Wonderful One-Pot Dinners

I've lately found myself in the need of some easy, quick go-to dinner ideas that aren't a bowl of cereal or chicken tenders & mac 'n cheese (not that there's anything wrong with those dinner options). I've just been craving something different, but still easy and healthy.

So when I was recently browsing through my O-YUM-G Pinterest page (you can check it out here!), I came across not one but two recipe ideas for a one-pot meal featuring pasta and veggies. One was Italian inspired; the other, Thai.  I had always wanted to try them...and now was the time!

In the past week, I've had the opportunity to make both of these one-pot dishes - and they could not have been easier, healthier or tastier!  I was so pleased with the results of them both.  They also make for great leftovers to bring to work.

The mechanics for both recipes are the same: fill a pot with one box of linguini, 4 cups of broth and add veggies and other flavor additions.  As the dish cooks, the liquid, flavorings and starch from the pasta come together to make a really delicious and flavorful sauce that coats every strand of pasta.  It's magic! Another great thing about these recipes, is that they can both be made either vegetarian or with chicken (or another protein of choice).

Sadly, I only thought to turn these recipes into a blog post after making the second one-pot and so I only have two pictures to share (of the Thai one-pot) But the ingredients and descriptions below should be enough to entice you to try them out! 

Italian Wonderpot

• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1lb box of linguini
• 8oz box of frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 28oz can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into cubes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pot, add the broth. Next add the pasta, breaking the noodles in half (makes for easier stirring and eating!). Then add the spinach, tomatoes (with the juice!), onion, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.  Give it all a good stir.

Turn the heat on high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to low and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until noodles have absorbed most of the liquid and the noodles are al dente.  You'll want to stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Once the pasta is cooked, top each serving with a nice pile of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

OPTIONAL: While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook in a large, oiled skillet over high heat until chicken is lightly browned and fully cooked.  Add chicken to the main pot once the pasta is nearly cooked and toss to coat in the yummy sauce.

NOTE: If you happen to have a parmesan or romano cheese rind in your fridge, this is a great time to put it to good use!  Think of cheese rinds as a cheese "bone" that imparts amazing flavor, similar to the way chicken bones are used to make broths and stocks. Try it out!

---

Thai Peanut Wonderpot

• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter, creamy or chunky
• 1lb box of linguini
• 1 large carrot, sliced 1/4" thick and then chopped (roughly 1 cup)
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches of ginger root, sliced 1/4" thick (keep them large, you'll be taking them out later)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (divided)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into cubes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 lime
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a large pot, add the broth, water, soy sauce and peanut butter. Next add the pasta, breaking the noodles in half (makes for easier stirring and eating!). Then add the carrots, red pepper, green onions, garlic, ginger root, red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup of the peanuts, salt and black pepper.  Give it all a good stir.

Turn the heat on high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to low and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until noodles have absorbed most of the liquid and the noodles are al dente.  You'll want to stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Once the pasta is cooked, squeeze the juice of the lime into the pot and stir.  Remove the slices of ginger root. Top each serving with the remaining chopped peanuts and the cilantro...if you like the stuff!  I am NOT a fan of cilantro - I'm one of the people for whom cilantro tastes like nasty soap!  But the pot I made without it was crazy, o-yum-g delicious!

OPTIONAL: While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and cook in a large, oiled skillet over high heat until chicken is lightly browned and fully cooked.  Add chicken to the main pot once the pasta is nearly cooked and toss to coat in the yummy sauce.

Have a Souper (Bowl) Weekend!

So we're in the middle of winter, it's freezing cold, snow is on the ground and all you want to do is cuddle under the covers, binge on your favorite shows and eat comfort food.  Or maybe that's just me.  But when I think of winter comfort food, I think of homemade mac & cheese or a warm bowl of homemade soup and some crusty bread.  Followed by brownies.  And wine.

And since it's the Super Bowl this weekend, I thought we might make it extra "souper" with three of my favorite homemade soups: Creamy Tomato, Lentil and Broccoli Cheddar!

All three of these soups start with the same base of onions, celery and carrots (otherwise known as mirepoix) sautéed in a little oil.  Add some broth, some more vegetables, let simmer...and you have soup! 

First up, Creamy Tomato.  This is one of my favorites to make - it comes together so quickly and feeds a crowd - or at least gives you plenty of leftovers (trust me, you'll be glad you have them).  To make the large volume so easy to make, I buy large No. 10 cans of crushed tomatoes at Costco, but you can also buy several smaller cans from your regular grocery store.  A little of bit cream adds some flavor and depth the soup and splash of balsamic vinegar (my secret ingredient!) adds just enough tanginess to make it all come together.  

