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! 

Eat Your Colors

I apologize for such a belated post. As you can imagine, the past week of finishing up work in time for vacation can be quite hectic and to be honest, I just did not have time to finish this post. But, here it is--Eat Your Colors!

You have probably heard it before--eat as many colors of fruits and vegetables as possible. Eat a rainbow. Sure it may sound silly, but this motto has merit. Different colors mean different nutrients. Each color helps your body in a unique way. For example, red fruits and veggies help your heart and blood system, whereas green fruits and veggies help your bones. Do you see where I'm going with this? That perhaps it is a good idea to eat a variety of colors of fruits and veggies? Well it is. Remember what you learned in elementary school...you want your plate to look like a rainbow (or to have at least three different colors present at all times). During the holiday season, it is especially difficult to eat healthfully. But, if you try to keep as many different colors of fruits and veggies on your plate, then at least you'll be giving your body some of the TLC it needs during a time of cookies, cakes, and other not-the-best-foods-for-us. 

In need of some recipes to make the rainbow on your plate complete? I have orange, yellow, green, and purple recipes below! 

Harvest Medley (from Southern Cooking)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
-1 winter squash (I used a sugar pumpkin, but you could use butternut, acorn, delicata, et.), cut into chunks
-2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-1 apple, chopped

-3 tablespoons butter, melted

-1/4 cup honey

-1/4 cup orange juice

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (if desired)

-canola oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. 

2. Combine winter squash and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and mix. Spread onto a baking sheet. 

3. Combine sweet potatoes and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and mix. Spread onto another baking sheet.

4. Bake squash for 10-15 minutes; bake sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes (should be able to easily pierce with a fork).

5. Meanwhile combine melted butter, OJ, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until mixture starts to bubble and is hot to touch. 

6. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with spray oil. Combine the squash and sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Pour the butter mixture evenly over. 

7. Bake for 15 minutes and then sprinkle chopped apple on top. 

8. Serve warm and sprinkle with walnuts. 

Roasted Squash and Brown Rice Casserole with Lemon-Tahini Sauce (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
-1 winter squash, cut into small chunks (I used butternut, but again you can use whatever type you want!)
-1 tablespoon canola oil
-juice from 1 lemon
-1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste...it's what you use to make hummus)
-1/2 cup uncooked brown rice (or any other grain you want--barley, bulgur, quinoa)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit; cook rice according to package
2. Combine squash with oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking every 15 minutes to give the mixture a stir.
3. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and tahini. Mix well. 
4. When squash is done roasting, drizzle the tahini sauce on top and mix well. 
5. In a bread pan, layer the brown rice on the bottom and top with the squash mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven.
6. Serve warm!

Brasicca Oleracea Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
-1 head of romanesco, cauliflower, or broccoli chopped into chunks
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-8 black oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
-1 tablespoon capers
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped (you can add more or less parsley, depending on your taste) 
-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. 
2. Combine romanesco/cauliflower/broccoli with oil and ground pepper in a medium bowl. Coat well. 
3. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (check every 10 minutes and once the veggie starts to brown, it's done).
4. Combine remaining ingredients with roasted veggie in a bowl. Serve at room temperature


Red Cabbage and Apple Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1 red cabbage, thinly sliced

-2 apples (I recommend honey crisp, gala, fuji, or golden delicious), thinly sliced

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 1/2 teaspoons salt 

-1 teaspoon fennel seeds

-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

-ground pepper

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat
2. Add the sliced cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes--stirring constantly--until cabbage starts to wilt and turns a deep purple color
3. Add the apples, fennel seeds, salt, and cider vinegar. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes--stirring occasionally--until apples are soft 
4. Top with freshly ground pepper and serve warm

Crunchy Brown Rice Salad

So you were intrigued by the raspberry-rhubarb muffins. But I know you are secretly waiting to find out what else I made with my farmer's market frenzy of food. And boy, do I have a yummy recipes for you! There was a recipe in the latest Bon Appetit magazine that looked delectable, but didn't include any of the veggies I purchased. So I improvised, kicked the recipe up a notch, and added a variety of the vegetables eagerly sitting in my fridge. The result: a fantastic grain salad that provided five meals! Crazy! Lunch, dinner, lunch, lunch, dinner...Check out the optional ingredients you can add in to the salad, so that you're not eating the same meal over and over again.


