There is something wonderfully rewarding about preparing a delicious, nutrient-rich and well-balanced meal for family. On the flip side, there's something equally punishing about spending hours cleaning up a mess of pots and pans when the meal is long over. In my eyes, for a recipe to be a true favourite, it needs to balance flavour with ease of preparation and a quick clean-up. Here are three family meals that use just one skillet. Promise.
Arm yourself with a skillet, a knife and a cutting board, and that’s all you’ll need to cook with and wash up when the gig is done.
Best skillet to use: I used a 10 x 3 inch pan. Your skillet can be cast iron, copper, stainless or non-stick...it just needs to be a favourite pan.
Cozy vegetable stew Prep 15 min
Total 55 min
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped, about 8 cups
4 garlic cloves
chopped ½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 ½ cups vegetable stock
2 340ml cans white kidney beans, rinsed, drained
80g parmigiana reggiano, shaved
Instructions
HEAT oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onions and cook until softened but not browned, about 8 min.
ADD 2 cups kale. Stir until kale has wilted and them repeat, adding remaining kale in 2 cup additions until it has all been added. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more min.
CRUSH tomatoes and add to vegetables along with liquid. Cook until mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 min. Add vegetable stock and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 min. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
SPOON into bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.
Asian chicken and rice pot
Advertisement
Asian chicken and rice pot
Prep 15 min
Total 40 min
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sambal oelek
1/2 tsp sugar
chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
227 mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped or torn
2 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 cup basmati rice
4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
Instructions
SLICE chicken thighs into quarters. Set aside. Mix soy sauce with sambal oelek and sugar in a liquid measuring cup. Top up with enough chicken stock to reach 2 cups. Reserve.
HEAT oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 min. Spoon garlic to a plate and reserve.
RETURN skillet to heat and add sliced chicken. Cook until golden and crispy, but not cooked through, 2 to 3 min per side. Transfer to plate with garlic and reserve.
ADD mushrooms to skillet and cook until golden, and all the moisture has evaporated, about 3 min. Add green onions and ginger and cook for 1 more min. Add chicken stock mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in and chicken. Tuck bok choy into mixture and cover. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until rice is tender and chicken is fully cooked.
SPOON into bowls and top with crispy garlic slices.
Egg bake
Advertisement
Sunny-side sauté Prep 15 min
Total 25 min
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 340g pkg carrot slaw
1 227g pkg spinach, about 10 cups
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp Dijon
4 eggs
Instructions
HEAT oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and carrot slaw. Cook, stirring occasionally until carrots are tender, about 8 min. Add 2 cups spinach and stir until spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach.
STIR in cream and Dijon and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
PRESS 4 divots into the mixture using the back of a ladle. Crack an egg into each divot and sprinkle with pepper. Cover and cook for 5 min, or until desired doneness for eggs. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 min.
SLICE dish into quarters using a sharp knife and lift portions onto plates.
GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!
Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.