Glorious One-Pot Meals (21 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
Moroccan food has a distinct earthy flavor from the combination of cumin and turmeric. Cinnamon also is a characteristic element here, and raisins add a touch of sweetness. This recipe also works well using lamb or turkey.
SERVES 2
Canola or olive oil spray
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
⅔ cup couscous
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
¼ cup raisins
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
½ pound mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 carrot, sliced
2 cups sugar snap peas, halved
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with canola or olive oil.
Scatter the onion in the pot.
Put the couscous in a 2-cup measure and add the cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric. Fill with water to the 1 ½-cup line. Mix well and pour over the onion. Use the back of a spoon to spread the couscous evenly.
Place the chicken on top of the couscous. Sprinkle with raisins. Pour half of the tomato sauce over the top.
Layer in the mushrooms, carrot, and snap peas. Then drizzle the remaining tomato sauce over all.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Pomegranate molasses is found in Middle Eastern groceries or dedicated spice shops. You can make your own by boiling down pomegranate juice until it is thick and syrupy.
Look for no-sugar-added peanut butter for a healthier alternative and explore the organic brands when possible. My first choice for nut butters is to stop at the “grind-your-own” peanut or almond butter stations at the health food stores. Try low-sodium soy sauce as well. For a spicy kick, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
SERVES 2
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
3 or 4 chicken thighs (½ to ¾ pound)
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (not drained)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Wipe the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with sesame oil.
Scatter the sweet potato in the pot. Top with the chicken and lightly season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk the pomegranate molasses, peanut butter, and soy sauce. Pour over the chicken.
Add the broccoli in an even layer.
Pour the can of tomatoes and their juice evenly over all.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Not everyone wants to cook for an army on the holidays, but there is something about having a traditional holiday meal that evokes a feeling of celebration. This is a great solution to getting the dinner with all the trimmings, yet without spending hours and hours in the kitchen or facing a week of leftovers. Make this any time of year you feel like re-creating these favorite holiday tastes.
The turkey, cranberries, and green beans can all be used fresh or frozen (without thawing) with no change in cooking time. Dried cranberries work, too. In a pinch, substitute pulpy orange juice for the orange marmalade. You’ll just end up with more sauce at the bottom of the pot.
SERVES 2
Canola oil spray
½ to ¾ pound turkey tenderloin or boneless breast fillets
Sea salt
⅓ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
⅓ cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of freshly ground white or black pepper
⅓ cup walnuts
¼ cup chicken broth
8 to 10 fresh or frozen pearl onions (about 2 cups)
1 medium sweet potato or yam, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 to 4 mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen cut green beans 1 sprig fresh sage, or ½ teaspoon dried
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with canola oil.
Set the turkey in the pot (if using fillets, try not to overlap the pieces), and lightly season with salt.
In a food processor or blender, pulse the cranberries until they are in small chunks. Add the marmalade, lemon juice, and pepper and pulse two or three times to mix well. Add the walnuts and the broth and continue to pulse until the walnuts are roughly chopped.
Pour about half the cranberry mixture over the turkey. Add the onions, then the sweet potato in a layer and season lightly with salt.
Cover with the rest of the cranberry mixture. Top with the mushrooms and green beans, and tuck the sage sprig into a crevice.
Cover and bake for 38 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a Thanksgiving meal escapes the oven. Spoon the sauce from the bottom of the pot over each serving and serve immediately.
Paella is a traditional Spanish dish of saffron-infused rice cooked with a variety of meats and vegetables. It varies from season to season and from region to region in Spain. A good paella often contains some crunchy, toasted rice on the bottom of the pot as a counterpoint to the smooth grains.
Typical paellas include a mix of proteins such as chorizo sausage, shrimp, and mussels along with chicken. Feel free to mix and match, using a total of ½ to ¾ pound. This version takes advantage of the springtime arrival of fresh peas and morel mushrooms.
To add a bright note to this recipe, include the grated zest of half a lemon sprinkled on the mushroom layer. Consider substituting white wine for some or all of the liquid.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup Arborio or paella rice
1 small pinch saffron threads
¼ teaspoon paprika, preferably Spanish smoked pimentón
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon broth (chicken or vegetable) or water, or a mix
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
3 to 5 morel mushrooms, chopped, optional
8 to 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Scatter the garlic and onion in the pot.
Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear, then add the rice to the pot. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the rice in an even layer.
Add the saffron, paprika, and red pepper flakes to the broth and stir before pouring into the pot.
Add the chicken and season lightly with salt. Cover with a layer of bell pepper, followed by the peas and mushrooms. Set the thyme sprigs on top.
Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Fluff the rice and serve immediately.
This is a perfect dish for a seductively healthy and romantic dinner! What better way to say I love you than sensual pomegranates and healthy brown rice in a sweet but spicy dish? By the way, I consider this a mildly hot meal, while my husband calls it medium-hot. Pomegranate-glazed chicken together with tender pomegranate seeds make an irresistible combination. See page 139 for advice on making your own pomegranate molasses.
A pomegranate is easy to seed if you slice it into quarters and then bend it backward so that the seeds are exposed and easy to grab off the rind.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
1 cup precooked parboiled brown rice (often sold as “Boil-in-Bag” rice servings)
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ teaspoon cayenne
10 to 15 Brussels sprouts (6 to 8 ounces), trimmed with an X in the stem end
1½ cups halved baby carrots
1 cup sliced oyster mushrooms
1 pomegranate, seeded
