WEEKDAY MENU HACKS
Simple, savoury meals
MONDAY SKILLET CHICKEN POT PIE Prep 15 Min | Total 45 Min Serves: 6
As we bid adieu to warm weather, take comfort in the fact it’s the perfect season for pot pies! We use a store-bought pie crust for this weeknight version. 3 tbsp butter
3 leeks, (white and pale green parts only) halved and thinly sliced (3 cups)
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
450 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks 1 large potato, cut into 1/2-in. cubes (2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust, thawed
3 cups frozen peas and carrots 1. Preheat oven to 425F. 2. Melt butter in a 9-in. ovensafe frying pan over medium. Add leeks and thyme, cooking until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually stir in broth. Add chicken, potato, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium, stirring, 10 minutes.
3. Roll pie crust into a 11-in. circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut a few steam vents in centre. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
4. Add vegetables to pan. Continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and potatoes are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Place pastry over filling. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
ONE-PAN MUSHROOM GRATIN WITH WHITE BEANS Prep 15 Min | Total 45 Min Serves: 4
When making this one-skillet gratin, resist the urge to move the mushrooms too much. Contact with the pan helps them brown and build flavour. 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 2 227-g pkg cremini mushrooms, quartered (6 cups) 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
3 cups canned white beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cans)
4 cups chopped Swiss chard 1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, (optional)
2 tbsp chopped parsley 1. Preheat oven to 425F. 2. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until they start to brown, 9 minutes. Reduce to medium and add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add broth, stirring up brown bits from pan bottom. Add beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer about 8 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.
3. Combine panko, Parmesan, parsley and remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over bean mixture. Bake until top is golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
WEDNESDAY ONE-POT LAMB BOLOGNESE Prep 10 Min | Total 45 Min Serves: 6
We let the ground lamb and tomatoes do most of the heavy lifting in this bolognese, opting for only a light seasoning of hot-red-chili flakes and rosemary. 1t bsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 450 g ground lamb
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot-red-chili-flakes 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 1 798-mL can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 cups no-salt-added beef or chicken broth
250 g gemelli (3 1/2 cups)
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Increase heat to high and add lamb. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper flakes and rosemary and cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to mediumlow and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add pasta and return to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
Kitchen tip: Any small pasta will work, but cooking times vary. Simmered in the sauce, pasta may take longer than the time given on the package.
THURSDAY ONE-POT HALIBUT & CHORIZO SOUP Prep 15 Min | Total 40 Min Serves: 6
Loaded with potatoes, kale, halibut and chorizo, this is a hearty soup. If you can’t get your hands on halibut, substitute with another white fish, such as cod or haddock. 1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced dried chorizo sausage
1 medium onion, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 236-mL bottles clam juice 3 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
2 cups mini new potatoes, quartered
4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
450 g halibut, cut into 1-in. pieces
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add chorizo and cook until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes.
2. Add clam juice, broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer 7 minutes. Add kale and cook 2 minutes. Add fish and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Kitchen tip: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving to brighten the flavours.
FRIDAY SKILLET SHRIMP TIKKA MASALA Prep 10 Min | Total 35 Min Serves: 4to6
Don’t feel guilty about using store-bought sauce or quickmade rice to whip up dinner. We like to use tikka masala sauce and Uncle Ben’s Whole-grain Brown rice — which cooks in about 20 minutes — to cut down on prep time. 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1 400-mL jar tikka masala sauce, such as Patak’s Original
1 red bell pepper, chopped (2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup water
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups baby spinach
450 g large frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft, 4 minutes. Stir in rice, tikka masala, bell pepper, salt, pepper and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until rice is almost cooked, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in peas, spinach and shrimp. Cover and continue to cook until shrimp turn pink and rice is cooked, 5 to 6 minutes.
DESSERT DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE BROWNIE COOKIE Prep 15 Min | Total 45 Min Makes: 26 Cookies
Close out the work week with an easy, hall-of-fame-worthy dessert. 2 eggs, at room temperature 2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder Flaked sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high until tripled in volume, 10 to 12 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.
3. Melt both chocolates and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over 1 in. of simmering water in a large pot, stirring until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.
5. Gently fold one-third of egg mixture into the chocolate until no streaks remain. Fold in remaining egg mixture. Sift flour mixture over chocolate and gently fold until smooth.
6. Scoop 1-tbsp portions onto prepared sheets, spaced 1 in. apart. Bake until cookies are puffy and cracked on top, 9 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.