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Single Servings: June '08

By:   Mackenzie Schieck

Ooo, ooo!—I have a present for you: recipes, a shopping list, and a plan for prepping meals. Imagine a big red bow...

I recently moved neighborhoods in Seattle and my only stress in doing so was finding food, as primitive as that may sound. The first weekend in my new digs I found myself with a last-minute dinner guest on the way, and while I remembered seeing a store somewhere, I didn't know exactly where. So with no internet hooked up yet to check the address (phone book? What is this "phone book" thing you speak of?), I just started driving and hoped for the best. I felt like I was back in hunter/gatherer days, weaving through a wilderness of streets I didn't know, not totally sure that my pursuit of nuts, berries, and frozen pizza would pay off.

Since then, I've taken to field tripping it to a different grocery store each weekend to see what's what, which I highly recommend--even if you haven't recently moved.  Normally a one-stop grocery shopping gal (I had been lucky enough to live two blocks from a beautiful store in my old neighborhood--why go anywhere else?), all of a sudden I found myself with several options and at first, unconvinced it was a good thing. (Options? Don't give me options--that means I'll have to make a decision!) But it's actually been a fun change of pace. I've found that just like getting stuck in a cooking rut, it's very easy to get stuck in a shopping rut. So, do as I do (now, anyway) and get out and explore a little! From independent bakeries and seafood shops to weekly farmers' markets, find out what your community has because it might just open up your culinary world a bit.

Oh, and FYI, I did find the grocery store that day and scored myself a delicious frozen pizza. It didn’t go so well with the nuts and berries, though.




Prep & Freeze

Nikki's Steak Saltimbocca: This recipe didn't sound especially conducive to the "Single Servings" way of life, but the picture looked so good that I was determined to make it work. And it did!--With a slight adjustment.

Instead of rolling the meat, I basically made a sandwich: steak, provolone, sage, prosciutto, steak. Make sure you pound the steak out thin enough that by the time you have two pieces sandwiching the rest, it's about 3 ounces of meat. Once assembled, wrap each "sandwich" in plastic wrap, then store all in the freezer in a resealable bag. (The sage is going to lose some flavor in the freezer, but I figure it’s better this way than no way at all, right? Right.)

To cook, brown and bake as directed by the recipe.


Two Easy Meals--No Leftovers!

Amber's Sesame Chicken: Great recipe. I skipped the flour which made more sesame seeds stick to the chicken, so I didn’t add them to the sauce. Instead of shaking chicken with mixture in a bag, you may want to lay the chicken pieces out and sprinkle the spices and sesame seeds onto the chicken to make sure it goes the distance.

Serve on its own or over rice if you need a little more bulk to your dinner.

NOTE: Change servings to one.


Delicious Black Bean Burritos: Yum, yum, yum. Use low-fat cream cheese and reduce the amount up to half, then quadruple the red pepper--there's plenty of room for more!

NOTE: Change the servings to one--unless you want leftovers for lunch, and I think you just might.


Cook Once, Eat Twice

Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Dressing: The past year and a half I've been very into fish tacos, so this recipe will be a permanent fixture in my dinner rotation. It's a very flavorful, yet light dinner--perfect for warm weather!

Add marinade to fish in the morning, then grill or bake (10-15 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 Celsius), until fish flakes apart easily).

NOTE: Change serving size to two.


And for Dessert...

Broiler S'mores: June 20 marks the first day of summer, but let's celebrate all month with some s'mores. No campfire required for this recipe!

NOTE: This recipe not included in the Shopping List.


Sunday Prep

This should be pretty quick and painless--no more than two hours.

  • Prepare Nikki's Steak Saltimbocca as directed in Prep & Freeze.
  • Make marinade and Chipotle-Lime Dressing for the Grilled Fish Tacos and chop up tilapia.
  • For Amber's Sesame Chicken, mix spices and sesame seeds, cut chicken breast into chunks, and chop onion and bell pepper.
  • Make rice if you'd like to serve it with Amber's Sesame Chicken
  • Chop bell peppers, onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper for Delicious Black Bean Burritos--go ahead and store them all together in a resealable bag.


    What Say You?

    As always, thanks so much for all the fantastic emails! But, don't let my praise lead you to believe that your work here is done--keep emailing me!

    Hi Mackenzie.
    I've been following your column over the last few months, and I really enjoy it.  Would you consider doing a vegetarian entree now and then? I love all your meat marinade ideas, but I try to limit the meat in my diet and I'd love some alternatives. Thanks, and keep it up! --Julie

    Julie,
    Those Delicious Black Bean Burritos have your name written all over them! And I will try to get more vegetarian options in my column going forward--thanks for the email and the request. I'm happy to oblige! --Mackenzie

    Mackenzie,
    Just happen to fall over your recipes.  Haven't had time to read the three previous editions.  I think they're just the greatest.  I love cooking with the KISS method, "keep it simple stupid."  Love the red pepper roasting idea. 
     
    Keep all those neat ideas comin'. --VeeJay

    VeeJay,
    Yes, simple is good. And I'm constantly surprised (even though I should know better by now) that simple preparation doesn’t necessarily mean simple tasting. Lucky us!

    Thanks for the email! --Mackenzie

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