Sent to you by David via Google Reader:
Elizabeth Yarnell developed an interesting, easy, tasty, and fast method of one-pot cooking---more or less the opposite of slow-cooker cooking---that she calls "infusion cooking." She describes it in detail in her cookbook Glorious One-Pot Meals, which is more than likely available at your local library.
Although her recipes need a bit of spicing up, after making a couple of these you get the idea and improvisation is easy and (so far) always successful. The ingredients are layered in a 2-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, which is covered and placed in a 450F oven for 45 minutes. That makes 2 meals: for a couple or, in my case, for lunch and dinner.
She recommends an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, but after trying several different ones, I found the Texsport 2-qt Dutch oven ($25 at Amazon, less than $20 (not including shipping) elsewhere) to be my favorite, even though it's not enameled. It is, however, pre-seasoned and easy to clean and use. Most of the 2-qt Dutch ovens are sort of squat and short, but the Texsport is narrower and taller, which seems to work best for this method of cooking. Also, when filled to the brim, it's actually 2.5 quarts, and the extra room is useful when the meal includes leafy greens. If you want an enameled pot, I recommend the Staub 2.25-quart round cocotte ($100) over the Le Creuset dutch oven ($140) because the Staub is higher quality and better made.
I have found that if I turn the oven on to heat to 450F, I can put together one of Yarnell's meals in the time it takes the oven to heat.
-- Michael HamGlorious One-Pot Meals
Elizabeth Yarnell
2009, 240 pages
$25
Available from Amazon
Sample Excerpts:
To give you an idea, here's a typical recipe, layer by layer, starting with the bottom and moving up:
1/4 large onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 c uncooked converted rice (this makes 2 servings: for some reason in the book Yarnell consistently cooks a full cup---4 servings---of rice: too much for me)
2 Tbsp vinegar over the rice (sherry, rice, balsamic, Chinese black, whatever)
8 oz protein (I've successfully used lamb, chicken breast, tempeh, and a variety of fish---I cut the protein into bite-size pieces)
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (just a little to provide some body), perhaps some herbs---with fish I usually squeeze half a lime over them and add some capers to this layer
4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bell pepper (green, red, or yellow), cut into squares
1 yellow crookneck squash, coarsely chopped
1/2 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
Fill the remaining space with your choice of: green beans, broccoli, red chard, spinach, or any other leafy greens.
2 Tbsp Bragg's vinaigrette
2 Tbsp sherry
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I use homemade)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Whisk together in a small bowl, then pour over the top.
Cover and cook for 45 minutes in 450F oven. Serves two.
You will discover through experience the amount of liquid you'll need with different vegetables. With bok choy, for example, no additional liquid is needed. For the starch layer, I've also used: baby potatoes, quinoa, egg noodles, pasta, and the like. This method is terrific and generally will up your vegetable consumption without raising calories.
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