Dinner for One: Acorn Squash with Chickpeas and Adobo

I inherited an acorn squash and wanted to try something interesting with it. Acorn Squash with Chickpeas and Adobo was created. When researching adobo I kept reading about using adobo as a marinade. I knew the squash wouldn't absorb the flavor of the adobo; I thought a nice crust might form when I sauteed the squash. While the squash didn't develop a crust (maybe I should try grilling or baking), the flavor was tasty.

Turns out, not only did I create a delicious meal (with leftovers) but it was also an educational experience that I thought I would share with you. Every other time I have used an acorn squash, I would just chop it in half, remove the seeds, and roast the squash. The squash was tasty but only worked when I was going to puree the squash. I never had squash I could use in a recipe like this. Instead of roasting, I took the time to break the squash into smaller pieces that I was able to peel (hack is a more apt description). I then chopped those pieces of squash into the amount of bite-sized pieces I required for this recipe. The rest of the peeled squash went into a storage container for later meals, using just as much as I wanted. This turned out to be well worth the time. I used squash in more recipes than I otherwise would have.

Don’t get me wrong, this took a long time, at least 40 minutes just to peel the squash, plus the amount of time I needed to dice the squash for this meal. I have to give my warning to those who are impatient or not comfortable with a knife, this project is not for you.

If you don’t have acorn squash, it’s out of season or you just can't handle the time commitment involved with a squash, yam would make a great substitute. Enjoy!

*** I enjoyed my acorn squash over a bed of millet (it's not just bird food, I promise!). If you can see any little red flecks that is raw chopped radish mixed into the millet.

Acorn Squash with Chickpeas and Adobo

by Ace Nation

Keywords: entree vegan adobo sauce winter squash

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cups acorn squash, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 15 ounce can of chickpeas (about 3/4 cup of beans)
• 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons adobo (more less depending on your taste)
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, coat acorn squash with adobo sauce. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat.

Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, jalapeno, potato, and acorn squash. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

Add turmeric, Italian seasoning (or oregano), cumin, and smoked paprika. Toast about 1 minute.

Add can of diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are tender, and sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes if potatoes and squash have been cut into bite-size pieces. Cook for about 15 minutes if vegetables are larger.

Season to taste with kosher salt.

Serve with rice or any other whole grain like millet or quinoa.

Enjoy!

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Dinner for One: Millet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

 Previous incarnation: Millet Salad

This post and the next few posts will be variations on recipes I have already shared. I am going to repeat myself: one trick to cheap cooking is to create variations of favorite, frugal recipes. For me, I start with the foundation. That may be a grain from my pantry or produce that is on sale and make it the star of the recipe. Working around the star of the recipe, I add fresh ingredients (the more colorful the better) and lots of flavor. When I make a variation of a favorite salad, I like to play around with combining cooked vegetables and raw vegetables. Not only does this add different textures, I find this opens up a whole new world of flavors. Sometimes I like raw red onions; when I only have yellow onions, I might cook them first. Or in other cases, the variety of veggies I can use grows. I just prefer some veggies cooked over raw. Yams, for instance.

I this case, I was craving one my favorite grains and wanted to dress it up. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, I discovered how amazing yams and oranges are tog ether. I had heard of dressings made from orange juice and decided to try out a recipe. I knew it would go well with the millet because while millet is delicious, it would allow the yams and orange vinaigrette to really shine. Then, I just added veggies that sounded like a great addition to complete the meal.

Searching the internet I found the basically the same orange vinaigrette recipe over and over. Here is pretty much the same recipe from Giada, Dine and Dish, and La Kocinera. Recently, I even found the same recipe in the cookbook Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters. Make this dressing (with the Dijon)! There is a reason it is shared repeatedly. The orange creates a bright, fresh flavor that complements the complex pepperiness of the Dijon. Do add some red pepper flakes to balance the sweetness of the orange and honey.

