One-pot Winter Wonders

Want to make an easy meal for your family? Ana Frias, the Latina blogger behind the great website, Fit, Fun & Delish, has created three meals that are sure to keep everyone warm and happy this winter. The best part is that they only require one pot!

Sopa
Perfect for chilly nights, this comfort food recipe is a traditional Mexican soup that Frias often cooks up for her family. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil

• 7-ounce package of Mexican pasta. Shells, alphabet, or fideo (or vermicelli noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• A dash of kosher salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
• A dash of black pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Instructions:

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the pasta until slightly browned. About 5 minutes.
2. Add the onions and sauté for another 1-2 minutes until soft.
3. Add the broth, tomato sauce, beef bouillon, cilantro, pepper and salt.
4. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low; simmer until the noodles are tender, about 15 minutes.

Sloppy Joes
Although Frias likes to cook many dishes that honor her Mexican heritage, she serves this delicioso American classic to her family using lean ground beef and low-sugar ketchup. By adding a side of salad, she’s modified this one-pot dish into a healthy meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, 96% lean
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef.
2. When the beef is halfway cooked, add the celery, pepper and onion.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well (this is an optional step).
4. When the beef is cooked all the way through, drain the juices, if any (I usually let it cook until all of the juice is gone. Since the meat is so lean it won’t have much fat juice to drain).
5. Add the liquid mixture and simmer covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Cook until the meat has a consistency you like for serving on toasted buns.

Cochinita Pibil
Give the cheese and sour cream a break and head to southern Mexico for inspiration. In the Yucatan, you will find recipes for a savory, slowly roasted pork.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of boneless pork loin roast cubed into beef stew size (fat trimmed off)
• 3.5 ounces achiote (annato condiment found in the Hispanic section of grocery stores)
• 1 coke or 1 beer (“I use beer on mine,” says Frias)
• 1 cube of beef bouillon
• Add salt and pepper to taste if needed

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in pot.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours or until the meat is very soft and pulls apart easily with a fork. Make sure to keep stirring so that it doesn’t get stuck at the bottom and the achiote dissolves all the way.
3. Shred meat. Add it back to the pot and cook for a little while longer. Add a little water if necessary to keep the meat juicy.
4. Heat the corn tortillas and enjoy!