Traybakes are a fantastic low effort and healthy dinner option that requires minimal hands on time and washing up.
In this recipe we have roasted a combination of aubergines, courgettes, peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes in a delicious rosemary and balsamic glaze which turns deliciously sweet and sticky while it cooks and brings out really delicious flavours in all these vegetables.
Salmon is a fantastic source of protein and nutrients that combined with these vegetables will leave you feeling satisfied. However, this traybake would also work really well with other proteins, cod and chicken breast would also be great alternatives.
A lot of people are scared of cooking fish but roasting salmon fillets in this way is a totally foolproof way of cooking it due to the fatty nature of salmon which prevents it from drying out. You can even try these air fryer salmon bites for a similar outcome.
You can tell that salmon is cooked when you start to see white proteins from it forming on the outside – this isn’t anything to worry about and is a normal process. You could also use a different fish here if you prefer, cod or monkfish would also be delicious.
If you wanted to make this a vegetarian traybake then slices of halloumi instead of the salmon would make a great alternative.
Roasting asparagus in this way is a really delicious way to cook it as it retains a bite and the flavours are enhanced by roasting. However, the asparagus season is relatively short, generally running from April to June so this is when you will get the most delicious and nutritional asparagus.
If asparagus is out of season you could easily replace it with tender-stem broccoli or green beans, both of which are also delicious roasted alongside fish.
By roasting vegetables such as aubergines, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes, you really enhance their naturally sweet flavor, meaning that even if they are not completely in season you will still get a great flavor from them.
When roasting a large amount of vegetables like this you want to make sure that you use the biggest roasting tray you have so that the heat can fully circulate the vegetables and allow them to caramelize, rather than just steaming if they are piled on top of each other.
It is this caramelization that brings out the best flavors of each of these.
Both tomatoes and mushrooms are a natural source of the savory umami flavor typically associated with miso paste or soy sauce. By roasting these with the other vegetables you get a delicious balance between the naturally sweet and natural.
Mediterranean Salmon Traybake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, picked and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 aubergines, cut into chunks
- 2 courgettes, cut into chunks
- 1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 250 g mushrooms, halved
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 300 g asparagus, trimmed
- 4 salmon fillets
- lemon wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 230°C (210°C fan) gas mark 8. In a jug mix together the olive oil, balsamic, garlic, rosemary and honey with some salt and pepper.
- Add the chopped aubergine, courgette, peppers, onions and mushrooms to a large roasting dish, drizzle with three quarters of the balsamic mixture and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat and spread out, then roast for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the vegetables are all browned and cooked through. Side note: use the largest roasting tin you have here so that the vegetables caramelize nicely rather than steaming if they are too close together.
- Lower the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) gas mark 6. Top the vegetables with the asparagus and lay the salmon fillets on top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the remaining balsamic mixture and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, until the salmon is cooked and the asparagus is tender. Serve with lemon wedges.
