Vegetable Traybake with Baked Trout & Crunchy Chickpeas
Many factors contribute to female hormone balance and overall health, so there is no one magic food or lifestyle solution. However, if one group of foods deserves a gold star, it might well be cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage and kale. This is thanks to their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, sulforaphane, which has been found to protect the body against a wide range of health conditions and promote healthy detoxification of hormones and toxins. It has also been found to help with the negative effects of declining oestrogen during the menopause, improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation and reducing menopausal symptoms. So give this easy traybake a go to support your hormones and overall health.
Servings: 4 Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper
1 medium cauliflower head, chopped into florets
1 medium broccoli head, chopped into florets
150g Brussel sprouts, shelled, hard ends removed and cut in half
1 tbsp Nigella seeds
1 tbsp mixed herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil etc)
2 tbsp olive oil
Large bunch cavolo nero (or kale), roughly torn discarding hard stems
4 wild trout fillets (or salmon)
Creamy tahini dressing:
4 tbsp smooth tahini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, squeezed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Ice cold water, gradually trickled in until a creamy consistency is formed
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan and line a large baking tray with parchment.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the drained chickpeas with the olive oil, paprika, sea salt and pepper and spread out on the tray. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same used bowl, add the cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, Nigella seeds, herbs and another 2 tbsp olive oil. Toss well so everything is coated. Also make the tahini dressing at this stage by whisking everything together well in a small bowl.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven and spread out the veg in the tray. Cook for another 15 minutes whilst you prepare the trout and cavolo nero.
- Squeeze a little lemon juice over the trout fillets and a sprinkle of the dried herbs/ Nigella seeds. Put the cavolo nero into the used bowl and massage any leftover oil into the leaves.
- When the 15 minutes is up, turn the oven down to 180C fan. Nestle the fish amongst the vegetables and place the cavolo nero leaves around the tray to crisp up.
- Bake for a final 13-14 minutes until the fish is just cooked through
- Divide the vegetables and crunchy chickpeas between 4 bowls, top each with a trout fillet and a generous drizzle of tahini dressing.
- You can add any extra toppings you like here such as pomegranate seeds or pumpkin seeds.