As with wine & cheese, soup does get better with age, or at least the next day.  If you can make the soup in advance and wait to eat it the next day, you'll give all the flavors a chance to meld and you'll be in for a really delicious bowl of soup!

Creamy Tomato Soup

• 1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 No. 10 can crushed tomatoes or 4 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté about 5 minutes.  Add ground pepper and 1/2 tsp of the salt.  Mix well and let cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken broth and let simmer for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.  Carefully pour in the tomatoes.  Add dried herbs and stir until fully incorporated.  Let simmer 20 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture until uniform in consistency. (Note: if you do not have an immersion blender, you can carefully pour the hot mixture into a standard blender and process the soup in batches.) Add the cream and stir until fully incorporated. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir.  Taste and add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, if necessary.  Let simmer another 30 minutes on low heat.  Serve in bowls with grated parmesan cheese on top.  

Yield: 10-12 servings

Next, Berghoff's Lentil Soup.  This recipe was passed along to me by family friends after they made us this soup one day for lunch. They are from the Chicago area and big fans of famed restaurant, The Berghoff.  (I've never been to Chicago, but it's on my list to visit this year and this restaurant will certainly be a must-visit.)  Up until that point, I had never been a big fan of lentils, but since we were guests and this soup was the only thing on the menu, I politely accepted a bowl.  And was I ever glad!  It was such a delicious and hearty soup and I did all but lick my bowl clean.  And I was grateful to get this recipe (and a few others) from the Berghoff cookbook.  The original recipe calls for diced ham, but you can omit for vegetarian or religious reasons.  This soup takes a little bit longer to prepare than the other two, simply because of the lentils - they take time to fully cook - but it's definitely worth it.  And I love the twist of adding fresh baby spinach at the end, right before serving.

Berghoff's Lentil Soup

• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 9 cups chicken stock (or broth)
• 2 cups dried lentils
• 2 small bay leaves
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups diced ham
• 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes & juice
• 1 bag (6 or 7 oz) fresh baby spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté about 5 minutes.  Add chicken stock, lentils, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until lentils are fully cooked.  Add in ham and tomatoes (don't drain the juice - just add it all in!) and let cook 5 minutes more. Add spinach and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve into bowls and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Adapted from The Berghoff Family Cookbook.

FInally, Broccoli Cheddar.  This is a healthy take on what can be an indulgent soup - as it's primarily broth-based with pureed veggies.  Just as with the creamy tomato, you start with mirepoix and broth, then add fresh broccoli.  Puree and add a bit of sour cream and sharp cheddar.  Make sure to use a sharp cheddar as it has a stronger flavor, and the little bit will go a long way.  As with the tomatoes, I also get my broccoli at Costco.  In the fresh produce section, you can get a big 3 lb bag of fresh broccoli crowns - half of the bag makes one pot of soup.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lbs or 12 cups of fresh broccoli crowns
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté about 5 minutes.  Add ground pepper and 1/2 tsp of the salt.  Mix well and let cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add chicken broth and let simmer for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.  Add broccoli and cover.  Let simmer 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture until uniform in consistency. (Note: if you do not have an immersion blender, you can carefully pour the hot mixture into a standard blender and process the soup in batches.) Add the sour cream and cheese and stir until fully incorporated. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir.  Taste and add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, if necessary.  Let simmer another 30 minutes on low heat.  

Yield: 6-8 servings

And for a bonus recipe...you can't have soup without a little bread.  When I made my batch of broccoli cheddar soup, I was craving some cheddar biscuits to go with it and after a little research, decided on this quick and easy recipe from Martha Stewart.

Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 - 2 1/4 cups flour (plus more for dusting)
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4-6 Tbsp cold butter
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper together.  Cut in butter (using fingers or pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Note: the original recipe called for 6 Tbsp butter, but I reduced to 4 Tbsp and still had great results.)  Stir in shredded cheddar cheese.  Add buttermilk and mix until dough comes together.  If dough is still sticky, add up to 1/4 cup additional flour and mix it in with your hands.  Lightly flour a clean surface and roll or flatten dough to about 1/2 inch thick.  Using biscuit cutter, cut dough and place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in oven 12-15 minutes, rotating half-way, or until biscuits are a golden brown.  Serve warm (for breakfast, with soup, or just to snack!).

