Category Archives: Meals for Two

Dinner / Lunch / Meals for Two / Pescatarian / Savory / Vegetarian

Cheesy Garlic Noodles

October 22, 2014

Cheesy Garlic Noodles

First of all, I had to google how to spell “cheesy.”  I wasn’t sure if it was “cheesy” or “cheesey,” and really, both don’t look right to me.  Apparently “cheesy” is the correct spelling, though, according to google, so who am I to question that.

Second, this isn’t health food, so let’s not pretend that it is.  I mean, the healthiest thing in this whole dish is the garlic, and there’s only one clove of it in the dish, so… that should give you an idea of where this falls on the “I feel good about eating this” scale.

That said, sometimes you just need a dish like this.  Sometimes you want to make mac and cheese from a box, but you decide that maybe making this is a tiny bit better, if only because you know what’s actually going into your body.  (Seriously, what is that cheese packet made out of?  It’s like neon orange.)

I call dishes like this “babysitter food,” because it’s the type of thing I’d whip up when I was babysitting back in the day (heyyy high school), after I’d convinced the kids that yes, they really did need to go to bed even though their parents weren’t home.  (Of course, I’d generally let them sneak in an extra 30 minutes of Veggie Tales beforehand…)

So next time you’re feeling like having something a little indulgent, or you simply have zero ingredients to make any semblance of a real meal — try this out.  You won’t be disappointed.  (Unless garlic sometimes gives you heartburn, like it does to me.  Ouch.)

Cheesy Garlic Noodles 1

Cheesy Garlic Noodles

serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
  • parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Steps:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, add in a big handful of salt and cook noodles according to package instructions.
  2. While the noodles are cooking, combine butter, olive oil and garlic into a small pan over low heat (lowest heat possible!).  Cook until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
  3. When pasta is done, drain it and transfer to a bowl.  Pour the butter, oil and garlic mixture over the top and toss to combine.  Add in cheese to taste (I like a couple handfuls) and toss to combine.

It literally doesn’t get any easier than that.

 

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Meals for Two / Pescatarian / Salads / Savory / Stay Healthy

Salmon Salad

September 3, 2014

Salmon SaladThis salad was made out of random desperation and tiredness last week when I had zero energy to spare for cooking.  KC suggested that we go to Whole Foods and make a salad from the salad bar for dinner (and pick up a bottle of wine.  What can I say?  I married a him for a reason.)  After perusing the salad bar buffet, I ended up getting an idea for this salad — using some ingredients from the salad bar and finishing it off with things I had at home.

This salad would be good with just about any assortment of veggies — so feel free to customize it with whatever you’ve got in your fridge.  I used some summer tomatoes which rounded things out nicely, so I’d recommend using tomatoes if you’ve got them laying around.

This is a great “second night” salad — meaning, if you’ve made salmon the night before and have leftovers, this is a great way to re-purpose the fish (which is what I was doing here).  It’s especially awesome if you made salmon with brown rice, as you can throw both the leftover rice and the salmon into the salad.

Salmon Salad 3

Salmon Salad

serves 2 as a meal

Salad:

  • leftover salmon
  • leftover brown rice (or any cooked and cooled grain — quinoa, cous cous, whatever) — I like to mix this with a little minced fresh mint, but that’s totally optional
  • lettuce (I used a mix of romaine and mixed baby greens)
  • tomatoes
  • red onion
  • beans (I mixed in garbanzos and edamame)

Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp agave
  • salt and pepper
  1. Mix together all salad ingredients in your salad bowl.  Whisk together ingredients for the dressing, then toss with the salad.

Salmon Salad 2

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Meals for Two / Salads / Savory / Stay Healthy

A Twist on Salade Niçoise

May 5, 2014

salade nicoise 1Yep, another salad recipe.  You know I can’t get enough salads — mostly because I’m a little lazy when it comes to cooking, and I like things that assemble quickly (ideally in one bowl).

Traditional salade niçoise doesn’t involve lettuce — it’s actually quite a stunning presentation of potatoes, olives, tuna, eggs, and various other things.  However, I had a bunch of arugula that I needed to use up, so I added it in.  Why be hemmed in by the expectations of what salade niçoise is supposed to be?  Do what you want, I say!

salade nicoise 2Potatoes in salad might be one of my favorite things.  (Who’s surprised?  No one — I love all carbs.)

salade nicoise 3A Twist on Salade Niçoise

serves 2 as a meal

  • 1 russet or handful of new potatoes, cut into chunks (peel the russet, if you’d like)
  • olive oil
  • dried herbs: thyme, basil, oregano
  • 1 small bunch green beans, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 bunch arugula, cleaned and spun dry
  • 2 handfuls tomatoes, chopped
  • big handful of kalamata olives, cut in half
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
  • 1 can quality tuna (I used albacore in water, but packed in oil would be delicious here as well)
  • red wine vinegar
  • dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • optional: roasted beets, sliced cucumber and/or radishes
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.  On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a big pinch (each) of the dried herbs.  Place in a single layer, then bake until tender and crispy (20-25 min).
  2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add a big pinch of salt and green beans, then cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain and set aside.
  3. For the dressing, combine 1 tsp dijon mustard with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar in a small bowl.  Add a big pinch of salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
  4. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, olives, eggs, tuna, and green beans in a large salad bowl.  Add cooked potatoes, drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.

salade nicoise 4An easy meal for weeknight dining.  Oui oui!

