baked risotto for one

Baked Risotto for One

As a solo diner, risotto has been a sure-fire restaurant pleasure. Yes, I know how to make risotto the classic way, ladling spoonfuls of hot broth into the rice and stirring, stirring, stirring all the time. And when I feel like doing that, with music playing and a glass of

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one pork chop

One Pork Chop

When you’re cooking for one, it’s helpful to source ingredients in convenient (small) packages. This recipe for one pork chop does just that: start with one single pork chop, cook it simply, and eat something delicious that doesn’t take much work. Instead of grabbing a family-size package of chops, step

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oyakodon for 1

Oyakodon for 1

Today I’d like to share one of my own favorites for solo cooking: oyakodon for 1. This is simple and quick to put together, and it’s both tasty and easy. Oyako-don is a classic Japanese dish composed of chicken, onion, and egg over rice. It’s a one-pot dish (well, two

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Just 2 Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just 2 Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes you want just a couple of cookies. Not a full batch, not dozens, not a big tin full, but just two cookies. One for you, one for a friend – or maybe one for now, one for later. Just two. In fact, you can make just 2 chocolate chip cookies,

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Lemon Marmalade

Small-batch Lemon Marmalade

Ahh…. small-batch lemon marmalade. I look forward to this every year! Wintertime, specifically during January and February, is grey and bleak around here, and often the weather is fierce. It’s also peak citrus season. Every year, I look for Meyer lemons, so I can make this delightful marmalade. Meyer lemons

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CSA 2023 week 17

CSA 2023 week 17 and earlier: summer!

You know how it goes – summer hits with full force, and suddenly you’re too busy to do anything. Of course that happened, and so this post will cover CSA 2023 week 17 and earlier: weeks earlier. I know some of you like to see what the CSA brings us every week.

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CSA 2023 week 12

CSA 2023 week 12: chard, cucumbers, squash

I missed a week, again!! Now we’re at CSA 2023 week 12, and I forgot to tell you all about week 11. I’ll put both photos here for your enjoyment.         Summer is definitely upon us, and we’re starting to get more and more variety. Last week –

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CSA 2023 week 10

CSA 2023 week 10: Summer begins

You may have noticed a distinct lack of updates on the CSA boxes during June. It’s not that the boxes stopped – our farmers at Beaverland Farms in Detroit have been steadily supplying us with fantastic produce! Just look at some of the boxes in past weeks, and then I’ll

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CSA 2023 week 5

CSA 2023 week 5: beets & peas

Now that the leaves are fully out on the trees, and we’re coming right up on Memorial Day, I think we can safely say spring is well advanced, and it’s about to be, or feel like, summer. Our farmers at Beaverland Farms in Detroit, MI tell us that the warmer weather is

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CSA 2023 week 4

CSA 2023 week 4: greens & turnips

The weather has been warm enough to make all the farm’s plants have a growth spurt. Our farmers at Beaverland Farms in Detroit, MI tell us they have put away the row covers, and we can expect more and more produce each week. The box of CSA 2023 week 4

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Tuscan soup for 2

Tuscan Soup for 2

When your warm spring day turns chilly, as mine did today, consider making this small-batch Tuscan soup for 2. It’s similar to the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana. You can have it on the table in less time than it would take you to drive to a restaurant. This is a

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CSA 2023 week 3

CSA 2023 week 3: asparagus and mushrooms

It’s definitely spring now: the magnolia trees have dropped their blossoms and the lilacs are blooming. Our farmers at Beaverland Farms in Detroit, MI have packed a wonderful box for us this week. CSA 2023 week 3 brings us more rhubarb (yes!) and asparagus and wine-cap mushrooms too! I have another

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Welcome

I’m Maurita Plouff, and I write about cooking and preserving the local harvest in Southeast Michigan. Any recipe you find here is something I have cooked myself, and enjoyed, and think you might like too. I invite you to try the recipes, and leave comments.

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