3 healthy one-pot meals for lazy winter days

There are times when laziness takes over our will to cook. And, to calm those hungry grunts of your stomach, you eat a 2-minute noodle for dinner and call it a night! It feels comforting at the moment but we miss out on providing nutrition to our bodies and wake up with an angry stomach. With winter, comes the overpowering feeling of not leaving your bed and blanket.

We have been there too, trying hard to get over the winter blues. So, on days when you don’t want to make a big fuss over dinner, you can turn to these simple one-pot meals. The prep work for them is minimal and they are super easy to get on to the dinner table!

1. Pan-fried rosemary fish fillet

To start with, we have the star of this segment, a pan fried basa fish fillet. This dish is loaded up with protein and leaves you satiated for longer! This one pot meal can be your saviour for days when it feels like too much work to even turn on the stove and you don’t want to order in food.

Ingredients:

4 x 200g skinless basa fish fillets
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup orange juice
1 inch pc chopped ginger
2 tsp cornflour
2 Rosemary twigs, fresh or dried
2 tbsp Hot sauce
½ tsp ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pat dry the fish fillet and season it with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Spread corn flour mix on a plate and fold the fish in it.
4. Place the fish in the pan and cook for 3 minutes each side or until browned.
5. Once done, move the fish to the side of the pan
6. Add more oil if needed, and infuse rosemary twigs into it.
7. Add chopped garlic and ginger and sweat it.
8. In a bowl mix, hot sauce and orange juice.
9. Add the mix into the pan and sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste
10. Cook until the sauce thickens
11. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot
    

    2. Creamy mushroom pasta

The second up in the list is a one-pot mushroom pasta. It makes for a perfect dinner for busy nights and gives that delectable umami flavour. Mushrooms are a great source of Selenium. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants and protein too. While moderate amounts of cheese can give your body the much-needed calcium, fat, and protein. So, wear your aprons and let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1. Whole wheat spaghetti or any pasta of your choice
2. 4 cloves garlic
3. 10 pc Button mushrooms
4. 1 cup Mozzarella and cheddar cheese mix
5. ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
6. ½ tsp Salt
7. 2 tbsp Butter
8. 1 tsp Olive oil

Preparation:

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, fill it with water
2. Add a tsp of olive oil and half tsp of salt to the water
3. Add Pasta of your choice and let it cook al dente.
4. Once done, keep the pasta aside.
5. Heat the pan and add butter.
6. Crush the garlic cloves and add to the pan.
7. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have softened.
8. When the mushroom releases water and their edges start to brown, add some cheese mix to the pan.
9. Stir occasionally and add the cooked pasta to the mix.
10. Sprinkle some oregano over the dish. Mix well.
11. If you’re feeling a little extra, top it up with roasted chicken chunks or salami. Serve hot!

And don’t forget to make a little garlic bread to serve on the side.

3. Lemon garlic shrimp rice

The third dish is low on effort but high on taste and nutrients. Shrimps are not only a good source of protein but also, selenium, choline, and vitamin B12. It is the perfect one pot meal for a date night dinner or new year celebration! It is a little fancy and you need to fetch these ingredients first. But trust us, cooking it will be a cakewalk for you!

Ingredients:

1. 20 pc medium peeled shrimps
2. 1 fresh lemon
3. 4 cloves garlic
4. 2 Tbsp butter
5. 1.5 cups long grain white rice
6. 2 ½ cups water
7. 3 tsp peri peri seasoning mix

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Preparation:

1. Juice half a lemon on to the shrimp and sprinkle 1 tsp peri peri seasoning on it before beginning. Slice the other half and keep it aside.
2. Take a skillet, add butter and saute minced garlic over medium heat.
3. Add the rice to the skillet and add 2 tsp of peri peri seasoning to the rice.
4. Quickly add water to the skillet and drop the sliced lemon into it.
5. Add salt to taste and stir to combine.
6. Put the lid on the skillet and let the rice cook partially for 10 mins.
7. After 10 minutes, lift the lid carefully and scatter the shrimp and chopped coriander all over the rice.
8. Replace the lid and cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and combine the cooked shrimp into the rice.
10. Garnish with extra chopped coriander and serve hot with fresh yogurt or any dipping sauce of your choice.

These meals take less ingredients to put together in the simplest way. They will give you the excuse to be dolefully lazy after a long day at work plus the nutrition. Well, meals are meant to be shared, so invite your friends over and savour them.