Glorious One-Pot Meals (27 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
This is a complete and hearty vegetarian meal. To make this meal vegan, just omit the feta cheese or use a soy or rice cheese substitute. Try this dish with mozzarella cheese for a different flavor combination.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ medium onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup bread crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium eggplant, peeled or not, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
In a medium bowl, mix the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs. Season with pepper to taste.
Arrange half of the eggplant in a layer in the pot.
Blanket with half of the feta, spoon in half the bread crumb mixture, and top with half of the chickpeas.
Repeat the layers with the rest of the ingredients.
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 control the amount of heat in this meal with the types and amounts of chile peppers. I like the spectrum of flavors that results from mixing roasted with fresh chiles.
To roast a chile pepper, you can treat it as you would a marshmallow when camping, using tongs or a long fork to rotate it over a low flame on a gas burner. However, a safer chile-roasting method is to place the chile on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler for just a few minutes. When charred on all sides, place the chile in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steaming will loosen the skin, making it easy to remove. Peel, stem, and seed roasted peppers before using.
See page 168 for a discussion on preparing tofu.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
1 cup basmati rice
6 to 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
½ cup dry red wine
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
¼ medium onion, chopped
One 15-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed
1 large Anaheim green chile, roasted, stemmed, seeded, peeled, and chopped (see headnote)
2 cups bite-size cauliflower florets
½ medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thickly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced, or one 14-ounce can, drained and chopped
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. Pour the rice into the pot. Add 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water (or vegetable broth) and stir to coat the grains and spread them in an even layer.
Squeeze the tofu as dry as possible and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl.
In a measuring cup, mix the wine with the serrano chile, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Drizzle over the tofu while stirring the cubes.
Scatter the onion in the pot. Add the lentils and spread in an even layer. Blanket with the roasted chile.
Arrange the tofu in a layer in the pot. Top with layers of the cauliflower, zucchini, and tomatoes.
Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Tempeh is a soy-based product with a nubby texture. Tahini, or sesame paste, is commonly used in the Middle East as a dressing for falafel (fried chickpea patties) and is an ingredient in hummus and other dishes. Tahini separates when stored; be sure to mix it well before using. Both are easily found at natural food stores (look for tempeh in the refrigerated section next to the tofu).
I never peel beets for Glorious One-Pot Meals. Instead, I scrub them well with a brush and use a veggie wash to rinse away any residual grime. Then I simply slice them and toss them in the pot. Try golden beets in this recipe for a change from the typical red ones. They’re just as sweet but won’t color your entire meal red.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ medium onion, sliced
One 8-ounce package tempeh (the 5-grain variety, if possible)
¼ cup tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 to 4 beets, preferably golden, thickly sliced
4 to 6 cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 or 3 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped (2 or 3 loosely packed cups)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Scatter the onion in the pot. Lay the tempeh block on top of the onion.
In a small bowl, mix the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, Tabasco, and vinegar. Spoon half of the mixture over the tempeh.
Add a layer of beets and dollop with half of the remaining tahini mixture.
Arrange the mushrooms in a layer. Top with as much of the spinach as you can fit in the pot and still close the lid with a tight seal. Dollop the rest of the tahini mixture among the leaves.
Cover and bake for 35 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Primavera
means “spring” in Italian. Pasta Primavera is a wonderfully colorful, light, and healthy meal filled with springtime vegetables. Almost any vegetable will go well in this dish. Consider adding English peas, sugar snap peas, spinach, asparagus, or other seasonal vegetables. Any type of squash or bell pepper is tasty as well. It doesn’t matter whether your artichoke hearts are frozen or packed in water or oil, but remember that the oil from marinated artichokes will add a powerful punch. If you like heat, ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes can give this dish more of a kick.
If there is still liquid in the bottom when the pot comes out of the oven, let it sit with the lid off for a few minutes, which will release some steam and allow the absorption of more of the liquid. Spoon any remaining liquid over each serving as a sauce.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
2 cups multicolored or plain pasta (bow tie or ziti)
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
½ medium onion, chopped
3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon olive oil
8 to 10 ounces artichoke hearts, frozen, canned, or marinated, quartered
8 to 12 mushrooms, halved
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Spread the pasta in the bottom of the pot.
Drain the tomatoes, reserving ⅓ cup liquid. (Add water if needed to make ⅓ cup.) Add the onion, garlic, and the olive oil to the tomato liquid and pour it into the pot. Stir to coat the pasta evenly and make an even layer.
Add layers of the artichokes, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrot, periodically sprinkling with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Pour the can of tomatoes over all and finish with a final sprinkle of spices.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.