato gnocchi
1/4 cup (4 TBSP) honey
1/4 cup (4 TBSP) canola oil
5 TBSP Thai green curry paste
5 TBSP smooth peanut butter
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

2. Cook the gnocchi according to directions, then drain.

3. Put the cooked gnocchi, onions, broccoli and chicken in a large bowl together.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, oil, curry paste, peanut butter and salt.

5. Add this mixture to the gnocchi/chicken/veg and toss to coat everything in the sticky goodness.

6. Coat a large baking tray with canola oil spray and then spread the mixture out on to to the tray in more or less a single layer.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, briefly removing it to stir it around half way through the cooking time. 

8. Serve topped with peanuts and cilantro, and with lime juice squeezed over the top.