Glorious One-Pot Meals (8 page)
Read Glorious One-Pot Meals Online
Authors: Elizabeth Yarnell
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.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ cup couscous
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon broth (chicken or vegetable)
Two 4-to 6-ounce halibut steaks
⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes or olive oil
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ head broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced
Two 3-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Pour the couscous into the pot.
Add the broth and stir to coat the grains and spread them evenly in the pot. Arrange the halibut on top of the couscous.
In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes, the sun-dried tomato oil, olives, capers, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Spoon half of the mixture over the halibut, taking care that most of the oil goes directly on the fish so it doesn’t dry out.
Add the broccoli, then the bell pepper. Spoon the rest of the tomato mixture over all.
Tuck the sprigs of rosemary among the vegetables.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
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.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ leek (white part), chopped
1 small sweet potato, julienned
½ to ¾ pound halibut fillets or steaks
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or ½ teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh lavender or thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
3 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
5 to 10 thick asparagus stalks, trimmed
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Spray the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Scatter the leek and sweet potato across the base of the pot. Place the fish on top. Drizzle the olive oil over the fish.
In a small bowl, combine the pistachios, parsley, marjoram, and lavender. Spread the mixture over the fish.
Scatter the mushrooms over and around the fish. Place the tomatoes around the pot, skin side down; top with the asparagus.
Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
My husband used to believe he hated pineapple because as a kid growing up in New England he ate only canned pineapple. It wasn’t until he was an adult and moved west that he discovered the glory of the Hawaiian fruit. Nowadays, fresh pineapple can often be found year-round at reasonable prices in mainstream grocery stores.
Nothing compares with the taste of fresh pineapple. To peel a pineapple, chop off both ends and stand it upright. Cut the peel off with vertical strokes, then quarter the fruit from end to end. Remove the core from each quarter and discard. Lay the quarter flat and slice into wedges.
You can find sushi rice in Asian markets.
SERVES 2
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup sushi rice
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
½ to ¾ pound fish (halibut, monkfish, orange roughy, or any other ocean fish)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sambal oelek or garlic-chili paste
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced into thin rings
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
½ orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 cups frozen green peas
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 the liquid, and stir to make an even layer. Add the fish.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sake, sugar, and sambal oelek. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Spread over the fish.
Sprinkle with scallions and cover with the pineapple.
Follow with the bell peppers and then the peas.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
There is a big difference between farm-raised and wild salmon in taste, price, and environmental impact. Some salmon farms feed their fish antibiotics and antiparasitic medications, and even dye the salmon pink. It is always worth investigating the production methods of the food you eat so that you can make informed decisions about what goes in your body and what industries to support with your food dollars.
Italian roasted red peppers are sold by the jar and often packed in olive oil. Look for them in specialty delis and better grocery stores.
SERVES 2
Olive oil spray
½ to ¾ pound salmon fillets, preferably wild salmon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon drained capers
4 ounces Italian roasted red peppers, cut into pieces
½ cup white wine
6 to 8 small new potatoes
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.
Place the salmon in the bottom of the pot, skin side down. Spray the fillets lightly with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with the garlic and capers, scatter on the peppers, and add half the wine.
Pierce each potato multiple times with a fork and drop into the pot (if they are large, slice them into chunks). Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add the broccoli and arrange to fit snugly inside the pot. Pour in the rest of the wine.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.