Glorious One-Pot Meals: A Revolutionary New Quick and Healthy Approach to Dutch-Oven Cooking: A Cookbook

I absolutely love this method of cooking: it is indeed fast, easy, and delicious. I saw one review was from guy who tried it and didn't like the results---but then he was using a pot three times as large as the 2-quart Dutch oven she calls for. Not a fair test.Her recipes are too bland for my taste, but I know how to add spices and seasonings: not a problem. Her recipes do show you how to build a pair of meals in the pot, and once you have the idea, it's extremely easy to improvise, and I have never had a bad result. At first I would sometimes end up with too much liquid in the pot, but it was tasty liquid and I just took the first bowl as a stew, which took care of the extra liquid. I quickly learned by experience how much liquid to add, though occasionally a vegetable will throw me a curve: bok choy seems to be *made* out of water, for example.The idea is simple: measure in the starch and the protein, fill the rest of the pot with vegetables, pour over (say) 2 Tbsp of vinaigrette and 2 Tbsp of wine, cover, and cook for 45 minutes in 450ºF oven---more or less the opposite of slow-cooker cooking. The method encourages and rewards experimentation. One oddity: her recipes seem always to call for 4 servings of rice for two meals. I don't like rice that much, so I go with 2 servings for 2 meals: 1/2 cup converted rice for a 2-quart pot is just right for 2 meals.A friend pointed out that this method is an indoor version of the firepit cooking found in various cultures: a pit dug into coals, the food placed in layers in the pit, then covered with fronds and earth until the heat cooks the food. The hot oven functions as the fire, the covered pot as the pit, and the food cooks quickly.I also got a 3.5-quart pot to try larger meals, and that seems to work well and easily makes 3-4 meals (4 for us). I wouldn't try a larger pot, and the 2-qt pot works quite well for daily cooking.She recommends Le Creuset, but I think the  Staub 2.24 Quart Round Cocotte, Cherry  (available in many colors) is of better design and manufacture and I *know* that the Staub is $40 cheaper and comes with a metal handle (instead of asking for another $10 to get a handle suitable for high temperatures, which is what Le Creuset does).But I actually found the  Texsport Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven without Legs (Gray, 2 Quart) , though not enameled, works extremely well and is only $25. It's easy to keep it seasoned (it's preseasoned) and I've had no trouble doing one-pot meals with tomatoes and vinegar: I assume the short cooking time (45 minutes) makes the difference---I don't think I'd want to simmer something like that for hours.Recently I've been using the  Emile Henry Flame Top 4.2-Quart Round Oven, Red  pot, which I like a lot. To "season" this pot before first use, you simmer some milk in it. Keep the heat low and stir, so the milk does not stick to the bottom and burn.The biggest benefit of this method for me is not so much that it's easy and fast and delicious with only one pot to clean---though all that is true---but rather that I now find it easy to include more vegetables in my meal, much more than I previously ate.

I've tried many techniques/cookbooks in my search for truly healthy, delicious meals that don't dirty up a lot of dishes, involve tons of ingredients, or take forever to prepare. I've tried both the Martha Stewart Quick Cook and What's For Dinner recipes, plus an assortment from books by Robin Miller, Rachael Ray, and the inventors of Dream Dinners. Although I had some success with all of these, I have to say that Elizabeth Yarnell's one-pot infusion method is my favorite. It's fast, it's easy, it requires little clean-up, and the meals taste really good without being the same old, same old mix of vegetables, meats, and grains.A couple of general tips/comments: you don't need to rush out (like I did) and buy a six or seven quart dutch oven. First, decide how many people will eat the meals you prepare and whether or not you want leftovers. If you're cooking for two, you only need a two-ounce dutch oven. If you plan to serve four (and I think most of us fall into this category), you can use a four ounce pot.Second, although Yarnell ends each recipe with a reminder that you can tell the cooking time by waiting three minutes after you first smell the aroma of a fully cooked meal, this is actually pretty difficult to get right. I often smell the meal way before it needs just three minutes more. What's worked for me is simple trial and error. Sometimes the meal takes 45 minutes (less than the recommended time for a pot my size and the amount of portions I'm cooking), and sometimes just 35. It could be that my oven runs hot, and Yarnell does advise testing the temperature of your oven before cooking. But I'm lazy, and I don't feel like doing that. So I pull out the meal when I think it's done, inspect it, and put it back in the oven if I need to. Luckily, none of the recipes are for souffles, so this works fine.Finally, once you've made a few meals, you can mimic the layering technique but experiment with different ingredients. That's one great thing about this method: if you don't like an ingredient in a particular recipe, you can change it, and still end up with a good dish.So far, I've cooked Paste Tricole (a healthy but a bit bland mix of pasta, meat, and spinach); Chicken Marbella (a wonderfully tasty and exotic mix of unexpected ingredients like prunes, olives, and potatoes); Mediterranean Steak (YUM! I did use green beans instead of broccoli, and it worked out great); California Chicken (who knew you could bake avocados and they'd add such depth to the meal?); and Beef with Sherried Mushroom Sauce (you can change around a lot of the ingredients and still end up with a lovely dish reminiscent of a hearty beef stew or stroganoff). In each case, the prep and clean-up took about 15 minutes each, max.This book is definitely a keeper for me. I can't wait to try more recipes and come up with my own.Grade: A

2 recipes in. Veg was way too mushy. Not enough taste. Not sure if I should try another. It looks good but.....

I purchased this as a gift, to compliment the pot that the owner has. I am sure she will find many fun recipes in it. I looked through it and there are definitely many keepers. Arrived on time in excellent condition.

Perfect for use with my cast iron casserole dish, cooking like this does take a bit of getting used to.

need something to do something faster in my cast iron pots, because sometimes time isn't there. Healthy meals, but be careful the pot sure gets hot, get very good oven gloves.

I have used this book on a number of occasions for easy and nourishing meals for my family. They are easy, everyday meals and the mean always turns out tender and juicy. I was given a "Le Creuset" pot for Christmas, which is perfect for the recipes in this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who has little time to prepare and cook a healthy dinner.