The Apartment Kitchen » one dish meals

Chicken Dupiaza

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:11:37 +0000

Have you been to Food52.com? No? But I’ve written about it before! You must not have been listening! Well, move that mouse up to the navigation bar and take a trip over there. It’s a fabulous food community made up of all kinds of great cooks who write delicious recipes.

The site is centered around it’s weekly contests, from which recipes are recognized – but there are hundreds of absolutely delectable recipes that have never entered a contest that you can peruse. My favorite thing about the site is how absolutely inspiring it is. A few nights ago, I was randomly scrolling through and found this delicious recipe. It’s a curry (of which I’ve made many before), but it’s got a tasty twist I couldn’t resist.

The curry is made with an onion puree as the base of the sauce. What? Genius! I love onions, and this curry was incredibly flavorful and ultra-simple to make. The onion flavor isn’t overpowering at all – it’s almost sweet rather than pungent. I made a few changes in my version, and it turned out lovely. Vegetarians – just switch over to vegetable broth and add tofu and you’re all set!

Chicken Dupiaza

Adapted from mtlabor on Food52.com

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Reheats relatively well, but we had very little left!!!

4 onions, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp oil

2 sticks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 Tbsp grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp tumeric

4 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp garam masala

2 Tbsp tomato paste

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

3 chicken breasts, cubed

chopped cilantro, as needed for garnish

1. Place half of the onions in a small pot. Cover with just enough the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook untilthe onions are very tender, 12-15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

2. Puree the onion mixture until smooth. Set aside.

3. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add remaining onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until tender, 6-8 minutes.

4. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the spices, and mix to combine.

5. Deglaze the pan with the tomato paste, and stir in the onion puree and Greek yogurt. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

6. Add the cubed chicken and stew until the chicken is cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Serve with rice, garnished with cilantro.

Pasta e Fagioli

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:52:20 +0000

We had a rainy, chilly weekend (which I love), so I took the opportunity to make soup. I used delicious, spicy turkey sausage as the base for this pasta e fagioli. It’s a wonderful, hearty soup with so many variations. I made several variations on this, including making it rather spicy, using red kidney beans instead of the traditional white, and adding whatever veggies I needed to use up. Best of all, I served it with the crusty bread I made earlier in the day – it was perfect for one a perfect, drizzly, chilly spring night.

Pasta e Fagioli

Made a lot of soup!

Leftover Potential: Freezes and reheats well.

1 1/3 cups pasta (bite size shape)

1 Tbsp olive oil

5 slices bacon, diced

1 lb spicy sausage, casings removed

1 large onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 (32 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups kidney beans, cooked

2 cups chicken broth, or more as needed

parmesan rind (optional)

fresh chopped parsley, to taste

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Dain and set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and sausage and cook until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is cooked through. Remove the meat from the pot, reserving the fat in the pot.

3. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peppers to the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Add the parmesan rind, if using, and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender and the soup develops good flavor, 8-10 minutes more.

5. Stir in the pasta, bacon, sausages, and parsley. Simmer to heat through, and eat!!

Pasta with Leeks, Peas, Parmesan, and an Egg

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:02:09 +0000

This dish almost tasted like carbonara, because of the egg on top. I love dishes like this because they are simple, delicious, and cooked all in one pot. Pasta is also great, of course, for just cooking for one person.

You may have noticed that I usually use whole wheat pasta or pasta made from farro or quinoa (that’s why it always looks sort of darker than your average pasta in my photographs). That’s a personal preference, but of course any and all of these dishes would be just as delicious (if not more so) with regular or flavored pastas.

Pasta with Leeks, Peas, Parmesan, and an Egg

Served 1.

Leftover Potential: the leftover pasta would make a spectacular spaghetti pie.

1 handful spaghetti

1 Tbsp butter

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup peas

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg

parmesan cheese, shaved or grated, to taste

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until tender, 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and saute until tender, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the peas and pasta, and toss to combine. Continue to toss until the mixture is heated through. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula or tongs, push all the pasta to one end of the pan.

4. Crack an egg into the empty side of the pan. Season it with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to low. Cook the egg until your desired doneness.

5. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and finish with parmesan cheese. Top with the egg and serve.

Coconut Red Curry Lentils n' Rice

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:51:05 +0000

This blog is about food…but a few people have pointed out to me that the little snippets of text here and there really tie it together. Because it’s not always enough to grab a recipe and run – some of you like a little splash of real life in there too.

We had a fire at my house this week. Yes. It doesn’t get much more real than that. There is minimal damage and everyone and everything is safe (minus my bath mats, shower curtain, toilet seat and the tile in the bathroom). It happened in the middle of the night, which made it extra scary and I spent the next day recovering by ordering Chinese food. Yes…I don’t cook well (for myself) under pressure. But by the next day I had gathered my head and made something simple – a one pot meal that was fast and easy but quite comforting in it’s own right. Lentils and brown rice smothered in creamy coconut red curry. It was delicious and wonderfully spicy (great with a glass of something spritzy). You know what they say, after all, – fight fire with fire…

Coconut Red Curry Lentils n’ Rice

Served 1.

Leftover Potential: You can add any kind of veggies or meat you want to this, which makes it a great meal to make with leftovers. I’ve even made a similar meal substituting other grains: quinoa, barley, split peas, etc.

1/3 cup lentils and rice (combined

2/3 cup vegetable stock

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp ginger, minced

1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp red curry paste

3/4 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup veggies (I used carrots, celery, cauliflower, peas, and mushrooms…but you can use anything on hand – just remember to cut them all to roughly the same size…)

cilantro, roughly chopped for garnish

scallions, minced, for garnish

1. In a small pot, bring the lentils/rice and stock to a boil. Cover, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. If the mixture is not done, add a little more liquid and continue to cook until they are tender. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add he curry paste, stirring to combine. Add the coconut milk, and bring the mixture pan> to a simmer.

3. Stir in the veggies, and cook over medium heat until they are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils and rice. Serve warm with cilantro and scallions.

I know, I know – this is so easy I probably didn’t need to post a recipe! But it is so, so good!

Okonomiyaki

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:10:41 +0000

While Matt is a very willing and accepting taste tester, I like to use nights when I’m by myself to try new things or things that don’t quite meet his criteria. He’ll eat almost anything, but he definitely prefers a big slab of meat in the center of the plate. On nights when I’m on my own, I often opt for vegetarian or super-light dishes…like this awesome Okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake made with vegetables. I got a basic recipe from Kevin at Closet Cooking, though I made a few tweaks – added different veggies (you can really use anything you need to use up) and added a tasty dipping sauce. It was quick, comforting, and used up a lot of veggies that were about to go bad! It was so good, I might have to reconsider and make this for Matt!

Okonomiyaki

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: I think this makes an awesome breakfast – reheat in a skillet and top with a fried egg! Made 1 meal after the initial dinner.

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 egg

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded

1/2 zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

3 slices bacon, cooked, chopped

1 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp ginger, minced

1 tsp garlic, minced

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, stock, egg, Worcestershire, soy, veggies, and bacon to combine.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Pour in the batter, and cook until nicely browned on each side, 7-9 minutes per side.

3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining soy, Worcestershire, sriracha, ginger, and garlic to combine.

4. Garnish with scallions and serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Spicy Chicken and Rice

theapartmentkitchen — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:13:50 +0000

Nothing beats a meal made in one pot. It’s almost as fast to make as it is to clean up. Great for a weekend – just get all the ingredients going and the more it simmers – the more flavor builds up. So this weekend I decided to make a delicious, healthy, spicy comfort food – chicken and rice with peas, peppers, and onions. Simple, basic, and tasty. Best of all, you can add your own creativity to it – add any other vegetables or meat or spices that you like. So spice up the weekend – but don’t take forever to do the dishes.

Spicy Chicken and Rice

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Reheats very well. Made 2 meals after the initial dinner.

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups rice

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 lb chicken thighs, skins removed, cut into bite size pieces

1 bag frozen peas

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp cayenne pepper

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

jalapenos, for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and the pepper and cook until lightly softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Add the rice, and stir to combine. Cover the whole mixture with the chicken broth and bring to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken. Stir to combine. Season with the spices, salt and pepper.

