Dutch Oven

Once you’ve made these for friends or family, plan on making them regularly. Even without a football game on TV, somebody will always have a craving for these and won’t let up until you make them again. Serve alongside celery and carrot sticks with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping. If you need even more heat, serve with a side of SriRANCHa dressing (page 20).

This meatless version of a rustic Provençal stew is sensual and satisfying. A fresh, crusty French baguette is perfect for soaking up its delicious broth. A bountiful tossed salad makes it a complete meal.

Although the edges will puff and brown appealingly, the center of this dish may remain moist because of the amount of green chile sauce used. Green chile sauce is not salsa (although salsa could easily be substituted here). I’ve been pleased to see more companies offering jarred or canned versions that seem to be making their way out of the Southwest and into the rest of the country The amount of green chile sauce you use determines the heat level of your meal. Add another spice dimension with fresh or roasted green chiles, seeded and chopped. Although this is a vegetarian recipe that calls for meat-substitute crumbles (find these in your grocer’s freezer), you could easily add sausage, ground beef, pork, or turkey without changing anything else—likely not even the cooking time. Add chopped Canadian bacon and call it “green eggs and ham”! Consider whisking in 1/4 cup milk with the eggs for a slightly more quichelike effect.

Modeled after the traditional cheese- stuffed, deep- fried green chiles that I adore so much at Mexican restaurants, this lighter, healthier version is almost as much fun to eat. I like to use a mixture of mozzarella and Spanish Manchego cheeses, but you should use what you like. Often, I’ll use soy cheese substitutes instead of real cheeses to make this a nondairy dinner that’s lower in saturated fats and easier to digest.

This recipe has a Middle Eastern flair and is great as a vegetarian main course or a side dish for a larger meal. The lentils provide all the protein needed for a complete meal. Bulgur is a form of wheat (the wheat berries are steamed, dried, and ground) often used when making veggie burgers or tabbouleh. You can easily prepare this meal without the bulgur; just be sure to omit the water as well.

The eggs in this recipe emerge intact, similar to poached eggs. Hearty whole-grain bread or bread with sunflower or other seeds will add texture to this dish.

My cousin Julie learned this recipe when her sister, Abi, worked in Thailand. Julie throws in whatever vegetables she happens to have on hand, and the results are always outstanding. Instead of tofu, try substituting raw, peeled shrimp or scallops, chicken breasts, or fish fillets. Notice that this recipe does not call for water to hydrate the rice. The coconut milk provides enough liquid to cook the rice and make a wonderful curry sauce. It doesn’t seem to make any difference whether you use regular coconut milk or “lite.” Thai curry paste comes in yellow, red, and green—each works beautifully in this dish. Try the Mae Ploy brand found at Asian markets. Use more or less to taste; the amount here gives mild to medium heat.

The Dutch discovered tempeh in Indonesia in the 1600s, but it has been used in Java for a thousand years. Tempeh is a fermented food made from partly cooked soybeans inoculated with spores of a friendly mold so that it transforms into a cheeselike product. It is firm with a slightly yeasty flavor until it soaks up whatever flavors you add, just as tofu does. Tempeh may be made with soybeans only or with soy and a grain such as rice, barley, or quinoa. Find it in the refrigerated section of the health food store, near the fresh tofu. I’m not a fan of cilantro, but it is a traditional ingredient in some Asian cooking styles. Use it in this recipe or leave it out, whichever you prefer.

Tempeh is a soy-based meat substitute. Find it in the refrigerated section, near the tofu, in health food stores. Not into tempeh? Try this with chicken, turkey, pork, shrimp, fish, or whatever you fancy! In my opinion, low-sodium soy sauce tastes just as good as regular soy sauce. And feel free to substitute 3 tablespoons of a bottled teriyaki sauce for the soy/hoisin/peanut mixture. Almost any vegetable tastes stupendous teriyaki-style. Try this recipe with broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bell peppers, zucchini, or any other vegetable you happen to have available.

