One-Pot Wonders: 4 Hearty Recipes

There’s something special about a satisfying meal made in a solitary pot — all the ingredients marrying together, bursting with rich, deep flavors. Plus, what’s not to love about the practicality and ease of cleanup when creating dinner using just one pot? Try one of these lick-your-bowl-clean recipes tonight.

Butternut Squash And Cauliflower Curry

Satisfy your craving for a creamy and decadent meal with this lightened up curry recipe loaded with veggies that are full of vitamins and fiber.

Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large French/Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 finely diced sweet yellow onion and 1 finely diced carrot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups cauliflower florets and sauté for another 5 minutes until the cauliflower starts to turn golden. Add 3 cups butternut squash (cut into 1-inch cubes), 1 heaping tablespoon yellow curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss together for 1 minute, so the curry powder coats the cauliflower and squash and becomes fragrant in the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 15-ounce can light coconut milk, 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce, 2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger and 2 teaspoons agave. Optional step: Add 1 1/2 cups cubed tofu or pulled rotisserie chicken to the pan with the vegetables and curry, and toss. Add the mixture from the bowl to the pan and stir all the ingredients together. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and let cook for 20–30 minutes until the butternut squash softens.

Optional: Top with fresh cilantro and toasted almonds for a fun garnish.

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Pulled Pork Tenderloin With Tomatillos And Poblano Pepper

Mounds of veggies melt into a Latin-inspired sauce for this slow-cooked pork meal. Warm up with this dish that has a little kick to keep you going in the cold weather.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large French/Dutch oven or oven-safe stockpot over medium-high heat. Season 2 pounds pork tenderloin, fat trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes, with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In two batches, sear the pork in the pot until brown on all sides. Remove and let rest on a plate. In a food processor, roughly chop 8 tomatillos (husked and stems removed, or canned), 1 large tomato, 2 poblano peppers (stems removed), 1 jalapeño pepper (stem removed, and seeds removed to make it less spicy), 1/2 yellow onion and 2 cloves garlic. This may take multiple batches. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop everything by hand.) Add all the veggies and half a bunch of freshly chopped cilantro to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes, scraping the bits of pork and juices from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt and pepper to the veggies, and sauté another minute until the spices are fragrant. Add the pork, and the juices on the plate, along with 1 cup pale ale (or similar beer) to the pot. Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Give the mixture a stir and turn the oven down to 250 degrees. Let cook for 3–4 hours, stirring every hour, if possible, until the pork falls apart. Serve over rice or in toasted corn tortillas, with the other half bunch of the cilantro for garnish. Avocado and green onion also make delicious garnishes.

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Root Vegetable And Farro Stew

All of the season’s root veggies get cozy with the toasty-tasting farro in this simple stew recipe.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large French/Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add half a diced yellow onion and 1 diced large carrot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1 medium rutabaga (peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces), 1 medium turnip (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces) and 3 large parsnips (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces), and sauté another 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme, 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary and 4–5 pieces finely diced turkey bacon, and sauté for 5 minutes until the turkey bacon starts to crisp. Stir in 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour and let cook for 1 minute.

Add 6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock and stir all the ingredients until well combined. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup uncooked farro, cover and let cook for another 10–15 minutes until the farro is almost al dente. Stir in 5–6 cups (about one bunch) chopped rainbow chard leaves and stalks — cut the leaves of the chard into one-inch pieces, and finely chop the stalks. Cover and cook 3 minutes longer. Turn off the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

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Tuscan Bean Soup With Kale, Chicken Sausage And Shrimp

Make this soup recipe once, and you will be making it for years to come. It’s loaded with nutrients, and so satisfying, you might find yourself drinking straight from the bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large French/Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp and 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and sauté for 2–3 minutes until the shrimp just turn pink. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add half a finely diced yellow onion, 1 finely diced carrot and 1 finely diced celery stalk, and sauté for 5 minutes. Slice 2 pre-cooked Italian-style chicken sausages in half length-wise and cut into half-coin-sized pieces.

Add the sausage and 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the pot. Sauté, stirring consistently, another 5 minutes until the sausage starts to brown. Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the pot and sauté another minute until fragrant. Stir 1 28-ounce can diced Italian-style tomatoes, 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay) and 1 15-ounce can Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). Turn heat down to medium and let cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 4–5 cups chopped kale leaves and stems (1-inch pieces), cover and let cook another 3 minutes. Uncover, turn off the heat and add the reserved shrimp and juices. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Serve with freshly shaved Parmesan over the top for an extra treat.

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