Cast Iron recipes have become popular as cast iron utensils help in retaining the heat. The cast-iron pan needs to be properly seasoned before use. If seasoned well, the food will not stick to the surface. Many households are replacing nonstick cookware with Cast Iron utensils as there is no corrosion like the nonstick cookware. Even if some iron leaches in our food while cooking, it is not unhealthy compared to a nonstick pot or pan. Since the cast iron pots and pans are quite heavy, the food doesn’t get burnt. Another benefit is that cast iron pans are oven-friendly and you can use them to cook bake as well. Here are some recipes which will help in showing how to cook some dishes on the hob and then transfer it to the oven to complete the dish.
Table of Contents
Recipe – 1 Skillet Frittata
Ingredients
- Eggs – 6
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Mixed Bell peppers finely chopped – 3/4th cup
- White onion chopped – 1/2
- Chicken salami chopped – 6
- Cheddar cheese grated – 3/4th cup
- Salt to taste
- Black peppercorns freshly crushed
- Basil for garnish – 5 to 6
Method
- Heat a cast iron skillet.
- Add olive oil. Add onion and saute till translucent.
- Add mixed bell peppers. Saute.
- Add chicken salami, salt and pepper.
- Break eggs in places you see cavities.
- Top it with grated cheese and transfer the skillet in a preheated oven.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or till eggs are cooked and cheese melts.
- Garnish with roughly chopped basil.
Serving Suggestion
- Serve it for breakfast.
- This can also be made ahead breakfast for your jiffy mornings.
- As children love mozzarella cheese, the frittata can be topped with it and baked.
- Chicken salami can be replaced with chicken ham or sausages.
- Oven has to be preheated at 180 degrees centigrade for 10 minutes.
- You may use brown or white eggs.
- Dried oregano seasoning can also be used for more flavour.
Recipe – 2 Skillet Veggies in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- Mustard greens – ½ cup
- Feta cheese – 50 g
- tomato blanched and pureed – 4 large
- carrot and peas blanched – ½ cup each
- Cayenne pepper – 1 tsp, salt to taste
- Butter – 40 g, Oregano dried – 1.5 tsp
- Garlic onion powder – 1 tsp each
- Cream – 1/4th cup
Method
- Heat a cast iron pan. Put butter and tomato puree. Cook the tomato puree in it.
- Add salt, cayenne pepper, garlic onion powder, oregano and cook till it leaves the oil from the sides.
- Add a cup of warm water. Give it one boil.
- Add the veggies and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
- Add fresh cream, mix.
- Top it with crumbled feta cheese and the mustard greens while serving.
Serving Suggestion
- Cream is optional and can be avoided completely by weight watchers.
- Fresh salad along with dinner rolls and this dish would complete the meal.
- Butter used is unsalted.
- Use freshly crushed black pepper for fresh flavours.
- For blanching veggies, first boil the water with salt and a pinch of sugar.
- This will retain the color of the dish.
- More veggies like blanched broccoli or mushroom can also be added or replaced.
Recipe – 3 Chicken Curry Cooked in Cast Iron
Ingredients
- Chicken boneless – 500 g
- Broccoli florets blanched – 5 to 6
- Fresh coriander – 1 sprig
- Lemon – cut into 4
- Tomato blanched and pureed – 6
- Almond paste – ½ cup
- salt – to taste
- Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
- Kashmiri red chilly powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
- Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
- Dried fenugreek leaves powder – ½ tbsp
- Fresh cream – ¼ th cup
- Refined oil – ½ tbsp
- Butter – 30 g
Method
- Boil chicken in a cooker with ½ a cup of water and salt.
- Heat a cast-iron pan.
- Add oil and butter and cook the pureed tomatoes in it till it leaves the sides.
- Add salt, both the chilly powders and coriander powder. Saute.
- Add a cup of water. Add almond paste. Stir well so that no lumps are formed.
- Add boiled chicken pieces and give it a boil. Add more water if required.
- Now add the garam masala powder and the fenugreek powder.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and add cream. Stir.
- Garnish with broccoli florets and lemon pieces.
- Serve hot.
Serving Suggestion
- This dish would taste good with a crusty naan on the side.
- You may also serve the chicken curry with sultana rice.
- To make almond paste, soak the almonds in warm water for 2 to 3 hours and grind it to a smooth paste after peeling.
- If you do not wish to peel the almonds, you may grind them with the peel on.
- The beauty of a cast iron pot is you can cook and serve in the same dish.
- Kashmiri chilli powder is used to give a nice color to the dish.
Recipe – 4 Grilled Chicken in Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- Chicken breast boneless fillet – 4
- Salt, black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper – 1 to 2 tsp
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Fresh thyme – few sprigs
- Baby carrots – 5 to 6
- Garlic pods whole – 5 to 6
- Red onion thickly sliced – 1 medium
- Baby potatoes – 5 to 6
Method
- Heat up a cast iron pan and pour in half the olive oil.
- Meanwhile season the chicken with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Slide the chicken into the cast iron pan and brown them from both sides.
- Throw in the carrots, potatoes and red onions.
- Season these with some salt and pepper.
- Scatter the garlic pods and some of the thyme. Drizzle left over oil on the top.
- Transfer it into a preheated oven and grill for approx 20 minutes at 200 degrees Centigrade or till the veggies and chicken are done.
Serving Suggestion
- Serve with bread of your choice.
- For more carbs, potatoes can be increased.
- It can be served as one pot meal as it is complete in itself.
- Make this special dish for Christmas eve.
- Grilled chicken in a cast iron pan can also be made occasionally for everyday dinners.
- Do not use Pomace olive oil.
- Either cooking olive oil or virgin olive oil can be used.
- Canola oil can also be used for this recipe.
As you can see different ways of cooking in the cast iron pan. Try to buy a pre-seasoned cast iron pot or pan for cooking. To season the cast iron utensils at home, wash the new cast iron pot with soap and hot water. Smear a layer of vegetable oil and heat the pan for some time. About 10 to 15 minutes should be good. This process needs to be repeated for the initial few days when your cast iron pot is new. This will increase the longevity of the pot and also make your cast iron utensil, nonstick. Make it a practice to immediately dry the utensil to avoid rusting. Always apply a thin coating of oil when washed.
Small cast iron pans can be used to serve brownies with ice cream. Just heat up the cast iron skillet and heat up a brownie slice on it. Top it with ice cream and serve immediately.
Are you using a cast iron skillet in your kitchen? What has your experience been like?