In this case, I would use the zest from only half an orange for this small amount of dressing. The zest of a whole orange in my case was overpowering. I love both white balsamic and the dark variety but I suggest using white balsamic in this recipe. White balsamic has a bright, balsamic flavor that is not too astringent. Plus, the color will remain bright orange. Rice vinegar would be a good alternative. I loved the dressing in millet salad but it would also be delicious over spinach. I will be trying orange vinaigrette with salmon. Enjoy!


Millet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, serves 2-3

Millet Salad

1 cup millet
2 cups water
1 yam, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1-2 cups kale, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced finely
Cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, divided


Orange Vinaigrette

Zest of 1/2 orange
Juice from 1 orange, about 1/4 cup orange juice
1-2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste

1. To make orange vinaigrette, combine all vinaigrette ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with kosher salt and red pepper flakes.
2. To cook millet, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot with a lid. Add millet, lower heat, bring to a simmer, cover the pot. Cook until the millet is tender, about 15-20 minutes. If there is liquid remaining, turn the heat off, remove the lid, and let the pot of millet sit on the warm burner. Allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
4. In a large bowl, toss yams with enough olive oil to coat. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly in a baking dish. Roast until tender, stirring halfway through, about 20-25 minutes.
5. In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low to medium heat.
6. Add the kale, stirring occasionally, cook 3-4 minutes, before adding the garlic. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant and warmed-through and the kale is tender, about 3-4 more minutes.
7. In a large mixing bowl combine the millet, roasted yams, kale and garlic mixture, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and enough vinaigrette to dress the salad. Season to taste with kosher salt and red pepper flakes.
8. Enjoy!

Dinner for One: Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole

I have a confession. I would occasionally purchase and make Tuna Helper the first few years I lived on my own. I know, what was I thinking? Well, I had lots of canned tuna and knew only one recipe: tuna salad sandwiches. Just a couple months after I left home a package containing 40 cans of tuna went on sale. My father and sister bought me one of these packages and shipped it to me all the way in Oregon. And, Zachary gets mad at me sometimes for my lack of common sense...

I still only know how to make one tuna dish: tuna salad sandwiches. Every once in awhile, I get really crazy and make a tuna melt. I am on a quest to find more uses for canned tuna since this is a staple in my pantry. Of course, tuna noodle casserole was the first dish that came to mind. I wondered what a homemade version would taste like. Turns out, homemade tuna noodle casserole is rather tasty. Here is what makes my Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole so tasty:

• Lots of vegetables. I kept things pretty simple but there is lots of room for creativity in this area.
• Sour cream provided a mild tang and a feeling of richness.
• Dijon mustard is packed with flavor. Two teaspoons adds a hint of flavor without being the star.
• Using only 1 can of tuna provides plenty of protein without making the home smell like cooking tuna.
• Do not forget the cayenne! I added enough cayenne to feel but not make the dish spicy.

I did not provide the traditional crunchy or cheesy topping. If you would like this, I would suggest after you have gently mixed everything together in the pan, carefully pour the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with either toasted bread crumbs or cheese of your choice. Place under the broiler until golden or bubbly. Enjoy!

Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole, serves 2

1 1/2 cups rotelle pasta
1 5 oz. can chunk light tuna, drained
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion), diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced finely
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk or 1/2-and-1/2
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper and salt
cayenne pepper to taste

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Under-cook by one minute. When finished cooking, drain, and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk or 1/2-and-1/2, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-low in a large high-sided skillet. Add onion and mushrooms; season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
4. Add garlic, carrot, and celery; stirring occasionally. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to low and add sour cream mixture, tuna, and pasta. Gently mix and season liberally with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.Allow everything to warm through then serve.

Ace's Adventures with. . . Leftover Polenta Loaf

Yesterday, I shared my first adventure cooking with cornmeal. Today, I will share some ideas for leftover Polenta Loaf.

I seem to have the same conversation repeatedly with folks who cook just for themselves: they hardly cook because it is only them. Of course, always at the ready to dispense cooking advice, I shared some of my thoughts for successful cooking for one. I have probably shared all these tips before but they are important enough to share again.

