At the end of the day all you want to do is unwind. Do you dread the number of dishes it takes to make a complete meal and wonder if there is a simpler solution? Well, there is! With one-pot recipes, you can combine all ingredients for a complete meal that does not require extra work. Here are three recipes for a stress-free, no-mess dinner that you can enjoy any night of the week.
Caul-Ing All Penne Lovers
Make cleanup a breeze with this braised cauliflower and squash penne pasta. When shopping for the ingredients, look for “no chicken” broth, which can most likely be found in the natural-foods section. Cooking the noodles in a broth gives this vegetarian pasta extra flavor and a hearty, rich color. To save yourself some time, use butternut squash that is already pre-washed, cubed, and peeled. Find this near other prepared vegetables in the produce department. See the full recipe below.
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups “no-chicken” broth or vegetable broth
4 ounces whole-wheat penne (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup 1-inch cauliflower florets
1 cup 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
Freshly ground pepper for flavor
2 tablespoons of finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
Directions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add broth, penne, cauliflower, and squash. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thickened and greatly reduced, usually within 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in pepper, and let it stand for five minutes. Serve the pasta topped with cheese.
Serves: 2
Soups Galore with More-Occan Lentil Soup
The best part about this recipe is you can make it a day ahead of time – set it and forget it! This slow cooker Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the ingredients develop and flavors unfold, so try making it a day or two in advance. Your kitchen will have a wonderful aroma from the blend of spices infusing together and there will be plenty of leftovers.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
6 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cups chopped cauliflower
1 3/4 cups lentils
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
Combine onions, carrots, garlic, oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and pepper in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth, water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir until well combined. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 10 hours on Low. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in spinach. Just before serving, stir in cilantro and lemon juice.
Serves: 12
Miso Hungry
As the weather cools down, miso-chicken ramen is the perfect soup to warm you up. This recipe is great for making it your own. If you like spice, add in sriracha to kick it up a notch or if you would like to lean on the healthier side, substitute whole-wheat angel hair pasta instead of the Chinese-style noodles. Altogether, it takes just 30 minutes to prepare so it is a great go-to recipe during the week. See the full recipe below.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
4 cups water
3 tablespoons white miso
1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
8 cups chopped bok choy
4 ounces dried Chinese noodles, broken in half
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (2 cups sliced)
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of Sesame oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add water, miso, soy sauce, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken, bok choy, noodles, and mushrooms. Cover and return to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the scallion greens.
Serves: 4
Dinner does not need to be difficult or cause additional stress. It should be a time of good food and great company. With these one-pot recipes dinner is sure to be a breeze.
Resources:
http://recipes.aarp.org/recipes/slow-cooker-moroccan-lentil-soup.html
http://recipes.aarp.org/recipes/braised-cauliflower-squash-penne-two.html
http://recipes.aarp.org/recipes/easy-miso-chicken-ramen.html