3. Simmer everything until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Test the chicken for doneness then taste the rice for softness.

4. Serve the finished dish in warm bowls and garnish with jalapenos for extra kick.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:41:00 +0000

Many people are nervous at the idea of making their own pasta, and I suppose for good reason. Pasta is one of those easy-to-impress dishes, which is only magnified by it’s easiness to prepare. All you have to do to earn rave reviews is to toss a box of dried pasta into some hot water, and take the praise as it comes at you, because everyone loves pasta. But making your own pasta brings your dish over the top, transforming it from a plain old pasta dish to a magnificent culinary creation.

Ok, so perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic, but I found a pasta recipe so simple, every apartment cook would be able to make it with no difficulties whatsoever. It’s a classic twist on the well known gnocchi, or Italian pasta dumpling. Normally made with potatoes, gnocchi are tender and delicious when cooked, though slightly time-consuming to prepare. With this recipe, ricotta replaces the potato in the dough, making it easier and faster to prepare.

The end product, however, is no less delicious, rich, or satisfying. In less than 20 minutes, you too can make your own pasta from scratch…and no one has to know how easy it was.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Served 2

Leftover Potential: Reheats relatively well, but do not keep for more than 1 or 2 days as the gnocchi begins to lose some of it’s texture. Provided one more meal after the initial dinner.

For the gnocchi:

2 oz all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

6.5 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg

.75 oz olive oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 pieces bacon, cooked until done in the oven, then chopped into bite size pieces

1/4 cup chives, finely minced

cayenne pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

parmesan cheese, to garnish

1. Mix together the flour and the salt in a medium bowl. In a separate container, mix together the ricotta, egg, and olive oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the ricotta mixture. Mix until completely combined into a useable dough, 1-2 minutes.

2. Form the gnocchi using your hands and a fork. For video instructions, check THIS out.

3. When all the gnocchi are formed, cook them in a large pot of salted boiling water until they are cooked through completely, and rise to the surface, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and set aside.

4. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until beginning to caramelize. Then, add the garlic and allow to cook until aromatic, about another minute. Add the bacon and allow to cook until it gets even crispier, 1-2 minutes. Add the chives, and season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.

5. Serve in a warm bowl with grated parmesan cheese.

Spicy Turkey Chili

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:29:00 +0000

As the weather gets colder, I get an ache in my bones for soup. One of the best things about this meal is it is ideal for The Apartment Kitchen. One big pot is all you need to be able to make any soup or stew. And not much sounds more warm and comforting to me than a deliciously hot, spicy chili.

So one particularly cold day here in Hyde Park, I headed to the grocery store and picked up all the ingredients for my perfect chili, which includes lots of great toppings and of course some cold beer. I use ground turkey, because I love the taste and flavor and it’s much healthier. I also like to take a slightly Tex-Mex approach to my chili, topping it with good cheese, jalapenos, green onions, and some lime for acidity. And, as is typical with one-pot dishes it’s incredibly easy and super cheap.

Spicy Turkey Chili

Served 2 plus leftovers
Leftover Potential: reheats perfectly, but keeping all the condiments makes it more difficult to re-assemble, provided 3 more meals after initial dinner.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 large or two small cans diced or crushed tomatoes*
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch cinnamon
3 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

green onions, chopped, for garnish
cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish
lime segments, for garnish
pickled jalapenos, for garnish

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sweat until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.
2. Add the turkey, using a rubber spatula to break up pieces while it cooks. Cook until cooked through and brown.
3. Add the tomatoes, corn, and black beans. Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer until whole soup is heated.
4. Begin adding spices, tasting the chili along the way to determine if it needs more spices/salt, etc. Reduce heat to low and hold while garnishes are prepared.
5. Chop green onions, grate cheese, if necessary, and cut some segments of lime. Set these ingredients on the table along with the jalapenos to allow diners to top their chili as they wish.
6. Serve the chili in warm bowls with a cold beer. Keep the leftovers in the fridge until you need to be warmed up again.

* This makes a very meaty chili, if you prefer a soupier product, you might want to add an additional 15 oz. can of tomatoes.