Haughton - 365 easy one dish meals

While the concept of one-dish meals has been around for a long time, its still a great way to create a meal, and more appropriate today than ever before.

Why? Because one-dish meals offer cooks an easy solution to preparing great-tasting, nutritious, all-occasion, kind-to-the-budget meals with minimum cleanup. The basic premise is simplesome type of protein, starch (such as rice, pasta, or potatoes), and vegetables or fruits are combined in a single utensil; or if you prefer, you can combine two of the elements, such as protein and vegetables, and serve over a starch of your choice. The aim is to streamline cooking chores and utensils as much as possible and to make cooking and eating, after work or with a hectic family, as enjoyable as possible.

The one-dish concept couldnt be more in step with todays fast-paced lifestyle. In most cases, the recipes in this volume require only the addition of a simple salad or bread to make a complete meal.

One-dish meals offer cooks a wide range of options. You can whip them up in a variety of utensils, or pieces of equipment, ranging from a skillet to a wok to a casserole to a Dutch oven or even a salad bowl to a slow crockery-cooker or a pressure cooker to a microwave oven and much more.

Another big bonusthe cleanup patrol will definitely be singing the cooks praises, since there is only one pot to wash.

Some of the single-dish ideas that follow can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, others can be cooked ahead and reheated or even frozen. Many fill the needs of busy families whose members dine on different schedules. In most cases, you can simply refrigerate and reheat the leftovers as needed, without significant loss of quality. Still others are great potluck offerings.

With more than 50 percent of women working outside the home these days, there just isnt time for lengthy, complicated cooking. One-dish meals are right in tune with the trend back to simpler, homey fare. Whether for daily suppers or company meals, concentrating on a single terrific entre for the centerpiece of the meal is smart menu planning.

As the busy working mother of two children, I find it easier to put a one-pot dinner on the table than to stop for fast food or serve frozen prepared dinners. Its certainly more nutritious and economical, because I have control over what goes into the dish.

One-pot cooking has been a way of life for our family for the past few years. With time at a premium, it offers flexibility and versatility in turning out tasty, appealing foods with minimal effort. Skillet meals as well as salads, soups (especially the quick ones), and pasta dishes rank high among my familys list of favorites, and many of my tried-and-true recipes can be found within these pages.

One-dish meals can range from hearty and healthy to quick and slow-cooking. You can turn out meals in minutes with a wok or microwave, or bake them lazily in a Dutch oven for several hours. Or you can opt to make a jiffy stove-top skillet meal (by far the largest chapter in this volume because so many of the recipes are energy-saving, quick, and easy) or a stove-top-to-oven casserole or a simple baked casserole, where everything is simply tossed in a single dish. Other options include sandwiches and pizzas prepared in a single pan, as well as salads relying on a single large bowl. Once you get the knack of one-pot meal cooking, itll transform your cooking style forever.

While fresh foods are preferable and are emphasized in numerous recipes, it is a fact that packaged, frozen, and canned items are extremely convenient. And for emergencies they can be stocked well in advance. Ive taken that into account and have designed a generous sprinkling of shortcut recipesthe reach and cook kind. These successfully utilize some of the vast array of convenience products available today, like packaged rice mixes, spaghetti sauce mix, canned soups, canned broths, quick-cooking brown and white rice, etc., which continue to proliferate on supermarket shelves. Although I dont advocate reliance on convenience foods everyday, there are times in a pinch when they come in handy. But heed this word of warning: Be cautious when using todays convenience or processed food products, because many of them contain substantial amounts of sodium. Go easy on the salt in recipes or consider buying reduced-sodium alternatives of products such as soy sauce, chicken broth, soup mixes, and the like.

Half the battle in whipping up one-dish creations efficiently and pleasantly is having the proper utensils on hand. If you plan to make a stove-top-to-oven skillet or casserole, be sure you have a flameproof utensil in your equipment repertoire. Metal or glass skillets with ovenproof handles are available, as are casserole dishes that are at home both on the stove or in the oven.

Likewise, if youre planning to make a pot of soup, be sure that you have a stockpot, Dutch oven, or soup kettle with a nonreactive surface available, particularly if the recipe contains wine, tomatoes, or any acidic foods. Nonreactive means no iron or unclad aluminum.

And if youre planning to invest in some pots, pans, or casseroles to use for one-dish meals, check out the quality, construction, design, and versatility prior to buying. Although it may seem expensive at the time of purchase, its wise to purchase good-quality cookware, because youll reap the benefits of its durability and reliability for many years.