Glorious One Pot Meals--A Giveaway

We're all about easy when it comes to cooking. At least we want to be.

We have a tendency to dirty more dishes than necessary and to, at the eleventh hour, tap our chins and think, hm, a homemade dressing would be so much better than bottled.

So when we discovered the cookbook Glorious One Pot Meals, we had to have it. Which is to say, we had to have two so we could give one to a reader of Half Assed Kitchen.

To enter, please leave a comment with the name of your favorite easy ass meal by midnight August 31st.

We'll randomly choose a winner and let you know via email.

Good luck!

Comments

[Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy]

Oh shoot! I didn't want to be first. Oh well. I'm loving my crock pot lately. I found a chicken and stuffing recipe that's to die for and is SO easy. I think it's called Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing. I love cookbooks! I hope random.org is feelin' the number 1!

[Tina]

My favorite easy meal is Taco Rice. Rice, can of tomatoes, pound of grd. beef or a can of beans, garlic, and a packet of taco seasoning. water to cook the rice, simmer covered for 20 minutes. Mmmm!

[Parul]

Sounds like my kind of book - I HATE doing dishes:)
My one pot of choice unlike the previous poster is the pressure cooker, i just cannot seem to plan ahead enough to slow cook stuff.
so out comes the pressure cooker for most of my cooking, lentils - 20 mins, yummy stews - saute onions add diced tomatoes, ginger, garlic, spices (turmeric, chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr-you name it :) salt..) all kinds of veggies and you have stews for the non picky or blend it to make soups for the picky;) eaters!

I can also make a kick ass rice pudding in it!

[elisha]

as an fellow allergy mom, you know how few and far between easy is.

i melt earth balance (margarine) and honey, stir in mustard and cumin, pour it over chicken and bake.

i can throw some rice in if i make it in the slow cooker.

wow, i can't believe i used the allergy thing for sympathy! i guess it should work in my favor at some point. ;)

[MommyTime]

Mine is Chicken in a Pot. Three ingredients are absolutely required: chicken, a head of garlic, and a pot. Everything else is a variation on optional. Brown the chicken pieces in a little olive oil in a deep dutch oven (on the bone is even better, for making the sauce richer, and making the recipe more easy ass). Half way through the browning, add all the garlic cloves, peeled, and let them brown and blister a little bit too. Then pour over: chicken broth, some wine, veggie broth, water and handfuls of dried mushrooms, or whatever liquid-like substance you prefer for simmering. Toss in chopped onions and carrots (or whatever veggies you like), cover tightly, and simmer for an hour or so. Serve with baked potatoes, since nothing says yummy goodness like a baked potato with hunks of melting garlic smushed into it. Delish. This cookbook looks great, by the way!

[elisha]

uh oh, yucky! i just re-read my comment. it's supposed to be curry, not cumin. maybe cumin would be good, but if you're looking to make what we love, it's curry. ;)

[leslie]

Super easy-ass.....Costco sells Tika Masala sauce in the fresh section. Add to that some pre-cooked chicken breast strips and a can of garbanzo beans--microwave for a couple of minutes. If you put it over instant microwavable brown rice, the whole meal can be done in around 5 minutes, and tastes great!! Is it cheating to use pre-made sauces?? It's good, almost as good as an Indian restaurant. (Well, not as good, but on a weeknight it beats tacos for the third night in a row.) If this is not acceptable, email me and I will submit a homemade easy-ass recipe!

[Melody C.]

While there seems to be a chicken theme going on in the comments, my easy go-to dinner is sandwiches. My husband says he can always eat a sandwich. But I have to go gourmet on him, even with just bread and deli meat.

I often have good bakery bread (sourdough rounds, regular loaves with lots of seeds and nuts) so that's a good start. Then it all depends on what I have at hand. Turkey or roast beef is the norm, mustard, mayo, maybe some thin sliced mushrooms, onion, or baby spinach (sauerkraut if I'm lucky) and always some good cheese. I like to build on both slices, then put under the broiler to heat the meat and melt the cheese.

Somehow very hearty and comforting and so much better than a cold sandwich.

[Molly]

Due to a severe iron deficiency, I have been looking for ways to incorporate more iron-rich foods in my diet. But being a lazy ass cook, I didn't want to have to prepare complicated recipes. Enter my new favorite: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas. I know... the combination of black beans and sweet potatoes made me a little skeptical... but it is so good and so quick! And the filling freezes very well!

*1-16 ounce can vegetarian refried black beans (look for a brand that is low in fat and does not contain any lard)
*1/2 to whole 4 ounce can of diced green chilis (or type and amount of your favorite chili peppers, to taste for your family)
*1 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes (bake until soft, peel, and mash)
*1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
*shredded low-fat or soy cheddar cheese
*shredded chicken breast (optional-I used one of the prepared roasted chickens from my grocery store's deli
*low-fat tortillas 8-12 (depending on size)

Mix refried beans, chilis, sweet potatoes, and cumin together. Assemble quesadillas by spreading about 1/3 cup or so on one tortilla, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cheese on top of bean/potato mixture, add 1-2 tablespoons of shredded chicken if desired, top with second tortilla, and cook on non-stick or lightly oiled griddle until tortillas are lightly browned and insides are hot (be careful not to burn).

Serve with a variety of salsas, guacamole, some low-fat chips, and fresh fruit for a quick, filling, and easy supper or lunch.

This will serve 4 generously and could feed 5-6 if no one is a huge eater.

[Marcela]

Stir fry with whatever veggies are left in the fridge and whatever meat is around with some yummy sauce from Trader Joes over brown rice or whole wheat pasta

[Melody C.]

Molly -
That black bean/sweet potato combo sounds like a winner!!! I've got to try that soon! YUM!

Melody C.

[Molly]

Melody C. - Definitely give it a try, I think you'll be hooked!

Molly

[Tiff]

i make your dill pasta salad ALL. THE. TIME.! my fam loves it with a can of tuna. yum.