Cooking for Two Archives - Keeping With The Times

Women Who Love to Cook and Bake

March 14, 2017 by Barb 6 Comments

I come from a long line of women who loved to cook and bake, and I’m thrilled I was able to pass this love on to both my daughters and now to my granddaughter.

As for my granddaughter, the love was most likely passed on from her own mother (I’ll take a bit of credit) but, as my daughter says:

There’s a new dawn in my home and I’m in love with it. I have a daughter who loves to bake as much as I do. And this is amazing to me. I love that she wants to be in the kitchen and takes pride in her baking. But not only that, to have someone contributing to the meals and homemade snacks in our family takes such a load off of me. It has always been important to me that my family eats mostly homemade meals and baked goodies. It’s the way I was raised, so really it’s all I know.

Jo-Anna

Ya gotta love that …However, as I get a little older (ahem) I seem to have lost a bit of the zest for cooking and baking I once had … and I’m a bit sad about it. I think a lot of it has to do with having less energy, and having to decide where I want to spend that energy (maybe more on photography, or gardening?)

Whatever it is, the hubs and I still have to eat, and I want us to eat good, healthy, homemade food. Side note: that’s why I’ve created the new blog Sub-Category Cooking For Two where you’ll find goodies like my special Maple Walnut Salad Dressing, or the Freshest Turkey Soup Ever. And I do have some coping strategies (tip below*)

So when (in a very weak moment ;) I invited some friends over for brunch I started to panic a bit.

What the heck was I going to make? Oh, the bacon/sausage/egg part was easy. Ditto for the fruit salad. But I needed to have a bit of home baking (because my friend always does) and I was a bit bored with my trusty standbys like Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins.

Then I remembered seeing some mouthwatering Morning Glory Muffins on my daughters blog, and ta da! Problem solved!

They were actually made and perfected by my granddaughter and I knew I couldn’t go wrong.

Coping Strategies*

Because our guests were arriving at 10:00 am and I knew I had lots to do, I prepared most of the muffin ingredients the night before. I measured the dry ingredients, sifted together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. I shredded the carrots, toasted and chopped the nuts, and retrieved my homemade apple sauce from the freezer so it would thaw. Preparation is key, folks! I even set out the muffin tins and lined them with paper muffin cups.

I was up early the next morning and had them in the oven by 8:00 am. The house was filled with the scent of tantalizing freshly baked muffins, and I was pretty pleased with myself.

And the best part? I now have about a dozen muffins tucked away in the freezer for the hubs and I that I can pull out on a moments notice. The perfect strategy for cooking for two.

It also helps to have a man who tells you to get out of the kitchen so he can clean up! xo

The Freshest Turkey Soup Ever

January 10, 2017 by Barb 6 Comments

Today I have a few tips on how to serve up the freshest turkey soup ever! It’s an explosion of flavour and is definitely not your grandmothers turkey soup ;)

This year I’m re-evaluating how I shop, cook, and serve meals to the hubs and myself, and one of my goals is to eat fresher—certainly that can’t be too hard?!

To make myself accountable, I plan to share my cooking adventures in a new category I’m calling “Cooking for Two”. No earth-shattering title here … I’m simply looking for ways to cook for two in more manageable and inspired ways.

So lets start with turkey soup shall we? and that is because my daughter gifted us with a turkey carcass at Christmas ;)

Turkey soup is something I associate with large families and lots of mouths to feed. I also associate it with tired veggies and unidentifiable starches … but wait … I have a solution!! It takes a bit of preparation, but it’s worth it.

First of all, I’m sure everyone knows how to make stock (am I right?) You basically:

throw the bones in a large stock pot
fill it 3/4 of the way to the top with water
to add flavour, add a few chunks of onions, carrots, celery tops, and parsley, etc. (to be discarded when stock is strained)
place pot on stove
turn burner on high
bring to a boil
reduce heat
and let simmer for a couple hours
strain and place stock in fridge, let cool completely, skim off fat
divide stock into as many large containers as necessary and store in fridge

Meanwhile, using your hands, pick meat off bones. Shred slightly and store in plastic container in refrigerator.

Tips on how to serve the freshest turkey soup ever!