This recipe is 100 percent adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Try it with chicken pieces or strips, beef stew chunks, or turkey tenderloin (whole or in strips). I like to add some Brussels sprouts, yellow squash, any color bell pepper, or almost any vegetable found hiding in our fridge. After serving, be sure to scoop up all the sauce for maximum flavor. The complex flavor of this marinade, with hints of sweet and spice, lends an Asian tang with a tinge of heat. Adjust the chili sauce to your desired level of hotness. You can also use chopped fresh or canned chiles or even a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

This is a great way to introduce kids to tofu. Be sure to press all the liquid out of the tofu before adding it to the pot so that it will absorb as much of the sesame and peanut flavors as possible. See page 168 for advice on pressing tofu. I consider this recipe to be mildly spicy. If you need to make it blander for tender palates, use only 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or none at all. If you like more heat, simply add more cayenne. Instant brown rice has been parboiled, precooked, and then dried and packaged. It looks just like regular rice, except it is a whole grain rather than a refined one, and nothing artificial has been added.

Believe it or not, eggplants have genders. Look for male eggplants, which have a shallow scar at their base, rather than female eggplants, which have a deeper indentation like a belly button. Male eggplants have fewer seeds and supposedly taste less bitter.

I couldn’t resist adding what is perhaps my favorite salad dressing to a Glorious One-Pot Meal. And, boy, was I glad I did, because besides the ease of using a prepared sauce, this was a vegetarian dinner that the whole family loved. Frozen spinach works well in this recipe—just try to break the block into smaller chunks before adding to the pot. If the spinach has thawed, go ahead and squeeze out the water. If it is still frozen, don’t worry about it. Find arame seaweed at Asian markets or health food stores.

This is a hearty vegetarian meal. The barley emerges al dente and a bit chewy, adding textural dimension to the meal and some of that meaty chewing satisfaction. The more processed the barley, the softer it will be; that is, pearled barley will be softer than hulled barley I prefer to use hulled barley as it is a whole grain; pearled barley is more refined.

I love the depth of flavor offered from the blend of fresh and roasted red peppers here. These sweet notes play off the salty feta for a delicious contrast.

Tempeh is a soy-based product with a nubby texture. Tahini, or sesame paste, is commonly used in the Middle East as a dressing for falafel (fried chickpea patties) and is an ingredient in hummus and other dishes. Tahini separates when stored; be sure to mix it well before using. Both are easily found at natural food stores (look for tempeh in the refrigerated section next to the tofu). I never peel beets for Glorious One-Pot Meals. Instead, I scrub them well with a brush and use a veggie wash to rinse away any residual grime. Then I simply slice them and toss them in the pot. Try golden beets in this recipe for a change from the typical red ones. They’re just as sweet but won’t color your entire meal red.

This easy pasta dish is fancy enough to serve to company, but simple enough for weekday dining. If you like spicy food, double the red pepper flakes (the amount given here is considered mildly to medium spicy). Or you can just leave them out.

Primavera means “spring” in Italian. Pasta Primavera is a wonderfully colorful, light, and healthy meal filled with springtime vegetables. Almost any vegetable will go well in this dish. Consider adding English peas, sugar snap peas, spinach, asparagus, or other seasonal vegetables. Any type of squash or bell pepper is tasty as well. It doesn’t matter whether your artichoke hearts are frozen or packed in water or oil, but remember that the oil from marinated artichokes will add a powerful punch. If you like heat, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes can give this dish more of a kick. If there is still liquid in the bottom when the pot comes out of the oven, let it sit with the lid off for a few minutes, which will release some steam and allow the absorption of more of the liquid. Spoon any remaining liquid over each serving as a sauce.

This is a complete and hearty vegetarian meal. To make this meal vegan, just omit the feta cheese or use a soy or rice cheese substitute. Try this dish with mozzarella cheese for a different flavor combination.

You can control the amount of heat in this meal with the types and amounts of chile peppers. I like the spectrum of flavors that results from mixing roasted with fresh chiles. To roast a chile pepper, you can treat it as you would a marshmallow when camping, using tongs or a long fork to rotate it over a low flame on a gas burner. However, a safer chile-roasting method is to place the chile on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler for just a few minutes. When charred on all sides, place the chile in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steaming will loosen the skin, making it easy to remove. Peel, stem, and seed roasted peppers before using. See page 168 for a discussion on preparing tofu.