Tomato

Summer is tomato time; be sure to try the new heirloom varieties. In winter, I usually find that Roma, or plum, tomatoes are the most flavorful. Oil-cured olives will add other notes, but use water-packed olives if you’re looking to cut back on fat. Make a quick broth with part of a bouillon cube. Purchase bouillon from health food stores for versions lower in sodium and other preservatives. An easy way to trim exactly the right amount from the bottom of an asparagus stalk is simply to grab an end in each hand and bend until it snaps. It will break at the point where the stalk becomes less woody.

Sausage and beans make a hearty winter meal If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, use a drained 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes instead. If you don’t have flageolets, other beans to try include Great Northern and cannellini beans. To make this a lower-fat dinner, use turkey or chicken sausage instead of pork. Health food stores typically have many types of sausages available at the meat counter. Experiment with flavors such as applewood-smoked sausage, habañero chile, or spicy Italian.

The Aztecs worshipped the life-sustaining properties of amaranth in pre-Columbian times. Sadly, it all but disappeared after the arrival of the conquistadors. A grain (like wheat), amaranth is high in protein, fiber, and amino acids. In this recipe you’ll notice the silky beads add yet another exciting texture to this one-pot meal. I find amaranth in the bulk bins at the health food store. My food processor has a shredding disk, which works well for zucchini; however, sometimes I simply use my grating tower to get the same effect. The shredded zucchini gives this Glorious One-Pot Meal a thick, stewlike consistency that seems especially hearty. Feel free to swap the amaranth for the same amount of rice (the amount of liquid won’t change).

Traditional masala spices are dry-roasted, which releases the aroma. Masala also calls for pureeing the onions and tomatoes together in a blender with the yogurt mixture. Here I offer a simplified masala, designed to be quick and easy. Of course, you may always vary any recipe to suit your own preferences. You can purchase masala spice mix in a specialty food store, or you can make your own. Combine 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. Keep leftover mix tightly covered in a dark cabinet. Substituting soy yogurt or light coconut milk is fine. Coconut milk used to get a bad rap for being high in saturated fat, but now we know it has the good kind of saturated fat. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory herb, thought to be good for diseases that cause internal swelling, such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.

Puttanesca is a traditional pasta dish that supposedly had its origins in the food prostitutes cooked for themselves at the end of the night. The amount of spice called for here makes a medium-spicy dish. Adjust it according to your own taste. Although anchovy paste (or minced anchovies) is called for, don’t worry if you don’t have any or just want to leave it out. A tip: Do not lift the lid “just to check” before this meal is done or it will take longer to cook and your pasta may not come out perfectly al dente. This recipe works equally well with fresh or frozen shrimp. Instead of broccoli and artichoke hearts, try this with spinach or green beans. Consider red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant as well.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) was an ancient staple grain of the Incas. It’s a complete protein with all essential amino acids and more calcium than milk, along with iron, phosphorus, and vitamins B and E. Use it as a grain and substitute freely for rice or pasta. Just be sure to maintain the proper ratio of dry grain to liquid (for quinoa use 3/4 cup quinoa to 1 cup liquid). I buy quinoa from the bulk food bins at the health food store, although you can find it at many supermarkets alongside the grains. Raw seafood is always preferable when making a Glorious One-Pot Meal, and frozen shellfish is less likely to overcook in this method. I keep a bag of uncooked shrimp in my freezer for just such a reason.

Adapted from a recipe out of Guam, the bananas give this meal a tropical flavor that my mother and mother-in-law both love. Be sure to cut any brown spots off the bananas before slicing. Sweet potatoes and yams range tremendously in size. You may be able to use all of a medium sweet potato in a single meal. However, if it is ten inches or longer, use only part of it. To make this dish even spicier, add a diced fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper to the onion layer at the bottom.

Cioppino, or fisherman’s stew, had its origins in San Francisco by way of Italy, but all Mediterranean countries have similar fish stews. Make this version your own with your favorite treats from the sea. Traditionally, this dish is not very soupy; for more broth, do not drain the can of tomatoes. I prefer to avoid precooked seafood for Glorious One-Pot Meals. If your frozen shrimp is pink, it’s precooked. While using precooked seafood certainly won’t ruin your meal (it’s difficult to fail with a Glorious One-Pot Meal!), raw seafood results in a stronger flavor and will be more tender after cooking.

In this recipe I deviate from the usual formula where the spinach would be the last ingredient added. I do this because sometimes spinach that touches the lid becomes browned, and although this doesn’t bother me, some may find it unappetizing. This method leaves the spinach greener. I get the best results when using frozen raw shrimp, though thawed raw shrimp will work well, too.

