Cozy Cooking

Cooking for one person can be difficult sometimes. I mean, yes, there are some benefits to preparing food for just myself. For instance, if a recipe flops, or I just feel like eating cereal all day, or if I eat the same dinner 5 nights in a row because I make too much, no one is forced to suffer but me. Unfortunately, though, I tend to encounter many problems cooking for just myself-- the main issue being my inability to cook just 1-2 serving meals. I never think to look at the servings, so I end up with enough food for lunch and dinner all week (talk about a boring food life).

In an attempt to counter my issue, I like to reassess my fridge situation every day or two and see which foods can be combined with others.

Enter: chard, leek, and butternut squash.

As you can remember, a few days ago I made a dish that required leek, butternut squash, and chard, among other ingredients. Today, I was able to successfully re-purpose these ingredients to make an entirely new dish. I do this constantly. You may call it creative, but I call it smart. There is no use in wasting perfectly tasty vegetables simply due to a lack of culinary imagination! Look up some new recipes, or create your own.

The entire plate was cozy and comforting. Beginning at the top and moving clockwise, you are looking at goat cheese, caramelized butternut squash, sauteed garlic, leek, and chard, couscous with dried cranberries, and freshly cubed avocado. This dish is loaded with nutrients and completely satiated my appetite.

Ingredients:

-1 cup cubed butternut squash

-1 tsp cinnamon

-2 big handfuls of chard, roughly chopped

-1 leek, sliced and diced

-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

-1/2 - 3/4 cup vegetable broth

-3/4 cup dry couscous

-3/4 cup water

-handful dried cranberries

-1 avocado

-goat cheese

-salt and pepper

-extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Use directions on the side of the box to make the couscous. It typically cooks in about 12 minutes.

While the couscous is a cookin', warm up a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat, and add the cubed butternut squash. Put a lid over the top of the pan and allow the butternut squash to cook. After about seven minutes, add the cinnamon to the squash, stir, and replace the lid.

While the butternut squash is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized pan on medium heat and add the leek and garlic. Then, after about two minutes of cooking, add the chard to the pan and allow the mixture to cook for a minute, stirring the whole time. Add in the vegetable broth, turn up the heat a notch, and place a lid on the pan--allow the mixture to fully absorb the broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

After the couscous finishes cooking, stir in the dried cranberries. The butternut squash will be done when it can be easily pierced with a fork and the outside has become deep golden brown. Throw everything onto a plate or a bowl, add some avocado and goat cheese, and eat your heart out.

This recipe makes 3 servings (maybe 2 generous ones).

Feast your hearts out, loves.