Cookbook Corner: Glorious One Pot Meals

Now that fall is officially here, it's time to change how we're cooking.  To hell with grilling and making more delicate foods...it's time to cook (and eat) more hearty dishes, like pot roast, stews, and chili.  One problem with this (for me!) is that one pot meals generally make enough food to feed an army.  When I cook, it's just for me and my husband.  Thankfully, Glorious One-Pot Meals includes tons of tasty, hearty recipes designed for two.  Yay!

What to expect: This is sort of an appliance cookbook because all the recipes require the use of a small cast iron Dutch oven.  All the recipes are for two people, but they can be easily double, tripled, etc.--especially if you have a larger Dutch oven.  I have a small, two-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven that is the perfect size for these recipes.

All the recipes are full meals--they include a protein, a carb, and veggies.  They're easy and quick to make, and, best of all, they're all very healthy (the author rarely uses butter or oils).  If you have a family or are just a very busy person, this book will help you put a tasty (and healthy) meal on the table in less than an hour.

Best recipes: I think of the recipes as a springboard--you can swap out meats, veggies, and carbs to your taste.  That said, here are a few of the standouts:

• Shrimp Masala with Rice, pg. 78
• Adobo Pork, pg. 82
• Beef with Sherried Mushroom Sauce, pg. 88
• Chicken Marsala, pg. 126
• Rosemary Chicken, pg. 150
• Eggplant Parmesan, pg, 172

Complaints: The recipes tend to be repetitive, and I kinda sorta wish there was a dessert section (come on! You can totally whip up some sort of ooey-gooey dessert in a Le Creuset pot!).  Other than that, I think this book inspires you to create you own combinations of grains, meat, and veggies to cook up in 45 minutes in the oven.


Deliciousness scale: 4 spoonfuls of yum out of 5.

Details: This review is based on the 2009 edition of Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell; ISBN 978-0767930109