An Evening Alone

Most days now I am cooking for two--my boyfriend and myself--but there are still occasions when I eat alone, and therefore must revert back to my days of cooking for one. After two years of experience, I've gotten pretty good at preparing a meal just for myself. And now, because the occasions are rare, it is actually quite fun creating a meal just for me. When I recently had an evening alone, I decided to try out a recipe I had been eager to make: Tofu Saag with Brown Rice, from the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. It may not sound exciting...in fact, it probably sounds odd to many of you...but the description in the book caught my eye and I'd been wanting to make the dish for some time now. The book's recipe makes four servings, so I made a few adjustments to create a meal suitable for one. That is not the only alteration I made... 

I used frozen spinach instead of fresh (because it's winter time and fresh spinach is way more expensive than the frozen stuff). I significantly increased the amount of coconut milk, because I wanted a strong coconut flavor. And when I went to put in a 'dash' of cinnamon, the bottle cap flung open and I ended up with WAY more cinnamon than necessary...an unintentional WOW factor was added to the dish. The extra cinnamon was amazing. I finished the dish off with some sriracha, for a little spice. Obviously an optional addition for those of you with more sensitive palates. 

So here is my solo and slightly altered version of the recipe. Obviously you can double, triple, or quadruple it to make a meal for more people. But sometimes an evening alone is fun. Enjoy!

Tofu Saag with Brown Rice 
Serves 1
Ingredients
-1/4 onion, chopped
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1 cup frozen spinach
-1/4 cup coconut milk
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (depending on how crazy you want to get!)
-pinch of salt
-pinch of ground black pepper
-1/5 block of firm tofu, cubed (about 3/4 cup)
-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
-sriracha!

Directions
1. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, until onion starts to brown
2. Add frozen spinach and sauté until spinach starts to thaw (about 2 minutes)
3. Once thawed, add coconut milk, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well and let simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Add tofu and pepper, and cook until tofu is heated through (about 2 minutes)
5. Serve over brown rice and top with sriracha!

PS--some suggestions for using the leftover coconut milk: 

1. My new favorite snack: 1 cup frozen spinach, 1/4 cup coconut milk, dash of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon raisins or dried currants. Microwave the spinach and milk for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add the cinnamon and raisins. Perfect for your post-lunch munchies!

2. Pina-Colada Oatmeal: 1/2 cup dry quick-cooking oats, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple bits, 1 tablespoon shredded coconut. Combine oats, water, and pineapple. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add coconut milk and shredded coconut. Delish! 

In Need of a Quickie?

The past few weeks were a haze of cold weather, a blizzard, more snow, and harsh winds. After coming home from work the last thing I ever wanted to do was cook. And the only thing I wanted was something warm and comforting to cheer me up. I know, you're thinking the same thing that I did: soup. Clearly the answer. However, many soups take a long time to cook or they have lengthy ingredient lists. I needed a quickie ..a  tasty and satisfying soup that does not take long to make. So, after perusing my shelf of cookbooks and cooking magazines, I found what I was looking for. I know many of you are likewise rushed for time (and patience), but I promise that these two soups are perfect for nights when you just need a quickie...recipe, that is. 

Fennel & Tomato Soup (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Serves 4

Ingredients

-1 fennel bulb, diced 

-3 chicken or vegetarian sausages, thickly sliced

-1 teaspoon fennel seeds

-2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

-3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

-1 x 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, no salt added

-handful of fresh parsley

-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. 

2. Add diced fennel and sauté until starting to brown (about 5 minutes)

3. Add sausage and fennel seeds. Cook another 5 minutes, until sausage starts to brown.

4. Add the vermouth or wine, to deglaze the pan (about 30 seconds), then add the remaining ingredients.

5. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. 

6. Serve hot with some good bread and/or a side salad. 

Curried Carrot Soup (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

Serves 4

Ingredients

-12 medium carrots, grated (6 cups, grated)

-1 red onion, diced

-1 onion, diced

-1 teaspoon curry powder

-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots and onions.

2. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should be tender and start to brown.

3. Stir in curry powder and cook another 30 seconds. 

4. Add 3 1/2 cups of water, bring soup to a simmer, then remove from heat. 

5. Working in batches in a blender, or using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. 

6. Return soup to pot and season with salt, if desired. 

 

Pastelon!

Last year for the Super Bowl I ended up testing out a recipe for work: Pastelon (Sweet Plantain "Lasagna"). The kids in a class that I was teaching wanted to make this traditional Puerto Rican dish and so, it was my job to find a way to make the recipe a bit healthier. My healthy Pastelon was an absolute hit at the Super Bowl party I attended (especially for the gluten-free party goers) and the kids in my class ended up enjoying my healthy modifications. Sure, as we began making the dish, their initial reaction was "this is NOT Pastelon"...but they were very pleasantly surprised by the end result. 

As I contemplated what to make for this evening's Super Bowl game, I decided to abandon creativity and instead remake last year's glorious Pastelon. Brendan had never tried the dish, so it would be a new experience for at least one of us. But despite a quick grocery store run to "get the ingredients", I ended up forgetting a few key components of the dish--this is what happens when you don't bring a shopping list to the store! I forgot the cilantro, green bell pepper, and corn. 

Having committed to making the dish, I succumbed to making even more modifications to the already altered 'healthy' Pastelon. It ended up being a new dish for me as well. And much to my surprise, the end result was even more delicious than last year's version. So here is my take on Pastelon (which proves that what is available in your cupboard is sometimes all that you need to make a good meal!): 

Pastelon (Plantain "Lasagna")
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
-4 ripe plantains, sliced lengthwise (plantains should be yellow with lots of black spots, or completely black--if you want a sweeter taste)
-1 onion, chopped (in lieu of the bell pepper/corn)
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 15oz can of hearts of palm, diced (the original recipe calls for 1 green bell pepper, diced, so if you remember to get the pepper then use it!)
-2 carrots, grated (a simple addition that gave the dish more color and flavor)
-1 pound ground turkey
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons dried oregano
-2 teaspoons coriander (or if you remember to buy fresh cilantro, use 1/2 cup chopped)
-1 8oz can tomato sauce
-1/3 cup raisins
-10 green olives, sliced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-cooking spray
-salt
-pepper
-1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and evenly line sliced plantains on the sheet (do not overlap). Spray tops of plantains with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes (until crispy and golden brown)
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onions & garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion starts to soften. 
4. Add hearts of palm and shredded carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes
5. Add ground turkey, mix well, and cook until browned (about 10 minutes). Add vinegar, oregano, and coriander, and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the raisins, olives, and tomato sauce. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

7. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Line half of the plantains on the bottom of the dish. Pour all the ground turkey & veggie mixture on top. Layer the remaining plantains on top of turkey mix. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes (until cheese is melted and bubbly). 
9. Serve hot!

*Tastes great with a side of hot peppers and a crisp salad (try radicchio, endive, chicory, sliced pear, salt, & pepper)