First, just do it! I have needed a little practice to get to this point but the food I cook now tastes better to me and is generally healthier than most restaurant food and anything prepared, unless it is Reser Macaroni Salad for $0.99 per pound (that has a special place in my heart).

Second, keep in mind you will have leftovers. The leftovers of some dishes are yummier than the original dish. Take Indian food for instance. Z.'s dal or chana masala (I have nothing to do with cooking Indian cuisine in our household because Z. is so incredibly good at it) tastes great when he makes it but tastes amazing the next day, too.

Third, make meals that freeze well. When I make soup, as soon as the soup is cool, I make sure to freeze a portion. I always have a yummy meal waiting for me when I am too lazy or unimaginative to cook. Leftover pizza freezes very well, too. When we go out for pizza, we try to freeze a few slices. Recipes that we freeze frequently besides soup are Indian food and marinara sauce. We make a pot of marinara sauce, when it is cool we portion it, and freeze. I find freezing my leftovers is freezer bags works the best, even liquids. Carefully, spoon the leftovers into the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze it laying down flat. If they are flat, they stack very nicely.

Fourth, get creative with the leftovers. Create dishes where you can transform the leftovers into a completely new dish. Get creative!

The first time I cooked my Polenta Loaf on the stove-top, I was not pleased with how golden I was able to get it; I wanted something a little crustier. I think I was impatient. When I tried frying the loaf a second time, I changed a few small details. Instead of taking the loaf directly from the refrigerator to the hot pan, I let it warm up a little first. I forgot to take it out, so after I made my slices, I microwaved the Polenta Loaf slices for about 25 seconds, enough until the refrigerator chill was removed. This time, I knew that it would take some time for the slices to develop a nice golden crust. I let them sit in the hot pan until they were nice and crusty, it probably took almost 15 minutes over medium heat. I have no idea if this is unusual and I am doing something wrong but that is how long my Polenta Loaf needed to get the crust I wanted.

The first night I had Polenta Loaf, I topped it with marinara sauce with red beans. I knew tomatoes were traditional with polenta so I thought this was a safe route.

My next adventure with Polenta Loaf involved adding a little smoked paprika to my sauce and topping everything with a little cheese. Basically, I had chili on top of my Polenta Loaf.

Z. came up with this third variation: Polenta Loaf Sloppy Joes. Okay, Mr. Bacon-Eating-Vegetarian had no idea what a Sloppy Joe was; he did inspire the idea. We were chatting about what I could top my Polenta Loaf with for that evening's dinner. Z. asked if bbq sauce would be good on top of Polenta Loaf. Sure, probably but what else am I going to have with it. I have ground turkey in the freezer! I can make sloppy joes using spiced up bbq sauce. I must say, this was very tasty.

Ideas for Polenta Loaf that I have not tried:

• Top the browned slices of Polenta Loaf like a pizza. To melt the cheese, place in an oven safe dish, and broil for a couple of minutes until melted and bubbly.
• When first cooking the cornmeal/polenta, before pouring the mixture into the loaf pan, mix in cheese.
• Instead of cutting the Polenta Loaf into slices, use a cookie cutter for fun shapes.
• Top with sauteed vegetables.
• Do not fry the Polenta Loaf slices; rather, turn into a baked dish by placing slices in a baking dish and topping it with your favorite toppings, and bake it.

Dinner for One: Polenta Loaf

I undertook another ingredient adventure with a very common ingredient that I really had not worked with before: cornmeal. Besides this recipe, I have a couple more cornmeal recipes I would like to try. After all, one of the reasons a frugal pantry works is that there are several different dishes you can make from one ingredient. I will dutifully report the results.

Technically, I do not know if what I made was polenta but I am sticking with the name Polenta Loaf. The only alternative I could come up with, Cornmeal Log, does not sound very appetizing. Polenta Loaf it is!

