Living healthy within our means

Lorna Gooden, Contributor

The preparation of tasty and nutritious meals from a narrow range of foods is one of the greatest challenges which the household faces, especially following a natural disaster. Combining the foods, which are available, into one-pot meals is a very useful way to address the problem.

In these days of high food costs, and the necessity of housewives to work outside their homes, meals that are quick and easy to prepare must be considered when planning weekly menus.

One-pot meals have always been liked, but have gained popularity because of the many advantages to be achieved by the housewife who usually plans and prepares them. Some of the advantages are:

They are quite nutritious, in that everything that goes into the pot is eaten.

They are economical, in that they need only one pot, and one supply of heat to cook (eg, one burner on a stove).

They are time- and energy-savers, as they usually require a limited amount of attention.

They are generally suitable for all members of the family - from the young to the old. Soups are a good example of this.

They lend themselves to the securing of variety in the meals, through the many combinations of foods that are possible, for the person with forethought and vision.

Always remember to include one-pot meals in your weekly schedules. They are good for the family, and for you.

Recipes

Fish and Rice Delight

Ingredients

1 lb cod fish

2¹/² cups cooked rice

¹/⁴ cup breadcrumbs

1 egg (beaten)

1 tbs chopped onion

3 tbs margarine (melted)

¹/² tsp salt

Pepper to taste.

Method

1. Cook fish, remove bones and flakes.

2. Grease a casserole dish and line with half the rice.

3. Combined fish with breadcrumbs, egg, onion, margarine, salt and pepper.

4. Place fish mixture on rice. Top with remaining rice.

5. Put in a moderately hot oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

Irish Potato Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb potato

¹/⁴ lb carrot

¹/⁴ lb string beans

1 pint milk

¹/⁴ lb grated cheese

1 tsp salt

¹/² tsp white pepper

1 sprig parsley

Method

1. Scrub and peel potatoes and carrot (dice or cube).

2. Cut string beans, add to potatoes and carrot, then cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Make a white sauce with margarine, flour and milk. Add salt, white pepper and some of the grated cheese.

4. Put the potatoes, carrot, string beans into a greased casserole, pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkle the remainder of the grated cheese on top.

5. Brown in a hot oven or under the grill at 400F.

6. Garnish with parsley.

Cornmeal Delight

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup red peas or split peas

1 cup coconut milk or cow's milk

¹/² cup grated cheese

1 stalk escallion

1 small onion (chopped)

1 small country pepper (whole)

1 clove garlic (slightly beaten)

1 tsp salt

Small sprig thyme

Method

1. Wash peas and soak for two hours.

2. Bring peas to boil in water in which it has been soaked. Boil until tender.

3. Add milk and seasoning and allow to boil again, for about three minutes.

4. Mix cornmeal with 1/2 cup of water to moisten and stir this into the boiling mixture.

5. Cook over low heat until cornmeal is thoroughly cooked and very thick.

6. Stir in grated cheese about one minute before turning off flame.

7. Serve with fried codfish, corned pork or leftover meat and vegetables.

Mackerel and Banana Cook-up

Ingredients

2 lbs mackerel (salted)

1 dry coconut

¹/² lb diced carrot

1 country pepper

8-10 large green bananas

¹/⁸ cup milk (coconut if liked)

¹/² tsp black pepper

1 large onion

¹/² lb flour

¹/² tsp salt

1 sprig thyme

Method

1. Put mackerel to soak overnight, remove head and bones and cut into serving pieces.

2. Grate coconut and add enough water to extract one quart juice.

3. Boil coconut juice until oil begins to form; add mackerel, peeled bananas, carrot and small dumplings made from flour and milk.

4. Cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add seasoning to taste and cook for another five minutes.

Serve hot.

Callaloo and Rice

Ingredients

2 cups rice

1 lb callaloo leaves

1¹/² tsp margarine

1 tbs lime juice

2 small tomatoes

1 clove garlic

2 cups water

¹/² lb salt meat, cut into pieces

1 whole green hot pepper

12 okras

1 onion

Scallion

Method

1. Cut meat in small pieces and simmer in water for about 10 minutes.

2. Wash and cut up callaloo leaves, okras, garlic, tomatoes, onion and scallion; add these to the meat with salt to taste, butter, and whole green pepper.

