Dairy Free

Larb is traditional Thai comfort food. The mint adds a clean jolt of flavor to this casserole-type meal. My cousin Abi lived in Thailand for a time and helped me fine-tune my version of this classic dish. Typically, the meat and rice are served over raw cabbage, but we think this style is pretty tasty as well. You can use serrano, Anaheim, or almost any other kind of chile pepper if you can’t find a jalapeño. Of course, your meal will be as spicy as your chile. Consider adding 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil or cilantro to the mint mixture for a slightly different taste.

For rarer meat, chop the potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower into smaller pieces, as they will cook more quickly that way and become tender before the meat is cooked through. Try this recipe with steak tenderloin or a turkey tenderloin if you don’t want lamb. Use boneless lamb fillets in this meal as bones just take up precious real estate in your pot. Trim the meat well of fat. Sun-dried tomatoes come either packed in oil or dry. Either is fine to use here.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has a light, nutty flavor with a wonderful texture that makes it fun to eat. Quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein. It was the staple food of the Incas in Peru, who called it “the Mother grain.” Find it near the rice or in the bulk food section of a health food store or your grocer’s natural foods aisle. Store it in an airtight jar. Use your family’s favorite type of sausage to make this recipe a real winner. Our current favorite is an organic chicken-feta sausage that we find in our regular grocer’s freezer. There is no need to thaw frozen sausages; just be sure to separate them before adding them to the Dutch oven. Try this recipe with toasted buckwheat groats, also called kasha, for a change in flavor.

For me, this flavor is reminiscent of the south of France, along the Côte d’Azur with its crystalline blue waters. Of course, fresh herbs would be fantastic here if you have them. If using fresh herbs, use one tablespoon of each.

All of the ingredients in this festive meal can be found in your pantry or freezer, making it a convenient wintertime treat. However, try to break up a frozen block of ground meat before adding it to the pot. There’s no need to defrost a package of frozen spinach. Let it sit on the counter to soften while preparing other ingredients. Cut it into chunks using a sharp knife, then stir the chunks into the meat mixture. Fresh spinach can be chopped slightly and mixed with the meat, or kept whole and layered on top.

Quinoa is not only a complete protein, providing all the essential amino acids, it’s also gluten-free. This light and delicate grain has a delicious nutty flavor that is perfect for summer weather. The type of chile is up to you. For a milder flavor, choose an Anaheim green chile; pasillas or jalapeños will give more of a bite. You may use spinach rather than kale or chard. If you find that your greens emerge browner than you’d like, move them down a layer and top with the bell pepper instead.

Summer is tomato time; be sure to try the new heirloom varieties. In winter, I usually find that Roma, or plum, tomatoes are the most flavorful. Oil-cured olives will add other notes, but use water-packed olives if you’re looking to cut back on fat. Make a quick broth with part of a bouillon cube. Purchase bouillon from health food stores for versions lower in sodium and other preservatives. An easy way to trim exactly the right amount from the bottom of an asparagus stalk is simply to grab an end in each hand and bend until it snaps. It will break at the point where the stalk becomes less woody.

My kids love the sweet and spicy flavors of this meal. The pork together with the potatoes, carrots, and green beans offers a kid-friendly, well-rounded dinner loaded with nutrients and low in fat. Look for boneless center-cut pork loin, 1/2 inch thick. Or substitute a turkey tenderloin, a salmon fillet, or even chicken for the pork.

Feel free to make this recipe using ground turkey or pork instead of beef, or even meat-substitute crumbles. You could also use a tenderloin cut of meat. Look for peeled and chopped butternut squash in your supermarket vegetable aisle.

Corned beef and cabbage is a meal traditionally eaten by Irish Americans in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in March. Corned refers to the large salt crystals (corns) rubbed into the meat to preserve it. The corned beef has enough spices to flavor this recipe, but if you feel the need for more spice, include the sea salt and pepper. For more gravy, simply add more broth to the recipe. I use lunch-meat-style corned beef in a thick slice from the deli in this recipe simply because it’s hard to find a package of raw, seasoned corned beef that’s less than two pounds. However, you can certainly use raw corned beef if you prefer.

If your steak is very thick, you may need to add up to eight minutes more in the oven. Let your nose be your guide. This recipe is chock full of vegetables—a great way to get your meat lover to eat vegetables, too! Try this recipe with chicken pieces instead of steak for a change. My aunt swears by kosher salt and freshly squeezed lemon or lime when cooking meat, but I prefer to use sea salt whenever I’m cooking.

