Chicken and Rooibos Tray Bake

Rooibos Chicken tray bake SARC 2 Nov 2021

 

Serves 4 – 6 

An easy supper idea that’s also good for you – that’s what this recipe is all about. Proudly SA Rooibos is a wonderful cooking liquid as it’s full of flavour and goodness. When using this instead of a shop-bought sauce or marinade, you know that there are no artificial ingredients in the meal. Most importantly for those with diabetes, there is no added sugar included. The natural sweetness from Rooibos is perfect to use with other ingredients like lemon and herbs. Another reason why diabetics should enjoy Rooibos on a regular basis, is that it assists with maintaining glucose levels, as it stimulates the secrection of insulin in the pancreas. 

Rooibos marinade

250 ml (1 cup) strong Rooibos

45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice

60 ml (¼ cup) balsamic vinegar

15 ml (1 tbsp) finely grated lemon rind

10 ml (2 tsp) cumin seeds or 15 ml (1 tbsp) ground cumin

45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves

 

Chicken

8-10 chicken portions, excess fat removed

2 onions, cut into wedges

300 g cauliflower, cut into florets

200 g baby tomatoes, whole

6 baby marrows, diagonally sliced

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

extra fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. Rooibos marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Keep a third of the mixture aside to serve as a salad dressing. 
  3. Chicken: Place the chicken and veggies in a large bowl. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and veggies and toss well to coat all the ingredients. Season to taste. 
  4. Spoon the chicken and veggies, with the marinade, in a single layer into a large oven dish. 
  5. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked, but still juicy. 
  6. Serve with extra fresh thyme sprigs and a simple green salad. Enjoy the salad with the remaining marinade as a healthy salad dressing.