From comforting hotpot to deliciously gooey cookies: five quick one-pot recipes

THE Pinch Of Nom duo are no fools – they know that washing up is the bane of almost every meal.

That is why the smart food bloggers and former restaurateurs have published a book in which everything can be made in one pot, pan or frying pan.

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This way you can enjoy budget-friendly meals without the stress of washing up a mountain afterwards.

Kate and Kay Allinson’s Pinch Of Nom is Britain’s most visited food blog and their books have sold more than 5 million copies.

Kate said: “Our recipes are designed for every level of cooking skill and these latest recipes are particularly suitable for beginners.

“The ultimate goal of eating is to fill your plate with meals that you enjoy cooking and can’t wait to eat.”

We serve five recipes from the book. Read Fabulous magazine tomorrow for even more delicious recipes.

Seasoned beef from the slow cooker with pasta

There’s just something about beef that has been slow-cooked for hours.

For this easy pasta dish, we simmered lean beef cubes in a creamy, peppery sauce until it’s velvety and melts in your mouth.

By using part-skim crème fraîche, we kept it slimming-friendly, without losing the satisfying silkiness of the sauce.

Feel free to raid your cupboard for small pasta shapes like penne or fusilli – any kind will do.

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Serves 4 – 457 calories 50 g carbohydrates per serving

YOU NEED:

• 3.5 liter slow cooker
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• 400 grams of lean beef cubes
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 250 g mushrooms, sliced
• 500 ml beef stock (1 cube of beef stock dissolved in 500 ml boiling water)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water into a paste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 200 g semi-skimmed crème fraîche
• 200 g small pasta shapes, for example penne or fusilli

METHOD:

1. Spray a skillet with low-calorie cooking spray and place over high heat. Add the beef and quickly brown on all sides.
2. Add to the slow cooker pot along with the onion and mushrooms. Pour in the hot stock and cornstarch slurry and stir well.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on high for three and a half to four hours, or on low for six to seven hours, until the meat is done. Stir in the black pepper and crème fraîche.
4. Add the pasta and cover again with the lid.
5. If you are cooking on low, set the setting to high.
6. Cook for another 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
7. The pasta should be cooked and the sauce should be thickened. Serve!

Ginger miso beef with noodles

WHO doesn’t love a quick stir-fry?

Even if you let the meat marinate for 15 minutes, this simple noodle dish can be on the table in just over half an hour.

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The steak strips are coated with a salty-sweet mixture of soy sauce, honey and lime juice, with miso paste for a delicious umami taste.

Don’t waste marinade that hasn’t been absorbed by the meat; pour this into the pan along with the meat, noodles and vegetables you want to use.

Serves 2 – 445 calories 50 g carbohydrates per serving

YOU NEED:

• Large, deep frying pan (about 28 cm) or wok with non-stick coating
• 200 g lean steak or sirloin, cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 spring onions, cleaned and sliced
• 100 g snow peas
• 250 g pak choi, cut the white stems into thin slices and coarsely chop the green leaves
• 300 gram pack of straight-to-wok noodles
• For the marinade:
• 2 teaspoons white miso paste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• A 5 cm piece of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• juice of 1 lime
• ½ tbsp liquid honey

METHOD:

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl and add the steak strips. Brush well, cover and let marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Place the wok or large frying pan over high heat and add the sesame oil.
3. Add the spring onions and stir-fry for a minute, then add the steak and any remaining marinade and stir-fry quickly for one to two minutes.
4. Add the snow peas and pak choi and cook for another minute. You want to keep the vegetables crispy and bright.
5. Add the noodles and stir-fry for three to four minutes, until heated through and well combined with the beef and vegetables. Serve.

Sweet potato and feta risotto from the slow cooker

RISOTTO is one of those dishes that are delicious to eat, but a chore to prepare.

Not with this recipe in your hand! There’s no need to stand around and stir when you let your slow cooker do all the hard work for you.

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Once you add the ingredients, you only need to stir once or twice during the 90 minutes it takes to cook.

Don’t worry, even if it takes little effort, you’ll still get big flavors.

It turns out creamy and filling, with the sweetness of the potatoes perfectly balanced by the salty, tangy feta cheese.

Serves 4 – 293 calories 52 g carbohydrates per serving

YOU NEED:

• 3.5 liter slow cooker
• 2 large shallots, peeled and very finely chopped
• 200 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Italian mixed herbs
• 900 ml hot vegetable stock (2 vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 900 ml boiling water)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 200 grams of risotto rice
• 100 g low-fat feta, crumbled
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Place all ingredients, except the feta, in the slow cooker. Turn on high, cover with the lid and cook for 50 minutes. Stir, cover and cook for another 40-50 minutes.
2. When the rice is done, it should be soft and creamy, but still hold its shape.
3. Stir in half the crumbled feta, taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Serve with the remaining feta.

Lancashire hotpot

There’s something about making a dish from your childhood that provides extra comfort, especially on a cold, gray day.

This simple Lancashire stew recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, and the only change we’ve made is that we now remove all the fat from the lamb before cooking it.

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It doesn’t get much more classic than this. . .

Turning hearty, healthy ingredients into a home-cooked meal where the whole family sits together around the table.

Serves 4 – 560 calories 51 g carbohydrates per serving

YOU NEED:

• Deep baking dish (about 26 cm)
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 8 carrots, peeled and diced
• 800g diced lamb, all visible fat removed
• 800 g floury potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 400 ml lamb, chicken, vegetable or beef stock (1 stock cube dissolved in 400 ml boiling water)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Place the onions and carrots in the baking dish, place the diced lamb on top of the vegetables and arrange the potato slices neatly on top. Try to make sure there are no gaps.
2. Pour the stock over the potatoes and season with a little salt and pepper.
3. Cover with foil or the lid of the casserole and let it cook in the oven for about an hour and a half.
4. Test whether the potatoes and lamb are done. If not, leave the dish in the oven (still covered) for a little longer.
5. Remove the lid or foil and cook for a further 40-50 minutes or until the potato is crisp and golden brown, then serve. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Huge cookie from the slow cooker

IMAGINE how wonderful your kitchen will smell while this giant slow cooker cookie is baking.

We packed our quick-to-make cookie dough with lots of chocolate chips, which become wonderfully gooey and melty during baking.

When it’s time to take the lid off, the super-sized cookie should be squid-like and soft, ready to slice and serve warm, with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

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Serves 8 – 293 calories 40 g carbohydrates per serving

YOU NEED:

• 3.5 liter slow cooker
• 120 g low-fat spread, plus a little extra for greasing
• 70 g granulated sugar
• 70 g brown granulated sweetener
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 60 g chocolate chips (we used a mixture of milk, dark and white)
• Matching (optional) 100 g low-calorie vanilla ice cream (163 calories per serving)

METHOD:

1. Grease the pan of a slow cooker with some low-fat spread.
2. Line the bottom of the slow cooker pot with two strips of parchment paper, overlapping in a cross shape. Place the low-fat spread, caster sugar and sweetener in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix again. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until a smooth, sticky dough forms.
3. It will be a lot wetter than a regular roll-up cookie dough, but don’t worry.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scrape the cookie dough into the slow cooker and roughly smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
5. Cover with the lid and let it cook on the highest setting for one and a half to two hours.
6. This is more of a soft cookie than a crisp cookie, so it will be quite soft but not raw when cooked.
7. Serve on its own or with a scoop of ice cream.

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