one pot – TasteFood

Chicken, Curries, gluten-free, one-pot, Soups and Stews

Coconut Chicken and Vegetable Curry

November 30, 2015January 15, 2017by Lynda Balslev8 Comments

Move over turkey. It’s time for a holiday dinner time-out. This easy curry is a one-pot wonder – warming and spiced, creamy and filling, and simply prepared in 30 minutes. It’s perfect fare for a cold winter day and a welcome dinner option following an afternoon of cookie-baking.

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Curry

The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. Feel free to switch up the vegetables to your taste. Chicken thighs may also be used in place of the breast meat – just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Serves 4.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 bunch lacinato kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 red jalapeño pepper, sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook until the chicken colors on all sides, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot, then add the onion and carrot and saute until the carrot brightens in color and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano and saute 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spice. Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve the curry in bowls with basmati rice. Garnish with the jalapeño slices and fresh cilantro.

Autumn, Fall, one-pot, Soups and Stews

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014by Lynda Balslev8 Comments

Posted by Lynda Balslev

My inspiration for making soup is often a convergence of too many vegetables in the refrigerator with homemade stock and leftovers from a roast chicken. This recipe is not an authentic tortilla soup, as I managed to empty most of the contents of my veggie drawer into it. It’s chock-a-block full of corn, zucchini and peppers, purchased at the farmers market, along with the requisite garlic and onion. Season and spice the soup to your taste. Ideally it should have a little heat, but since our family is divided on what constitutes “spicy”, I pass a bottle of hot sauce around the table so everyone can fire up the soup to their taste.

Harvest Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is meant to be thick. More chicken stock may be added for a soupier consistency. Serves 4 to 6.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
1 sweet red pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 pound shredded cooked chicken
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Tortilla chips, broken in pieces

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and zucchini and sauté briefly, 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, plum tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken, corn, and beans. Partially cover and simmer until thoroughly heated through. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the cilantro leaves and serve warm, garnished with the tortilla chips.

Appetizers, Soups and Stews, Winter

French Onion Soup

December 22, 2011December 10, 2018by Lynda Balslev17 Comments

The key to a good onion soup is time and patience. The onions must cook for a long while. As they cook, they will sweat, break down and release their juices. The juices must then be allowed to caramelize and form a crust which is deglazed with a fortified liquid. This is what will give the soup its rich brown color and deeply flavorful stock. If you skip this process, you will miss in the soup an extra depth of flavor and body that will leave you struggling to improvise as you desperately rummage through your spice cabinet for that extra something that is missing. There is no substitution for time to achieve this result.

The good news is that there is little effort involved for the cook, except for the exertion of patience. Once the onions are sliced, they are popped in the oven for 3 hours, requiring a mere stir from time to time. During this time you are free to get on with the hustle and bustle of your holiday preparations, secure in the knowledge that at the end of the day you and your family will be rewarded with a rich, warming and nutritious soup. A little comfort and care goes a long way at this time of year. Happy Holidays!

French Onion Soup au Gratin

Serves 4-5

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large yellow onions, about 3 pounds, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1/2 cup sherry or Calvados brandy
5 cups beef stock or a combination of beef and chicken stock
4 thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen string
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12-15 baguette slices, cut 3/4 inch thick
1 cup grated alpine cheese such as Grùyere, Comté or Emmenthaler

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.) Melt butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot with lid. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Cover pot and place in oven for one hour.

Remove pot, stir onions and any collected brown bits on sides and bottom of pot. Cover, leaving slightly ajar and return pot to oven. Cook until onions are soft and golden brown, two hours, checking and stirring up browned bits after one hour. (There will be a lot of liquid in the pot at this point.)

Remove pot from oven and remove lid. Transfer to stovetop. Simmer over medium heat until liquid evaporates and onions turn brown, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on bottom and sides of pot, about 20 minutes. Continue cooking to allow a crust to form on the bottom of the pan without burning, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup white wine to deglaze pan and loosen crust. Continue cooking until wine evaporates and another crust begins to form. Deglaze a second time with remaining 1/4 cup wine. The onions should be dark brown at this point. Add sherry, and cook stirring until sherry evaporates. Add stock, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and scrape up any brown bits on bottom and sides of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the croutons:
While the soup simmers, lightly brush bread slices with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake in 400 F. (200 C.) oven until light golden and crisp, 5-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Finish the soup:
Divide soup evenly among 4 oven-proof bowls or crocks arranged on a baking sheet. Gently lay croutons in one layer to cover most of the surface. Sprinkle cheese evenly over crouton and soup. Place baking sheet in oven under grill element. Broil until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Autumn, Fall, entertaining, France, gluten-free, Main Course, Meat, one-pot, Soups and Stews, Winter

Aprés-Ski Menu: Beef Bourguignon

December 31, 2010September 30, 2019by Lynda Balslev18 Comments

During the winter season I like to prepare rustic recipes from the French countryside. These hearty dishes are made with staples from the land, such as potatoes and root vegetables, bitter winter greens, cured meats and cheese. My favorite is beef bourguignon, a stew consisting of a tough cut of beef slow-cooked in Burgundy wine until falling-apart tender, mingling with carrots, onions and mushrooms in a rich, savory stock. It’s a delicious one-pot meal perfect for a cold night or an apres-ski meal. It can easily be made in advance, and like most stews, tastes even better the next day for easy planning. Enjoy with a glass of red wine, a roaring fire, friends and family.

