With a young baby in the house, early evenings are now very busy times. At 6pm our house is go-go-go! Bath time is happening and bedtime is approaching. So… dinner preparation has had to become super-slick. The less time required in the kitchen, the less multi-tasking for this tired mama!
I wanted to create a dish that would eliminate the crazy from our evenings. Something that involves minimal effort to put together. Something that I can whack into the oven and forget about until my husband and I are ready to eat. Our ‘dinner time’ varies from one night to the next and it is nice to be able to sit down to eat together as soon as bub is asleep.
I LOVE cauliflower. It is seriously one of my favourite vegetables. My all-time favourite dish growing up was a luscious cauliflower cheese to accompany a roast lamb. This, sadly, is one of the few ways I know how to cook this delightful vegetable. Given cauliflower is in season at the moment in Melbourne, I decided to try cooking it a different way. I have also been loving almonds in savoury dishes and thought that they would provide an interesting crunch. The overall effect is one of major scrumptiousness. I love this recipe – not only are we set up for a yummy dinner, but also a peaceful evening, and who can complain about that?
Spiced Chicken Bake with Cauliflower and Almonds
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt & pepper
- ½ cup almonds, crushed
- ½ tsp of chilli flakes
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- ½ cauliflower, cut into florets
- 6 black olives, pitted and sliced
- ½ bunch coriander, coarsely chopped
- Couscous, to serve
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Directions
- Preheat oven to 220° Celsius.
- Combine olive oil, garlic, ground coriander, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper, almonds and chilli flakes in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken drumsticks to the marinade and toss to ensure an even coating.
- Place the chicken in a roasting tray with the red onion and cauliflower.
- Bake in oven for 20 mins.
- Reduce heat to 180° C and baste with juices. Bake for a further 40 mins.
- Add olives to the roasting tray 10 mins prior to the end of the cooking time.
- Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with couscous and lemon wedges.
pumpkin and pear 