Adventures in Cooking for One.

The title says it all. It is official. For the next seven months I will be cooking for one.

This is problematic, as I have too many leftovers as it is when cooking for two.

It's not as simple as just cutting recipes down, folks. You might think it is, but I'm here to tell you, it just isn't.

This week I am over indulging my pasta obsession, and I don't care. To be honest, I just want it out of the house so that this weekend I can make a clean start with what food is in my kitchen.

So, this week I'll be making:

Pork Stir Fry with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Fettuccine Alfredo

Spaghetti/Penne with Mushroom Ragu

(I never get mushroom Ragu! Stoked.)

Smoked Turkey Melts

Shrimp and Avocado Quesadillas

That should clear out my shelves and refrigerator pretty well, and next week will be a completely new start.

More to come on the quesadilla mentioned above. I had one for the first time at Mike's Tex-Mex this week, and it was phenomenal. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage.

No slugs this time!

It has been a while since I last posted. You can read a bit about the blur this month has been in this post over at 'Life Moves Pretty Fast'.

Anyway, I did promise to make Chris Corned Beef and Cabbage before he left, and I did keep my promise.

So good.

All you need for this recipe:

Corned Beef Brisket with a Seasoning Packet (These are usually packed with the brisket.)

A little bag of baby carrots

Potatoes

Cabbage

One stick of butter

Water

Put the (for the purposes of this post 3.5lb) corned beef brisket in a large pot on the stove. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat. Empty the seasoning packet on to a piece of cheesecloth or the like, wrap it up tightly, and submerge it in the pot.

Turn your burner on high or medium high, throw a lid on it, and wait for about an hour.

After an hour, turn the brisket over, and add more water if needed.

After another hour and a half or so, turn it again, toss in the baby carrots, and chop and add the potatoes to the pot.

After another hour, roughly chop and add in the cabbage. At this point, if you are me, throw in a stick of regular, salted butter for good measure.

Finish it off for another half hour or so. Remove the brisket to a cutting board, and mix the rest together well. Cut the brisket into bite sized pieces and add back to the pot. Cook for another ten minutes or so, letting the corned beef break up a little in the mix.

Serve with bread and butter or crescent rolls.

My Sous Chef's Favorites.

If you follow my ramblings over at Life Moves Pretty Fast, you have probably caught on to the fact that Chris will be leaving shortly for an extended period of time. This blog will spend the next 6-7 months chronicling my adventures in cooking for one.

I figure that I can't let him leave without sending him off with some of his favorite dinners.

Due to the hectic nature of the next two weeks there won't really be meal plans. However, at some point the following will be made just for my departing Sous Chef:

Steak

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Double Musky Scampi

Mike's Tex-Mex 

(Hey, I said it all would be made, not that I would make it all.)

I can't think of anything else he would really want. His only request was the Corned Beef and Cabbage. I told him I would make it on the condition that he handled the cabbage this time.

Needless to say, I won't be working with any while he's gone.

I sure will miss his occasional help with dinner and his more than occasional breakfast cooking. I fear that his temporary replacement will be far less help around here.

After all, what am I to do with a Sous Chef who isn't allowed in the kitchen!?

I've Been Bad.

This has nothing to do with my lack of a menu plan posting this week.

It also has nothing to do with the fact that we went out to eat at least three times last week (all new restaurants).

It does, however, have everything to do with the fact that I found another excuse to make Alfredo sauce.

Hello, lover.

I can't be blamed in this. I did what anyone would have done. I had a store-bought pizza crust that was sitting neglected in my refrigerator, and I didn't feel like spending any significant time or effort on dinner. I had no pizza fixings. I did, however, have everything needed to make Alfredo.

I ask, what would you have done?

Here's what I did:

I baked the aforementioned pizza crust until the top was just firm. It was less than halfway done baking at that point.

While it pre-baked I made Alfredo. Butter, heavy cream, black pepper, nutmeg (if you're feeling saucy...HAH! Knee-slapping pun intended.). Grate up plenty of Parmesan and sprinkle it over the sauce in batches letting it thicken and get all melty.

*Important! You know how I use half and half for Fettucine Alfredo? Don't do that! You need the Alfredo to be on the thick side. If it's too saucy I imagine it will just soak into or run off the pizza crust. Very bad. Avoid this. Thicker is better.*

I slathered the less than half-baked pizza crust with Alfredo. I used half a stick of butter, and probably half a cup of heavy cream, and I probably used 2/3 of the sauce I made. All the better. More for dipping for those of us who lack self-restraint.

Next, I covered the sauce with whatever cheeses are in the Italian 5-Cheese Kraft bag. I think I used just over 3/4 of the bag.

I sprinkled the top of the cheese with fresh ground black pepper and put it in the oven to finish cooking.

Once it was done added a little more black pepper and nutmeg to the top.

As previously stated, I used the leftover Alfredo for dipping purposes.

As even earlier stated, I've been bad. And you can be too! Make this soon.