I love a tray bake dinner! My buddies at Green Kitchen Stories first introduced me to these family-friendly meals a while back, and I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with different ingredients and flavours. This one is inspired by some of my favourite Balinese tastes and will transport you to the tropics.
Creamy coconut milk, zesty ginger, rich peanut butter, and bright lime all come together to play in the tray! There is an option to use either tempeh or beans here – either are delicious – and you can always swap the suggested veggies out to suit your tastes and what you have available. The idea is to use up what you’ve got! Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and toasted cashews, for a dinner that is sure to please everyone, including the one who’s on cleanup!
Coconut Sweet Potato Tray Bake
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 small red onion
- handful of green beans
- 1 cup / 200g long-grain brown rice
- 8 oz. / 227g tempeh OR 1 ½ cups / 250g cooked white beans about 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. ginger minced
- 3 Tbsp. peanut butter or other nut butter of your choice
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 can / 400ml full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup / 250ml vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp. tamari
- ½ cup / 75g raw cashews
- cilantro and lime wedges for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Place a sheet of parchment paper down on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Scrub the sweet potato well, and cut it into even cubes. Slice the onions into thin half-moons, and trim the green beans. Place them on the baking sheet with the rice and white beans, spreading it all out in an even layer.
- In a large measuring cup, combine the garlic, ginger, nut butter, tomato paste, coconut milk, vegetable broth and tamari. Give it a good stir until thoroughly combined, and pour over the rice and vegetable mixture, making sure that mostly everything is submerged. Seal the tray with aluminum foil and place in the oven.
- While the tray is baking, lightly toast the cashews in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown in spots. Remove from heat.
- Bake the tray for 60 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10-15, until bubbling and browning around the edges.
- Top with plenty of chopped cilantro, toasted cashews, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing. Say thank you, and enjoy!