Mirror reporter Jackie Annett conjures up a Sunday Roast traybake to save money on her energy bills while cooking for her family, and got more than she bargained for
With energy prices set to increase again in April, the cost of living is a concern to most UK households.
Now cooking appliance brand Belling has created the ‘Energy-Saving Recipe Book’ where each meal is a lower-energy version of a much-loved dish. And, not only will it save you money, it saves time, is just as tasty and saves on the washing up!
As we all know a traditional roast dinner can take well over an hour to prepare from scratch, but the recipe book shows how with just a few simple alterations, you can lay a just-as-tasty spread on the table in around 40 minutes, using 62 percent less energy. This recipe will feed a family of four and the main alteration is swapping the whole chicken for chicken thighs which are just as tasty and filling but cook quicker.
Amy Hutchinson, spokesperson for Belling, said: “We’ve been at the heart of British kitchens for more than a century, so we’ve used some of that know-how to create lower-energy recipes that everyone can enjoy while saving money. Each dish is a time and money-saver which, over the course of a year, puts a nice sum back in the pockets of families across the country – and if every family got involved, collectively it’s a serious saving.”
Sunday Roast Traybake, prep time 10 mins, cook time 40 mins:
Ingredients
Lemon, Thyme and Garlic Roast Chicken
8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
Salt and black pepper
1 small lemon
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Roast Vegetables
700g small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthways
300g carrots, peeled and cut into batons
300g parsnips, peeled and cut into batons
1 medium red onion, halved, peeled and cut into wedges with the root intact
1½ tbsps vegetable oil
125g frozen garden peas, defrosted
Stuffing
170g pkt sage and onion stuffing
20g butter, optional
To serve
Homemade chicken gravy
Method
1. Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas mark 7. Meanwhile, place the chicken thighs on a plate, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and black pepper. Zest the lemon, then add the lemon zest to a bowl with the thyme, garlic and oil, and mix well until combined.
2. Put the prepared chicken, skin side up, into a large roasting tin then rub the lemon thyme oil evenly over the skin of each chicken thigh, using your hands.
3. Wash your hands, then toss the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and red onion in a large bowl with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place the vegetables into the gaps around the chicken thighs, then roast on the middle shelf for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to make the stuffing balls, empty the sachet of sage and onion stuffing into a bowl, add boiling water as directed on the packet instructions, and butter if desired, then mix well. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then roll into 12 evenly sized stuffing balls. Wet your hands to prevent the stuffing from sticking.
5. When the chicken and vegetables have been cooking for 15 minutes, pop the stuffing balls into the tray and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes, until the chicken skin is crisp and golden and the vegetables tender and roasted. When the traybake has about 3 minutes left to cook, add the peas to the roasting tray. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the peas are hot.
6. Serve the traybake on warm plates, with a drizzle of your favourite homemade chicken gravy.
Tip
Try wrapping the chicken thighs in bacon, as an alternative to the lemon and thyme.
Saving
1 hr 4 minutes
