One-Dish Dinners

I’m all about the one-dish dinners! The less pots I have to clean, the better 🙂 Good Housekeeping had a great section in their January issue on multiple ways to make dinner in one pot. I tried two of them, and they were absolutely delicious! The recipes are posted below. (Please note on the Lentil Stew – I got stuck at work and the crockpot cooked for three hours longer than I had planned, making the stew a little overcooked. My friend Amy suggested hooking the crockpot up to a light timer, so it shuts off right when you want it to. Great idea! That’s what I’ll be doing next time.)

Indian Cauliflower Curry Stew

• 1 tbs. EVOO
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 tbs. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (I used powdered ginger instead)
• 1 tbs. curry powder
• Salt
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium head cauliflower (2 lbs.), cut into small florets (4 1/2 cups)
• 2 cans (15-19 oz. each) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, plus additional for serving

In 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add carrots and onion, and cook 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, prepare rice as label directs; keep warm.

Stir ginger, curry, and 3/4 tsp. salt into carrot mixture; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth; cover and heat to boiling on high. Stir in cauliflower and garbanzo beans; cover and cook on medium 15-20 minutes longer, gently stirring every 5 minutes until cauliflower is tender.

To serve, stir chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup yogurt into cauliflower stew. Spoon rice into serving bowls; top with stew. Serve cauliflower stew with additional yogurt to dollop on top if you like. Makes about 8 servings.

Lentil Stew With Butternut Squash

• 2 large stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 large onion (12 oz.), chopped
• 1 large butternut squash (2 1/2 lbs.), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (note – this will take a while!)
• 1 bag (1 lb.) brown lentils (I couldn’t find them at the store, so I used green lentils and you’d never know the difference)
• 4 cups water
• 1 can (14-14.5 oz.) vegetable broth (1 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• 1 oz. Parmesan or Romano cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

In 4 1/2-t0-6-quart slow cooker bowl, combine celery, onion, squash, lentils, water, broth, rosemary, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Cover slow cooker with lid, and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting 8 hours.

To serve, spoon lentil stew into serving bowls; top with Parmesan shavings, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes 8 servings.

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Moroccan Stew

Tonight wasn’t a 30-minute meal, as is usually my custom on weeknights – I went for Moroccan Stew, from Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light (p. 110). I often make her recipes when I need to go to the grocery store, because a majority of the ingredients she uses are canned, frozen, or prepackaged. This stew was fantastic! The best part was that all you had to do was mix the ingredients, simmer for 30 minutes, add some couscous and done! The sweetness of the dried apricots combined with the softened vegetables and plump couscous was perfect – this meal was incredibly filling and would be great to warm you up on a cold, wintry night.

I can’t find an online version of the recipe, so I’ve listed it here:

• 1 container (32 oz.) vegetable broth (I used 2 cans of chicken broth)
• 1 box (5.7 oz.) curry-flavored couscous (I used 6 oz. of plain couscous and added 1 tsp. curry powder)
• 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
• 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dried apricots (be careful here – using too many apricots can be overpowering to the dish)
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions (I used 1-2 tbs. dried onion flakes; fresh onion would also work)
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. crushed garlic
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I actually used paprika here)
• I added 1 can of chicken and a handful of raisins

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except couscous. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in couscous and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serves 4.

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