Delaney Mes: One-dish wonders (+recipes)

Herald on Sunday·

2 May, 2015 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Fish stew by Delaney Mes. Photo / Doug Sherring

Ditch the dishes and create meals that go straight from oven to table.

Despite my love of cooking, I get sick of dishes. I know it's whinging, but my laziness sometimes leads to creativity. If I can get dinner done in one dish, with maybe just the help of a chopping board and a knife, then I am one happy lady. That was the inspiration for this week's column - my lazy approach to dishes.

I have been building my collection of roasting trays and dishes that can go from the oven to the table, too.

I draw the line though at everyone just getting at the dish with their forks. I'm happy for the dishes to extend to plates and bowls.

I feel I'm always harping on about it, but I love meals that work equally well as leftovers for lunch. These recipes all do this well but you'll need a microwave and a well-sealed container for the fish hot pot. I don't want to send you all off to work with a tub of fish stew only to have it leak all over the bus or your car.

I've also been thinking about nourishing meals that make you feel good. The eggplant salad is a good example. It is nice and filling, has good flavour from the herbs and plenty of crunch from the nuts and seeds.

It makes a great side dish to fish or haloumi, but is an equally comforting vegetarian dinner on its own.

I'm looking forward to making plenty of soups this winter and the fish hot pot is just like a chunky soup.

The beans are a healthy way to fill you up, and it's an easy way to cook fish if you're a bit unsure about the correct method. It's pretty simple, and if you've got hunter-gatherer friends to provide you with it fresh, all the better.

It's hard to go past a classic spaghetti and meatballs. I usually make mine with a mixture of beef and pork mince, but I've found venison mince works equally as well.

Again, just stir the sauce through the spaghetti at the end and dinner is straight from the oven to the table. Just don't forget the herbs and the parmesan.