Menu for One

Pantry Rescue #1: Chickpea Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers

My friends in Washington, D.C. tell me that the city is expecting 1-2 FEET(!) of snow this weekend, and that in preparation for the kind of winter hibernation experienced by Laura Ingalls Wilder on the prairie, residents made a mad dash to the grocery on the way home from work, leaving market shelves bare.

If you live in D.C. and couldn't make it to the store, or you live elsewhere and you just don't want to brave the crowds preparing for SuperBowl Sunday snacks, you may already have what you need at home to enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal.  Here is one idea.  I wish I could say that I thought of it myself, but I got it from Smitten Kitchen, who got it from somebody else.  It's the type of dish that can be riffed easily.  To make it a little more substantial, I recommend adding some chicken, tuna, pasta, or pita.  It's great on its own, but would be nice inside some pita bread with leafy greens, and when you're finished with it, it can be pureed into a hummus of sorts to be served with chips or spread on top of a sandwich.

Here's a short clip (MFO's directorial debut) showing you how to make it.  Maybe one day I'll figure out how to add audio, but this was a big accomplishment for a Saturday morning.  Ingredients and proportions can be found below.

Grab two bowls.  In the first, combine the following ingredients: two (2) roasted red bell peppers (in the spirit of panty rescue, mine came from a jar, but it's even better if you roast your own), cut into strips; two (2) 15 ounce cans of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed; a handful of chopped parsley*; a palm full of chopped mint; and a handful of capers, rinsed.  In the second bowl, whisk two (2) tablespoons of lemon juice (roughly the juice of one lemon) or red wine vinegar; two (2) pinches of kosher salt; two (2) cloves of garlic, minced; and four (4) tablespoons of olive oil.  Add bowl #2 to bowl #1, tossing to combine.  Enjoy!

*A word of advice: when I first started cooking, I skipped herbs, especially parsley - because isn't that just a garnish?  The thing is, herbs add a lot of flavor and a fresh taste to pantry items, so use them whenever possible!

Cooking By Numbers: How to Make Dinner with What You Have in Your Kitchen

One of those life experiences common to everyone, such as losing socks to the dryer and overpaying Ticketmaster for concert seats, is staring in at your cupboards saying to yourself, "surely there's got to be something worthwhile for dinner that can be made out of what's already on my shelves!"

I was poking around on Jonathan Bloom's website Wasted Food, a resource for the reduction of residential, commercial, and agricultural food waste, and came across a link to something called Cooking by Numbers.  It's the sort of thing that makes you exclaim "Why didn't I think of that?"

What is it?  Only the MacGyver of databases.  It tells you what meals you can make out of the things in your pantry and refrigerator.  Seriously.  Just tell them what you've got and voila!  Now, I haven't tried any of the recipes, but I have had fun experimenting.  If you give it a try, let me know what you think!  The recipes look pretty simple.

Alton Brown's Purple Smoothie (part of this complete breakfast!)

 Last week, the food blogging scene was abuzz with the success of the first annual food blogging camp  at Club Med Ixtapa.  Attendees benefitted from small workshops with food writers, food stylists, photographers, and chefs, including Michael Ruhlman, Matt Armendariz, and David Lebovitz.  While I did not go (err...as you can see by the quality of the lead photo to this post - I need to do a better job rinsing that glass!), I wished that I had, envying their chance to slowly sip tropical drinks adorned with little umbrellas while listening to the soft lapping of ocean waves on the beach.  Sigh.

Alas, lately I have been spending my days in a window-less room reviewing documents to be shared in a class action lawsuit, so I have to get my kicks where I can.  I cannot bring the beach to me, but I can put a fruity drink in my hand.  I swapped the little umbrella for an awesome curly straw (courtesy of my friends Tim and Ben, who decided that when it came time for me to celebrate passing the bar exam, regular drinks and regular straws just would not do.  Thanks, guys.) and left out the hard stuff (to keep this drink weekday morning-friendly), although you could certainly add whatever you like. 

