Instead of simmering the tomato sauce, we roast all the ingredients, creating a rich, smoky taste and another layer of natural sweetness which pairs well with the fried capers and olives.
This Week
2 Dec - 8 Dec
Charred Broccoli with Creamy Tomato Sauce, Capers, Pine Nuts and Balsamic Roasted Chicken
- Under 1 hour
- 4
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Meal Prep Guide
Prepare the kale (store in an airtight container in the fridge).
- Remove ½ bag of kale from the stems and roughly chop.
Chop the broccoli (store in an airtight container in the fridge).
- Chop 2 heads of broccoli into florets.
Make the marinade for the chicken (store in an airtight container in the fridge).
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp of dried or 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped herbs (we used rosemary, oregano and thyme)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Add all of the ingredients into a airtight container and mix well to combine – ready for you to add the chicken the morning of cooking.
Tips
Tips
- Don’t throw away the stalks of the broccoli! Cut it into slices and roast with the florets.
- When roasting the broccoli you want to make sure the oven is nice and hot so the outside gets nice and crispy before the inside overcooks. If you find that your broccoli doesn’t have enough charring we recommend grilling it for the last few minutes.
- This creamy tomato sauce is such a good recipe to have up your sleeve as it’s delicious served with pasta and topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Swap out the broccoli for roasted cauliflower or eggplant.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option, we recommend serving alongside a rocket salad and some crust bread or you could even add some burrata or fresh mozzarella.
- Serve alongside some pan-fried white fish instead of the balsamic chicken.
Other
- Swap out the pine nuts for almonds or toasted breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
Balsamic chicken
- 600g chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp of dried or 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped herbs (we used rosemary, oregano and thyme)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- Salt and pepper
Creamy tomato sauce
- 400g tin cherry tomatoes (drained)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion (roughly diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 25g butter
Roasted broccoli and kale
- 2 broccoli heads (cut into florets)
- ½ bag kale (stems removed and roughly chopped)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Crispy capers, olives and pine nuts
- ¼ cup kalamata olives (pips removed and roughly chopped)
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- Olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake.
- While the oven is coming to temperature, marinate the chicken. Add all of the ingredients into a medium baking dish and mix well to combine, add the chicken thighs and marinate for at least 15 minutes if you can.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to a small baking dish with the onion, peeled garlic cloves and a generous drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Pop the chicken and the tomato mix in the oven. The chicken will take 35-40 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs) and the tomato sauce will take 20-25 minutes.
- Add the broccoli to a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the chicken has about 20 minutes remaining pop the broccoli in the oven and roast until cooked through and charred and crispy in places.
- While the broccoli is roasting, prepare the crispy capers, olives and pine nuts. Heat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the capers and olives; cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to turn crispy, then add the pine nuts and cook for another minute until golden brown; remove from the heat and set aside.
- Drizzle some olive oil over the kale and massage with your hands so it’s nicely coated in oil. Add to the baking tray with the broccoli for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
- Once the tomato mix has cooked, add it to a blender or food processor with the butter and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Once everything is ready you can assemble the dish, add the tomato sauce to the base of a large plate or platter, place the roasted broccoli on top and then scatter over the crispy capers, olives and pine nuts. Serve alongside the balsamic chicken.
Variations
Vegetables
- Swap out the broccoli for roasted cauliflower or eggplant.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option, we recommend serving alongside a rocket salad and some crust bread or you could even add some burrata or fresh mozzarella.
- Serve alongside some pan-fried white fish instead of the balsamic chicken.
Other
- Swap out the pine nuts for almonds or toasted breadcrumbs.
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