One-Pot Cooking: Casseroles, curries, soups and bakes and other no-fuss family food. Katie Bishop
hour 35 minutes
Serves 6
1.3kg (3lb) pork loin joint, skin removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced
12 baby onions or shallots, peeled
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
250g (9oz) mixed, small mushrooms, cleaned, and any larger ones halved or quartered
3 tbsp plain flour
1 x 500ml can ale
400g (14oz) baby new potatoes, washed
Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Warm a large casserole over a high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, and when melted, stir in the bacon and onions or shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Add the rosemary and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the heat and stir in the flour until well combined, then mix in the ale and potatoes.
Place the pork on top of the ingredients in the pan, fat-side up. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1½ hours until the meat is tender and there is no pink meat remaining.
Remove the meat from the pan, place on a board and cover with foil. Increase the heat under the pan and bring to the boil. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Cut the meat into thick slices and serve with the sauce and vegetables spooned over.
Spicy chilli beef soup
This soup is definitely a light meal in a bowl as opposed to a starter. It’s full of flavour and a fast and efficient way of feeding six people with very economical ingredients. I often make this with just 500ml (18fl oz) stock, and serve it as a quick chilli with rice.
Preparation time:
5 minutes
Cooking time:
30 minutes
Serves 6
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced
500g (1lb 2oz) lean beef mince
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1.5 litres (2½ pints) beef stock
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Warmed flour tortillas
Soured cream
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the mince and cook for 4 minutes until sealed, breaking up any large lumps with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander and orange zest and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, beans and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly reduced.
Stir in the coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve with warmed flour tortillas and spoonfuls of soured cream.
Spicy tomato and lentil soup (v.)
This soup is so warming and comforting! It’s also a really good base for a simple dhal recipe – just add less stock (about 750ml/1¼ pints in total) and simmer until tender and thick. It also freezes really well as a soup or as dhal.
Preparation time:
5 minutes
Cooking time:
35 minutes
Serves 6
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1–2 tbsp medium curry paste
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
250g (9oz) red lentils, rinsed
1.5 litres (2½ pints) vegetable stock
Fresh coriander, to garnish
To serve
Natural yoghurt
Warmed Indian bread
Warm the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-based pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
Add the garlic and curry paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until the onion is coated.
Add the tomatoes, lentils and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with plenty of coriander. Serve with spoonfuls of yoghurt and warmed Indian bread.
Thai coconut beef curry
I’m a real fan of Thai food and this curry is no exception. It’s simple to make and has tons of rich, coconut flavour. This recipe is based on a Massaman-style curry, but uses standard red Thai paste, so all the ingredients are very easy to find in your local supermarket.
Preparation time:
10 minutes
Cooking time:
2 hours
Serves 6
1 tbsp vegetable oil
900g (2lb) braising steak, cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
½ x 400ml tin coconut milk, plus extra to serve
500ml (18fl oz) beef stock
350g (12oz) potato
100g (4oz) baby spinach leaves
75g (3oz) natural roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1–2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste
To serve
Cooked basmati rice
Warm the vegetable oil in a large shallow casserole dish over a high heat. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and cook for 5 minutes, until well browned.
Add the onion and stir well. Cook for 3–4 minutes or until starting to soften and colour. Stir