ONE POT WONDERS

Any kind of soup, sautee onions, garlic, bay leaf in olive oil,
(if you want a roux, add flour now and when it browns),
add additional herbs and spices (parsley, cilantro, chili pepper,
add veggie/beef/chicken broth,
add rice, lentils, pasta if you'd like,
add veggies (carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, green beans...)
Simmer til all is cooked.

I wouldn't know at what stage to add meat (if you wanted meat), as I don't cook it.

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Couscous - Sautee onion and garlic in oil (and herbs/spices),
add c-c, water, salt to pot,
when pot first boils, drop in an egg and stir,
Add chopped broccoli on top to steam.

It takes about 10 minutes (if you get the commercial small-grained couscous) from start to finish.

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Risotto! I've cooked risotto with many different ingredients.

My cooking tends to follow a pattern. I can post more one-pot-wonders if you think you'd like the style.

Littlek, I love the style. I only cook for myself and tend to just cook pasta with olive oil. Not very exciting, I admit. So please - give me more!

Hmmm - risotto is a good one and you'll have left-overs for days (like the soup).

Sautee onions, garlic, bay leaf, ground rosemary in a good amout of olive oil (that's ALWAYS a good start) in a large sautee pan,
after onion and garlic are just about done, add parsely, add one cup of arborio rice,
coat rice with oil, continue to stir until the grains sound tinny in the pot (about 2 minutes),
Add one of three cups of hot (oops another pot) broth I use an herb broth paste),
after liquid is soaked up, add another cup of broth,
Add the final cup of broth - stirring periodically,
toss in a handful of grated, hard italian cheese before the liquid is soaked up and remove from heat.

When you dump a laddle full of risotto onto the plate, it should spread slowly.

Variations:

Add a 1/2 cup of wine before the broth goes in
or
Add a little more oil and add a 1/2 cup of ground almond before the broth goes in
or
Use mushrooms (chopped small) and mushroom broth
or
or........

I'd suggest a smallish slow cooker. Here in the states they are known as "Crock Pots" (actual brand name). There are others.

Twelve hours on low heat, with a little liquid, and these can make an old shoe taste like the best pot roast you ever had. Just toss in the ingredients before you head out for the day, and when you come back - it's ready.

Because it's so hot at present, I seem to be existing on fruit salad. No cooking at all! This is absolutely the best season for fruit!
I have an enormous bowl - filled with watermelon, rockmelon, apples, peaches, strawberries, apricots, mango, grapes, perhaps something else - all cut in lumps. I ladle some out for breakfast, take some for lunch and eat it when I get home. [size=7](and you can add ice cream!) [/size]When it's finished, I just start chopping again.

And watermelon juice, from my new juicer!

I do sometimes cheat and buy something cooked for lunch - that way I don't have to cook in the heat.

Stuffed potatoes are always good, and they're a meal in themselves. You can do all sorts of things with them. Here's an easy one I like:

Pre-bake large potatoes in microwave, then split and scoop out insides. Mash with cottage cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped ham and onions and bake again in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Ah, thank you dear people, for reminding me of simplicity in the kitchen! Quite an adjustment, cooking for just one, in a small space.

Littlek

Helpful, as always! Will get stuck into some of your soup suggestions as soon as a weather is a wee bit cooler. It's been hot as hell over the past few weeks!
Like urs, I like your style! Simple = easy = do-able, even when not in the mood to cook. I'm a garlic/olive oil/herbs person, too! Plus chilli, etc.! Luckily I have a fresh supply of bay leaves (in a big pot, that shifted with me. Also chives, parsley, sage, though sadly no fresh supply of thyme or marjoram YET!)
Thank you for reminding me of cous cous! Yum!
Risotto? Love it!
Thanks again!

cjhsa

I used to have a crock pot, years ago. A great, big, clunky thing. So they now make little ones, for single people, do they? What a good idea! Apart from the wonders of delicious cooked shoe , a small one would not take up less storage space in a small kitchen. Will search around & see what I can find. Thanks for the idea.

margo

Hello, again! How are you?
Yes, summer in Oz is fruit time! Plums, grapes, apples, cantaloup, water melon, apricots ... yum! But I'm still eating bananas on toast for breakfast. (Think I'm addicted.) I like your idea of the bottomless fruit salad! AND a juicer sounds just the thing for the searing temperatures we've been enduring. Watermelon juice! Sounds SOOO refreshing, but I dare not buy ANY new gadgets of any sort. I'm having to "down size" my kitchen stuff to fit the space. Sad but true ..
Tell me, have you managed to buy a decent tomato this summer? I HATE these pretend ones! I could live on good, fresh tomatoes on crusty bread/toast, with a generous sprinkling of basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil & salt & pepper. Yum! Summer heaven!

(p.s. ... It's FINALLY raining in Melbourne! Yippeeeee! )

Margo - glad you liked the reminder. In the summer I live off of fruit smoothies and bruschetta:

Into a blender:
1 cup yogurt (fruit or plain, maybe choclate?),
1/2 cup mixed pre-frozen fruit (I like berries and black cherries),
1/2 frozen banana,
just enough juice or milk to blend

I don't even add ice

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Slice crusty bread into manageable finger-food sizes (2 bites?), rub with half a clove of garlic, toast lightly

Toss chopped grape tomatoes,
finely minced onion,
shredded bits of fresh basil,
shredded bits of fresh cilantro,
ground rosemary/pinenut/salt
in a container with lots of olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.
Laddle mix onto bread......

little bites of summer I tell ya, but it can be a bit messy.

littlek

psssst: it's Olga here!

chatoyant

I'm a big potato person! Yum, with butter, chives, s & p! Must be the starch/carbohydrates that I crave. So satisfying!
AND I also use the microwave for short cuts (I know many people won't - for an assortment of health & other reasons), so I like your suggestion of using it to cut down on the baking time in the oven. What other stuffings do you use?

I'm soooo sorry! You two look so much alike.... those whiskers and all....

littlek

<grin>

& the fur all over the postings ...

Here are a couple more ideas for baked potato toppings:

Chili with chopped green onion and grated cheese (probably not something you'd want during hot weather)

Frozen creamed spinach. You can add other vegetables or bits of leftover chicken.

Spaghetti sauce and a little shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.



You can make up your own, use whatever you like. I've heard of people using hot sauce on baked potatoes, even peanut butter! I'm not sure I'm ready to try that yet!

Oh, and try to keep the fur outta the food, ok?

chatoyant

I'm trying, I'm trying! (to keep the fur out of the food!) NOT a welcome ingredient!!

Thanks for the extra baked potato suggestions - actually I have no problem with chili, spring onion & cheese in summer. Sounds good to me!

Lil K!

I guess we do look alike from tht distance


The juicer is great - I don't have room in the cupboards for it, so it has to sit on the bench. That way it gets used!

Carrot and celery juice for breakfast, with just a touch of ginger - (but no fur!) - yummy!

Teriyaki chicken or shrimp stir-fry with steamed rice is quick (10 minutes cooking time) and easy to do for one.

Here's a main course summer salad with grilled chicken.

For the dressing, 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. fresh basil and 1 tbsp. fresh parsley.

About 3/4 cup of crusty Italian bread torn into bite-size pieces. Bake until golden brown.
About 3/4 cup of grilled, skinless chicken, bite-sized pieces.
tomato, cubed
black olives
sliced onion
salad greens

Add bread, chicken, tomatoes, olives and onion to dressing. Toss.