Ah, the mysteries of Marrakesh. They’re wafting from a fragrant tajine of Moroccan lamb and vegetables with couscous. The night before you were immersed in a big bowl of Japanese udon soup swimming with shiitake mushrooms. On Tuesday it was mangia, mangia as you wrapped your arms around an enormous bowl of pasta with chicken, dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and melting strings of smoky mozzarella.
What will it be tomorrow? Singapore chili shrimp over jasmine rice? Or perhaps a dynamite bowl of Southwestern black bean chili.
What’s going on here? Have you joined a gourmet dining club? Hired a private chef? Or have you, along with chefs, cookbook authors and foodies, discovered–or rediscovered–the delights of bowl cuisine?
One-dish cookery is old as the first Neolithic clay cooking vessels that were used to prepare gruels of grains and, later perhaps, stews of legumes, vegetables and meat. Over the centuries, one-pot cookery has contributed classic dishes to the world’s cuisines.
What is new is the variety of ingredients, flavors and preparation methods being used to redefine one-dish meals in Chicago and around the country.
Matt McMillin, executive chef of Big Bowl restaurants in Chicago, has several names for it: “Encompassing entrees, all-in-one meals, bountiful bowls–but basically it’s a food philosophy that embraces variety, convenience, economy and really fresh food.”
McMillin’s simple but sumptuous stir-fry of Singapore chili shrimp is his most popular menu special.
Bowl cuisine fits in as part of the movement to more casual dining in U.S. restaurants. And chefs are using all kinds of bowls, from colorful pasta bowls to glazed, oval bowls and even oversized coffee cups. The possibilities for perking up the presentation of one-dish meals are endless.
The trend also has found its way into a number of cookbooks recently, including “One Bowl: One-Dish Meals from Around the World,” by Kelly McCune. (See list on this page.)
Today’s bowl cuisine embraces a wide variety of cooking methods both slow and fast.
Braising, baking and stewing are cooking techniques that permit the cook, once the preparation is done, to leave the kitchen while the dish tends itself.
Sauteeing and stir-frying are cooking techniques that require a few minutes’ attention but a quick reward in the form of a complete meal.
Jack Daniel Jones, chef-owner of Daniel J’s restaurant in Chicago, says that quick one-dish meals are the answer to a busy cook’s prayers.
“It’s a way to cook that’s simple, clean, quick and easy. At the same time you can come up with complex dishes and a variety of ingredients. It’s also fun. You can change recipes, adjust them to suit your taste and what you find at the market.”
His recipe for penne with chicken, smoked mozzarella, dried tomatoes and spinach uses one pot, one skillet and is mixed and served in one bowl.
Henry Adaniya, owner of Trio restaurant in Evanston, and partner in M Cafe in the Museum of Contemporary Art, adds that one-dish meals can be both “substantial and very healthful too.”
He cites the huge bowl of Japanese udon soup on the menu of M Cafe that is cooked without fat. “It’s a wonderful dish to cook–and a wonderful dish to eat. It’s my favorite lunch,” he says.
Bowl cuisine: It’s economical, convenient, delicious. It can be comforting or exotic. It can be family fare or the centerpiece of a feast. It can be cooked fast or slow. It can be filling and low fat. Most of all, it can be fun.
DANIEL J’S PENNE WITH CHICKEN, SMOKED MOZZARELLA, DRIED TOMATOES AND SPINACH
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour or overnight
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Chef Jack Daniel Jones marinates chicken breasts, then grills them over hardwood before combining them with sauce ingredients. You can skip the grilling, but the longer the chicken marinates, the more intense the flavor. Chef’s tip: Scoop out a cup of pasta cooking water before draining pasta, to use for moistening sauced pasta if needed. And to preheat serving bowl, drain pasta water through colander into the serving bowl.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
Marinade, recipe follows
1 pound penne or other tubular pasta
2 tablespoons each: extra-virgin olive oil, minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 pounds fresh ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, chopped, or a 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
12 oil-packed dried tomato halves, patted dry, julienned
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 bag (1 pound) spinach
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, diced
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes, optional
1. Toss chicken with marinade in a non-aluminum bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over high heat in a 12-inch non-stick skillet. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add shallots; cook 30 seconds. Add garlic and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add white wine to pan; stir, scraping bottom to loosen caramelized bits. Add tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Add dried tomatoes and chicken broth. Lower heat, simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, stirring just until wilted.
