Penne with fresh, instant sauce for a solo eater

Pin It Why is it so hard to cook for one? For me, it's not about the cooking, since I am used to cooking single size portions. It's the eating alone... Andrew is taking a week course and so I find myself alone and having to feed myself. It should be an opportunity for me to do loads of vegetarian food, but I find myself rather demotivated to cook for myself only. Is it that bad to go a week on Wasa toasts and coffee?

Today I really tried to be good girl and decided to cook a proper lunch, sit down at the dining table and eat at the proper lunch time, even though nobody else was here.

This dish was ready by the time the pasta was cooked. All I did was sauteing some chopped onions in olive oil, add 1 garlic clove, 2 tomatoes seeded and chopped and 2 purple olives, pitted and chopped.

When the pasta (1 cup of penne) was done, I added some of the pasta water to the sauce along with the penne. Stirred in some chopped fresh basil from my window box and seasoned.

Not bad at all! It was very tasty, specially with the addition of grated cheese. And I even made a little basil garnish!

Banana-Date Smoothie

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I was going to start this post by saying that this is a healthy smoothie recipe that is also very easy and fast to make....and then I though, ghee I am becoming repetitive.... But that is a good thing! When it comes to finding easy-quick-healthy recipes, the more the better!

So here you go, another smoothie/snack that's good for you!

Banana-Date Smoothie Recipe:

For one smoothie:

1 cup of buttermilk (you can use regular milk but the tangy taste of the buttermilk contrasts very well with the sweetness of the dates)

1 banana

2 dates, pitted (or as many as you like)

ice

Blend it all and you have yourself a great smoothie!

Maple Syrup and Brazil nut cookies

Pin It The name of these cookies might be a little deceptive. The only Brazil nut in it is the one on top. Other than that it is a pretty simple cookie, but made with maple syrup instead of some of the sugar, which makes it healthier (if a cookie could actually be healthy...) But let's just say it's less bad for you! Brazil nuts are know for being a superfood. They are loaded with unsaturated fat, minerals, vitamin E and selenium. So we don't have to feel too bad when reaching for the cookie jar... Unfortunately I do not know the name of the book where I got this recipe from because I photocopied the page only and forgot to write down the name of the book....

Maple Syrup and Brazil nut cookies Recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
about a dozen of Brazil nuts, split in half lengthwise
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter, syrup and sugar over medium-low heat and let it cool.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix well.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This will make it easier to shape the cookies later.
Make golf size balls with the dough, placing them 2 inches apart on a oiled-sprayed baking sheet.
Press one half Brazil nut into every cookie and bake it at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until done. They will still be soft when you take them out of the oven, don't worry. I tried to bake it longer and they became a little too hard.

Tofu-Caesar Dressing (vegetarian)

Pin It This dressing checks many boxes for me. It's easy to prepare, stores well in the fridge, it's healthy and probably best of all, it's something that both my (vegetarian) self and my husband (not vegetarian) can enjoy. All checked!


The source of this recipe is rather unusual... I found it at Oprah's website. She was trying a 21 days cleanse where she basically had to go vegan. The whole idea was to get people to become more conscious about what we eat. The good thing about it was that some of the dishes she ate (all prepared by her wonderful chefs, of course) ended up on her website with the recipes. That's when I saw this dressing, which was named "Homemade Caesar ". I just though Tofu Caesar was more appropriate. The original recipe makes a LOT of dressing, so I cut it in half, sort of. It makes one "mayo-size" jar like this one in the pictures. To see the original recipe from Oprah's chef, click here. To see my version, just keep reading.

Tofu Caesar Dressing Recipe:

8 oz soft tofu
1/4 cup lime juice
2 garlic cloves (sometimes I use 3, but that makes it really garlicky)
2 tbsp tahini
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup olive oil
a handful of chopped parsley

Blend all the ingredients except oil and parsley. With blender running, slowly add oil. Add parsley and pulse a few times to combine.

