food & dining
One-Dish Winter Dinners
Keri White
his time of year calls for hearty, warming comfort
meals, which often involve slabs of meat braised
in gravy, stew-style. This can be wonderful but also
heavy. As more of us attempt to limit meat intake for
health, environmental, ethical or other reasons,
those recipes are more like special occasion meals.

But we still need sustenance through winter, and
these recipes can provide it. Both are simple and
straightforward but also quite adaptable.

The chicken braise could also integrate veggies.

Carrots? Cabbage? Greens? Squash? Yes, yes, yes,
yes. And if you are not feeling rice, swap it out for
barley, couscous or noodles. Ditto the lasagna
— not a fan of Swiss chard? Drop it and use
spinach. Or zucchini. Or eggplant. Or a mélange of
whatever veggies you have on hand.

The point is these are hearty, tasty and, while not
especially low cal/low fat, they are lighter than a slab
of pot roast or a bowl of beef stew!
Lasagna with Greens
Serves 4 generously
Using fresh lasagna sheets saves a step — no boiling
of the noodles — which also saves on washing that
extra pot and probably a colander. If you prefer to use
traditional noodles or no-boil dry noodles, do so; just
be sure to follow the directions on the respective pack-
ages to ensure the right texture and cooking times.

1 package fresh lasagna sheets cut to fi t your
pan (you may not need to use them all)
½ pound ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Generous sprinkling of salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 cups good-quality marinara sauce
2 cups cooked Swiss chard
(see recipe below)
In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, oregano,
garlic, salt and pepper.

Coat the bottom of a square baking dish with
marinara sauce and place a lasagna sheet in the
pan. (If it doesn’t cover the bottom, cut additional
pieces to reach the edges in a single layer.) Spoon
the ricotta cheese mixture on the sheet, then sprin-
kle some mozzarella and some Parmesan. Spoon
on some more sauce. Place another lasagna sheet,
20 FEBRUARY 16, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
Photo by Keri White
T Lasagna
then add a layer of greens, and drizzle some more
sauce. Repeat this sequence until you reach the top
of the pan. Cover the top lasagna sheet with sauce
and cheese.

Cover, and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes,
then poke it with a knife to ensure that the lasagna
is soft all the way through. If not, cook it for another
10 minutes and check again. If so, remove the cover,
and cook another 10-15 minutes to allow the cheese
to brown.

Swiss Chard
2 2
¼ ¼
2 bunches Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped
cloves garlic, crushed
teaspoon salt
teaspoon crushed red pepper fl akes
teaspoons oil
Heat the oil in a large skillet with the garlic, salt and
pepper fl akes. Sauté until fragrant. Add the greens
and cook, turning over frequently, until wilted and
soft, about 8 minutes.

Braised Chicken and Rice
Serves 4
I made this for a convalescing relative — it is simple
enough to appeal to timid palates, but it can be
jazzed up with additional veggies or seasonings
according to preference.

1 tablespoon oil
4 bone-in chicken breasts, seasoned well with
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon each thyme and rosemary
6-8 cups broth or water
3 cups white rice
Fresh parsley for garnish
In a large skillet with a cover, heat the oil and sear
the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken from the
skillet and set it aside. Scrape up the brown bits, add
oil if needed, and add the onions, celery, garlic and
seasonings to the skillet. Sauté until softened.

Return the chicken to the skillet, and add broth or
water. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, cover and
simmer for about 60 minutes, or until the chicken is
very tender and falling off the bone.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan,
and set it aside. There should be about 6 cups of liquid
in the pan. If not, add more broth or water.

Add the rice to the pan, stir, bring it to a boil, then lower
the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is nearly done
and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

While the rice cooks, remove the chicken from the
bones. Return the chicken meat to the pan, mix and,
when all the liquid is absorbed, garnish it with fresh
parsley and serve. ■
Keri White is a Philadelphia-based freelance food
writer.