Posts filed under 'One pot meals'
Wholesome noodles with a whole lot of choices for flavors
Noodles can be quiet tricky in being a family pleaser as they tend to have a redundant taste over and over again. Here is a recipe idea with several choices for each layer of flavor and nutrition while making noodles. This post is published in an attempt to get MTS readers to go on for a long while before you run out choices for crowd pleasers. All permutations and combination mentioned in this post make for wholesome meals with adequate protein + vegetables + good carbohydrates.
Cold noodles
Kind of food: Appetizer/ Main course
How long: 20 min
Makes: Serves 4 adults
Pot & Pans: One large pan and wok or two pans
Ingredients
1 Tbsp cooking oil
Choices in noodle – rice sticks, rice noodles, egg noodles, whole wheat spaghetti, angel hair pasta, ramen noodles
Choices in veggie combination
A total of 2 cups of a combination any of the following vegetables
1/2 cup finely chopped onions (scallions for cold noodles)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers (or other colored peppers)
1/2 cup chopped matchstick carrots (available pre-cut in the produce section)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage (green or purple or napa)
1/2 cup thawed green peas/mushrooms/ water chestnuts/babycorn
Choice of protein – 1 /2 lb seafood or chicken (sliced thin) or 1/2 lb tofu or 4 eggs (boiled and cut into wedges or scrambled) or 2 cups bean sprouts
Choice of sauce -
1. Microwave 3 Tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce , 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or any other vinegar) , 2 tsp chili garlic sauce and 2 tsp brown sugar. Add stock to get desired consistency.
Or 2. Microwave 3 Tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 2Tbsp soy sauce , 1 tsp chili garlic sauce and 2 tsp brown sugar. Add stock to get desired consistency.
Or 3. Microwave 3 Tbsp Soy sauce, 2 Tbsp bean paste, 1 tsp fish sauce, 2 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp chili garlic paste. Add stock to get desired consistency.
Or 4. Microwave 3 Tbsp Tomato ketchup, 1/4 cup soy sauce , 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or any other vinegar) , 2 tsp chili garlic sauce and 2 tsp brown sugar. Add stock to get desired consistency.
Or 5. Microwave 3 Tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce , 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or any other vinegar) , 2 tsp chili garlic sauce and 2 tsp brown sugar. Add stock to get desired consistency.
Note: The need to microwave the sauces is to make sure all the ingredients mix thoroughly. So warm up the ingredients for the sauce for a few seconds and do not boil the sauce.
Choice of herbs- 1/4 cup fine chopped cilantro or mint or basil (optional)
Additional flavors – 2 Tbsp ginger and garlic chopped fine + optional- 1 tsp green chili (Thai or Anaheim) chopped fine
Warm noodles
How to make:
Prepare the noodles as per package directions and drain completely. Note: Some noodles like rice sticks just need to be soaked in hot water, so make sure to follow packet directions.
While the noodles are getting done chop and dice vegetables, meat and herbs. If using chicken, tofu or seafood stir fry these with 1 Tbsp of soy sauce and chilli garlic sauce until cooked in a hot pan/wok with 1 tsp oil.
For warm noodles: Remove the chicken, tofu or seafood from the pan and add the veggie mixture, ginger, garlic and green chili (if used) and continue to stir fry on high heat for 2- 4 minutes. Add the sauce of your choice. Toss in the noodles. Stir fry for a couple more minutes while tossing in the protein choice. Take it off the heat, and mix in the chopped herb (cilantro or mint or basil)
For cold noodles: To the drained noodles add 1 tsp of vegetable oil to prevent it from clumping. Warm up one tsp of hot oil and cook the ginger, garlic and green chili. Add this to the sauce of your choice and garnish it with the herb of your choice (cilantro or mint or basil). Serve the noodle on a platter and spread the veggie mixture and then the cooked protein mixture on top as two layers. Serve the sauce on the side.
Make it Fast, Fun, and Facile! – Sri
Tip,tricks and alternatives
Children love the idea of noodles, so varying the flavor and texture of noodles (and the choice of the noodle itself) will help win many a meal time battles 
. Also, cold noodles are perfect for road trips and for picnics.
1 comment April 12, 2009
Colorful Quinoa
Quinoa seeds have gained a lot of popularity in the recent years, for good reason. This light and fluffy grain has been used in South America for centuries. Quinoa is very easy to cook and it has an extremely high nutritional value. This quinoa salad recipe can be the perfect way to start including this wonderful grain into your regular diet.
Kind of food: Main course, side
How long: 20 min
Makes: About 1.5 cups of salad
Pots and pan: Small pot
Ingredients
1/4 cup Quinoa (found easily in most grocery stores)
1/4 cup carrot – grated
1/4 cup red bell pepper – choppped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (drained and squeezed from the oil)
1/4 cup Avacado – chopped in small cubes
1 tsp Olive oil (optional)
Salt to taste
How to make:
Place the dry quinoa is a pot. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring it to a boil and cover and simmer for 10 min, till the water is fully absorbed. Leave the quinoa covered and let it rest for 5 min. While the quinoa is simmering, chop the prepare the vegetables. Saute the red bell peppers and carrots for a couple of minutes till crisp. If would like to avoid oil, you can skip this saute step. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork. Combine all quinoa with the saute peppers & carrots, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, and add salt (if needed to taste).Chill the salad if you like it cold. Warm quinoa salad tastes great as well.
Keep it Smart, Short and Sazzy! – Anu
Serving ideas
Serve chilled on a hot summer day.
Can add any vegetable of your choice -Try it with cucumbers, celery, and fresh herbs.
Tips, tricks and ideas
Prepare and chill the salad ahead of time.
The salad travels well for day trips or lunch boxes.
