Millet with Black Beans and Vegetables

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of millet (or quinoa)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T minced fresh ginger
Kosher salt
1 c water

2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2-3 baby carrots, chopped
2 baby bok choy, sliced
1/2 shallot, sliced
2-3 T chopped red cabbage
Fresh ground black pepper
Garlic, minced (optional)

Splash rice vinegar
Olive oil

Supplies:
Cutting Board + Knife
Hot plate + Pot + Lid
Pan + Spatula

Directions:

In a small pot, combine millet with black beans, water, ginger and water.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat, and simmer covered until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit.

Note:  The bean-millet mix will last for two meals - one for now and one for later when you saute up a few more vegetables.  If serving a guest, double vegetable amounts.

Then place pan on hot plate and heat olive oil, adding in garlic (optional) and shallot for about 30 seconds when pan is hot.  Add carrots and red cabbage and cook for a few minutes to soften.  Then add mushrooms, continuing to stir.  Finally, add bok choy until leaves soften and just begin to wilt.  Remove vegetables from heat.

Place half of the grain-bean mix on plate.  Top with vegetables.  Sprinkle with rice vinegar.  Enjoy!

Candida Modification:  Ditch the vinegar.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is the breakfast of champions - hearty and healthy. But it can easily be boring, so mix it up with any of the following toppings:

• Butter or Flax Seed Oil
• Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
• Dried Cranberries (these are great for singles, because they store easily and last a long time)
• Sliced Almonds (great for adding protein, and like cranberries, I always keep some in my cupboard)
• Sliced Bananas
• Milk

Candida Modification: Skip the sugar and the milk. Try your oatmeal with butter, dried cranberries, bananas, sliced almonds and unsweetened soy milk

Apple Cider-Acorn Squash Soup

Speaking of eating in-season.  This delicious winter soup uses acorn squash and in-season honeycrisp apples.  A small acorn squash produced two perfect single servings - one for dinner and one for lunch tomorrow.  (Also great for guests!)

Like any good soup, the  recipe is a little in-exact.  Just taste and alter to your liking and squash size.

Ingredients:
1 small acorn squash - the size of a large grapefruit
2 apples
1 cup vegetable broth
1 T butter
honey
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
salt and pepper

Supplies:
Toaster Oven and Baking Dish
Large Pot
Juicer (or just buy the apple juice/cider instead)
Hand Blender
Spoon

Directions:
Cut the acorn squash in half.  Spoon out seeds.  Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each half and drizzle with honey.

Roast the acorn squash in the toaster oven at 400 degrees.  Cooking time will vary based on your oven and squash size.  But 30 - 45 minutes is a good window.  Poke squash with fork and remove when soft.  Set aside to cool.

In the meantime, chop and juice the two apples.  Mine made about 12 ounces of juice.  Place apple juice in large pot and dash with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook for 5 - 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup vegetable broth and cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Drizzle any liquid butter and honey from the center of the squash into the pot, then scoop the squash out of its skin using a spoon.  Put squash in pot with juice/broth, throwing away the skin.

Using hand blender, puree squash into soup.  Add more broth as necessary for appropriate thickness.   Taste.  Add salt and pepper as desired.

Served Best With:  Fresh Bread

Candida Modification:  Lose the honey

Baked Tomato Tilapia

As a single person cooking for one, the butcher and seafood section at your grocery store are your friends.  Fresh and in just the right portion, buy a single fillet or a single steak.  Here's a light dinner favorite.

Ingredients:
1 - 2 tilapia fillets
nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, chopped (or other tomatoes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoo red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Supplies:
Toaster Oven
Baking Dish
Cutting Board + Knife

Directions:

Preheat the toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Spray baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Arrange fillets flat in baking dish.

Mix remaining ingredients and spoon evenly over fillets.

Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until fish flakes easily.

Serve With:  Rice; Cooked Green Veggies; Salad; and/or White Wine

Eggplant Parmesan

For all the talk about the birds and the bees, I still believe Mother Nature was a free spirit and a solo bird. Take eggs or peaches or avocados, for example - all perfect single portion foods. An eggplant is no exception. Here's a favorite dinner for one.

Eggplant Parmesan

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Ingredients:
1 Eggplant (preferably American or Italian)
Salt
1 Egg
Splash of Milk
1 part Breadcrumbs
1 part Flour
Olive Oil
Parmesan
Tomato Sauce (fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano)

Supplies:
Cutting Board + Knife
Hot Plate + Pan + Spatula
Toaster Oven + pan or pie plate or other baking dish that fits
Hand Blender (optional - for tomato sauce)

Directions:

Cut the eggplant into slices and sprinkle with salt. Cover eggplant pieces with a cutting board or plate and put a weight on top (such as a can) and let eggplant sit for about 30 minutes to drain excess water.

In the meantime, prepare tomato sauce by pureeing 2-3 Roma tomatoes (or any other type of tomato will do), 1 clove of garlic and 2 large basil leaves using your Hand Blender. Add salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste. (Skip this step if you are using a pre-made pasta sauce, which is a great quick and easy alternative - or embellish this sauce using your own ingredients such as parmesan, mushrooms, thyme, shallots, etc.).

Pour half the tomato mixture to coat the bottom of the baking pan.

After approximately 30 minutes, remove weight and plate or board from eggplant and pat dry.  Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Beat egg in a bowl with a splash of milk. On a plate or in a shallow pan, mix 1 part breadcrumbs with 1 part flour. Dip eggplant in egg then coat in breadcrumb mixture. Cook in pan until breadcrumbs on both sides are lightly brown.

Place eggplant in baking dish.  Once you have breaded/pan-cooked all the eggplant, pour the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant.  Sprinkle generously with parmesan.  (You can also add other cheeses such as mozarella or asiago, as desired.)

Cook in toaster over at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.


Served Best With:  Salad; Glass of Wine; Garlic Bread

Candida Modification:  Lose the milk and cheese