When trying an ingredient for the first time, I like to buy just what I need from the bulk section, if possible. I know in come cases, the price per ounce will be higher but that is made up for by spending exactly what I want and I am not stuck with food that I may not like. For this recipe, I bought a little over a cup of cornmeal from the Market of Choice for $0.80. One cup of cornmeal filled a whole loaf pan! That is a lot of food for $0.80.

The cornmeal I purchased may have been instant cornmeal (if that is a real thing) or my cooking method could have affected how my cornmeal cooked. I just do not know. I brought 3 cups water with a pinch of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. While waiting for the water to boil, I combined one cup cornmeal with one cup water in a bowl. When the water was boiling, I poured in the cornmeal-water mixture, stirred with a wooden spoon until completely smooth, and it was done. The only work I had left was pouring the cooked cornmeal into a greased loaf pan and wait for it to cool. That quick cooking time may be worth $1.59 per pound.

I saved this ingredient adventure for a night when I knew Z. was working, like this recipe. I have been extolling the possibilities of polenta loaf for ages. If it did not turn out, I did not want to give Z. the opportunity to make fun of me for it. I also forgot that he would be working late two nights in a row combined with not knowing how voluminous cornmeal could be, I made too much. I should have used 1/2 cup cornmeal and 2 cups water.

Tomorrow, I will post my adventures with Polenta Loaf leftovers. After having Polenta Loaf for three days in a row, I tried a couple of variations myself. Enjoy!

Polenta Loaf topped with marinara sauce with red beans

Polenta Loaf

4 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
pinch of salt 
cooking spray for loaf pan

1. Prepare polenta or cornmeal according to package directions.
2. Once cooked, pour polenta into a greased loaf pan and allow to cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator until firm. 
3. Remove polenta loaf from pan. Cut into desired thickness. A thicker slice will by crusty on the outside and creamy in the middle once cooked while a thinner slice will be more firm once cooked.
4. Heat 1-2 tablespoons canola oil in a non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place polenta slices into how pan and do not move. Allow to cook until golden. This make take 10-12 minutes for the first side.
5. Once the first side is golden, carefully flip over and cook until second side is golden.
6. Serve with toppings of your choice.  

 

Dinner for One: Black Bean Salad

My black bean salad is another recipe suggestion. All the veggies that I love in salads were on sale this last week so I made it twice! When deciding what vegetables or fruit to put in a salad, besides price and flavor, I think about texture the most. I want several different types of crunchy or firm vegetables in my salad and only one item is on the softer side, like tomatoes, or in this case mango. Salads like this taste awesome on their own but I make a meal out of it by combining it with one of my favorite grains like millet, bulgur, or couscous (not a grain I know, but it was what I had last night with my salad). Here is the recipe for the salad I made this week. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad

2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained thoroughly
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 mango, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced finely
2-3 garlic cloves, mined finely or grated
kosher salt
red chili flakes, optional

1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. 
2. Mix vegetables and fruit with dressing and seasoning liberally with salt. Taste to adjust seasonings. If you like, season with black pepper and red chili flakes if you like things spicy.

Dinner for One: Pasta with Béchamel Sauce and Spring Vegetables (or Baked Pasta Primavera)

Béchamel sauce sounds much classier than country gravy. Béchamel is just like Grandma's milk (or country) gravy. Instead of using sausage fat or shortening, I am using butter as my fat.

I have a running list of dishes and recipes that I feel I should try at least once. Béchamel sauce was on that list. I do not know why it took me so long to try making the sauce; I was slightly intimidated, no logical reason why. I decided to try making béchamel while Z. was gone. One of the worst feelings in the world is when I make something I am super excited about and it has luke-warm reviews. I have hyped up the possibilities of béchamel to Z. for ages now, so if he did not like the dish, I would probably cry.

I did it! I made béchamel sauce!!!

I wanted to share a few of the things I learned while making béchamel sauce. Some recipes, like Anne Burrell's, said you could use the sauce after bringing it to a boil. Others, like Mario Batali's recipe, said to simmer the sauce for ten minutes. I made the sauce first then cooked my vegetables so I could the sauce my full attention. I am not very good at timing in cooking. Z., on the other hand, can have all the components of a meal all ready at the same time.

