Single-pan suppers - includes recipes

Sunset, Jan, 1999 by James Carrier, Andrew Baker

On the stove or in the oven - 27 self-contained meals in about half an hour

I can't resist a recipe for a one-pan meal - no stoveful of frying pans to tend, no sinkful of dirty utensils. On the other hand, I can't bear to reduce good ingredients to an indecipherable mess. But with a few simple tricks, I don't have to; one cooking container can produce sophisticated, flavorful meals.

Pastas, for instance, can be cooked in their sauces, casseroles assembled in their baking dishes. And for more complex presentations, I cook the ingredients in sequence in the same pan (a little heating in the microwave oven is a legitimate part of my plan).

These recipes are inspired by American classics, favorite flavors from south of the border, familiar Asian preparations, and old European traditions. Each dish belies its simplicity, tasting as if it required slow simmering or many steps. Our secrets are yours, unless someone else volunteers to wash up the pans - er, pan.

A new spin on an old classic. Macaroni cooks right in the sauce, a creamy blend of milk and broth. Add Canadian bacon and peas, then natural reduce-fat cheddar cheese, and stir until smooth. It's a one-pan operation - no draining, no fussing.

AMERICAN STYLE

Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Peas

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 12 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

1 cup nonfat milk

1/2 pound dried elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup frozen petite peas

1/4 pound Canadian bacon, cut into thin strips

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Fresh-ground pepper

Fresh-grated nutmeg

1. In a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, bring broth, milk, and macaroni to a boil. Stir mixture often until the pasta is tender to bite, about 10 minutes.

2. Blend cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir into pan and continue stirring until mixture boils.

3. Add peas and Canadian bacon; mix well and remove from heat. Sprinkle cheese over pasta mixture and stir just until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Spoon into wide bowls or onto plates and sprinkle generously with pepper and nutmeg.

Per serving: 469 cal., 23% (108 cal.) from fat; 32 g protein; 12 g fat (6.9 g sat.); 53 g carbo (4.1 g fiber); 896 mg sodium; 45 mg chol.

Warm Spinach Salad

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: To create a Cobb salad, put spinach in individual bowls and group each topping separately on leaves.

MAKES: 4 servings

1 package (10 oz.) washed spinach leaves

1/4 pound turkey bacon, chopped

1 cup finely chopped red onion

1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 cups purchased fat-free croutons

1. If desired, stack spinach leaves and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Mound spinach equally onto plates.

2. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat, stir turkey bacon until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Spoon equal portions of the bacon over spinach.

3. To pan, add onion, corn, vinegar, and sugar. Stir mixture until onion is limp, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer onion and corn onto spinach, then spoon cooking liquid over salads.

4. Arrange blue cheese equally on salads and add croutons.

Per serving: 265 cal., 28% (74 cal.) from fat; 12 g protein; 8.2 g fat (2.7 g sat.); 36 g carbo (3.4 g fiber); 721 mg sodium; 27 mg chol.

Buttermilk Crab Chowder

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: Flo Braker of Palo Alto, baker and author of many cookbooks, created this delicately flavored, simple chowder. She adds crunchy green cucumber to each bowl for a burst of color and texture.

MAKES: 4 servings

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes

1 cup chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

1 pound shelled cooked crab

3 cups low-fat buttermilk

1 cup finely chopped English cucumber

Salt

Fresh-ground pepper

1. Scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.

2. In a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, combine potatoes, carrots, and broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, remove any bits of shell from crab.

4. Add buttermilk to pan and stir until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add crab, mix gently, and ladle soup into wide bowls. Add cucumber equally to portions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Per serving: 330 cal., 11% (37 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 4.1 g fat (1.4 g sat.); 35 g carbo (3.4 g fiber); 628 mg sodium; 125 mg chol.

Portabella Salad

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 25 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

4 portabella mushrooms (5-in.-wide caps)

1/4 pound cherry tomatoes, rinsed

3/4 pound (14 cups, lightly packed) arugula, rinsed and crisped

1/2 cup nonfat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1. Trim mushroom stems flush with caps; save stems for other uses. Quickly rinse mushroom caps and drain on towels, smooth side up.

2. Place caps, gills down, in a 10- by 15-inch pan. Broil about 4 inches from heat for 5 minutes (about 4 minutes in a convection oven), then turn over and broil until juice in caps bubbles and mushrooms are flexible, 6 to 7 minutes more (about 6 minutes more in convection oven).