Sweet Love and Ginger

Dinner 4 1

Roasted Potatoes with Greens & Eggs

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A simple meal that takes barely any effort at all, so it’s perfect for a single person.

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I have been a part time vegetarian for over a year now. At first I talked about it a lot, like all the time, but that has faded. A lot of people questioned this decision, including my close family, since in the U.S. meat is considered a necessity at every single meal. Now they don’t seem to notice my dietary choices so much and have laid off telling me I need to get more protein (fyi: I still get more than I need).

One thing I have noticed is that I crave way more vegetarian food than before. I’m pretty sure I could live on veggie sandwiches and wraps and never get sick of them. Greek food and I have become really close friends, while vegetables that I used to shy away from (eggplant, zucchini, acorn squash, etc.) are becoming regular parts of my diet, and things I savor. This egg plant parmesan recipe might just be my new favorite meal ever, even usurping my usual Chicken Parmesan.

Another change in my preferences is the desire for simple meals. I don’t need everything all dressed up for it to be the best thing I ate all week. This meal is one of those.

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Simply roasted potatoes, lightly seasoned, a pile of greens with flavored olive oil and a soft boiled egg make a gloriously simple and satisfying meal. It takes barely any effort at all, so it’s the perfect meal for a single person.

You can find the recipe for garlic roasted potatoes here.

Learn how to make a 7 Minute Egg here.

And if you need directions on how to toss salad greens with flavored oil, well I’m not sure what to say to that.

Now tell me what is your favorite simple meal?

 

D4One: Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

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This is a pasta dish served with shrimp over a rich and sweet Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce. It is to die for!

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

I’ve admitted before that I am pretty much in love with this recipe that I first saw on Closet Cooking, I even made my own version with Chicken Basil Meatballs. Well I’m still pretty obsessed with it, though I’m trying to keep the amount of pasta, and cream sauces down to a minimum around here. I have a dress to fit into in just a few short months!!!

One particular evening while Chuck was out of town for work I gave into the craving and made the recipe I have for you today. If you recall one of my very first Dinner for One recipes was pretty similar to this dish, except the main flavor component in that one was my other love – pesto. Here is the original recipe.

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

I can’t believe I am actually posting that link, with the old theme colors and the horrible photos. I’ve learned a lot since then about recipe writing and photography. I mean check out this updated version of the recipe. Hello beautiful! It still amazes me how far I have come. A big shout out to Pinch of Yum’s Tasty Food Photography for so much good info!

But I should really get back to this amazing recipe.

It has all the hallmarks of a perfectly decadent meal for one; delicious fresh seafood, over aldente pasta and a rich, creamy, and slightly sweet sauce. A sauce so good that you could probably just eat that for the meal sans pasta or anything else, but for a balanced meals sake we will let the pasta and shrimp be its vehicle.

If you haven’t tried this sauce yet, I am demanding that you drop everything and just do it. You will not be disappointed I promise you.

Shrimp & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

D4One: Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 Serving
Ingredients
  • 2 ounces dry pasta
  • 1 tablespoon oil (olive or the oil from the sundried tomatoes works)
  • 4 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tablespoon fresh chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until aldente.
  2. Meanwhile heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes a side or until the shrimp is pink and firm. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  3. In the same pan add garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook for one minute.
  4. Add the broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits off the bottom.
  5. Stir in the cream, bring it up to a low simmer and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the parmesan cheese and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.
  6. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the shrimp and cooked pasta until everything is will coated.
  7. Adjust the seasonings and top with grated parmesan and basil to serve.

 

 

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda

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This is a quick and easy recipe for roasted red pepper soup with a toast and smoked Gouda topping.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda

Recently my friend Amanda and I went to The Whistling Tea Kettle in Troy, NY for a relaxing brunch. The Kettle is one of my favorite places. They have a wide array of amazing loose leaf tea as well as a wonderful menu of tea sandwiches, salads, tea breads, paninis, soups and more.

On this particular trip I ordered the roasted red pepper soup with smoked Gouda alone with a panini. You guys that soup was to die for! Like absolutely amazing. I knew that when I got home I had to recreate it.