Taking a page out of Eugenia Bone's book, I have portioned this smoothie recipe into single servings so this fruity concoction can be enjoyed on a moment's notice (especially early in the day when I might be less inclined to mix and measure, as easy as it may be).  It should be noted that this recipe, as much as any smoothie is a recipe, comes courtesy of Alton Brown, although I have adapted slightly. 

Into freezer-safe containers, combine 2 ounces (by weight) each of frozen strawberries, blueberries, and peaches.  Mango might be a nice substitute, but for the sake of convenience, I might shy away from the seedier fruits, such as raspberries and blackberries.  Next, add 2 ounces (by weight) of banana (roughly half of a banana) broken into bite-sized pieces (your blender will thank you).  Then add 2 ounces (by weight) of any purple fruit juice.  Try acai juice, which comes from the fruit of a species of palm tree (every time it's mentioned, all I can hear is Will Ferrell from Zoolander saying "It's so hot right now."), trendy pomegranate juice, or the old-reliable grape juice (which is what I used because it's waaaay cheaper than the other two). 

Seal and save in the freezer until you're in need of a 10 minute tropical getaway.  I let a bag partially defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then blend it (slowly at first to help grind up the big chunks of fruit, then at a higher speed for 30-60 seconds), adding milk (or soy milk for protein, but milk is cheaper, and I'm all about cheap right now) until the smoothie reaches my desired consistency.

Speaking of cheap...this smoothie is cheap!

CHEAP EATS: Making your own freezer-ready smoothie mix will save you money right off the bat - it's cheaper than the frozen bags of smoothie mixes you can buy at the store, and certainly much less expensive (and arguably better for you) than anything you could buy at a national smoothie chain.  I recommend buying pre-frozen fruit (with the exception of bananas) over buying fresh fruit and freezing it yourself.  Frozen fruit is already picked at its peak and frozen immediately, so sometimes the quality can be even better than berries you might find in your produce section, say, in the dead of winter.

But get this!  The first time I made this, I went to my local Publix to pick up bags of frozen fruit at $3.99 a pop.  But while I was strolling up and down the isles of Whole Foods (isn't that just so relaxing?), I discovered that their frozen fruit was - wait for it - nearly $2.00 cheaper per bag!  Who saw that coming?  I did not.  All in all, this drink is about $1.60 per serving!  So get yourself some fruit and pull out your blender!  You need a $1.60 vacation!

The Washington Post's Joe Yonan

I try to keep an eye out for people who are succeeding at cooking for one.  Today, I came across an August 2009 interview with Joe Yonan, author of the Washington Post's Cooking for One column.  He's got a new cookbook in the works, slated to hit shelves in 2011. He won me over when he said that he was trying to dispell cooking for one as the practice of Miss Lonely Hearts (from Hitchcock's Rear Window), and instead illuminate an area of cooking that is relevant to each of us sooner or later:

I’m fascinated by the growth in single-person households; it’s happening on one end of the demographic because young people are waiting longer to get married, and on the other because older people who are outliving their spouses are healthier and more likely to live independently. But really, the CF1 [cooking for one] thing is close to my heart because it’s how I cook so much of the time.

While I wait for his book, I'll be trying his Spicy Almond Soba Noodles with Edamame and Chicken Stew Provencal.

What are some of your go-to resources for cooking for one?

French Onion Soup

 

It has been freezing here, in a technical sense.  Yes, yes, I know it's probably been colder wherever you happen to be sitting, but for Atlanta, it has been unseasonably cold.  That's why I was thankful to have this french onion soup ready for me in my freezer.  

Everyone needs an emergency recipe like this in their back pocket.  It comes from a great cookbook I got for Christmas, Eugenia Bone's Well-Preserved.  She shows country folk and city folk alike how to can (aka put up or preserve) fruits, vegetables, or meats in small quantities, AND THEN shows you what to do with them when you open them up later, other than just eating them out of the jar.  The greatest part of the book is that, for a great many of the recipes, you don't need any special equipment.  This french onion soup is one of those beauties.  All you need is a large pot and some freezer bags/containers.

