Amanda’s Top 5 ‘ONE POT’ Weeknight Recipes

Recipes to make weeknight dinner simple, wholesome and delicious.

6-ingredient chicken Tikka Masala and sweet potato.

Cook time: 40 mins | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 (450g) sweet potato, peeled, sliced into 1cm batons (8cm long)

  • 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed well (at least 4 times)

  • 2 tablespoons tikka masala paste

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 x 400g tin coconut milk

  • 600g chicken thighs, no skin

  • 50g butter, cubed

  • salt and cracked pepper to taste

    To serve - optional toppings

  • 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt

  • 1 tablespoon fried shallots, store bought

  • 5g fresh basil leaves

  • 20 ml olive oil to drizzle

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC fan (356ºF).

2. In a large shallow casserole dish add sweet potato, rice, tikka masala, honey, coconut milk and 200ml of water. Stir through to combine.

3. Add chicken thigh fillets and butter on top. Add salt and pepper.

4. Place in the oven for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, place under the grill on high to crisp the top for 3-5 minutes.

5. Serve with yoghurt, fried shallots, basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pasta primavera.

Cook time: 10 mins | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 250g fusilli pasta or any preferred pasta

  • 1/3 cup fresh peas, can use frozen

  • 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/3’s

  • 100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/3’s

  • 1/3 cup basil pesto, store bought

  • 60g wild rocket/arugula

  • 1/2 cup creme Fraiche

  • 1 lemon, zest

  • 20m lemon juice

  • 80g pecorino cheese, shavings, with a peeler

  • salt and pepper

    Garnish

  • 20ml extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as per packet instructions.

2. Add the asparagus, beans and peas to the pot for the final 1-2 minutes of cooking the pasta.

3. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and vegetables. Transfer back into the pot with reserved pasta water.

4. Add pesto, rocket, creme fraiche, lemon zest and juice. Toss gently to combine. Serve on a large serving platter. Add pecorino shavings on top with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and cracked pepper to taste garnish with parsley

Pan-fried gnocchi with broccolini and sun-dried tomatoes.

Cook time: 15 mins | Prep time: 10 mins | Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 250g fresh gnocchi, use gluten free if preferred

  • 1 bunch broccolini, cut into 2cm pieces

  • 30g raw pinenuts

  • 120g semi-sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped and 2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato olive oil.

  • 30g pecorino cheese

  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto

  • Season to taste

    Garnish

  • basil leaves

Method:

1. In a large deep non-stick fry pan, bring salted water up to the boil.

2. On medium heat place the thicker stalks of the broccolini and the gnocchi into the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until you see the first gnocchi float to the surface. Then add the remaining broccolini into the pan and stir. Simmer for another 2 minutes.

3. Drain the pasta and broccolini. Place back into the fry pan. Make a hole in the middle of the pan and add pine nuts to toast for a minute.

4. Add the semi sun-dried tomatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Use a flat spatula to ‘lift and stir’ ingredients. Don’t over-stir, you want a nice brown crust on the gnocchi and broccolini. Pan fry for 5-7 minutes.

5. Take off the heat, dollop basil pesto, add finely grated pecorino. Stir and add basil leaves to serve.

Citrus salmon with leek and fennel.

Cook time: 12 mins | Prep time: 10 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • 1 orange, zest and juice

  • 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

  • 1 large garlic clove, minced

  • 3 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

  • salt and pepper

  • 4 x 120g salmon fillets, skin off preferred

  • 1/2 fennel bulb, 2mm slices, save fronds for garnish

  • 1 leek, white part only, cut into 7cm long strips

    Garnish

  • dill fronds

  • fennel fronds

Method:

1. In a jar with a lid add the citrus zest (quantity should be 150 ml combined). Add the garlic, mustard, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Secure lid and shake well. Set aside.

2. Place a 30cm diameter pan with a lid on low to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook fennel and leek for 2 minutes to soften.

3. Place salmon fillets on top of the vegetables. Place the lemon and orange dressing over the top of the salmon and add 1/2 a cup of water to the pan. Place lid on.

4. Simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, until fillets are blushing pink in the centre. Take off the heat and peel off the salmon skin if required.

5. Spoon the vegetables and liquid on top of the salmon fillets. Garnish with dill and fennel fronds, salt and pepper to taste.

One pot orecchiette broccolini and ricotta.

Cook time: 15 minutes | Prep time: 10 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

  • 250g orecchiette pasta

  • 2 bunches broccolini

  • 300g fresh ricotta

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large lemon, zest and lemon juice

  • salt and pepper to taste

    Garnish

  • chilli flakes

Method:

1. In a large pot, bring 7 cups of water, the stock and 1/2 tablespoon of salt to a boil.

2. Ct the broccolini in halve. Cut the thicker stalks into 1 cm pieces and set them aside. With the other half (the florets) cut into 2 cm pieces and set aside separately.

3. Once the salted water has come up to a boil place pasta into the pot and stir.

4. Cook the pasta for 6 minutes and then add the thicker, broccolini stalks to the pasta (do not put in the florets). Cook for another 4 minutes.

5. Add in the florets and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and turn the heat off. And salt and pepper to taste.

6. In four serving bowls, evenly add ricotta to the base of each bowl.

7. Ladle the pasta and broccolini with liquid over the ricotta.

8. In each bowl add in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, squeeze of lemon, salt and cracked pepper or chilli flakes.