One-pot Wonders

Today, our selection of recipes is dedicated to all the hard-working families that are now in the home stretch of preparing for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

We've selected some simple and satisfying meals that don't require a lot of clean-up. That is one of the reasons we love one-pot wonders. As we say on Vibes Cuisine, "It's a complete meal that cooks in one vessel and stretches your protein to feed more."

The preparation for GSAT can feel like a marathon, or competing for a championship. As such, it is very important to consider nutrition. As much as we try to get a lot of facts into these students, we also need the information to stick. Therefore, it is important to ensure your child is eating well - fruits, vegetables plus lean proteins and even consider a vitamin supplement for optimum mental alacrity.

Dirty rice is really a seasoned rice and this is where you can make use of whatever odds and ends you can get from your fridge. The recipe has three proteins, but you can use whatever you have and whatever combination. This dish will also work well as leftovers in a packed lunch for those who can reheat their lunches.

Mealtime can get boring when you are serving the same flavours again and again. Buttermilk-coated chicken zests up taste buds and you don't have to worry about sourcing buttermilk. You simply make it by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk.

Many nutritionists today advise we should eat most of our carbs at breakfast and lunch instead of loading up at dinner. So our stir-fried Szechuan chicken is just what the doctor ordered! Instead of serving with rice, substitute with lots of veggies (don't hesitate to freestyle with whatever you have on hand), but don't cook them to death. Retain their goodness by cooking tender crisp.

Best of luck to all our grade six students on March 21 and 22!

Vibes Cuisine, which has partnered with The Gleaner's Food to present the best offering in popular food and lifestyle, airs on CVM-TV at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays and at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesdays. Encore presentations air Sundays at 8 p.m. on Flow 100. Like our recipes? Then 'like' Vibes Cuisine TV on Facebook.

Chicken Succotash

Ingredients

1 tray deboned chicken thighs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup each cornmeal, flour

1tbsp each of salt, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika

1tsp each cayenne pepper, cumin

5tbsp oil

2tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 tin corn, drained

1 cup, cut green beans

1 cup water or chicken broth

1 eggplant, cubed

1 zucchini, cubed

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cut the thighs in half, and place in buttermilk. In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, chili and garlic powders, paprika, cayenne and cumin.

2. Heat oil on medium high, coat chicken with seasoned mixed. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

3. In original pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and sweet pepper for five minutes and add rest of ingredients.

4. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Return chicken to pan.

Vibes tip: Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Szechuan Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1tbsp vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

5tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1¹/²tbsp white wine vinegar

¹/⁴ cup water

1tsp white sugar

3 sprigs scallion, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces

¹/⁸ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹/² Scotch bonnet pepper, minced finely

2 cups carrots, sliced

4 cups broccoli, cut into flowerettes

Method

1. Place the chicken and cornstarch into a bag or bowl, and toss to coat. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Fry the chicken pieces, garlic, and Scotch bonnet stirring constantly until lightly browned.

3. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Cover, and cook until the chicken pieces are no longer pink inside, three to five minutes.

4. Stir-fry the broccoli and carrots until crisp tender.

5. Add scallion, and cayenne pepper, cook uncovered for about two more minutes.

Vibes tip: You can serve over white rice. We like to add the broccoli and carrots for a low-carb high-protein one-pot wonder meal.

Vibes Dirty Rice

<sup>Ingredients

1</sup>/² chicken cut in small pieces

1 piece pigstail, boiled and cut up

2 cups precooked shrimp

3 tbsp oil

2¹/² cups rice

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup pumpkin, peeled and cubed

4 cloves garlic, chopped-divided

1tsp black pepper

2 onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

14oz tin of tomatoes

4¹/² cups water

Method

1. Season chicken with black pepper and two cloves garlic.

2. Heat oil in a large pot and brown chicken. Add rice, toast until fragrant.

3. Add all ingredients except shrimp.

4. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat. Simmer until chicken and rice are thoroughly cooked.

5. Stir in shrimp until heated.

6. Plate, serve and enjoy!

Vibes tip: Cutting your protein stretches meat and feeds more.