After making the stock, shredding the meat, and putting it all back in the fridge, spend an hour or two washing and preparing enough fresh vegetables to last 3 or 4 days. Place each vegetable in small plastic containers. Try:

carrots (sliced, diced, julienned … you decide)
celery (chopped small)
bean sprouts (washed)
broccoli (in chunks)
green onions (sliced)
small sugar peas
cauliflower (in chunks)
etc. etc. etc.

Pre-cook and store in plastic containers your starches of choice. Try:

wild rice
couscous
quinoa
etc.

When you come home after a busy day and are ready to have a beautiful and fresh bowl of turkey soup (for two) simply place 1/4 to 1/2 cup rice or other starch in each bowl:

In a medium pot:

place about 4 cups of prepared stock and bring to a boil
add 1 or 2 chicken bouillon cubes for flavour (to your taste … check package directions)
add celery and let boil for 1 more minute
add bean sprouts, and let cook for another minute
turn off heat and add as much shredded turkey meat and chopped veggies as you like
let sit for a few minutes, then pour over rice
garnish with fresh green onions, or parsley … whatever suits your fancy

Have your choice of these condiments on the table for people to add as desired:

soy sauce
grated ginger
grated lemon zest, etc. etc.

Now you have a delicious bowl of turkey soup minus tough turkey meat, mushy vegetables and exploded rice.

Brilliant! Why has it taken me so many years to figure this out? It’s a real winner winner!

I ended up serving this several times during the week and each meal was a completely different experience. Maybe we’re easy to please, but we didn’t get tired of it.

SO fresh!

Turkey soup at our house will never be the same.

Onions and Parmesan Casserole

January 3, 2017 by Barb 9 Comments

Onions and Parmesan Casserole is a rich and delicious side dish. It’s also a fast and easy meal solution since most of the ingredients are ones I have on hand (including the canned milk.)

The recipe was given to me more than 25 years ago by a friend. When I mentioned it to her recently, she said had forgotten about it completely and never makes it anymore … I couldn’t believe it!

Well, I’ve prepared it countless times and my family loves it. Now I often make it when I’m on my own. It’s creamy and tangy with parmesan cheese and is a meal in itself.

Better comfort food I’ve never found!

Onions and Parmesan Casserole

Ingredients

4 cups sliced yellow or sweet onions
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup cream (I use Evaporated Milk and it tastes delicious)
2/3 cup parmeson cheese
salt and pepper

Instructions

Sauté onions in butter until soft.
Place in ovenproof casserole.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat eggs lightly.
Mix in cream, salt, and pepper.*
Sprinkle top with 1/3 cup parmeson cheese and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Notes

Evaporated milk, known in some countries as unsweetened condensed milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar.

*To make this casserole more robust, I often throw in whatever other cheeses I may have on hand right into the egg mixture.

Try a few tablespoons of:

grated mozzarella
asiago
ricotta

Think outside the box: dried cottage cheese could be added as extra protein (and I often have dried cottage cheese in 1/4 cup servings stowed away in my freezer.) You could also serve this dish with a bit of baked chicken or pork.

NOTE: Evaporated milk, known in some countries as unsweetened condensed milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Wikipedia

You can also read about the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk here at The Kitchn.

Enjoy!

3-Minute Easy Baked Apple

December 2, 2016 by Barb 10 Comments

This 3-minute baked apple is a fast and easy meal solution I tend to fall back on time and time again.

It’s great for a quick meal if you happen to be alone, or there are just a couple of you. I especially love it for breakfast, but with the addition of a few extra sweet tidbits, it makes a lovely and healthy dessert.

Wash, core and slice one apple (I don’t peel it) and place in an individual microwave-safe dish:

Add about 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice), a bit of lemon juice, a dab of coconut oil or butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes depending on your microwave and your taste.
Sprinkle with hazelnuts, or walnuts, or almonds … really the choices are endless. In fact I should just say “clean out your pantry!”
Add a bit of granola, sweetened coconut flakes, raisins, cranberries and/or bits of chocolate.
Pour a bit of milk or cream on top.
Serve with a slice of cheddar cheese or ice cream :)
Enjoy!