Glorious One-Pot Meals (18 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
Once, when I was visiting Paris, my friend Emile from Gabon, Africa, made this dish for me. I was amazed that cooking with peanut butter could be so good.
SERVES 2
Canola oil spray or 2 teaspoons peanut oil
½ medium onion, diced
¾ cup white rice
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
⅔ cup milk (skim is okay) or water
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
½ teaspoon cayenne
Sea salt
3 tablespoons peanut butter, creamy or chunky
3 or 4 tomatoes, diced, or one 14-ounce can diced, drained
½ sweet potato, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 handful fresh spinach, or about 5 ounces frozen
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with canola oil or wipe with peanut oil.
Scatter the onion in the pot.
Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot, add the liquid, and stir to make an even layer.
Place the chicken on the rice. Add the bell pepper.
In a measuring cup, whisk the milk, garlic, cayenne, salt, and peanut butter until the peanut butter dissolves. Pour over the chicken.
Layer in the tomatoes, sweet potato, and spinach.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Use coconut milk instead of milk. Substituting soy or rice milk is also always acceptable in a Glorious One-Pot Meal.
Substitute a minced jalapeño chile instead of the cayenne. Or use four shakes of red pepper flakes.
Shrimp and/or scallops instead of, or along with, the chicken taste great, too. Or try tofu (use extra-firm cubes).
Use sweet or white potatoes instead of rice.
The spicy tropical tastes of the Bahamas can be yours without leaving home! As in all the recipes, there’s no need to peel the potatoes; in fact, the skin is the most nutritious part, so save yourself the trouble and leave it on. And try this meal with sweet potatoes rather than white, or substitute pork for the chicken. Use seitan (a wheat product found near the tofu in the refrigerated section of your health food store) for a vegetarian alternative.
SERVES 2
Canola oil spray
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ red or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch wedges
½ small yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons rice or wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with canola oil.
Sprinkle the cumin seeds in the pot. Place the chicken in the pot and lightly season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with the garlic.
Arrange the potato on top of the chicken. Add the bell pepper, squash, and broccoli in layers.
In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, orange juice, oregano, paprika, allspice, black pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the vegetables.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
In a pinch, substitute a drained can of diced tomatoes for fresh and any kind of wine for the dry sherry. For light and fluffy couscous, fluff it with a fork and let sit for a few minutes before eating. An easy way to peel an avocado is to halve it lengthwise and remove the pit by striking it firmly with the blade of a knife and twisting slightly to loosen. Then, make a few lengthwise cuts and a few cuts across, making sure not to pierce the skin. Push the avocado inside out and effortlessly knock the cubes of flesh from the skin.
SERVES 2
Olive or canola oil spray
½ cup couscous
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
½ cup small pitted ripe olives, sliced
1 firm-ripe avocado, sliced or cubed
½ medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive or canola oil.
Pour the couscous into the pot. Add ½ cup water and stir to make an even layer of the grains.
Arrange the chicken on top of the couscous and season lightly with pepper.
Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, and olives in separate layers, and again season lightly with pepper. Layer the avocado on top of everything.
In a small bowl, combine the onion, celery salt, marjoram, basil, sherry, and lemon juice and distribute over the ingredients in the pot.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
This is an easy dish, perfect both for chilly nights and for when you have an abundance of vegetables.
Cacciatore
means “hunter” in Italian. This is the dish hunters would make from whatever was available after a day of hunting and foraging.
Use any vegetables you wish—try cubed eggplant, sliced carrots, green beans, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower florets. Orzo is rice-shaped pasta, but bow ties (farfalle) also work well in this meal.
For a heartier flavor, substitute dry white wine for the water plus part of the tomato liquid, and use chicken on the bone. If using fresh herbs instead of dried, use one tablespoon of each.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
¼ medium onion, thinly sliced
One 14-ounce can tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried marjoram 1 cup orzo
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped
½ small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices
½ small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices
½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
1 tablespoon drained capers, optional
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Scatter the onion in the pot.
Drain the tomatoes into a large measuring cup and add water as needed to make 1 cup of liquid. Mix the tomato liquid with the herbs. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Add the orzo to the pot in an even layer. Pour ¾ cup of the herbed liquid over the orzo.
Place the chicken on the orzo and lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the garlic.
Spread the tomatoes over the chicken. Layer in the squash, zucchini, and bell peppers, and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the remaining ¾ cup of herbed liquid over all. If using, scatter the capers on top.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
