Here’s a simple way to cut back on time, energy and washing up – just one pot, one pan, one skillet or one sheet pan and dinner’s on the table.
Chicken and Shrimp with Rice and Saffron
This one-large-skillet dinner based on paella, the famed dish of Valencia in Spain, sounds fancy enough for dinner with friends and family, but it’s very easy to make. Brown the meat, sweat the aromatic vegetables and herbs, then simmer the rice. The finale, a flourish of shrimp and a squirt of lemon. Serve in warmed shallow pasta or soup bowls, making sure that the chicken and shrimp are evenly divided.
½ tsp (2 mL) saffron threads
3 cups (750 mL) hot chicken stock
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, a generous 1 lb (450+ g)
2 fresh chorizo sausages,
8 oz (225 g) total
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet yellow or red pepper, diced
2 cups (500 mL) chopped cherry tomatoes
1 tsp (5 mL) mild paprika
½ tsp (2 mL) crumbled dried thyme
½ tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
1 ½ cups (375 mL) short-grain rice
1 cup (250 mL) frozen or fresh green peas
1 lb (450 g) peeled and deveined shrimp, 26/30 size
¼ cup (60 mL) finely chopped parsley
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 lemon wedges
Steep the saffron in chicken stock. Trim any excess fat from thighs and cut lengthwise in half. Cut sausages into small bite-size chunks.
In a large paella pan or deep wide skillet or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat; add chicken and brown all over, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, scoop onto a plate. Add sausages to the skillet; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in onion, garlic, yellow pepper, tomatoes, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add rice, giving it a good stir. Pour in the saffron-enhanced stock. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Nestle chicken into rice. Cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is tender and creamy, the liquid almost absorbed, about 25 minutes. Gently stir in peas; nestle shrimp into rice. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink.
To serve, sprinkle with parsley and green onions, and add a lemon wedge to each bowl.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Tip: Saffron is the most expensive of spices – in fact, more expensive than gold. You can replace the saffron with ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground turmeric, or simply omit it; the dish will be a little different, but just as delicious.
Pot Roast with Mushrooms
The words “pot roast” may make you think “old-fashioned,” but there’s nothing boring or out of style about the rich flavour of braised beef as it pairs up with mushrooms rich in umami, the flavour enhancer.
1 boneless cross rib, chuck or blade pot roast, 3 ½ to 4 lb (1.6 to 1.8 kg)
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
¾ tsp (3 mL) pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
4 cups (1 L) sliced mushrooms, generous 8 oz (225 g)
1 large onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) each dried thyme and basil
1 bay leaf
6 cups (1.5 L) beef stock, approximate, reduced sodium recommended
½ cup (125 mL) red or white wine
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar
3 lb (1.4 kg) vegetables made up with your choice of large chunks of potatoes, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, cauliflower florets and more
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
½ cup (125 mL) cold water
½ cup (125 mL) minced parsley
Pat pot roast dry; season with the salt and pepper. Measure oil into large heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, set over high heat; brown the roast on all sides and ends. This takes about 10 minutes to get a good colour. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. Use tongs to lift beef onto a plate.
Reduce heat to medium; stir in the mushrooms, onions, garlic, thyme, basil and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, until mushroom mixture is translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in 2 cups (500 mL) of the stock, along with the wine, tomato paste, mustard and vinegar. Return beef to the pot. Cover and simmer, turning beef every 30 minutes until it’s just fork-tender.
Stir in the remaining 4 cups (1 L) of stock. Arrange the vegetables around the beef and spoon or use a turkey baster to squirt the liquid overtop. Cover and simmer, turning the roast twice, and the vegetables as needed, until beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
Lift roast onto a cutting board and cover. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a warmed platter; cover and keep warm. Discard the bay leaf. Skim fat off sauce and return pot to medium-high. Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into the sauce. Simmer until the sauce glistens and thickens to a delicious spoonable gravy. Season to taste and keep warm.
Snip the strings from the meat; with a sharp knife, cut beef crosswise into generous slices. Arrange alongside the vegetables; drizzle with some of the sauce/gravy and sprinkle with parsley. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat or pitcher.
Makes 6 to 8 servings. Leftovers are more than welcome.
Pot roast: sliced or pulled? A shoulder roast like a chuck roast is made up of several muscles, making it tricky to cut neat thin slices. The easiest choice to get dinner on the table is to let the roast rest for 10 minutes before cutting the meat across the grain. Yes, the slices have to be thicker to hold everything together.