The concept of this meal is that it is so easy and safe (no knife work) that a child could prepare it as a Father’s Day treat. Of course, the recipe is easily doubled or tripled. What may surprise you is how delicious it is! Feel free to use your favorite steak sauce, teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. If your dad doesn’t like steak, feel free to substitute any other protein (chicken, fish, pork, etc.). The steak should turn out well done on the edges and medium rare in the center. For more fully cooked meat, bake for at least 30 minutes.

Sausage and beans make a hearty winter meal If you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand, use a drained 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes instead. If you don’t have flageolets, other beans to try include Great Northern and cannellini beans. To make this a lower-fat dinner, use turkey or chicken sausage instead of pork. Health food stores typically have many types of sausages available at the meat counter. Experiment with flavors such as applewood-smoked sausage, habañero chile, or spicy Italian.

The thinner the slice of meat, the more tender the pot roast will be. Ask your butcher to slice it less than two inches thick. Also, go for a better-quality meat for a more tender result, but be aware that it is easy to end up with tough meat if it’s left in the oven too long. For rarer meat, cut the vegetables into smaller cubes (1/2 to 1 inch) and remove the pot from the oven at the first whiff of the robust aroma of a fully cooked meal. To speed up your prep time, use frozen green beans and peeled baby carrots. I never peel my potatoes because so much nutrition is in the skin. Just be sure to scrub them well and dig out the eyes. I also think wild mushrooms add a wonderful depth to the meat. Try morels, chanterelles, or shiitakes. My aunt swears by kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper with beef. Consider both, but remember that kosher salt is more intense, so you may want to use less than you normally do.

Barley is a comfort food in my book. Hulled barley is a whole grain and offers all of the health benefits of other whole grains, including cholesterol-lowering qualities and fiber. Use a variety of mushrooms for a deeper, earthier flavor. This recipe tastes great with turkey, too! I cut and seed winter squash, but often I don’t peel it as the peel comes off very easily after it is cooked. You can also make this dish with yellow summer squash.

I love the rich, decadent sensation of scallops in my mouth, but you can make this recipe with any kind of seafood, fish, or poultry For a south-of-the-border kick, add a tablespoon of tequila to the sauce mixture and sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped cilantro before adding the spinach. Be sure to liberally coat the inside of the lid with oil so that the spinach will not dry out and stick.

The flavors here remind me of Jamaica, luring me in with the sweet citrus and then kicking it up with the chile peppers.

Adobo, or roasted, pork is a staple in Latin America and some parts of Southeast Asia. This is just one version of the Latin American-style dish, made easier as a Glorious One-Pot Meal. Replace the rice and broth with 3/4 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of broth for a more authentic South American meal. Ancho chiles are actually dried poblano chiles, which are rich in flavor and popular for cooking. They’ve been described as looking and tasting like prunes, though certainly with more of a bite. Anaheim chiles are a milder substitute. You can use boneless frozen pork chops without increasing the cooking time. However, if they are frozen with the bone in, you may need to allow ten extra minutes in the oven. You can also substitute flank steaks or chicken pieces with good results. I like to add a sliced fresh tomato to this recipe. Layer the sliced tomato on top if there is still space in the pot after adding the green pepper.

Puttanesca is a traditional pasta dish that supposedly had its origins in the food prostitutes cooked for themselves at the end of the night. The amount of spice called for here makes a medium-spicy dish. Adjust it according to your own taste. Although anchovy paste (or minced anchovies) is called for, don’t worry if you don’t have any or just want to leave it out. A tip: Do not lift the lid “just to check” before this meal is done or it will take longer to cook and your pasta may not come out perfectly al dente. This recipe works equally well with fresh or frozen shrimp. Instead of broccoli and artichoke hearts, try this with spinach or green beans. Consider red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant as well.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) was an ancient staple grain of the Incas. It’s a complete protein with all essential amino acids and more calcium than milk, along with iron, phosphorus, and vitamins B and E. Use it as a grain and substitute freely for rice or pasta. Just be sure to maintain the proper ratio of dry grain to liquid (for quinoa use 3/4 cup quinoa to 1 cup liquid). I buy quinoa from the bulk food bins at the health food store, although you can find it at many supermarkets alongside the grains. Raw seafood is always preferable when making a Glorious One-Pot Meal, and frozen shellfish is less likely to overcook in this method. I keep a bag of uncooked shrimp in my freezer for just such a reason.