Store in a air-tight container and refrigerate it.
I use this dressing for making Caesars as well in chopped salads. It goes nicely with tomatoes and onions.

Spaghetti with Zucchini Blossoms

Pin It I looked in the market for zucchini blossoms all summer long, didn't find it. Now that it's already fall, I see a basket full of them! It doesn't matter, they are always welcome in my kitchen. I've never really seen them with the zucchini still attached to it (as I see in some pictures), every time I see the blossoms they have already been separated from the vegetable.
Most of the time when I see a recipe for zucchini flowers they are deep fried. I didn't want to do that. I think they are too delicate for that. So I decided to pair it with some good old spaghetti. It was really good. Here is how I did it:

Spaghetti with Zucchini Blossoms Recipe:

You will need:
Spaghetti
Zucchini Blossoms (as many as you like)
Zucchini ( I used one small for one portion)
Chopped onion (about 1/4 of an onion for 1 portion)
Olive oil


Gently clean the flowers with a soft paper towel and remove the insides (the part that contains the pollen). Cut off the bottom and make a cut along the flower, so you can open . If you see a lot of pollen still in the insides, you can clean it with the paper as well. Cut in strips, not too small, it will wilt later.
With a vegetable peeler, make ribbons from a small zucchini.
Cook chopped onions in olive oil until clear, add zucchini ribbons and flowers. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat.
Add cooked and drained pasta to the pan and gently toss to combine. Top it with Parmesan shavings.

Sourdough Vegetable Sandwich

Pin It Here in Seattle there is a place that is famous for their Chowder in a Sourdough Bowl. I remember when I first came across the concept of soup in a "bread-bowl". It was a long time ago in Brazil. I think it's a great idea, and so why not doing the same for sandwiches? If I had to take lunch to work, this would be the kind of meal I would make often. It's travels well, it can be made in advance, and most important it is a wholesome, healthy meal.



Now, of course, you can change the ingredients to fit your taste. You can make it with meat too, such as sliced meats or a sliced turkey or chicken breast. My version is vegetarian and I used what I had in hand (mushrooms, zucchini, mozzarella).

The sky is the limit when it comes to the filling, but the only think to keep in mind is to avoid items that tend to loose liquid because it will make the sandwich soggy. That is why I used fresh mozzarella that is not packed in water, and squeezed all excess oil from the sun-dried-tomatoes.

Sourdough Vegetable Sandwich Recipe:

Cut the top of a sourdough bread and remove the insides of the bread, leaving a small border.

Start layering with all your favourites. For this one I did:

Grilled sliced zucchinis

Pesto

Mozzarella (not packed in water, or if not possible, squeeze all excess liquid)

Sun-dried-tomatoes (excess oil removed)

Sliced white mushrooms, cooked in olive oil.

Continue layering until the bread is filled. Brush the lid with pesto and close the sandwich. Wrap it in plastic and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Chicken and Sage Patties

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Pink Bites is a blog where I share the foods that I cook and eat at home. Real food that is. The kind that works for me, my husband and that fits our life style. For me, that means keeping budget in mind. I believe it is possible to eat healthy and well without breaking the bank.

So with that in mind, I present you, reader, with yet another chicken recipe. This one is great because it can be used in so many different ways. I made these patties for Andrew and kept them in the fridge for a few days. I fried them as I needed, and he ate it in different ways:

1- In a sub sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

2- Alongside brown rice and vegetables for a complete meal.

3 - As a breakfast meal inside an English muffin with cheese and eggs.

It's a good thing Andrew doesn't mind leftovers, or eating the same food for days, because this recipe makes a lot of patties!
I found this recipe at the Martha Stewart website

Chicken and Sage Patties Recipe:

2 lbs ground chicken

1/2 an onion, finely chopped (I used red onion)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp spoon of finely chopped sage

1/4 cup of finely shredded carrots (I used my box grater)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas pepper

olive oil, for frying

Combine chicken, onion, garlic, sage, carrot, mustard, salt and pepper. Shape the patties (about 2 inches each) and place them in a baking sheet.

