Mediterranean tray-bake with haloumi chunks

Preparing a full meal on a single tray and then just letting the oven handle all of the cooking is (or should be) every family’s favourite easy-cooking solution.

Credit: Hardie Grant Books / David Frenkiel

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

This sort of one-pan meal allows us to spend more time with each other and still have a delicious and wholesome meal on the table in time for dinner (and little to wash up). This is one of our (and our kids’) favourite versions, with mixed vegetables, Mediterranean flavours and squeaky haloumi chunks. Serve with a simple green salad on the side.

Ingredients

• 400 g (14 oz) baby potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 carrots, tops removed and scrubbed
• 2 red (bell) peppers (capsicum), core and seeds removed
• 1 courgette (zucchini), topped and tailed
• 1 garlic bulb
• 1 lemon, washed
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper
• 250 g (8¾ oz) haloumi
• 12 black Kalamata olives, drained and pitted

To serve

• rocket (arugula) or mesclun
• toasted pine nuts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra-virgin olive oil balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas mark 6) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Cut the potatoes, carrots, capsicum (peppers) and courgette into bite-sized pieces, cut the garlic in half crosswise and cut the lemon into thin wedges. Transfer to the baking tray and add the rosemary. Drizzle over the oil, season to taste with salt and pepper and toss until well coated. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the vegetables are almost tender.

Break up the haloumi into bite-sized pieces and scatter it over the vegetables along with the olives. Change the oven mode to grill, increase the temperature and grill the haloumi, olives and vegetables for 5–10 minutes or until the haloumi is soft and golden and the vegetables are tender and golden.

Serve topped with a handful of rocket, a sprinkling of pine nuts and seasoning and a drizzle of oil and vinegar.

Note

• For a nut-free alternative, replace the pine nuts with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. For a vegan alternative, leave out the haloumi or replace it with marinated tofu or tempeh.

Recipe from Green Kitchen At Home by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant Books, hb, $39.99). Photography © David Frenkiel. Read our chat with David here. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

This sort of one-pan meal allows us to spend more time with each other and still have a delicious and wholesome meal on the table in time for dinner (and little to wash up). This is one of our (and our kids’) favourite versions, with mixed vegetables, Mediterranean flavours and squeaky haloumi chunks. Serve with a simple green salad on the side.