Crunchy Brown Rice Salad (inspired by Brown Rice Salad with Crunchy Sprouts and Seeds, from Bon Appetit) 
Servings: 5 (about 1-1 1/2 cups per serving)


Ingredients:
-1/2 cup brown rice
-1 cup lentils
-2 garlic greens, divided & chopped
(use scallions or chives instead!)
-1/3 cup olive oil
-juice from 1 lemon
-1 zucchini, grated
-8 radishes, chopped
-1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
-1/3 cup almonds, toasted & chopped
-1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
-1/2 teaspoon pepper, plust more to taste


Directions:
1. Cook brown rice according to package; cook lentils according to package
2. In food processor, combine 1/2 of garlic greens, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to create dressing.
3. Combine remaining 1/2 of garlic greens with rice, lentils, zucchini, radishes, seeds, and nuts. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. 


Optional add-ins:
-4 raw asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola cheese
-2 tablespoons dried currants, raisins, or craisins


So, have you visited your farmer's market yet?

Be a Builder

Fact: you have more time to cook a meal on the weekend than during the week. Obviously if you go away for a weekend, or have some sort of tournament or event to attend all weekendlong, then you're just as crammed for time to cook on the weekend as the weekday. But, your average Saturday or Sunday yields much more time to prep and cook food. So why not take advantage of that time and cook some of your weekday food on the weekend? Make a couple of dishes on Sunday evening and then build on these dishes during the week - that way you're not eating the same two things over and over and over...Save yourself the headache and trouble of cooking a meal, from scratch, at 8:30pm on a Wednesday night, after a long day of work. Instead, make the more time-consuming recipes on Saturday or Sunday, and make no-hassle side dishes (or add to the original recipe) during the week. Last week I tried to lead by example, so here's what I made (recipes at the bottom of this post):


Monday night (it was a holiday, so I had time to cook. Normally this would be done on Sunday): 
1. Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde 
2. Brown Rice with Charred Onions & Kale







I ate these two dishes together as my Monday night meal. Then, I started to build:


Tuesday lunch: Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (add nuts & cheese - 2 tablespoons of each)
Tuesday dinner: Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde and Leafy No-Lettuce Salad


Wednesday lunch: Salmon Sandwich (spread salsa verde on 2 slices whole grain bread, add leafy greens & salmon)
Wednesday dinner (right): Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (with kalamata olives and blue cheese) and Spring Vegetable Saute


Thursday lunch: Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (with dried cranberries) and Leafy No-Lettuce Salad
Thursday dinner (left): Spring Vegetable Saute (combined with orzo and crumbled feta cheese)


Friday lunch: Leafy No-Lettuce Sandwich (spread dressing on 2 slices whole grain bread and add leafy greens, peaches/nectarines, and some avocado slices)
Friday dinner: cook something new!


I was never bored with the food I ate. Even if I was eating the same recipe, I did something (mixed in some nuts, or added a side dish) to change it up. Yes, this requires planning, which means taking time to do so (about 10 minutes...maybe 20 if you get distracted). But at the end of the day, planning ahead and building on top of your recipes will make your life a hell of a lot easier. In all honesty, not all of my weeks look like this. That's mainly because there are some nights where, despite my long hours at work, I still want to cook when I get home - I enjoy cooking and find it relaxing. However, for those of you still at the point where cooking is a chore - you do it because you need to feed yourself, not to have fun or relax - then planning out meals on the weekend and building on them throughout the week may be just right for you. Regardless of how often you want to cook throughout the week, it never hurts to plan, and more importantly, it never hurts to be a builder.


Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde (a variation of Bon Appetit's Grilled Skirt Steak with Herb Salsa Verde)
Makes 3 servings of salmon & salsa
Ingredients
-1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
-1 cup fresh herbs (thyme, mint, basil, whatever you have), chopped
-1 cup parsley, chopped
-1 10oz. piece of salmon (I used a frozen piece from Trader Joe's and it worked splendidly; you could easily use chicken or tofu)
-salt & pepper


Directions
(For herb salsa verde):
1. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and some salt & pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 20 minutes (meanwhile, you can chop all your herbs and get started on other recipes)
2. After 20 minutes, add all herbs to bowl and let sit for 10 minutes
3. Stir in additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil
(For salmon):
1. Heat skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper
3. Place salmon in skillet, skin side down, and cover for 3-5 minutes
4. Flip salmon to cook other side for 3-5 minutes, until just cooked through 
5. Place 1/3 of salmon on a plate and spread herb salsa verde on top


