One-Pot Meals

I like to think of this recipe as comfort food without all the pots and pans. In the Western tradition, rosemary has traditionally been a symbol of friendship, love, and remembrance. In Chinese medicine, the evergreen herb is used as a warming remedy. Either way, this meal is guaranteed to bring a sense of warmth and security to all who partake. To prepare acorn squash, cut off the top and bottom ends and cut in half. Then scoop out the seeds and strings with a spoon. Cut into wedges and peel. Or cook with the peel on, as it will easily come off once cooked. The deep orange of this squash boosts your intake of vitamins A and C. If using very large potatoes, cut into one-inch cubes to be sure they cook through. The smaller the cubes, the more thoroughly they will cook.

The story goes that when Napoleon invaded Italy he brought along his own French chef. The army camped at the town of Marengo and the chef created this dish with whatever the scouts brought back from the countryside. Napoleon loved it and the rest, as they say, is history. Using porcini or other wild mushrooms will give this meal more depth of flavor, but almost any vegetable goes well with the basil and green olives. I like to use penne or farfalle (bow tie pasta) with this recipe, though almost any short pasta should work.

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.

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.

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 1/2 to 3/4 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.

This meal sings with the Mediterranean flavors of garlic and olives. Substitute 4 ounces of ripe pitted California olives for the kalamatas, a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes for fresh tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of frozen broccoli florets for the zucchini to change this meal from a taste of summer to an easy midwinter solution without losing the essence of the dish.

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 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Convert this recipe to vegetarian by replacing the chicken with cubes of extra-firm tofu or a 15-ounce can of drained lentils or other beans. Try substituting sweet potatoes for the rice and include eggplant cubes for a truly Indian flair. Notice this recipe does not use water to hydrate the rice because the coconut milk in the curry sauce is enough liquid. I find very little difference between regular and light coconut milk in Glorious One-Pot Meals, so use whichever you prefer. You can find red curry paste in the Asian section of your supermarket along with fish sauce and coconut milk.

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.

My husband declares this dish “insanely good,” and he’s right. While satay is traditionally broiled or grilled, this Glorious One-Pot Meal version retains all the flavor and skips the hassle of threading skewers, basting, and hovering over a grill. I sometimes use bouillon cubes to make stock just because they store well and allow you to make any amount you need. Look for low-sodium bouillon cubes in the health food store. Of course, you can use prepared vegetable or chicken broth instead. Make this recipe hot and spicy by adding a teaspoon of Asian chili sauce or minced hot pepper. Or make it vegetarian by substituting tofu for the chicken. (Be sure to weight the tofu and then blot it with paper towels to remove excess liquid.)

An exceptionally speedy method of producing a healthy and nutritious meal from frozen ingredients, this baseline recipe can be used with a variety of frozen foods. Be sure to keep all ingredients frozen until ready to add to the pot. Try it with frozen fish fillets instead of chicken breasts and Cajun seasoning or salsa instead of teriyaki sauce. In fact, almost any sauce you would use when grilling, such as a barbecue-type sauce or oil-and-vinegar-based salad dressing or marinade, also works well as a flavoring in a Glorious One-Pot Meal. I keep bags of frozen vegetables in my freezer for convenient Glorious One-Pot Meals. I often mix and match frozen corn, peas and carrots, broccoli, and green beans. Frozen hash browns become similar to chunky mashed potatoes when cooked this way. To make your potatoes smoother and creamier, add 1/4 cup of liquid, such as water, wine, broth, or even milk.

You can use boneless and skinless chicken if you prefer. You can even use frozen boneless chicken pieces without thawing them first. And, of course, use any kind of squash you like, or substitute another vegetable. If you don’t have any broth on hand, you can use water, but you will sacrifice some of the distinctive piccata flavor. Stock your pantry with bouillon cubes or a few cans or boxes of broth. If you have some left over, freeze it in a zip-top freezer bag for another Glorious One-Pot Meal. You can drop the broth in as a frozen slab and it won’t change the cooking time.

This tangy dish has an unexpectedly sweet, zesty flavor that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. I love serving this to company and seeing their surprise when they discover that they’ve been enjoying turnips and parsnips—vegetables with undeserved bad reputations. Personally, I prefer to leave the skins of the potatoes, parsnips, and turnips on and simply scrub them well and remove any eyes or bad spots. I try to use organic produce whenever possible, particularly when using whole fruit. Peeling is always optional in an infused one-pot meal, as vegetable skins add many vital nutrients. On the other hand, I prefer to eat chicken without the skin.

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.

The Marsala and fennel seeds give this recipe the familiar flavor of the classic dish, while the red pepper flakes add a bit of a kick. If you are a fennel fan, double the amount given here. You can grind fennel seeds in a mortar or purchase the spice already ground. Feel free to use any type of fresh or dried mushrooms. Cut dried mushrooms into thin pieces to be certain they will hydrate enough. To presoften particularly thick dried mushrooms, soak them in boiling water for 15 minutes before draining, chopping, and adding to the pot.

This was a popular and exotic dinner party recipe in the “mod” 1960s. My mother-in-law made the traditional version for us recently, and though my husband typically doesn’t like fruit with meat, even he licked his plate clean! I cut the amount of brown sugar called for in the original version immensely because I feel the prunes add a lot of sweetness. You could even omit the sugar entirely and still enjoy a sweet-tasting meal.

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.

Larb is traditional Thai comfort food. The mint adds a clean jolt of flavor to this casserole-type meal. My cousin Abi lived in Thailand for a time and helped me fine-tune my version of this classic dish. Typically, the meat and rice are served over raw cabbage, but we think this style is pretty tasty as well. You can use serrano, Anaheim, or almost any other kind of chile pepper if you can’t find a jalapeño. Of course, your meal will be as spicy as your chile. Consider adding 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil or cilantro to the mint mixture for a slightly different taste.

For rarer meat, chop the potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower into smaller pieces, as they will cook more quickly that way and become tender before the meat is cooked through. Try this recipe with steak tenderloin or a turkey tenderloin if you don’t want lamb. Use boneless lamb fillets in this meal as bones just take up precious real estate in your pot. Trim the meat well of fat. Sun-dried tomatoes come either packed in oil or dry. Either is fine to use here.

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.