I love you always
Granted, there are challenges in cooking for one, but on the plus side, you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want and wherever you want. A three-course gourmet meal when you're in the mood, or a PBJ and a bowl of ice cream when you're not. No one will care but YOU!! So, let's try to find ways to enjoy this freedom.
Now for the down side; it includes tired left-overs in the fridge or freezer, spoiled, untouched food purchased in a fleeting pique of enthusiasm, and searching for grocery products to buy which do not qualify as a "lifetime supply".
Friends and charitable donations can help here. Share your dinners by inviting a friend or packaging it up as a gift for someone who works and cannot always cook. Split the cost of groceries or other household items which come in large quantities with someone when possible. Donate the extra "bogo" item to a food bank or a homeless person and buy from bulk stock when you can.
I am fortunate that I can order my veggies fresh every week and have them delivered. The quantities are reasonable and they last the week because they are so fresh (thank you, SunCoast Organics). Often, though I must curb my enthusiasm and curtail my order to what I know I can reasonably consume. There is a nice variety and often uncommon selections, so I never get bored!
Many of you who have been alone for some time probably do all this, but it is new to me and each step is a discovery that I want to share when possible. I try to create different dishes out of the food I have on hand, rather than make large quantities of one item which is always in danger of becoming forgotten in the freezer or forsaken after being consumed for several days in a row!
Swiss chard or spinach can be used steamed one night, in risotto or pasta another, and as a great addition to soup on another occasion. I recently added some chard and arugula (small amounts left from other uses) to a potato soup with great success. They added spiciness, color and nutrition. What more can you ask for??
The recipes for this blog will not be as precise as my others. I want to help singles use what food they have, creatively, to eat well and have fun cooking for themselves. Substitutions and your own creative ideas would be welcome as comments and help us all.
SWISS CHARD RISOTTO
3 nice swiss chard leaves
approx. 4 cups chicken or veggie stock, heated
1/4 cup dry white wine (ex. Pinot Grigio)
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, red or yellow, chopped
1/2 cup Arborio rice
grated parmesan or grana
Slice the chard into chiffonade (ribbons) and chop the stems if using (they make a nice crunch in the risotto. If you want it soft and smooth, discard them).
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sturdy pot and add the shallot or onion sauteing until translucent.
Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and let it evaporate.
Then, slowly add the stock, about 1/2 cup at a time and cook until each addition is mostly absorbed, stirring often. When the rice is partially cooked, add the chard and continue to add stock, stirring as you go. When the rice is still firm to the bite (al dente) and there is a creaminess in the pot, remove from the heat and add cheese and another tablespoon of butter. I like to add a quick grate of nutmeg also. Serve with extra cheese if you wish.
YUM!
IF there happens to be some leftover, you can make "patties" out of it and it's a great side dish or (ahem!) I like it for breakfast :) ...sorry Rosario!hope we're still friends!!
Try adding some mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes if you have them and substitute smoked gouda or mozzarella cheese for the parmesan. A fresh herb is also always a nice addition if available..basil or parsley especially, but not necessary.
I'm glad to be back..my camera and writing need some dusting and polishing, but my heart is still here.
Always, The Happy Cooker, gina
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