Brown Rice with Charred Onions and Kale (a variation of Bon Appetit's Wheat Berries with Charred Onions & Kale)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
-1 cup uncooked brown rice
-1 1/2 onions, sliced
-1 bag frozen kale, slightly thawed (*hint, take the bag out when you start to prep for this recipe; you can use fresh kale if you want, but it will take more time for it to cook down)
-lemon juice from 1 lemon (*hint, use the lemon juice from the lemon you zest for the herb salsa verde)
-salt & pepper
-olive oil


Directions
1. Cook brown rice according to package
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add onion slices and cook until charred, stirring occasionally (onions should look crisp, but not burned); transfer to bowl
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet, and place entire bag of frozen kale into skillet
5. Cook kale until it is entirely thawed, and heated through
6. Combine kale, onions, and brown rice in bowl; add lemon juice & mix well. Season with salt and pepper.


Leafy No-Lettuce Salad (variation of Bon Appetit's Leafy No-Lettuce Salad)
Makes 3 servings
Ingredients
-lemon juice from 2 lemons
-1 shallot, minced
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-2 nectarines, sliced
-6 cups leafy greens (I used a "baby spinach & spring mix")
-1 cup parsley, chopped
-salt & pepper
Optional: 1/2 each of nuts and crumbled cheese


Directions
1. Combine lemon juice and shallot, and let sit for 5 minutes (meanwhile, slice your nectarines & chop your parsley!)
2. Add olive oil to lemon juice & shallot; mix well and season with pepper
3. Combine leafy greens, parsley, and dressing together
4. Serve greens on top of nectarines; top with nuts & cheese, if using
*only combine the greens & dressing that you're planning to eat; save the remaining dressing and greens for later use - if you combine all the dressing with all the greens, your leftovers will wilt & become soggy


Spring Vegetable Saute (a variation of Bon Appetit's Spring Vegetable Saute)
Makes 2 large servings
Ingredients
-zest and juice from 1 lemon
-1 15oz. can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained & sliced in half
-1/2 12oz. package frozen asparagus spears (again, Trader Joe's variety)
-1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed (use another kind of bean, like fava or lima beans)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 tablespoon butter
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-salt & pepper


Directions
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add edamame for 30 seconds; scoop out with slotted spoon and place in bowl of cold water.
2. Bring water back to a boil, add asparagus spears for 30 seconds. Drain water, and add asparagus spears to bowl of cold water
3. Slice asparagus spears into 1-2 inch  pieces
4. Heat pan over medium heat; add olive oil & butter
5. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent
6. Add artichoke hearts, edamame, and asparagus to pan; cook for about 5 minutes (stir occasionally)
7. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt & pepper

Recipes From the Pantry: Egg and Rice Bowl

So I realize I'm being super slow about posting these "recipes from your pantry" and I apologize. Honestly, I've been swamped with work and sadly haven't cooked anything interesting as of late - I've relied predominantly on my staple pantry items to get me through the past two weeks! Here's the next installment of the I'm-too-busy-to-make-anything-cooler recipes: Egg and Rice Bowl


Ingredients:
-1 egg 
-1 egg white
-2-3 scallions, diced (or 1/2 cup of onions, diced)
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 teaspoon ginger, minced
-1/4 cup dry brown rice (or white...but brown has more fiber!)
-1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
**per usual, the addition of other veggies you have roaming around in your fridge/freezer make this dish much more interesting! Top veggie recommendations for this recipe: broccoli and/or red bell pepper. If using other veggies, add them after the scallions in step 4.


Directions:
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon canola oil in saucepan; add minced garlic, ginger, and dry rice
2. Sauté for about 1 minute --> add 1/2 cup of water --> bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover (cooking time of rice should be stated on bag)
3. In small bowl, beat egg + egg white together with a fork; add about 1 tablespoon of water and beat until well mixed; add some black pepper is you so desire
4. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in sauté pan --> add 1/2 of diced scallions (or all of onions, if using instead); sauté until scallions start to wilt (or onions become translucent)
5. Add beaten eggs to pan with scallions and scramble; reduce heat to low once eggs are fully cooked, to keep them warm (nothing worse than cold eggs...ew!)   
6. When all the water is absorbed in the rice, fluff the rice with a fork --> transfer to a bowl & pour eggs on top of rice
7. Top eggs with remaining diced scallions and enjoy! 
If you have soy sauce, pour a little on top of eggs/rice for some additional Asian flavor!


I promise, more exciting advice and recipes to come soon!