One-Dish Winter Meals With Georgia Pecans

ATLANTA -- More than any other season, winter can make the act of cooking a meal nearly as satisfying as eating it. For when it's fiercely cold and interminably dark outside, what better place is there to be than in a warm bright kitchen, one scented with the aroma of good things to come-like a fresh-baked casserole, simmering stew or other hearty one-dish meals. These simple, unpretentious foods provide toasty, savory comfort from the elements.

All that's required to turn your kitchen into a cozy haven-and turn your cooking into one-dish wonders-is a well-stocked pantry. Keep inspiration close at hand by filling your winter pantry amply with long-lasting staples such as root vegetables, beans, pasta, dried fruits and nuts, such as fresh pecans. Pecans will keep for more than a year if stored properly and can be used in everything from salads and breads to gratins, stews and main dishes. Winter appetites demand richer, more substantial dishes and adding pecans is an easy way to achieve that.

The pecan supply is fresh and abundant during the winter months, a result of the Georgia pecan harvest that continues into December. According to Buddy Leger, chairman of the Georgia Pecan Commission, this year's Georgia pecan harvest is estimated at 115 million pounds, so there'll be plenty around to use in cold weather recipes.

Since so much of winter cooking and eating is communal, one-dish meals-incorporating meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, grains and crunchy pecans-are an ideal choice. Whether it be for the numerous winter holidays and sports gatherings that occur during this season or simply because the frosty temperatures keep us locked indoors eager for company, we need foods that can easily feed a crowd.

One-dish recipes answer the need for volume and convenience. But cooks looking for one-dish choices are not limited to ho-hum classic casseroles. There are recipes for vegetable tortes, savory tarts, and hearty winter salads that also fit the bill. A bit more sophisticated and better-looking than the homely casserole, one-dish tarts and salads can also be tailored to robust winter appetites by incorporating rich ingredients like cheese, Georgia pecans and hearty grains.

Stews are another perennial one-dish winter favorite. These days there are endless variations on the stewpot theme for cooks to indulge in, from traditional meat-and-potato mixtures to more lighter, exotic combinations of fish, vegetables and full-flavored spices. Cooks can achieve interesting textures in stews simply by stirring a handful of pecan halves into the pot just before serving. That handful, meanwhile, adds more than an interesting crunch to a dish. According to a study published in the March 2000 edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a handful of all natural pecans, just a 3/4 cup a day, may help protect against heart disease by lowering the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Likewise, one-dish vegetable casseroles get a boost of flavor, crunch and healthy protein from pecans, making it possible to turn a mere side dish into a vegetarian meal just by adding one ingredient. Pecans are also an instant source of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and good-for-you unsaturated fat in meatless recipes. Plus they contain the antioxidant Vitamin E, thought to reduce the risk of cancer, and magnesium and copper which are thought to help prevent coronary heart disease. With a steady supply of Georgia pecans, cooks can work less to make more what of everyone needs this season-the comfort of a delicious, healthy homemade meal.