One Pot Warmers
By Nathan Carey
With a sudden turn in weather conditions, that familiar autumn chill has started to set in. The last few leaves are browning on branches and floating down to the cold ground. Whispers of rain fill the air as you make your way home and you're craving a warming meal, eaten wrapped up on the couch watching your favourite show. The only part of this equation that hasn’t been worked out is what’s on the menu. In situations like these there is but one solution. One. Pot. Meals. Or make that one-pot and one-pan meals. Recipes like these have saved the day in so many situations over the years. They are the perfect meals to prepare when you're tired, have limited cooking time or don’t have the energy to wash a whole bunch of dishes. I’ve included both a one pot and one pan recipe in this article to add a bit of variety with each dish focusing on warming ingredients to help keep you cosy in the autumn months. Both recipes in this article have been designed in a way that allows each ingredient to cook effectively and ensures that no element gets overcooked. With some simple timing you can create delicious meals with minimal effort.
Before we get cooking, a small note on the kinds of pots and pans I like to use for these recipes. Heavy bottom pots such as enamelled cast iron are a great choice. These pots heat quickly but more importantly retain their heat far better than a thin walled pot. This ensures the contents of the pot are evenly heated throughout the whole cooking process. As for sheet pans, higher walls are key. These will ensure your ingredients don’t start sliding off as you take the pan in and out of the oven. The pans should be big enough to accommodate large amounts of ingredients comfortably.
Warming Cod Curry
This fish curry may come together in one pot but it does not skimp on flavour. A rich tomato based sauce is spiced with ground cumin and coriander to build a perfect base for chickpeas and flaky white cod .
Ingredients:
1 whole onion
5 garlic cloves
1tsp freshly minced ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
Olive oil
3tbsp curry powder
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
2x 400g cans of crushed tomatoes
1x 400g can of chickpeas
1 lemon
500g fresh cod (other white fishes can work here as well such as haddock or hake)
Bunch of fresh coriander
Method:
Dice onion and add to pot over medium heat with enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
Cook onions for 5 minutes until softened then add minced garlic and ginger. Fry for a further minute.
Add curry powder, cumin and ground coriander to the pot and stir constantly until the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add both cans of tomatoes to the pot, reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until thickened.
Using an immersion blender gently blend the curry until most of the tomatoes have broken down (you can skip this step if you like a chunkier sauce).
Zest lemon and add to pot along with one can of rinsed chickpeas.
Carefully place cod fillets into the pot, nestling them on top of the sauce. Place a lid on the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked through.
Gently stir through the fish taking care to not break up the fillets too much.
Ladle into a bowl and top with a squeeze of lemon and some chopped coriander.
This curry is amazing on its own but if you’d like to bulk it up try serving with your choice of rice or grain. The fish can also be swapped for veggies or tofu for a vegan feast!
Piri Piri Sheet Pan Chicken
A quick marinade built on the pan itself, 2 minutes of slicing and a simple jostle brings this sheet pan dinner to life. With succulent chicken thighs, roasted peppers and corn cooked all on one pan, this meal will leave you full and with only one (!) tray to clean up. The ingredients here are very interchangeable and most of the time I don’t even check how much of each I’m adding. Leftover broccoli stems in the fridge? Slice them up and add them to the pan! This is the perfect way to use up leftover bits and pieces from the week.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (drumsticks also work here, or a combination of both)
A handful of baby potatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
One punnet of cherry tomatoes
2 large cobs of corn
Marinade:
1tsp paprika
1tsp chili flakes
1tsp oregano
2tsp brown sugar
2 limes
5 garlic cloves
1 red chili (de-seeded if you want less heat)
A couple of glugs of good olive oil
Method:
Roughly chop garlic and red chili before adding to a large sheet tray.
Add spices and sugar along with the zest and juice of two limes.
Add enough olive oil to create a thin paste.
Check chicken thighs for any bones or cartilage and add to the pan. Massage marinade ingredients into the chicken until everything is well combined and every thigh is coated. If you have the foresight, and to build extra flavour, you can stick the whole tray into the fridge and allow the chicken to marinate for up to 12 hours, but cooking straight away works just as well.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Roughly chop potatoes, and peppers into bite size pieces, add to tray and coat in the marinade. Nestle corn onto the tray before seasoning everything with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Place the whole tray into the oven and cook for 35 minutes.
After 35 minutes, carefully remove the tray, flip the chicken and corn and nestle cherry tomatoes in between the other ingredients. You can leave them on the vine for easier plating. Place the pan back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
Once cooked, top the tray with chopped coriander and flaky salt for the perfect finish.
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