Garlic Noodles for One

1 serving of linguini noodles (you be the judge of how many that is)

1.5 TBLSP olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 TBLSP flour (all purpose)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup vermouth, vodka, or gin

1 TBLSP fresh parsley, finely minced

1.5 TBLSP vegan butter

 

1.      Boil water for noodles. When the noodles are in and about half-way cooked, begin the sauce.

2.      In a saucepan, heat olive oil and crushed garlic on medium heat. (If you go too fast, the garlic will burn while you’re trying to fish it out.) When the oil begins to smell garlicky but before the garlic begins to brown, take it off the heat and pull out the garlic. You now have garlic-infused oil.

3.      Put it back on the heat and add flour and minced garlic to make a roux. Don’t let it brown.

4.      Add vermouth (or vodka or gin) and parsley, and heat through, until garlic just begins to soften, perhaps a minute. The alcohol should evaporate in this time, if your heat is low enough that you can boil it off without overcooking the garlic.

5.      Take it off the heat and add the butter in small chunks, and stir until well blended. Toss the noodles in with a small amount of the noodle water, and stir until the sauce is completely blended.

Scone for One

I don't know about you, but I love a good scone. I don't mean one of those bloated things you get in a chain coffee shop, but the delicate tang of a nice British scone. I thought I'd have to give them up when I became a vegan because of the buttermilk and the egg, but guess again! The first time I got this recipe right, it was so yummy, I made another right away!

½ TBLSP chia seeds

1 ½ TBLSP cold water

1/3 cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sugar

A pinch of salt

2/3 TBLSP vegan butter

1 TBLSP chopped dried fruit (raisins, cherries, apricots)

1 TBLSP almond milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

1.      Grind the chia seeds in a mortar and pestle or blender long enough to make a coarse meal (not a flour). (You can skip the grinding—the taste is a little less robust and nutty, but the seeds produce the same goop.) Place the ground seeds in a small container (or leave 'em in the mortar), add 1 ½ TBLSP of cold water (tap cold is fine) and stir briskly. Let sit for five minutes while you mix the rest of the ingredients. The goopy result is a substitute for half of an egg, so if you’re not a vegan, you can use half a beaten egg.

 

2.      Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) together in a small bowl. A cereal bowl is plenty big enough.

3.       Cut in the butter with a pastry knife or a fork until it’s the texture of cornmeal.

4.       Stir in the dried fruit.

5.      Add in the chia goop and the almond milk. Mix briefly and press into a flattened circle, about 3/4-inch thick on a baking dish or in a shallow cake pan. Score it into wedges (if you like) and brush the top with a little bit more milk.

6.       Bake for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie for One

1 TBSP granulated sugar

2 tsp canola oil

¼ tsp corn syrup

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp flax seeds

½ tsp chocolate chips, melted

2 TBSP flour

½ tsp cocoa powder

Pinch of baking powder

Pinch of salt

½ TBSP almond milk (as needed)

Powdered sugar and granulated sugar to roll, about a half TBSP each.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a small amount of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet.

1.      Combine sugar and oil in a small mixing bowl. (Use a cereal bowl. If the bowl is too big, you’ll be chasing the ingredients around.)

2.      Add in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and flax seeds.

3.      Add the melted chocolate chips, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

4.      Mix in the milk, if necessary for moisture.

5.      Pat the dough into two balls. Roll each ball of dough first in granulated and then in powdered sugar. Place the cookies on parchment paper.

6.      Bake for 12-16 minutes or until slightly stiff on top. There will be bubbling innards.

7.      Let them cool on the baking sheet or they will crumble. They will be very moist and soft cookies about 2” across.

Makes two cookies.