On this particular day last weekend I decided to make this soup myself. I knew it would be super warming and comforting on this frosty weekend, but I wanted to dress it up a bit. I added beans, toast and even more cheese to the original recipe. I thought topping it with toast, cheese and putting it under the broiler, much like French onion soup would be an amazing touch. Well let me just tell you, I’m a genius and it was the best idea ever.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda

While these additions definitely made it heartier I think this would still make more of a starter than a full meal. I think the strong flavor can be overpowering if it’s broken up with a nice sandwich or a salad.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 Servings
Ingredients
  • ½ tsp olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 (8 oz) jar roasted red peppers
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup cannelloni beans, drained
  • 4 oz of cheese, separated
  • 2 slices of French bread, toasted
Instructions
  1. In a small sauce pan saute the shallot over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Drain the red peppers and place them in a blender with the shallots and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pan.
  3. Add vegetable broth, half of the cheese and the beans stir to combine. Cook until the cheese has melted and transfer to 2 oven safe bowls.
  4. Top with bread and cheese and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.


 

Red Pepper & Sriracha Chicken Kabobs

Red Pepper & Sriracha Chicken Kabobs

4-Cheese-Red-Pepper-Dip

4 Cheese Red Pepper Dip

Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese

 

15 Minute Lo Mein

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So I’ve been really into Asian food lately.

It seems like I go through ethnic spurts every few months. This time last year it was all things German (evidenced here, here, and here). Over the summer it was Mediterranean food (note here, here, here, and here), then Indian food (this is the only one that made it to the blog, I have a lot to learn with Indian spices).
So lately I have been learning how to make homemade wonton soup, ramen, and sticky chicken. Some things may be showing up here in the near future, be prepared.
Today I want to talk about easy lo mein. This is one of those recipes that have been my go to lately since Chuck has been away for work for whole weeks at a time. I like it because I can add, chicken, shrimp, beef or whatever else I feel like and have a totally different flavor profile. I usually make the lo mein and serve it to myself with a side of steamed veggies. This way I can get to meals out of this recipe, who doesn’t want an awesome hot lunch the next day?
So the cooking time on this is actually way less than 15 minutes, however I’m calling it 15 minutes because I’m counting the time it takes to cut the vegetables. If you wanted to make this entire thing in say, 5-10 minutes you could opt for frozen stir fry mix. I’ve totally done this, more than once.

 

15 minute Lo Mein (Serves 1)
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of sugar
½ tbsp canola oil
½ cup shredded cabbage
½ cup bean sprouts
1 small carrot, julienned
½ a small red pepper, julienned
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup snow peas
1 scallion. Julienned
3 oz lo mein noodles
1 cup broth
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
 

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed garlic, ginger, and sugar. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in all vegetables, except the dark green parts of the scallion, and the snow peas. Turn the heat to high and cook for one minute while tossing the vegetables. Stir in the broth and noodles then cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the snow peas. Stir in sauce mixture and toss. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and all of the veggies and noodles are coated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and top with dark green parts of scallion, sesame seeds and serve. 


PS: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and around here things are busy, what with the NaNoWriMo Challange and all, so I have opted to take the next few days off. I will be back on Dec. 1 with the usual Recently Post. Have a good weekend!

25 minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup w/ Rice & Chicken

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup w/ Rice & Chicken
Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious. These are the keys to the perfect one pan meal, especially when you are a single person. Let be real here no one wants to spend hours in the kitchen for themselves, though this doesn’t mean they want to eat ramen noodles every night either. We single eaters want real food. The kind we can sink our teeth into, and look back on with fond memories. We want satisfying food that also happens to be fairly easy to prepare. We should probably mention easy clean up, inexpensive, quick, uncomplicated, you know because it’s only for one person, why make it hard?
Yeah we are asking a lot, but I think we deserve it.
I also think that his meal has all of those qualities. It is a super hearty soup that you can whip up easily, and has the added benefit of being cheesy. Everyone likes cheese right? Well everyone without a dairy allergy likes cheese right? Moving on.
Are you ready for this? There are 8 ingredients; even including oil, salt & pepper which are usually considered freebies. Oh and it only requires one pot. If you really want to you could probably skip the bowls and eat right out of the pot. I mean its fewer dishes to wash so technically you are saving the environment.
Woah. We are doing big things with this recipe over here.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup w/ Rice & Chicken
25 minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup w/ Rice & Chicken
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1 small boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size
  • pieces
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup rice
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup broccoli cut into bite size pieces
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sauté with oil over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes opaque, and browned.
  2. Add rice, broth and broccoli and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).
  3. There should be some liquid left in the pan, but add more if needed.
  4. Stir in cheese and adjust seasoning.
  5. Serve warm.

For more one the health benefits of broccoli check out this post from Well Being Secrets.