Quinoa can also be cooked in a rice cooker or microwave. Look the package instructions for other ways to cook this grain.
Quinoa is a great substitute for white rice or couscous.
Add comment February 23, 2009
Super bowl Southwestern Chili (with vegeterian option)
Chili is a one pot comfort food that makes for a hearty meal. This version to the classic is so simple that it does not involve any prep work .
Kind of food: Main dish/ side
Makes: Serves 6
How long: 30 min
Pots & pans: Pot
Ingredients:
2 cans of red beans
1 can of southwestern black beans (available pre-seasoned with limejuice and/or cumin)
1 – 16 oz bottle of salsa (hot or mild – as per your choice)
1 – 1.25 oz taco seasoning mix (available in packets in the spice asile)
1 – 8 oz pack grilled fajita chicken or beef fajitas (available fully cooked in the frozen food section)
Vegetarian substitute: 1 – 8 Oz box of meatless ground burger (available fully cooked in the frozen food section along with the garden/soy burger)
2 cups of Monterrey jack or pepper jack or cheddar cheese
2 cups of sour cream
2 cups of fritos or corn chips (tortilla chips)
1/2 cup cilantro chopped fine (Optional)
How to make:
Rinse the red beans. Do not rinse the seasoned black beans. In a pot a combine all the above ingredients with the exception of the cilantro, cheese , sour cream and chips. Close and bring the contents of the pot to boiling on medium heat. Turn the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 20 minutes covered using splatter guard or partially covered (by placing a wooden or a heat resistant ladle in the pot and then covering with a lid – to create a gap). DO NOT cover tight. When the chili simmers arrange the toppings (sour cream, cheese, chips) in individual bowls. Garnish the chili with chopped cilantro just before serving. To keep the chili warm place it in a crock pot (slow cooker) or in a 200 F oven until serving time. Let your guests pick their toppings at the time of serving.
Make it Fast, Fun, and Facile! – Sri
Tip, tricks & alternatives
Add garlic for some extra flavor. Saute 1 Tbsp of chopped garlic in oil and then add all the ingredients for the chili to the pot. This chili stores good in the fridge for a few days.
Add comment January 5, 2009
Thai inspired soup
An easy, one pot recipe for a Thai inspired soup. The recipe is quite versatile and you can always make it vegetarian or add some seafood or meat to suit your taste.
Kind of food: Appetizer, Main course
How long: 20 min
Makes: Serves 4 adults
Pot & Pans: One large pot
Ingredients
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 lb seafood or chicken (optional and replaces the vegetables or in addition to the vegetables)
1 tbsp green curry paste
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup thin rice sticks slightly broken
1/2 cup coconut milk (from a can)
2 tsp salt ( or to taste)
How to make
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Saute the vegetables (and/or cooked meat/ seafood) for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer 10-15mins. (or till the vegetables are tender) Serve as is in a bowl. Or pour over rice or noodles to make a complete main course.
Keep it Smart, Short and Sazzy! – Anu
Tip, tricks & alternatives
Thai Red curry can be used as an alternative to the green curry paste
Tom Tom paste works as an alternate
Meat will require more time to cook, so add the meat and then the veggies.
Seafood requires less time to cook, so add it after you add the veggies. Over cooked seafood will turn out like rubber, so make sure you do not over cook it. The cooking time varies based on the size of each chunk.
Serving Ideas
The soup is so easy that works really well for parties. The soup does not need much attention, so you can make this in a big crock pot and not worry about it while preparing other recipes.
The soup is quite filling, so can work really well for quick TV dinners when served with some steamed rice or noodles.
Add comment December 17, 2008
Quick basmati rice
A simple technique of making Indian spices flavored rice. The recipe is a basic way to make fluffy and flavorful rice. The recipe can be modified to your taste and made in several different ways.
Kind of food: Main course, Side
How long: 30 min
Makes: 5 cups
Pots and Pans: One large pot with lid
Ingredients
3 tbsp oil or clarified butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1-2 green chillies (Thai, Serrano or Indian peppers)
3 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1 inch piece of Cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves (Fresh or dried)
Substitute : 2 Tsps of curry powder or 2 Tsps of garam masala
1 cup carrots (Juliane strips or cubed)
1 cup peas (frozen)
2 cups Basmati rice
2 tbsp salt (or to taste)
4 cups water
1/4 cup Cilantro chopped for garnish
How to make
Place a heavy bottomed deep skillet / pot on medium-high heat. Heat the oil / clarified butter for a minute. Add the chopped onions and chillies and saute. Sprinkle a little salt to help the onions cook faster. After the onions a slightly tender (about 2-3 minutes), drop in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. Give it a good toss. Add the carrots and peas and again give it a good toss. Now add the raw basmati rice and saute it till the rice turns opaque (takes about 4-5 mins). Now add water and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil (about 5 min). Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover and cook for exactly 7 min. Turn of the heat and do not open for another 10 min. Open it after 10 mins, fluff up the rice with a fork. Garnish with fresh cliantro and serve hot.
Tips, tricks and alternatives
Bag the spices (clove, cardamom, bay leaf & cinnamon) in a small price of muslin cloth or in a tea ball and drop it in the rice. This way the spices will not get served.
Use 2 cups of peas and carrot frozen vegetable for saving time
Add any other vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers – anything that does not turn soggy quickly like squash.
Serving ideas
Use the rice as a side or main dish with a complementing Indian curry or raita.
This basic method of making flavored rice is very handy and works really well in large quantities for parties.
The rice can be made is such variety and you can have a different rice with different vegetable every time you make it.
The rice also travels well in a lunch box.
Kid Note: Use less green chillies and bag the spices in a small piece of muslin cloth, so it flavors the rice and avoid getting into the serving.
2 comments December 17, 2008