Another option: pulling or shredding the meat, something that pulled pork has made popular. Remove the fat, separate the various muscles, and using gloved hands and small tongs or large fork, pull the lean meat into thick shreds. Drizzle with mushroom sauce/gravy and serve hot with the vegetables.
Make the roast more mushroom-y: Soak 2 g (1/2 cup) dried wild mushrooms such as porcini for 20 minutes in 1 cup (250 mL) of the warmed beef stock. Drain and dice; add to the pot with the cultivated mushrooms.
All-in-One-Pot Pasta with Ricotta
All-in-one cuts out the big pot and lets the sauce pot take over sauce and pasta.
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 large onion, diced
½ large sweet pepper, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) crushed oregano leaves
½ tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken or vegetable stock, approximate
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
Dash hot sauce
6 cups (12 oz) short pasta such as rotelle or penne
2 cups (500 mL) chopped broccoli florets
1 cup (250 mL) extra-firm ricotta
½ cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan to top each bowl
In a medium-large pot or large deep skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Stir in onion, sweet pepper, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Pour in 5 ½ cups (1.4 L) of the stock, lemon juice and hot sauce. Bring to a boil; stir in the pasta. Bring back to a boil, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Over medium heat, cook the pasta, stirring often, especially as the pasta expands and the liquid thickens, and reduces, about 10 minutes. Add any of the remaining stock if needed for the sauce to be creamy. Add broccoli; cover and simmer gently over low heat until broccoli is bright green and still a little crisp. Stir in ricotta and Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Makes 4 generous servings. Top with shaved Parmesan.
Variation: Spinach works as well as broccoli in this recipe. Add 2 cups (500 mL) lightly pressed-down shredded spinach just before the ricotta and Parmesan.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Great for a cook and family/friends to make together as there are quite a few fast little jobs prepping the vegetables and toppings.
3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil
1 ½ tsp (7 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cumin, smoked or unsmoked mild paprika and dried crumbled oregano leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
3 sweet bell peppers, orange, red and yellow
1 small red onion
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound (450 g)
1 cup (250 mL) cooked black beans
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen corn kernels
8 wheat tortillas
Fresh toppings:
2 cups (500 mL) shredded lettuce
1 ½ cups (375 mL) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 or 2 ripe avocados, sliced
1 cup (250 mL) quartered cherry tomatoes
½ cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves, chopped if desired
1 cup (250 mL) sour cream
Salsa and hot sauce
1 lime, cut into wedges
Line a large sheet pan with foil or brush lightly with oil; set aside. Arrange a rack in the centre of the oven. When just about ready to roast, heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a medium bowl, mix together oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside.
Core and seed the peppers; cut lengthwise into strips about ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. Peel and slice onion lengthwise into strips about ¼ inch (.5 cm) thick. Transfer to a large bowl; scrape in half the spice mixture and toss well.
Cut the chicken lengthwise into strips about ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. Add to remaining spice mixture in the medium bowl. Toss well and, if making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, helpers can be shredding lettuce and cheese, slicing avocados, chopping tomatoes and cilantro, and spooning sour cream and salsa into small bowls, arranging them all on a large serving tray. Add hot sauce and lime wedges. No helpers? Do ahead; cover and chill.
Roast fillings: Using tongs, spread the pepper mixture over the sheet pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir in black beans and corn; roast for 5 minutes. Arrange the chicken strips over the pepper mixture; roast for 10 minutes. Turn chicken strips and roast until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them briefly in the oven. To enjoy, wrap up the tortillas with pepper and chicken filling and toppings from the serving tray.
Makes 8 stuffed tortillas, enough for 4 generous servings.
Sheet pan: This is chef-speak for a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan. The sheet pan recipes were tested in 15×10-inch (38×25 cm) pans, measured on the bottom.
More easy sheet pan recipes
Instead of the fish, roast chicken thighs – skin-on and bone-in work well – adding them skin-side down at the same time as the dense vegetables. At the half hour, turn chicken so it crisps and cooks through and juices run clear. If the chicken takes longer than the vegetables, remove the vegetables and keep them warm and finish cooking chicken under the broiler.
Use skin-on chicken breasts, starting them about 20 minutes after dense vegetables start baking.
Try fresh Italian sausages with fennel, mild or hot. Start them off about 15 minutes after the dense vegetables.
Start extra-firm blocks of tofu, pressed and patted dry, when the firm vegetables have roasted for 30 minutes.