As with each of the recipes in the book, this recipe is made in two stages.  You start first by making Stewed Onions with Marjoram, to be divided into 2-pint portions and stored in your freezer.  Whenever you're craving something warm and seriously delicious, you just grab a pack out of your freezer and reheat it with some chicken stock.  Voila!

Over medium-low, heat 6 tablespoons in your largest pot (I learned this the hard way - you'll need plenty of room for the onions).  In the meantime, thinly slice 24 medium yellow onions.  If you have a food processor, this is a moment where your slicer disk can really shine.  It will save you a lot of time and tears.  Add the onions to the pot and let them hang out for 30 minutes or so, stirring every few minutes.  [If you're concerned after adding the onions that there won't be room for any other ingredients, don't worry - their volume will decrease significantly.]  Next, add two quarts of low-sodium beef stock and 3 tablespoons of dried marjoram.  I recommend low-sodium because it gives you a little more control over the saltiness of your food.  It's much easier to add a little bit more than to take any out.  Let this all hang out on the stove for an hour and fifteen minutes.  The onions will be soft and stewy.

When the mixture has cooled, I used tongs to transfer the onions to 6 freezer-safe plastic bags, then ladled in the broth.  End of STAGE ONE.

 

STAGE TWO: When you're ready to enjoy the soup, grab a bag from the freezer.  Defrosting it overnight would probably be best, but I just cut the bag open and reheated it over a low flame with a quart of chicken stock.  When I could see steam start to rise from the surface of the soup, I ladled it into two ramekins, topped it with some thick-sliced bread, and sprinkled it with shredded parmesan cheese.  After 5-10 minutes in a 400F oven, the bread had soaked up some of the soup and the cheese had formed a delicious golden-brown crust.  I'm happy to report that STAGE TWO took all of fifteen minutes to prepare, maybe less.  One portion from the freezer comfortably feeds two.  Enjoy!

 

Happy Anniversary (!) and New Feature

Hey guys, this week mark's the first birthday of Menu For One!  People from more than 23 countries and 4 continents have checked out this young blog!  That's so exciting!  I've got great plans for this little website, so keep reading!

This year, I thought it would be fun to get to know you a little better and see what you're cookin' up at home.  Every week I'm going to post a new poll to find out more about your solo eating habits.  This week's question is:

How often do you enjoy a meal for one? 
And where do you eat when you're eating solo? 
(e.g., restaurant, over the kitchen sink, in front of the TV, etc.)

I tried creating a fancy looking poll where you could cast your vote, so to speak (you may have seen it in the right-hand margin), but the widget I used made it look like your answers were being collected by some unidentified marketing company.  Anyhow, this is just for us.  Just use the comments below.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

I'm happy to report that, thanks to the help of many volunteers, the Christmas concert reception that fed hundreds went off without a hitch!  The tables were filled with: 

352 Chocolate Covered Cookies

650 Butter Cookies

440 Cream Puffs

250 Cocoa-Dusted Chocolate Truffles

Peppermint Bark

Mixed Nuts

320 Cheese Slices and Crackers

200 Pieces of Salami and Other Sausages

240 Vegetable Pinwheel Sandwiches

520 Cheese Straws

Raspberry-Citrus Punch

You should have seen me pushing my carts (yes, plural) around Costco, or better yet, filling up my car, on the day I shopped for the event.  It hasn't been that full since I packed up my college dorm room!  Fellow Costco shoppers could tell I was stocking up for a party, and I made a lot of friends.  Also, to the nice lady who said I couldn't throw a party without serving the chocolate truffles sold near the produce section - good call!

Planning it was a daunting task, but now that I've done it, I would not be afraid to do it again.  Needless to say, I'm much more comfortable cooking for one.  Thanks again to all of the volunteers to helped make the reception possible!

A Brief Departure

Dear Fellow Menu for One-ers,

This week I am breaking from planning menus for one in order to do something a little different: plan a menu for 600!  