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Meals for Two / Salads / Savory / Stay Healthy / Vegan / Vegetarian

Raw Beet Green Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

April 8, 2014

Raw Beet Green Salad 2

First off, I did think about titling this dish: Roasted, Toasted and Goat-ed Beet Green Salad, because there’s roasted beets, toasted sunflower seeds, and goat cheese in it.  But then I thought that was a little bit annoying, even for me.  I also thought that there was a very solid chance that this salad was going to be awful when I made it.  It’s pretty, sure, but beet greens?  RAW beet greens?  Not to mention that the spring onions I used were so freaking onion-y that it was all I could smell when I was putting this together…

I’m doing a good job selling this recipe to you, huh?  Totally.

I really don’t want you to think that I’m some kind of healthy-eating mutant who loves eating raw kale and chia seeds on the regular and would die before allowing red meat into her body.  Cuz I’m not.  I mean, go ahead and think that if you want to — your choice.  It sounds sort of nice to be thought of as some kind of crazy health ninja — completely inaccurate, but nice.

But no, I like junk food.  I love a big greasy burger.  And french fries?  Don’t even get me started.  I may or may not have a very trashy relationship with the McDonald’s drive-thru.  (PS: Did you know you can ask for your fries “fresh” there?  Yeah, it means they fry them up fresh for you and serve them to you so hot they burn your mouth off.  WORTH IT.)  But that’s not what this is about.  This is about everyday life where I make the conscious choice to not eat an entire jar of peanut butter in one sitting (and believe me, that’s a legit choice right there, because it could very well be reality), and instead work vegetables into some semblance of deliciousness.  And especially because I’m turning 30 this week (!) I did make a decision at the beginning of this year to get my healthy eating back on track so that I could ring in my 30’s wearing my skinny jeans.*

So, because of that and because our CSA has been giving us beets lately (sooo many beets), I decided I should try something new.  I roasted the beets like usual, but then opted to use the leafy tops of the beets as the base for this salad.  The beet tops are mild in flavor and a little more tender than raw kale.  However, these are still a pretty hearty green, so feel free to add the dressing to your salad and let it hang out for awhile.  If you end up having leftovers, this is even a salad that will hold up well in the fridge for a couple days.

Raw Beet Green Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Raw Beet Green Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch beets with fresh-looking greens attached (I used 2 large golden beets and 1 large striped beet, but red beets would also work just fine here)
  • 4 spring onions (scallions), white and light green parts thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
  • 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (just place them in a dry pan over low heat for a few minutes, tossing regularly until fragrant)
  • 2 oz crumbled goat cheese*

For the dressing:

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1-2 tsp agave nectar (start with 1 tsp, then taste and add until desired sweetness is reached)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)
  • hefty pinch of salt and pepper
  1. Remove beet greens from beets and roast the beets.  Once cooled, remove the skin and chop the beets.
  2. Remove beet leaves from the stem and tear or chop into pieces.  Rinse leaves and spin dry, then add to salad bowl.
  3. Add chopped spring onions, beets, quinoa, toasted sunflower seeds, and crumbled goat cheese.
  4. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing (add a little water if the dressing is too thick), then add to salad and toss to combine.

*To make this salad vegan or dairy-free, feel free to sub in avocado for the goat cheese.

Raw Beet Green Salad 3

*Um, I should probably note that I did follow up this salad with half a dozen mini Cadbury Cream Eggs.  Real life, y’know.

Dairy-Free / Meals for Two / Salads / Savory / Stay Healthy

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad

February 26, 2014

Brussel Sprout baking sheet

Given that it’s a cold, drizzly, gray day, I think it’s the perfect day to post this warm salad.  It’s hearty, filling, and just generally comforting — perfect for winter.  And since it’s got some good-for-you green things in there, you don’t have to fall into a pit of self-hatred after eating it (even if it does taste a little indulgent).

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad

serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side

  • 1 lb brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered (depending on size)
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered and sliced
  • 4 thick slices bread (I used sourdough), cubed
  • 3 thin slices prosciutto, diced (feel free to use bacon or pancetta instead)
  • 1 bag (5oz) lettuce (I used arugula, but baby spinach or baby or mixed greens would also work well)
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • red wine vinegar (you could also use apple cider vinegar here)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Toss brussel sprouts and onion in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. After the brussel sprouts have been cooking for 8 minutes, toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add bread and prosciutto to baking sheet (in a single layer), and bake remaining 12 minutes with brussel sprouts and onions.
  4. Place lettuce and chopped eggs into a large salad bowl.  Add cooked brussel sprouts, onion, prosciutto, and croutons, right out of the oven.  Add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, then toss to combine.

*Don’t over-dress this salad — it can taste a bit heavy if you’re too heavy-handed with the dressing.