In her recently updated and provocative cookbook, "Glorious One-Pot Meals," Elizabeth Yarnell writes, "It has been said that there are only nine cooking methods on this planet: saute, fry, bake, broil, grill, slow-cook, braise, boil and steam."
But Yarnell makes it 10 with her process for "infusion cooking," a term she's actually patented.
It works like this: You layer whole, healthy foods into a lidded, cast-iron Dutch oven, then "flash cook" them briefly in a super-hot oven.
The result is something different from a casserole or stew, she writes: "No added liquid means that these recipes are ... complete meals (in which) each item retains its cellular integrity and emerges perfectly intact. The intense heat causes the vegetables to release their moisture, which ... infuses (the dish) with clean flavors from herbs, spices and other natural ingredients."
The "glorious" part is having crisp veggies, moist meats and fluffy grains in the same pot in about 20 minutes of prep time plus up to 45 minutes in the oven.
It sounded weird to me. But after spending a few hectic weeknights with the book, my wife and I have joined its legions of fans.
"All sorts of people are looking for ways to eat good food and not spend all day in the kitchen to do so," Yarnell said over the phone from her Denver home.
That's where she cooked up this technique after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. Her husband, Edward Cope, was her willing guinea pig.
Yarnell collected her recipes into booklets for family and friends, which led to her self-published version of "Glorious One-Pot Meals" in 2005. It sold 12,000 copies. The new version, published earlier this year by Broadway ($17.95), is twice as big and much more consistent and polished.
Yarnell, free of MS issues since 2001, now is a mother of two. At age 40, she said, "I'm in the best physical condition in my life."
The book has become her business, which she supports via her Web site, gloriousonepotmeal.com, and a blog, effortlesseating.com. "My goal is to share this knowledge and give people this tool, this strategy for living healthier and stress-free," Yarnell said.
One charm of the book -- after you get past the strict rules for cooking vessel and 450-degree oven temperature and grain-to-liquid ratios -- is its flexibility. You can follow Yarnell's recipes to the letter or do "intuitive cooking," mixing various ingredients into glorious one-pot creations of your own.
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
"While my mother wouldn't be caught dead serving jarred marinara sauce, I've found quality organic brands speed up prep time and taste as good as homemade," Yarnell writes. Sometimes she doctors the sauce with fresh tomatoes, zucchini or green peppers or with roasted green chiles. Another option: Stir herbs directly into a can of crushed tomatoes.
Olive-oil spray
1 cup elbow macaroni
3 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 ounces prepared marinara sauce
1 small eggplant, peeled or not, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
8 to 10 ounces mozzarella and/or provolone cheeses, shredded or sliced
4 or 5 crimini mushrooms, sliced
Spinach, artichoke hearts, black olives or other produce, optional
Grated parmesan cheese, optional
Breadcrumbs, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spray inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Place pasta in pot and add 1/3 cup water. Stir to coat noodles and spread in an even layer.
Mix garlic, oregano, basil and salt and pepper into marinara sauce. Layer about half the eggplant in pot and cover with marinara sauce.
Next, distribute a light blanket of cheese (about half) over the sauce. Add a layer of the mushrooms and other produce, if desired.
Repeat, beginning with the eggplant layer, until pot is full. Sprinkle with parmesan and/or breadcrumbs, if desired.
Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
INDIAN ALMOND CURRY LAMB
This is "a variation of a traditional Indian curried lamb dish called roghan josh," Yarnell writes. The dish typically calls for mixing heavy whipping cream into the tomato sauce, "but this version retains all the taste without the extra saturated fat. If you want, add 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream or milk to the tomato sauce.
"Turkey-tenderloin or beef-stew chunks make wonderful substitutions for the lamb. ... The lentils can be omitted entirely, or you can use couscous instead."
Olive-oil spray
1/4 cup green lentils
1/4 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 pound boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spray inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with olive oil.
Rinse lentils in a mesh strainer and pour into pot. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir to distribute lentils in an even layer.
Scatter the onion over the lentils. Sprinkle with cumin, ginger and garlic and lightly season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine almonds, cardamom, coriander, cayenne, cloves and black pepper to taste. Add meat and stir to coat, then add mixture in forkfuls to the pot, making an uneven layer. Add layer of bell pepper.
Stir cilantro into tomato sauce and pour mixture over the top.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully cooked meal escapes the oven. Serve immediately.
Serves 2.
(E-mail Bob Batz Jr. at bbatz(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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