4. Drain pasta; place in large serving bowl. Add chicken mixture and mozzarella. Toss until cheese begins to melt. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
Marinade: Combine in a non-reactive bowl 2 tablespoons each extra-virgin olive oil and chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh chives, fresh thyme and red onion, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and salt and ground pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……. 495 Fat ………… 16 g Cholesterol .. 70 mg
Sodium …… 315 mg Carbohydrates .. 49 g Protein ……. 38 g
BLACK BEAN CHILI CON CARNE
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
This chili is adapted from “One Bowl: One-Dish Meals from Around the World,” by Kelly McCune.
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds boneless beef roast, sliced into thin 2-inch strips
1/2 pound ground pork
Salt to taste
1/4 cup ground mild red chilies or chili powder, or more to taste
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch julienne strips
2 ribs celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch julienne strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch julienne strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cans (1 pound each) crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 cups cooked black beans or 3 cans (15 ounces each), drained
Sour cream, chopped onion, grated cheese, chopped avocado, for garnish
Cilantro pesto, optional,see recipe
1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef in 2 batches until no longer pink; drain fat between batches. Brown pork in same skillet. Drain fat and return beef to skillet with pork. Cook until meat begins to turn crisp. Season with salt and chilies. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; add meat to onion mixture. Heat skillet the meat was cooked in over medium-high heat; pour in wine. Scrape bottom of skillet to remove caramelized pieces; cook 1 minute. Pour in pot with meat.
3. Add tomatoes, water, molasses, sage and cumin to pot. Simmer, covered, until meat is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add black beans. Cook 15 minutes longer. Serve with sour cream, chopped onion, grated cheese, chopped avocado and cilantro pesto.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ….. 490 Fat ………… 21 g Cholesterol .. 85 mg
Sodium ….. 245 mg Carbohydrates .. 40 g Protein ……. 37 g
BIG BOWL’S SINGAPORE CHILI SHRIMP AND RICE
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Matthew McMillin, executive chef of Big Bowl restaurants, recommends using flavorful jasmine rice, sold at Asian markets, natural-food stores and some supermarkets. Any brand of chili paste will work here.
For Singapore chili sauce:
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger
1 1/2pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, chopped, or a 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons each: Japanese soy sauce, prepared chili paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
For shrimp:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
10 large fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied
1 tablespoon each: minced ginger, minced garlic
1 1/4 cups cooked jasmine or long grain rice
3 slices baby bok choy, blanched, drained
2 cilantro sprigs
8 drops sesame oil
1 lime wedge
1. For sauce, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger; cook 20 seconds. Add tomatoes; heat to a simmer. Cook sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, soy sauce, chili paste and salt. Cook to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside. (Refrigerate excess sauce for other uses.)
2. For shrimp, heat peanut oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp; cook 20 seconds. Add ginger and garlic; cook 15 to 20 seconds. Add 3/4 cup of chili sauce; simmer until shrimp are just cooked, about 2 1/2 minutes.
3. Pour shrimp mixture over cooked rice in large serving bowl. Garnish with bok choy, cilantro sprigs, sesame oil and lime wedge.
Nutrition information with 2 tablespoons sauce:
Calories ….. 360 Fat ………… 11 g Cholesterol .. 60 mg
Sodium …. 790 mg Carbohydrates .. 54 g Protein ……. 12 g
M CAFE JAPANESE UDON SOUP
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Soaking time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Chef Joe Decero at M Cafe, Museum of Contemporary Art, cooks up dozens of bowls of this filling, low-fat soup every week. For variations he suggests substituting 1 cup sliced domestic mushrooms and adding any of the following: sauteed shrimp; cubed, extra-firm tofu (bean curd); or cooked lump crab meat. Dashi and other Japanese ingredients are sold at Asian markets, health-food stores and in some supermarkets.
