Okay, I know this isn't the most appetizing meal you've ever seen. And the lighting in my kitchen at 8:30pm in the winter kinda stinks... but the one pot meal? Very good, very quick, and even husband friendly!
I'm starting a new series this week entitled, "Gluten Free One Pot Meals." I think I deserve a sticker for originality.
So the concept isn't anything new. But whether you work full time, commute an hour to work, stay home with your kids, dinner time can often be tough to figure out.
Last summer we addressed this issue with Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals. A number of wonderful gluten free bloggers helped me out by sharing their favorite quick and easy meals.
This time I'm hoping to post a "One Pot Meal" once a week. I don't plan on having a time frame for this series. One pot, easy meals are needed year round. "One pot" can meal anything from my dutch oven, to the pizza pan, to the frying pan, to a wok, etc...
This week's one pot meal uses my favorite large skillet. It's a 12" non-stick pan I received when Michael & I got married. It's still one of my favorite pans. These recipes will not be meals that are set in stone. Make them with the ingredients you have on hand. If you don't have any quinoa, or if it scares you, or if you have picky eaters... then use brown rice -or- gf pasta -or- gf bread cubes -or- cooked potatoes. Go crazy and try your own variations!
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Ground Turkey, Vegetable & Quinoa Skillet Meal
- a gluten free recipe template by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com -
free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and eggs
1 lb. ground turkey (or ground beef, or ground pork, etc...)
1 med. sweet onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh button mushrooms (or baby bella mushrooms) stems removed, and sliced
3 carrots, sliced thinly diagonally
1 cup uncooked quinoa, that's been rinsed with fresh water (or 3 cups cooked quinoa, rice, diced potatoes, etc...)
Olive oil
Directions: In your skillet add 2 cups water and the dry quinoa. Bring the water to a simmer and cook covered for 10-12 minutes until quinoa is fluffy and very little water remains. (A great tutorial on cooking quinoa). Remove the cooked quinoa from the pan, place in a bowl & set aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Brown ground turkey. Add onions, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until they are soft. Stir the cooked quinoa into the mixture. (Alternatively, you could served the cooked vegetables & meat mixture over individual servings of quinoa.) Now, if you're not feeling up to a highly flavored meal you could eat the meal as is. But if you want some flavor variations for your one pot meal, here are some ideas you could use:
For an Asian Inspired Meal:
- 1-2 tbsp. soy sauce (or soy sauce sub)
- a splash of sesame oil
- a few shakes of roasted sesame seeds
- a splash of rice vinegar
- a splash of fish sauce
For an Italian Inspired Meal:
- Add 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes to the skillet 5 minutes before serving
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil)
- 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
- splash a bit of extra virgin olive oil on each serving, right before eating!
For a Mexican Inspired Meal:
- Add 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa to the skillet 5 minutes before serving
- Add 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
- Serve with diced avocado or avocado slices
- 1-2 tsp. chili powder
- 1-2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. adobo seasoning
What flavorings/seasonings/add in's would you use?
What types of skillet/one pot meals would you like to see featured?
