Main Dishes

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 […]

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 […]

Crustless quiche Lorraine

Crustless Quiche Lorraine for 2

What do you make for supper, when you haven’t been to the grocery store in a week? When you’re tired, and you have very little energy, and your spouse is feeling worse? At my house, the answer was this crustless quiche Lorraine for 2, a cheesy, custardy delight. looking in […]

Sous vide roast beef 1200

Sous Vide Roast Beef for 2

Summertime is both a cook’s best friend and a horrible fiendish experience. On the one hand, there’s an abundance of lovely fruit and vegetables at the peak of their season. On the other, it can be hot everywhere but especially in the kitchen, which makes me want to just eat ice […]

instant pot rare roast beef sliced

Instant Pot Rare Roast Beef

My family loves roast beef, and we have a preference for rare to medium-rare. But in hot weather, who wants to run the oven? Here’s an Instant Pot rare roast beef recipe that I’ve found to be reliable. After some initial preparation, it’s a fairly hands-off process. I love easy […]

apricot orange glazed chicken 1200

Apricot Orange Glazed Chicken

It’s a constant challenge for the home cook: making supper with what you happen to have in the house. This quick baked apricot orange glazed chicken uses the end of a jar of jam, vinegar, and orange juice to create a first-rate dinner, all within about half an hour. It’s flexible, […]

gyudon 1200

Gyudon

Let’s talk about comfort food – the stuff that you turn to when you’re dead tired, hungry and cranky. You want a one-pot meal, something that is simple and quick to put together. I’ve got just the dish. This is gyudon, which is short for gyuniku donburi, or Japanese beef bowl […]

Granny Smith's Meatloafies

Granny Smith’s Meatloafies

There’s a family history about Granny Smith’s Meatloafies. My mother loved the outsides of meats – the outside cut of the roast, the edges on a good meatloaf – so when I made meatloaf for her, I made individual-sized “loafies” so she could have more of the tasty crust. Along the way, […]

sous vide chicken teriyaki

Sous Vide Chicken Teriyaki

January is a time when I return to the simple in my kitchen. After 6 weeks of feasts, cookies, pies, more feasts, and all the glitter of the holidays, it’s time to simplify. This month I want to eat down the freezer, use up the pantry supplies, and, in general, […]

garden-style sloppy joe sandwich on a plate

Garden-style Sloppy Joes

I like my sloppy joes to be chunky and flavorful – no thin wimpy sandwiches, please! I also prefer a healthier version, so I use a very lean beef and then add lots of vegetable. That’s why they’re garden-style sloppy joes. This is a great dish to make in quantity. It […]

fresh tomato tart

Fresh Tomato Tart

My fresh tomato tart is the result of an improvisation, and I vary the filling every time I make it. This one combined sweet onion, leek, and garlic/herb cheese. I’ve also used dry ricotta, plain Muenster cheese, even a bit of leftover Alfredo sauce. See what variations you might come […]

sausage hash on plate

Provençal Sausage Hash with Tomatoes

Hash is an old-fashioned dish. You can make hash from leftover roast of any kind, and cooks like my grandmother never needed a recipe: just cook onions, potatoes, leftover meat in a pan, moisten with gravy, milk, or cream, season, and ta-da! dinner. So what’s Provençal sausage hash? It’s hash, […]