8 to 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked 1/2 hour in boiling water, drained
8 cups water
1/4 cup dashi powder (Japanese fish stock base)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 quarts lightly salted water
1 package (10 to 12 ounces) Japanese udon noodles
1/2 Napa cabbage, julienned (about 3/4 cup)
1 bunch green onions, trimmed, julienned
1/4 pound each: fresh snow pea pods, julienned; fresh bean sprouts Seven-spice chili pepper (shichimi-togarashi), optional
1. Remove all sand from mushrooms; discard stems. Slice caps very thin.
2. Heat water, dashi powder, soy sauce, mirin and mushrooms to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 20 minutes.
3. Heat salted water to a boil in large pot. Add noodles. Cook until just al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
4. Combine cabbage, onions, pea pods and bean sprouts in large bowl. Divide cabbage mixture among 6 large bowls. Ladle hot broth into bowls. Serve with dash of seven-spice chili pepper over noodles, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories. ….. 185 Fat …………. 1 g Cholesterol .. 0 mg
Sodium … 1,895 mg Carbohydrates .. 39 g Protein ……. 6 g
CILANTRO PESTO
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 2 cups
3 bunches fresh cilantro
6 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sour cream
Salt to taste
Put cilantro, garlic and lime juice in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until garlic and cilantro are finely minced. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until well incorporated. Scrape pesto into bowl; stir in sour cream. Add salt to taste. Cover; refrigerate.
Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:
Calories ….. 85 Fat ………… 9 g Cholesterol .. 5 mg
Sodium ….. 8 mg Carbohydrates .. 1 g Protein ……. 1 g
BOWL THEM OVER
Large flat-rimmed soup bowls and deep cereal bowls are pretty and practical for individual servings of one-dish meals. And every household needs a big shallow pasta bowl (at least 2-quart capacity) for saucing and serving main-dish pasta. Bowls come in every color of the rainbow and every material, from glass to China to enameled tin, and earthen and stoneware. They can be mass-produced or painstakingly hand-thrown and glazed by artisans. The possibilities for perking up the presentation of one-dish meals are endless. Just make sure the bowl you choose has a liquid capacity of 8, preferably 12 ounces.
– Clearly wonderful: Clear glass bowls, plain or tinted, are wonderful for soups with a clear broth base that are swimming with noodles, vegetables and other bright ingredients.
– Shift shapes: Round is not the only shape for a bowl. Ladle one-dish meals into matched oval vegetable serving dishes or gratins, contemporary square china bowls, or rectangular china dishes often found at Japanese markets.
– World bowls: Scout Asian and other ethnic specialty markets for tableware of glazed stoneware and clay, china and glass to bring a new dimension to dinner.
– Old bowls: Scour antique shops and yard sales for appealing one-of-a-kind oldies. Who says bowls must match?
BOUNTIFUL BOOKS FOR ONE-BOWL COOKING
While most cookbooks have a selection of one-dish recipes, the following recent cookbooks are dedicated to one-bowl main dishes.
“Cooking Under Cover: One-Pot Wonders, a Treasury of Soups, Stews, Braises & Casseroles,” by Linda & Fred Griffith (Chapters, 1996)
“Great Taste Low Fat: Hearty Soups & Stews,” (Time Life, 1996)
“Italian Classics in One Pot,” by Anna Teresa Callen, (HarperCollins, 1997)
“One Bowl: One-Dish Meals from Around the World,” by Kelly McCune (Chronicle, 1996)
“Trim & Terrific One-Dish Favorites,” by Holly Clegg (Clarkson Potter, 1997)
“One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes,”by Amy Cotler (HarperCollins, 1996)
“Skinny One-Pot Meals,” by Ruth Glick (Surrey, 1994)
“Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library: Stews,” by Lora Brody (Time Life, 1995)
“365 Great Soups & Stews,” by Georgia Chan Downard and Jean Galton (HarperCollins, 1996)
