One Pot Wonders!

When we look at our week ahead—-planning, organizing, scheduling—-we often think about our day’s work, parental responsibilities, time for traveling from one place to the next, our workouts for the week, and of course, the meals that will keep us fuelling through each day!  Yes, many more obstacles will be thrown into our “equation”, but those just keep us on our toes, helping to improve our “multi-tasking skills”!

When we look at the months ahead: cold days, longer car drives, and less sun to give us that extra energy lift, one thing that tends to be neglected are our meals.  So, what is the perfect idea for making multiple meals at one time, fuelling our bodies, being able to prepare lunch for the following day, and one pot to clean up? ‘One Pot Wonders’!

Soups, Stews and Casseroles are easy to prepare, can give us dinner one night, and be frozen in individual batches for the coming weeks when that car ride home took a little longer than expected, and we still want a warm, hearty dinner.  They are filled with essential nutrients (protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats), powerful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and of course, flavour!

Over the years, my list of favourites has grown, from coming across some amazing recipes, to just being creative in the kitchen!! I hope you will all enjoy these recipes as much as I do! More importantly, loving the fact that there’s dinner and lunch in one pot, and many more meals kept in the freezer for the weeks to come!

Turkey and Bean Chili

Ingredients:

• 500 g               lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp              vegetable oil
• 2                      cloves, garlic, minced
• 1                      small onion, diced
• 1 C                  celery, diced
• 2 C                  frozen mixed vegetables of choice
• 2 C                  low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1                      large can, tomatoes
• 1 can             white kidney beans, drained and rinsed well                   
• Fresh or dried herbs of choice
• Black pepper

Directions:

1. Add vegetable oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey, and cook, breaking apart the turkey into small pieces.
2. Once cooked, add the garlic, onion and celery, sautéing for a few minutes until onion is slightly transparent.
3. Add the frozen vegetables, broth and tomatoes, bringing to a boil.  Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add herbs and pepper.
6. Top with light shredded cheese if desired.

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa (Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp              Extra virgin olive oil
• 2                      medium carrots, peed, cut into ½ -inch dice
• ½                     fennel, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1                      red onion
• 2                      large cloves garlic, minced
• 2                      bay leaves
• 3 tsp                dried thyme
• 3 C                  water
• 3 C                  low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1-19 oz can     red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 C                  fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 C               uncooked quinoa
• 1 tsp                fresh black pepper
• 2 C                  fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp              fresh basil (optional)
• 2 oz                 fresh Parmigiano cheese

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, and cook, stirring often until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add water and broth, beans, tomatoes and quinoa.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir spinach and basil into soup just before serving.
4. Garnish each with 1 tbsp of cheese is desired.

Ginger Carrot Soup (Adapted from Oxygen Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp                margarine
• 1                      onion, chopped
• 1                      stalk celery, chopped (add leaves for extra flavour)
• 2”                     fresh gingerroot, diced
• ½ tsp               fresh ground pepper
• ¼ tsp               salt
• 4 C                  low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 C                  water
• 1 Lb                 carrots, chopped
• ½ C                 fresh curly parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick pot over medium high heat, add margarine, onion, celery, gingerroot, sautéing for about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, carrots, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Use a food processor, or hand blender to blend soup until smooth and creamy.

**based on the desired consistency, a food processor will make the soup more smooth, while a hand blender will leave some larger pieces of carrots and vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Leek Soup (Adapted from Oxygen Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp                Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C                  onion, chopped
• 1 C                  celery, diced
• 2                      garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp                ground black pepper
• 8 C                  low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 C                  water
• 1 tsp                dried oregano
• 4 C                  sweet potato, chopped
• 3 C                  leeks, thinly chopped (use the stalk, not the leaves)
• 1 C                  brussel sprouts, halved (heaping cup)
• 2 tbsp              flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. On medium-high heat in a large non-stick pot, pour oil and sauté onions, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Avoid browning of ingredients.
2. Add broth, water, oregano, sweet potatoes and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiled, add brussel sprouts and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender. 
4. If desired, blend slightly with a hand blender to partially mash vegetables and potatoes.