Beef Bourguignon

Serves 6 to 8

Olive oil
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cognac
4 large carrots, divided
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (750-ml.) bottle full-bodied red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
10 ounces pearl onions, peeled
1/2 pound white mushrooms, halved
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof pan with lid or Dutch-oven. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the beef to the pan, without over-crowding, and brown on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef.
2. Add the cognac to the same pan and deglaze over medium-high heat, scraping up any brown bits, and reduce by half. Pour the cognac over the beef and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 F. (170 C.) Coarsely chop 2 carrots. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pan. Add the chopped carrots, the garlic, and onion. Sauté over medium heat until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Return the beef and any collected juices to the pot. Add the wine, stock, tomato paste, and thyme. (The beef should be covered by the wine and stock. If not, add more wine or stock to cover.) Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. About 30 minutes before the beef is finished cooking, cut the remaining carrots into 1/2-inch slices. Saute the carrots in a skillet with 1 tablespoon oil until bright in color and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onions and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté until lightly golden and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Remove beef from oven. Pour the stew into a large strainer set over a bowl. Remove the meat from the mixture and return to the Dutch oven, then press down on the cooked vegetables in the strainer to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids.
6. Pour the strained liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and has a sauce consistency, skimming the fat from surface. Add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce back over beef and add the carrots, onions, and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer to heat through, then serve.

Note: Beef bourguignon can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Remove solidified fat from surface before reheating. Reheat over medium-low heat on stovetop, or in a 325 F oven.

Autumn, Fall, Chicken, Main Course, one-pot, Poultry

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée

October 10, 2009July 30, 2014by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breast halves, with skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lb. (250 g.) assorted mushrooms (such as white, crimini, shiitake) stems trimmed, halved
3 leeks, white and pale green parts, cleaned, sliced in 1/4″ pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 cup (60 ml.) dry white wine
1/2 cup (120 ml.) chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper chicken all over. Add chicken to skillet, skin-side down. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet.
Reduce heat to medium and add one tablespoon olive oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and leeks and cook, stirring, over medium heat until leeks are vibrant and vegetables are tender but not too soft, 3-4 minutes. Add thyme and sauté one minute. Add white wine and simmer until most of the wine is evaporated. Add chicken stock and return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add cream to vegetables and simmer until cream and stock reduce by a third and begin to thicken. Arrange chicken on serving plates or platter. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with rice.

Autumn, Fall, Chicken, Main Course, Poultry

Skillet Chicken with Rice and Vegetables

September 19, 2009July 30, 2014by Lynda Balslev6 Comments

“This tastes like chicken soup without the soup,” declared my daughter as she tucked into a weeknight dinner of chicken and rice. It was cool and cloudy outside, an unusual event in Northern California, where any rain in September warrants breaking news on the television. As many of you know, I am a New England girl at heart. Even when I was living in Europe for nearly 2 decades, I managed to end up in countries and regions where fog, rain, and cold weather featured prominently in the weather report, and I didn’t mind at all. I married a Dane whose country prides itself on its dismal weather 9 months of the year. Autumn weather brings out the best in my mood. The finicky, blustery, invigorating climate sends me outdoors for cool fresh air and the spray of rain and then back inside for cozy clothes, warm fires and comfort food. Inclement weather, to me, is like the proverbial other shoe to drop. It balances out the sunshine and warmth of summer, and shows off the other side of Mother Nature.

So, now that I find myself living in California, otherwise known as the land of eternally blue skies and incessantly bright sunshine, I must seize my fall moments when I can. This brings me to Chicken with Rice and Vegetables. Due to the wild and unexpected display of crazy weather and freakish nature last week in Marin County (a.k.a. sprinkles and clouds) I embraced that other shoe, so to speak. After taking a brisk run outside in the forest, I lit a fire in our fireplace, donned fluffy houseshoes and a fleece pullover, and proceeded to make a cozy one pot dish for a family dinner. The result was what I would consider a compliment in the comfort food category by my daughter and an apt description of this homey skillet chicken and rice dish. The other result was the hot flashes I experienced due to overdressing in fleece and fluff for the 10 F. temperature drop in the air outside.

Chicken with Rice and Vegetables
Mild and comforting, this is food that will please children and adults alike.The results will be more dry like a paella, not a stew.

Serves 4-6

4 large chicken breasts, with skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, cut in 1/4″ slices
2 celery ribs, cut in 1/2″ slices
1 poblano pepper, or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut in 1/2″ pieces
2 vine ripe tomatoes, halved, stem and seeds removed, cut in chunks
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 turkish bay leaf
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup shelled peas or frozen peas
Thyme sprigs for garnish

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside on plate.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add carrots, celery, pepper. Sauté until colors brighten and vegetables begin to soften slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring, one minute. Add stock. Return chicken to pot and arrange in one layer over rice and vegetables. Cover, reduce to simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet. Place on plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add peas to rice, cover and continue to cook until rice is tender, approximately 5-8 more minutes. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste. Fluff rice and vegetables with a fork and return chicken to skillet. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and serve.