I am an Alto in the Atlanta Sacred Chorale, an adult chamber choir whose mission is to "lift the spirit through choral artistry."  I am just so proud to be a part of that sound - you have no idea how cool it is to not only hear them sing week after week at rehearsal, but to stand in the middle of that sound.  Now, I know that many would rather sit through a child's first violin recital or try to find a parking spot at the mall on Black Friday than listen to choral music, but if you live in the Atlanta area, I hope you will give us a chance - you won't be disappointed.

Our annual Christmas concert is this Friday, and I'm in charge of planning the post-concert reception (come to the concert, there will be food!).  But how do you even begin to plan to feed an entire audience?  Multiply what you'd like to eat by 600?  What if you're not a typical eater?  What if more people come than you'd expect?  So far, I've learned two things: (1) feeding the masses is not an exact science, and (2) Costco is my new best friend.

I'll let you know how it goes.  Better yet, come see for yourself!

Merry Christmas!
Kathryn

The Toaster Oven: is it toast?

Long famous for its scientific methodology and thorough, but dry reporting style, Cook's Illustrated listed the results of its latest study in its November 2009 issue:the best small kitchen appliances.  Surprisingly, the waffle iron made the list, but the toaster-oven did not.  Cook's Illustrated explained, "Our one recommended [toaster oven] cooked food more evenly (including roasted chicken) than the other models we tested, offering reliable cooking, user-friendly controls, solid construction—and even decent toast. But since it is expensive, we only recommend it if you want to invest in a higher-end toaster oven for small cooking projects. You can do equally well (and save a lot of money) with an ordinary toaster and your full-size oven."

Sure, there are savings when choosing to pass on the toaster oven for the ordinary toaster, what about the energy savings involved in pre-heating a toaster oven instead of an oven?  Do you ever feel guilty turning on the oven when cooking for one?  Full disclosure: my toaster oven did not make the cut in my last move, and to be honest, I'm loving the extra real estate on my counter top.  But when I have the urge to make a baked potato or a tuna melt, I feel a twinge of guilt when I turn on the oven.

What do you think?  Does the toaster oven play a more important role in the solo cook's/solo eater's kitchen?  What are your toaster oven success stories?  Do you agree with Cook's Illustrated that only the more expensive toaster ovens deserve a spot in your kitchen?

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

There were times during college where money was tight, usually at the end of the semester.  And even though I had a meal plan at the school dining hall, by the end of the year, I couldn't bear the thought of eating another cafeteria meal.  

What to do?  I had a microwave, and sometimes had access to a hot plate and a two-quart pot.  I didn't have a car, and there wasn't a grocery store within walking distance, but there was a CVS nearby.  I created all sorts of odd meals with convenience items, notably a breakfast burrito made with scrambled eggs, packaged deli ham, cheese, and jarred salsa wrapped in a tortilla.  But the uniting characteristic of most of these drug store purchases (other than the fact they were cheap) was that they were ORANGE.  And although I still have a fondness for orange food, such as orange juice and goldfish, orange food always reminds me of those low-budget, make-shift dinners. 

That's why when I read Mark Bittman's recipe in the New York Times for a roasted sweet potato salad a few weeks ago, I decided to revisit orange food again to see if it could really be good eats.  The sweet, orange sweet potatoes are combined with black beans, crunchy red onion, bright red bell pepper, and flecked with green cilantro.  A light lime-jalepeno vinaigrette ties all the elements together.  As an added bonus, it's a warm salad, perfect on an autumn day like today.

Here's the recipe and a short Mark Bittman video showing how to make this absolutely delicious meal that doesn't require a lot of hands-on cooking time.  It can easily be cut in half for a menu for one, but honestly, I don't think you would mind making and eating the whole recipe over a couple of days.  It would make a great side dish next to spicy, roasted pork tenderloin or steak, but I can testify it's great on its own.  It's got a little zip to it from the lime and jalapeno, but if you'd like it a little spicier, I'd double the jalapeno or pick a smaller, spicier pepper.  [note: if you taste the vinaigrette before you add it to the sweet potatoes it will be very tart and spicy.  Don't be alarmed, it'll all mellow out].  Enjoy!