Also, I baked my pasta. I really wanted a nice brown top. This sauce would be wonderful right out of the pot. I thought since I was rationing the cheese, the best use of the cheese would be to sprinkle it on top and bake until golden and bubbly. This is a thick béchamel sauce, please feel free to add more milk to adjust to your taste. Enjoy!

Variations:

• Add grilled or sauteed chicken when mixing pasta, vegetables, and sauce.
• Instead of sauteing the onion and zucchini, cut onion into slices and zucchini into horizontal slices, brush with canola oil, and grill. Then, dice and add to pasta and béchamel mixture. 
• Add shredded cheese to béchamel sauce and use macaroni pasta for a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese.
• Adding grated nutmeg to béchamel sauce is very traditional.

Pasta with Béchamel Sauce and Spring Vegetables, serves 2-3

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups penne pasta or 2 1/2 servings of pasta of choice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small yellow or white onion, diced finely
1 small zucchini, diced
approximately 3 cups of baby spinach, washed and dried
4 cloves garlic, more or less according to taste, minced finely
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
red chili flakes, optional

1.  To make the béchamel sauce, begin by melting butter in a large sauce pan. Add flour and mix with butter. Stir frequently. Cook until mixture is the color of sand, depending on temperature of pan, may take 4-10 minutes.
2. Add milk and stir until incorporated. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once sauce has reached a boil, turn heat down and simmer gently. Season with salt and black pepper. Do not forget to stir occasionally while preparing rest of ingredients!
3. Meanwhile, preheat broiler in oven and begin cooking pasta. Cook pasta until al dente, make sure the pasta still has a little bite to it. Prepare a baking dish by greasing or spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt. Stir occasionally and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic, season with salt again, and cook until garlic is almost cooked, about 3 minutes.
5. Add zucchini and cook about 2 minutes before adding spinach. Be careful not to overcook the zucchini. Cook until spinach has wilted.
6. When pasta is done cooking, drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, combine pasta, vegetables, and most of the béchamel sauce, reserving enough to spoon over the top of the pasta mixture. I reserved about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sauce for this purpose. Season mixture with kosher salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Top the pasta with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
7. Place in preheated oven, about 10 inches under the broiler and cook until the top is brown, about 5 minutes. Serve. Makes great leftovers!

Dinner for One: Pasta with Anchovies and White Beans

Despite knowing a fair amount about food and ingredients, I am no foodie. I am not an adventurous eater by any stretch of the imagination; there are many, many things I have yet to taste. Until recently, besides hiding in Worcestershire sauce and Caesar dressing, I have not knowingly eaten anchovies. Trader Joe's has a nice selection of store-brand canned fish and seafood products at what I would consider reasonable prices. After many months pondering the idea of cooking my own meal with anchovies, I bit the bullet and bought a tin of anchovies and a tin of sardines that are still in my cupboard. And, I do mean I have thought about this for months. Instead of spending inordinate amounts of money eating out, I spend, for some what would be an inordinate amount of time, thinking about dishes and recipes I would like to make. I vicariously experience food by daydreaming about it. We all have strange habits; I am just publicly admitting to one of mine.

For my first home-cooked meal with anchovies, I wanted to make a dish that would feature the little fishies. A pasta dish seemed like a good fit. I do not have any explanation why, my guess is that it has something to do with watching hundreds of Rachael Ray's cooking shows over the years where she makes some sort of sauce with a few anchovy filets. My dish isn't that pretty, a little parsley would have spruced it up nicely. When I saw my meal on my plate, I was surprised. I promise I do not go out of my way to make beige or brown food. It just happens without me trying or thinking about it.

