I am changing things up a little this Sunday to instead talk about a cookbook that offers recipes which serve one to two people (sometimes up to four depending on how small you portion the servings). Seemed completely appropriate to post such a review on Single Serving Sunday!
Creative Cooking (for One or Two) addresses the problem that many parents have: how to go from cooking large quantities which feed a crowd to smaller servings for one or two when their children fly the coop. Or for those children who are now living on their own (like me still, ten years and counting).
These recipes span from breakfast foods, soups/salads/sandwiches, entrees, all the way to dessert. Many of these recipes can be made in a toaster oven (or microwave), reducing the amount of energy used and heat created compared to a full-sized oven. And each recipe includes degrees of difficulty and approximate calorie counts.
There is also a Festive Feasts chapter which offers meals for holidays and other special events, but with fewer servings for less leftovers. I loved this chapter as it relates to my Thanksgiving Dinner for Two. The festive menu line-ups include New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, sporting events, and even a birthday brunch.
First I tried out the Beef Lasagna. It only required 2 lasagna noodles and the sauce was made using a 6 ounce can of tomato paste. For the filling I added in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella which was meant for the topping and only used 1/4 cup for the top instead. I appreciated the distribution of the cheese rather than it being all piled on top. But the most important thing was the subtle presence of the nutmeg in the filling. It gave the entire lasagna such a comforting feel that I was ready to curl up with a blanket while finishing it off.
For dessert I made the Fresh Strawberry Pie. I honestly am not certain whether I had ever had strawberry pie before this. I loved the look of having the whole strawberries in the pie, which was filled in with a gelatin/glaze mixture. Based on pictures I have seen of full-sized glazed strawberry pies, I think I may not have reduced the glaze component of the pie enough as it seemed to cover up the strawberries. But it was beautiful when cut, seeing the strawberry slices, and tasted even better. And just look how cute a mini pie can be!
Both the recipes I tried were more moderate in difficulty. Next I want to dive into the more elaborate recipes such as the Gingerbread Waffle with Fresh Orange Butter Sauce and the Chicken Satay with Coconut Rice.
Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary copy from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Two years ago: Gingerbread Pancakes with Crumb Topping
Three years ago: Perfect Hamburger
