Glorious One-Pot Meals (19 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
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.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
¼ cup pitted prunes, chopped
¼ cup pitted Spanish green olives, halved
2 tablespoons capers, with a bit of juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
6 to 8 new potatoes, cubed
Sea salt
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
8 to 10 Brussels sprouts (about 6 ounces), trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 bay leaves
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the pot. Sprinkle with the prunes, olives, and capers.
In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, olive oil, wine, brown sugar, oregano, and parsley until the sugar dissolves. Pour half of the mixture evenly over the chicken. Add the potatoes and season lightly with salt.
Spread the mushrooms in a layer. Top with the Brussels sprouts. Pour the rest of the liquid over all and tuck the bay leaves into crevices.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
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.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ cup Marsala
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup baby carrots, cut into thirds
½ medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices (about 2 cups)
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Sprinkle the shallot and half the garlic in the pot. Add the couscous.
In a small bowl, mix the broth, Marsala, red pepper flakes, and fennel. Pour half the liquid over the couscous. Stir to coat all the grains and make an even layer.
Set the chicken on top of the couscous in a single layer. Pour the rest of the liquid over the chicken and top with the remaining garlic.
Scatter on the mushrooms and carrots.
Stack the zucchini rounds and cut into six wedges (like a pizza). Scatter the wedges on top, filling the pot. Tuck the rosemary sprigs into crevices.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
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.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ to ¾ pound chicken breasts or thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 lemon
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into strips
½ head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot, add the broth and 2 tablespoons water, and stir to make an even layer.
Put the chicken in the pot and lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the shallot, parsley, and capers.
Cut the lemon in half and slice one half into rounds, reserving the other half. Top the chicken with a layer of lemon rounds.
Add the bell pepper and broccoli and lightly season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over all, taking care to remove the seeds.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
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.)
SERVES 2
Canola oil spray or sesame oil
1 scallion, white and green parts, sliced into thin rings
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, or ¼ teaspoon ground
1 or 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup rice
½ to ¾ pound chicken thighs or breasts
¼ head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
About 2 cups fresh or frozen snow pea pods
1 large shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Coat the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with canola or sesame oil.
In a small bowl, whisk the scallion, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the broth. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and peanut butter is emulsified.
Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot. Add the remaining broth and ¾ cup water and stir to make an even layer.
Add the chicken and drizzle with one-third of the peanut butter sauce.
Arrange the cabbage on top and pour half of the remaining sauce over it.
Add the snow peas and mushroom in another layer and pour the rest of the 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. If the rice is still crunchy, fluff with a fork and replace the lid. Let sit for another 3 to 5 minutes before serving.