White Bean Dip

I have to admit, this experiment was only okay. I should have added a splash of lemon juice or a handful of chopped parsley. The sauce needs a fresh component. I still have the other half of the anchovies stored in the fridge so I can try another recipe. I only used half the can of beans in the pasta and made a white bean dip with the other half. The white bean dip was pleasant but I do not plan on making it again. I whizzed the beans in my Kitchen Ninja with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, like hummus. I just think white beans are too boring to be the star of a dish, unless it is white bean soup.

Pasta with Anchovies and White Beans, serves 2
olive oil
1 1/2 cups penne (or two servings of pasta of your choice)
4-5 anchovy filets
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
1/2 can white beans, rinsed and drained
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
splash of lemon or some chopped parsley, optional

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile heat a 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet with sides high enough you will be able to toss the pasta in. Use some of the oil from the anchovies.
3. Put anchovy filets in warm olive oil. Break up gently with a wooden spoon. They will break down.
4. Add garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Saute until cooked, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add white beans and cook until just heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Before draining pasta keep 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta and add to garlic/anchovy mixture. Mix thoroughly to coat pasta with mixture. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if needed.  If you have lemon juice or parsley, add now. Adjust salt and garnish with red pepper flakes and serve. Enjoy!
   

Dinner for One: Green Bean Stir Fry

When it comes to produce, I only buy what is on sale. I would love to say I do buy what is on sale because it is probably what is in season and at its freshest and tastiest. The reality is, I am just cheap. Buying produce only when it is on sale is one easy way to save money. Here is a chart to see what may be in season, if you are interested. So, when spring finally comes around, I become very happy. Not only is there a possibility that there won't be rain for a day, there is the possibility of many great produce deals due to the change in season. After the drab and dreary colors of the winter produce, spring is so colorful and vibrant.

The last few months I have been breaking one of my cardinal rules of frugal grocery shopping: I haven't been wandering around the nearby grocery store on a weekly basis, I have only been looking at the weekly ad which can be found online. There have been some weeks where I don't even walk into a Safeway. I did manage to drag my feet into the Safeway a few days ago to pick up my go-to bag of carrots. I drifted through the produce to see if there was anything I missed when my eyes fell upon a deal that was not in any of the ads: green beans for $0.99 a pound. Not only are green beans delicious, Z. and I have been keeping an eye out for a green bean sale. We started canning and pickling almost two months ago (I will be sharing our adventures soon!) and knew we wanted to stock our pantry with pickled green beans. Here was our chance! I was able to pick up just enough beans for a meal but there was not enough for pickling. I got a rain check instead. That's fine, too. Just remember to use your rain checks. I always clip mine to the fridge where I can see it every time I open the refrigerator door.

Well, here is the recipe for the meal I made with these green beans. I served my stir fry over bulgur wheat because that's what I was craving. I also wonder how other people stir fry their vegetables. I am particular about not cooking the garlic and ginger first. It's just a quirk I have. As always, this is just an idea, do what you like! This is a Dinner for One post but really this was dinner for two: myself and my lunch. Enjoy!

Green Bean Stir Fry

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 pound fresh green beans, approximately, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
ginger, about 1 inch piece grated or minced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar of your choice (rice vinegar, white vinegar, and cider vinegar work the best)
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
sesame seed oil, toasted sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes to garnish

1. The vegetables cook very quickly so I suggest preparing the sauce first. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar in a small cup or small bowl. Taste to adjust to your liking. I usually add more vinegar. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, add carrots, stirring occasionally, cook about 2 minutes. 
3. Add garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally, cook 1-2 minutes.
4. Add green beans to carrot mixture. Cook until hot but still crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour sauce mixture into pan. Stir vegetables to coat. Let boil. If there is too much sauce, let boil a minute to reduce sauce. Serve immediately over rice or a grain of your choice. Garnish with a drizzle of sesame seed oil, toasted sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes, if you like. Enjoy!

P.S. If you can, get your soy sauce and other ingredients from an Asian market. The soy sauce you can get there is so much better than what you can find at the regular grocery store. Our soy sauce is dark and thick and incredibly flavorful compared to the other brands we tried.