3. Cover saucepan tightly and simmer for five minutes, then add lime juice.

4. Sprinkle in rice and cook until rice grains and leaves are soft.

Serve hot.

Potato Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper (optional)

1 cup cubed cheddar cheese

1 green pepper, cut up

1 onion, quartered

4 medium potatoes (11/4 lbs), pared and cubed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Grease ovenproof casserole dish

3. Put all ingredients in blender in order listed.

4. Cover and run on liquefy. (Do not overblend).

5. Pour in casserole and bake for one hour.

Serve hot

One-Pot Meals



Fish and Rice Delight

Ingredients

1lb codfish

2¹/² cups cooked rice

¹/⁴ cup breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

1tbsp chopped onion

3tbsps margarine, melted

¹/² tsp salt

Pepper to taste.

Method

1. Cook fish, remove bones and flakes.

2. Grease a casserole dish and line with half the rice.

3. Combined fish with breadcrumbs, egg, onion, margarine, salt and pepper.

4. Place fish mixture on rice. Top with remaining rice.

5. Put in a moderately hot oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

Irish Potato Cheese

Ingredients

1lb potato

¹/⁴ lb carrot

¹/⁴ lb string beans

1 pint milk

¹/⁴ lb grated cheese

1tsp salt

¹/² tsp white pepper

1 sprig parsley

Method

1. Scrub and peel potatoes and carrot (dice or cube).

2. Cut string beans, add to potatoes and carrot, then cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Make a white sauce with margarine, flour and milk. Add salt, white pepper and some of the grated cheese.

4.
Put the potatoes, carrot, string beans into a greased casserole, pour
the cheese sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkle the remainder of the
grated cheese on top.

5. Brown in a hot oven or under the grill at 400F.

6. Garnish with parsley.

Cornmeal Delight

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal

1 cup red peas or split peas

1 cup coconut milk or cow's milk

¹/² cup grated cheese

1 stalk scallion

1 small onion, chopped

1 small country pepper, whole

1 clove garlic, slightly beaten

1tsp salt

Small sprig thyme

Method

1. Wash peas and soak for two hours.

2. Bring peas to boil in water in which it has been soaked. Boil until tender.

3. Add milk and seasoning and allow to boil again, for about three minutes.

4. Mix cornmeal with 1/2 cup of water to moisten and stir this into the boiling mixture.

5. Cook over low heat until cornmeal is thoroughly cooked and very thick.

6. Stir in grated cheese about one minute before turning off flame.

7. Serve with fried codfish, corned pork or leftover meat and vegetables.

Mackerel and Banana Cook-up

Ingredients

2lbs mackerel, salted

1 dry coconut

¹/² lb diced carrot

1 country pepper

8-10 large green bananas

¹/⁸ cup milk (coconut if liked)

¹/² tsp black pepper

1 large onion

¹/² lb flour

¹/² tsp salt

1 sprig thyme

Method

1. Put mackerel to soak overnight, remove head and bones and cut into serving pieces.

2. Grate coconut and add enough water to extract one quart juice.

3.
Boil coconut juice until oil begins to form; add mackerel, peeled
bananas, carrot and small dumplings made from flour and milk.

4. Cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add seasoning to taste and cook for another five minutes.

Serve hot.

Callaloo and Rice

Ingredients

2 cups rice

1lb callaloo leaves

1¹/² tsp margarine

1tbsp lime juice

2 small tomatoes

1 clove garlic

2 cups water

¹/² lb salt meat, cut into pieces

1 whole green hot pepper

12 okras

1 onion

Scallion

Method

1. Cut meat in small pieces and simmer in water for about 10 minutes.

2.
Wash and cut up callaloo leaves, okras, garlic, tomatoes, onion and
scallion; add these to the meat with salt to taste, butter, and whole
green pepper.

3. Cover saucepan tightly and simmer for five minutes, then add lime juice.

4. Sprinkle in rice and cook until rice grains and leaves are soft.

Serve hot.

Potato Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper (optional)

1 cup cubed cheddar cheese

1 green pepper, cut up

1 onion, quartered

4 medium potatoes (11/4 lbs), pared and cubed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grease ovenproof casserole dish.

3. Put all ingredients in blender, in order listed.

4. Cover and run on 'liquefy'. (Do not overblend).

5. Pour in casserole and bake for one hour.

Serve hot.