One-pot meals can
be the solution to quick and easy cooking when no one really
has the time to cook. While one-pot meals come in various
forms, they all have the common concept of putting a variety
of ingredients into a single vessel and cooking them all together.
There’s no fretting about getting the timing right so
that your broccoli is perfectly steamed at the same time as
the pot roast comes out of the oven medium-rare and the rice
is ready to fluff, which is a boon for all those who aren’t
wizards at culinary planning. And, perhaps best of all, rather
than a sink full of dirty pots and pans to scrub after dinner,
there is only one pot to clean.
One-pot meals include
everything from light stir-fries to hearty skillet meals to
heavy casseroles made with cans condensed cream-of soup. Typically
each forkful contains a little of each ingredient in the meal,
whether it’s in a slab form or bite-sized pieces. Crock-pot
cooking, where all the ingredients are placed in a crock-pot
along with some liquid and then simmered at a very low heat
for 6-8 hours until everything has disintegrated into a stew,
is another popular method of creating of one-pot meals.
The only downside
to each of these methods is that they are usually not a complete
and balanced meal in and of themselves. Since the definition
of a complete, healthy meal includes protein, carbohydrates
and vegetables, stir-fries are typically served with rice,
skillet meals with pasta, casseroles with a salad, and crock-pot
stews with bread.
Infuse it
To have a truly complete and balanced one-pot meal consider
“infusion” cooking. Infused one-pot meals are
made by layering whole foods into a closed container–
either a foil or parchment pouch or a cast iron Dutch oven—and
then baking the container in the oven at a very high heat
for under an hour. These dinners can contain everything needed
for a full and balanced one-pot meal without having to prepare
rice or a salad separately.
Low in fat and
high in nutrition, almost any ingredients can be added to
an infused one-pot meal to meet personal dietary preferences.
Infused one-pot meals prepared in a Dutch oven can even accept
frozen elements without any change in cooking time or flavor.
“I love that
I can make my infused one-pot meal up in advance,” enthuses
Stephanie. “I put it all together in the morning, keep
it in the fridge, and then pop it directly into the pre-heated
oven when I get home from work. Instead of fussing over a
hot stove, I get to play with my kid while our dinner cooks.
And they’re so healthy and tasty that my husband loves
them too!”
For the answer
to the age-old question of “What’s for dinner?”
consider an infused one-pot meal for a healthy, quick and
easy way to feed your busy family. Here is a great recipe
to get you started!
California Chicken
Servings: 2
Ingredients
1/2 cup cous cous, dry
2-3 pieces chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1 avocado, firm-ripe
2 tomatoes, cored, wedges
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, cut in wedges
1/2 cup olives, small, ripe, pitted, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. basil, dried
1/4 tsp. marjoram, dried
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 2-quart
cast iron Dutch oven and the lid with olive oil.
Pour dry couscous
into pot. Add 1/2 cup water and evenly distribute grains across
bottom. Arrange the chicken atop the couscous. Season lightly
with salt and lemon pepper.
Add layers of green
peppers, tomatoes and olives. Again, season lightly with salt
and lemon pepper.
Halve, pit and
peel the avocado. Then, layer it in slices or cubes on top
of everything. In a small bowl, combine the onion, celery
salt, basil, marjoram, sherry, and lemon juice and pour into
pot over everything.
Cover and bake
for 45 minutes.
Tips
Be certain that your oven temperature is accurate and your
oven is fully pre-heated before putting the pot inside it.
An oven thermometer can help ensure your oven is on target.
For light and fluffy
couscous, fluff it with a fork when serving and let sit for
a few minutes before eating.
About the author: Elizabeth Yarnell is the author of Glorious
One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to Dutch
oven cooking, a guide to preparing infused one-pot meals.
Visit Elizabeth online at www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com.
The Glorious One-Pot Meal cooking method is unique and holds
US patent 6,846,504
|