Yield: 12 3-in diameter biscuits

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Mama Deb's Mac 'N Cheese

So last Friday I went to the grocery store. Hungry.  Which is never a good idea.  I passed aisle after aisle of tempting treats thinking of all the delicious things I could make for dinner, but (mostly) resisted.  (A box of Poptarts may have jumped into my cart without my knowledge.) Somewhere between the condiments aisle and the paper goods, I decided I was in the mood for mac 'n cheese, my go to whenever I can't decide what I want for dinner.  But rather than buy a box of Annie's or Velveeta & Shells, I decided to make mine from scratch using my favorite recipe from one of my church "moms", Mama Deb.

At my church, there are three families who have "adopted" me and one of my "moms," Mama Deb, makes the best mac 'n cheese in town.  At any church potluck, her mac 'n cheese is the first to go.  It's crazy good and takes only a little extra time than your standard blue box.  The genius in this recipe is the use of condensed cheddar cheese soup.  It makes for a great flavorful base and adds to the creaminess of the overall dish.  I now regularly stock my pantry with this soup so that I can make this recipe anytime!  It makes a full pan - but also reheats very nicely in the microwave!

So here we go:

Mama Deb's Mac 'N Cheese

• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 pound (16oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 box cooked pasta (macaroni, shells, etc.)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• OR 1 small, lunch-sized bag plain potato chips

Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions.  Drain pasta and set aside. In the same pot you cooked the pasta, combine the cheddar cheese soup, evaporated milk, cheddar cheese and egg. Heat until the cheese is melted.  Add dried onion, paprika, black pepper and cooked pasta. Transfer mixture into a greased 9x13 dish.  Combine bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the pasta.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

Yields 8-10 servings

Note: To lighten up this recipe, you can use Campbell's Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup, fat-free evaporated milk, use 2% cheese or half the amount of cheddar cheese (8oz) and omit the buttered bread crumbs/potato chip topping.  It's still just as delicious!

My favorite dinner combo: mac 'n cheese, chicken tenders and green beans!

Chinese Takeout Fakeout

So this weekend I had some friends over for dinner and a movie.  Things didn't turn out quite as expected, at least as far as the movie part.  We just enjoyed the food and conversation so much, we never left the dinner table!  I had initially proposed that we order Chinese to eat while we watched our movie, but became inspired to make my own Chinese take out.  On the menu: veggie fried rice and chicken lo mein.  

The veggie fried rice was the easy part - I kinda cheated and bought a seasoning packet that told me what to do (even the purists take shortcuts every now and then!) The chicken lo mein would require a little research, so off to The Google I went.  I read several recipes and ended up mashing a few of them together for what turned out to be a delicious homemade version of a takeout favorite!  This makes a LOT of food - great for entertaining guests (like I did) with enough for leftovers.

Here's the recipe:

---

Chicken Lo Mein

• 1lb box, thin spaghetti
• 4 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water
• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 bags frozen Asian vegetables
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bag (or 4 cups) Asian slaw
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 4 Tbsp cold water
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce

In a large pot, bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving the liquid.

Cut chicken in to small pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and saute chicken until done.  Remove from pan and set aside

In the same large skillet or wok, heat the sesame oil and add the vegetables, garlic and asian slaw and cook for 5 minutes until tender.  Dissolve cornstarch in cold water.  Add cold water and half of the reserved pasta liquid to the vegetables and stir.

Add cooked pasta and chicken to the vegetables.  Add the remaining reserved liquid and soy sauce.  Cook on low heat until pasta is nice and dark in color.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Adapted from Food.com

---

All in all - this recipe was really tasty and I loved how much it made.  In fact, it was almost TOO much, as it barely fit in my largest skillet!  My kitchen was definitely a little messy after all this. :o) When I make this again, I'm going to add more vegetables.  I only bought one bag and I didn't think it was enough in the pasta to veggie ratio.  The recipe above reflects the additional bag.  And in case you're wondering what's all included in that magic bag of Asian vegetables, you get an assortment of broccoli, snap peas, carrots, red pepper, onion and water chestnuts.  Some brands also include baby corn.  Use whatever suits you!  

As for the Asian slaw, I discovered these new salad bags from Dole: Chopped Asian Blend.  It's a great, healthy addition to this lo mein with not only the expected cabbage, but also red cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw, snap peas and that superfood everyone tells me I should eat...kale!  Once it all gets cooked in with the pasta, chicken and soy sauce...you don't even know it's there!

So with the help of some seasoning packets and this recipe, all you need are some chopsticks and fortune cookies to have a great Chinese Fake Out night!