You can fry them right away in hot olive oil for about 2 minutes per side, or you can refrigerate them, covered and fry later. It makes about 17-20 patties.

Watermelon, Ginger and Honey Juice

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Here in Seattle we are still having nice days. Yesterday afternoon it was almost 80 degrees! Sure, the leaves are getting yellow and they are starting to fall from the trees and cover the sidewalks, but the temperature is still warm around here. I think of it as Mother Nature's way of making it up to us Satellites for the late start of spring (or completely lack of it...)

So that means I am still enjoying summer-type foods. I still use my outdoors BBQ pretty much daily, have chilled soups and refreshing salads. I actually haven't cooked any "fall food" yet. Today it was warm, and I decided to make this juice which is very refreshing on a warm day. I actually make this drink every summer, several times.But that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed when the mercury drops a little bit.

Besides, if you are getting a typical fall-entering cold or flu, the ginger in this juice will help you feel better.

Watermelon, Ginger and Honey Juice Recipe:

I used one of those personal size seedless watermelons. It doesn't mean they are really seedless, it means it has less seeds than a regular watermelon.

I chopped the watermelon into chunks. Peeled and grated a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger. Blended it all with a teaspoon of honey.

If you want to, you can strain the juice, I normally don't bother, unless there were a lot of seeds in the fruit.

Refrigerate and serve very cold.

This a great healthy snack, a good addition to the breakfast table and for me it also works as a decaffeinated pick-me up drink. I thinkit's all the frsh ginger in it, it really wakes me up!

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins

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I think there is something special about upside-down desserts. I am not sure exactly what is it. Maybe it's the suspense on the time you remove it from the pan (there is always a little hesitation.... is it going to be just perfect? Is it going to fall apart?) Or perhaps it's the fact that you can see the main ingredient right on top, on this case, lemons.

These muffins are better served warm, and of course, upside-down. The lemon slice on the top (or bottom?) is edible, but some people might not like it. On this case, it can simply removed. I suggest trying it, the lemons are super sweet and just melt in your mouth.




And since this month's challenge from Leila and Cris is about muffins and cupcakes, I am submitting these little guys!

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins Recipe: (this recipe is adapted from an old Williams-Sonoma book I have called Muffins & Quick Breads)

3 lemons

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teasp baking powder

1/2 teasp baking soda

1/2 teasp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400'F. Spray a standard 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Finely grate the zest of the lemons, removing only the bright yellow portion. Set lemons aside.

Combine the zest, water and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the butter and stir until it' s melted, about a minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove all the remaining peel from the lemons (just like you would do with an orange or a grapefruit). Cut crosswise into slices, you will need 12 slices. Pour about a teaspoon of the remaining sugar on the bottom of each muffing tin and top it with a slice of lemon.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and reserved lemon mixture until smooth. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, bake for about 15-20 minutes. Immediately invert muffin pan into a wire rack and lift it away.

Grilled Mango and Spinach Salad (Salada de Espinafre com Manga Grelhada)

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I love to mix fruits with salads. This one is very good. Mangoes and spinach is actually a classic salad combination in Brazil. Sometimes I use arugula instead. I quickly grill the mango in the barbecue to extract even more flavor from them. The dressing for this salad is also made with mangoes. The nuts give the dish a crunch.




Grilled Mango and Spinach Salad Recipe:


1 bunch of spinach, washed and dried
2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 radishes, thinly sliced
a handful of almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Take one of the mangoes and brush the flat side with canola oil. Quickly grill it until the pieces get nice grill marks on them. Cut it into smaller cubes and toss it with the spinach, almonds and radishes.
For the dressing: in a blender cup, place the second mango (cut into smaller pieces), the soy sauce, the lime juice and the mustard and blend it until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving, or if you prefer, toss it together.

Note: I sometimes add sliced red onions and raisins to this salad too. If you end up with extra dressing, keep it in the refrigerator in a airtight container.