Throughout the 1980s, my family vacationed in Cozumel, off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This recipe was one of our favorite local dishes prepared by the descendants of the Mayan Indians. Corn, peppers, and limes are all native to the New World and were likely cultivated by the ancient Mayans much as they are today. Spice up this dish with red pepper flakes or chopped chiles. Try a white, flaky fish such as cod, flounder, or sole. Or try a slightly meatier white fish like Oreo Dory, tilapia, mahi mahi, or snapper. Either fresh or frozen fish fillets work fine. This recipe is also wonderful with seafood such as shrimp or with thin slices of flank steak or pork.

There’s something intrinsically fun about cooking with pistachios. Besides having an addictive flavor, nuts are a great source of protein and unsaturated fats. They are thought to help build and protect the nervous system, and may even help repair existing damage. As a commonsense precaution, try to avoid any red-dyed nuts. Be sure to clean leeks thoroughly by slicing them in half lengthwise and allowing the water to sluice between the layers. Don’t expect asparagus to remain crisp in an infused one-pot meal; instead, savor the buttery softness of melt-in-your mouth stalks.

If you don’t have any broth on hand, you can use plain cold water in a pinch, but using broth or bouillon makes for more flavorful couscous. Depending on your climate, oven temperature, and how thickly you sprayed the oil on the pot, the couscous may have some crunchy spots where it browned. To avoid this, spray the pot generously with oil and stir carefully to expose all the grains when adding the broth. Fluff the couscous with a fork when serving to separate the grains. If you don’t like halibut, try using salmon fillets or steaks instead. Or substitute two chicken breasts for the fish.

Kalamata olives and/or capers would be lovely additions to this meal. Add them with the cherry tomatoes. You can also use a whole red snapper if you find one that fits in your Dutch oven. I like to use canned or frozen artichoke hearts packed in water, though marinated artichoke hearts packed in herbed olive oil would add another layer of flavor to this meal. And any white wine is fine to use here. I often use a Chenin Blanc or a Sauvignon Blanc simply because those are what I like to drink.

I’ve been finding fresh mangoes at my local grocery store often lately, but if you don’t have one, use a can of puree or fresh orange juice. If you don’t have macadamia nut oil, it’s okay to use another nut oil or even olive oil, but realize you will lose some depth of flavor. Vary your meal by changing the lentils: Red lentils will result in a mushier texture, while green lentils will offer a more al dente eating experience. I like to use white or mellow-flavored miso paste, but the strength of miso flavor is really a personal preference.

Eat in the light, clean, Mediterranean tradition for meals that are low in fat but high in flavor. Vary this recipe by using other vegetables such as eggplant, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms or by replacing the fish with chicken, strip steak, or even seitan (a wheat product found near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the health food store). This recipe has an elegance that will impress your guests. I like to use an oval Dutch oven with fish fillets simply because they tend to fit better. However, to make a long fillet fit into a round pot, simply cut the fillet into two or three pieces and lay them side by side. You can easily skip the wine in this recipe and still have a great-tasting meal, but if you do use wine, try a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc that you would happily drink rather than a “cooking wine.”

Legend has it that when Catherine de Medici of Florence was wed to Henry of Aragon, she brought a Florentine chef with her to prepare the foods she adored. The Florentine style of cooking leans toward simple preparations of fresh foods to make consistently appealing meals. Traditionally, this dish uses a flaky white fish such as sole, cod, or halibut, but it does wonders for a salmon fillet or even orange roughy. Pack as much spinach as possible into the pot as it will cook down significantly Don’t be afraid to push down the leaves with the heel of your hand. Just be sure that the seal around the lid is tight when the pot goes in the oven.

In America, we’re accustomed to eating sweet potatoes candied with maple syrup and brown sugar, or even topped with marshmallows, for a supersweet Thanksgiving side dish. But savory sweet potatoes are another experience entirely. Sweet potatoes with Creole seasoning are fabulous, and with this recipe they’re very easy to make. Any Cajun or Creole seasoning mix from the grocery will do, or make your own by mixing equal parts paprika, salt, and a dash of cayenne. Be careful with the cayenne, as a little goes a long way. Beets make a delicious red substitute for tomatoes if you can’t find good fresh ones for this dish. If you prefer white potatoes, feel free to substitute a large baking potato for the sweet potato. Frozen green beans are a quick solution when you want something green to toss into a pot meal. Simply shake some beans into the pot, reseal the bag, and keep it in the freezer. A single bag can often last for quite a few meals.