One-dish meals mean good food, less mess

Time.

That's what you don't have much of this busy season of the year. Including not much time to cook. Here's an idea: Prepare hearty, easy, one-dish meals.

And make enough for leftovers, so you get two meals out of one cooking session.

Fast black-bean chili

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes, undrained

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained

1/4 cup canned chopped green chilies

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, carrot and bell pepper. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, undrained tomatoes, black beans, canned chilies, water, orange juice and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.

Per serving: calories 295; protein 15 grams; fat 6 grams; carbohydrates 48 grams; sodium 1205 milligrams; saturated fat 2 grams; monounsaturated fat 3 grams; polyunsaturated fat 1 gram; cholesterol 5 milligrams. (Adapted from "Creative Mexican Cooking" by Susan E. Mitchell)

Chicken tamale pie

Makes 6-8 servings

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 (14 1/2 -ounce) peeled and diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained well

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1 skinned and boned roasted chicken breast, diced in 1/2 -inch cubes

optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

vegetable cooking spray

1 (8 1/2 -ounce) box corn-bread mix

1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. (If too dry, add a couple tablespoons of the juice from the tomatoes.) Add the tomatoes with the juice, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin and cayenne. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the corn, chicken and cilantro if using; simmer 5 minutes. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray; spoon the filling into the pan. Whisk together the corn-bread mix, milk and egg. Spoon on top of the filling. (The corn-bread topping will not completely cover the filling.) Bake in a 350-degree oven 20 minutes. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

Per serving (for 8 servings): calories 238; protein 16 grams; fat 4 grams; carbohydrates 36 grams; sodium 739 milligrams; saturated fat 1 gram; monounsaturated fat 2 grams; polyunsaturated fat 1 gram; cholesterol 50 milligrams. (From "Cooking from the Cupboard" by Jeanne Jones)

Red clam spaghetti

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1-2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 (28-ounce) jar tomato-basil sauce (see note)

2 (3 3/4 -ounce) cans smoked clams, drained

3/4 pound spaghetti

1/3 cup pasta cooking water

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and basil; saute 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the drained smoked clams and hold the sauce on low heat. When the pot of water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti and time according to package directions. Remove 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and add to the sauce. Drain the pasta and put back into the hot pan. Toss with the sauce, several grindings of black pepper, parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Note: Classico tomato-basil sauce was used in this recipe.

Per serving: calories 690; protein 28 grams; fat 20 grams; carbohydrates 108 grams; sodium 1213 milligrams; saturated fat 3 grams; monounsaturated fat 11 grams; polyunsaturated fat 4 grams; cholesterol 32 milligrams. (Adapted from "Monday to Friday Pasta" by Michele Urvater)