Menu for One

Hands off!

Is it just me?  Or has everyone used April Fool's Day to trick unassuming eaters into eating something that tastes nothing like it looks?  ("ravioli" made with pastry dough, cauliflower milkshakes or meatloaf cupcakes).  Apparently, I've been missing out.

Along the same lines, I saw something today that I just couldn't keep to myself: anti-theft lunch bags.  I mean, how brilliant is that?  With the mold? Ewwww...gross!  Very effective.  I am thankful to say that I have no need to put such a bag to use, but I kind of want to try one out all the same.

So the moral of the story is, if you're thinking about stealing your co-workers sandwich, don't be deterred by the mold (it might just be fake).

Pearl Couscous Gratin with Pesto and Goat Cheese

Confession: I like costume dramas.  Jane Austen films in particular, and I'll watch them over and over again (although I promise I won't make you watch them).  And the funny thing is, that after I've seen one, I notice that my sentences become more drawn out, and are peppered with words like "quite" and "whilst."

Even if Jane Austen films aren't your thing, I'm sure there's been a moment when you've been talking to someone on the phone who's trying to be quiet on their end, and then all of a sudden you say to yourself, "wait - why am I whispering?"

Well, I've been working a lot lately, and my day job of writing in formal legal-ese is bleeding into my thoughts about this blog.  In starting this post, I had to fight the urge to write "Pursuant to page 554 in the How to Cook Everything Vegetarian Cookbook by Mark Bittman...."  So bear with me.  I'll snap out of it.

That being said, we had a few days of heavy rain in Atlanta last week (desperately needed) and it seemed like one of the last opportunities to make some hot-out-of-the-oven comfort food before the weather gets too hot for comfort down here.  I turned to a recipe I had made once before, but that can be easily manipulated to feature whatever veggies you've got in your fridge, and in my case, green beans.  

In a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, sauté a finely chopped shallot or a small handful of chopped red onion.  Add to the pan 8 ounces of asparagus or green beans cut into one-inch pieces and cook until softened, but still underdone.  In a 2-quart casserole, combine the veggie mixture with 2 cups cooked pearl couscous (aka israeli couscous, a toasted couscous that is larger than the traditional couscous; it's about the size of a pencil eraser).  This time around, I substituted orzo for the couscous, and it worked out okay, but pearl couscous may still be the better way to go.

In a separate measuring cup or bowl, combine 1/2 cup of pesto, an egg, and 1/2 cup of cream, milk, or stock, whatever you have on hand, and pour over the casserole.  While it settles into all the nooks and crannies, pull out 4 ounces of goat cheese.  Using your fingers,break the cheese into small pieces and distribute over the top of the casserole.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling.  I was a little impatient here and didn't quite get to the golden brown stage, but it was still tasty.

I think the trick is not cooking the veggies all the way through before putting them in the casserole.  Frankly, depending on the size of the veggies, I may not sauté them at all.  Otherwise, the veggies get cooked once in the sauté pan and then again in the oven, resulting in a color I refer to as "potluck green" (if you know what I mean).  Mark Bittman does a nice job showing several variations that can be made depending on your taste, the occasion, or the vegetables in season.  His book is straightforward and comprehensive, and I recommend that you take a look at it (or its brother, How to Cook Everything).  

Unintentionally, I ended up enjoying a completely green meal the weekend of St. Patrick's day.  But I did not enjoy it under a rainbow.  Or beside a pot o' gold.  Better luck to ye.

Dave Lieberman's Black Bean Soup

This afternoon I decided to make Dave Lieberman's Black Bean Soup.  In addition to being perfectly suited for this time of year, it can be made almost entirely from items already in your pantry and freezes really well.  (I like to freeze it in individual size portions that are easy to take to work for lunch).

I think everyone should have in their arsenal a couple of tried and true dishes that they can make on short notice .  Let's face it, not every meal is ripe for trying out something new - sometimes I'm too hungry for something not to work out.  Anyhow, for what it's worth, this dish is one of mine.

Word to the wise: don't skip the herbs or the lime.  When I first started cooking,I frequently omitted herbs from my grocery list, thinking that they were merely *extras* used by people with a little extra cash.  Au contraire.  In this case, they really brighten up the flavors of the canned items from your pantry and add specs of color to a sea of black beans.

Here's a list of what you'll need:

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Grated cheddar, for garnish (optional)

As I mentioned, most of these are pantry-friendly items.  I only needed to buy the cilantro and the lime.

First, cook the bacon over medium heat until it begins to render some of its fat, then add the onions.  When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Then add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, broth, beer, and tomatoes.

Last, but not least, I added the black beans, and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.  Just before serving, I added chopped cilantro and the juice of 1/2 a lime.  When all was said and done, I stored in these lunch-sized containers and stuck them in the freezer, ready for whenever I need them.

The final product has a stew-like consistency, is a little smokey (thanks to the bacon), and yet has a little zip to it (thank you, lime).  Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

I know you won't believe this, but as I write, it is actually snowing here in Atlanta.  And not just flurrying - giant snowflakes are actually accumulating on the ground.  Needless to say, my local grocery store looked like it had more traffic today than it did on Superbowl Sunday.

As a matter of fact, I hail from above the Mason-Dixon line where snow is almost more common than sunshine.  I remember once our local grocer told us that it wasn't milk, bread, and eggs that she sold out of just before a big blizzard: it was ice cream (the rationale being that if the power goes out, someone will just have to eat it before it melts!)

Well, I didn't have any ice cream.  But where one can't have ice cream, surely hot chocolate is a close second on a day like today.  I borrowed this recipe from Ellie Krieger.  Here's my mise-en-place:

First, heat one mug's worth of milk (1 c.) in a small saucepan with a cinnamon stick (optional, but worth it). 

While you wait for that to simmer, combine 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp. sugar, and 2 tsp. water in your mug, stirring to form a paste. 

At this point, your milk is probably ready (you'll know because little bubbles will have formed around the edge of the pan).  Carefully, add it to your mug, stirring gently.  You now have a single mug of hot chocolate.

But wait!  This recipe is ripe for improvisation.  Consider adding a dash of vanilla (as I did), a spoonful of nutella, peppermint, almond extract...the sky's the limit.  Curl up in an armchair with a blanket and a book, and you're set to weather the day!