Glorious One-Pot Meals (26 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Place the pasta in the pot and add ⅓ cup water. Stir to coat the noodles and spread them in an even layer.
Mix the garlic, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper into the jar of marinara sauce. Layer about half the eggplant in the pot and cover it in marinara sauce.
Next distribute a light blanket of cheese (about half) over the sauce. Add a layer of the mushrooms and other veggies such as artichoke hearts and olives, if desired.
Repeat, beginning with the eggplant layer, until the pot is full. Sprinkle with Parmesan and/or bread crumbs, if desired.
Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Eggplant with garlic sauce is one of my favorite dishes at Chinese restaurants. This version tastes slightly different because it is not wok-fried; it is much less oily than the traditional version but has a similar sweet/spicy/salty sauce. I like to use sushi rice in this recipe, but any kind of white rice or even parboiled precooked brown rice will work. Use this recipe to make almost anything with garlic sauce—broccoli, tofu, chicken, or whatever you like.
Edamame are soybeans. The Japanese traditionally like to munch on these, boiled and salted, as a healthy source of protein.
If you aren’t familiar with jicama, try it—it is a light, crunchy, slightly starchy root vegetable. It peels easily with a vegetable peeler and is wonderful raw in salads or as a crudité. If not using jicama, substitute carrots or celery in thin strips or a four-ounce can of sliced bamboo shoots, drained.
SERVES 2
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup sushi rice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 small eggplant, peeled or not, cut into
1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 scallions, white and green parts, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
Sea salt
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sake or dry sherry
½ teaspoon chili oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
¼ jicama, peeled and julienned (see page 74 for a description of how to cut julienne-style sticks)
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut in bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen edamame, shelled
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Wipe the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with sesame oil.
Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot, add 1 cup of the broth, and stir to make an even layer.
Add the eggplant and sprinkle with scallions. Salt liberally (⅛ to ¼ teaspoon), keeping in mind that the soy sauce will also add quite a bit of salt.
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sake, chili oil, cornstarch, the remaining 2 tablespoons of broth, and the red pepper flakes. Mix well to dissolve the cornstarch and sugar. Pour half the mixture over the eggplant, distributing evenly.
Add the jicama and bell pepper to the pot. Scatter on the edamame. Pour the rest of the soy mixture over all.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. If there are still crunchy spots in your rice, leave the pot covered for 3 to 5 minutes after removing it from the oven. If there is too much extra liquid, remove the lid and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
This is a mac-and-cheese you can actually feel good about serving. Substitute any vegetables you prefer to boost the nutrition of this meal far beyond any boxed version bought at the store.
Traditionally, American-style macaroni and cheese is made primarily with Cheddar cheese, but personally I’m a fan of using mozzarella and Monterey Jack. Of course, you can mix and match any combination of cheeses in this meal. Nondairy cheeses perform about as well as real cheeses in Glorious One-Pot Meals, although I usually look for those listing casein as an ingredient for that cheesy gooeyness that’s more like the real stuff. Casein might be a problem for vegans and those with mild dairy allergies, so keep this in mind.
You can use much less cheese than I recommend and the dish will still turn out pretty cheesy. If you find it is too rich, try using harder, lower-fat cheeses such as Swiss, provolone, or Parmesan. Enjoy experimenting with your favorite cheeses.
Some noodles and cheese may form a crusty layer along the bottom and lower sides of the pot. While my husband enjoys crunching these tasty strips, stirring well to coat the noodles with water when building the pot and paying careful attention to when the aroma first escapes the oven will help you avoid this.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
2 cups macaroni
½ teaspoon olive oil
8 to 12 ounces cheese, such as Cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack, sliced or grated
3 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
½ head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
2 handfuls fresh spinach, shredded (about 2 loosely packed cups)
2 or 3 plum tomatoes, chopped, or one 14-ounce can, drained, liquid reserved, optional
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil, taking care to fully coat all interior surfaces.
Pour the pasta into the pot.
Combine ⅓ cup water and the olive oil in a measuring cup. (If using canned tomatoes, drain and use the liquid to replace the water.) Stir and pour over the pasta. Mix gently to coat all the noodles and spread them evenly in the pot.
Layer about half the cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle with half the garlic and half the oregano and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Add the bell pepper and broccoli in even layers and cover with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining garlic and oregano and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Top with the spinach and, if you choose, tomatoes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Want to add meat to this meal? Consider strips of salami or prosciutto.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
¼ cup pine nuts
2 cups rigatoni or other tubular pasta
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ medium red onion, sliced
4 ounces soft goat cheese
¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 mushrooms, sliced
5 to 7 large kale leaves, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 2 cups; see page 30 for advice on removing stems)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
While the oven is preheating, place the pine nuts on a cookie sheet in the oven to lightly toast. Keep an eye on them, as they will take only a couple of minutes to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Pour the pasta into the pot, add ⅓ cup water, and stir to make an even layer.
Scatter on the onion and distribute the goat cheese in chunks.
Distribute the sun-dried tomatoes on top of the cheese and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, basil, and vinegar.
Add the mushrooms and finish with as much kale as you can fit into the pot. Make sure the lid fits tightly.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.