Spiced Applesauce Cake for One

Even if Autumn is a just beginning, you can force the issue with this little cake. I’m so glad it made two little cakes! Yummmm.

For the Cake:

9 TBLSP all-purpose flour (1/2 cup plus 1 TBLSP)

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

6 TBLSP brown sugar

2 TBLSP canola oil

1 TBLSP white or apple cider vinegar

Slosh vanilla extract

2 TBLSP raisins

2 TBLSP chopped walnuts

For the Icing:

6 TBLSP powdered sugar

1 ½ TBLSP maple syrup

1-3 TBLSP water or non-dairy milk

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 4-inch baking pan. A single-serving casserole will do just fine, too. Mine went nicely into TWO four-inch pans, which meant I get cake tomorrow too! Yay!

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
2. In another small bowl. Whisk together the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir until just barely combined. Don’t overmix or you’ll get a tough cake.
4. Fold in the raisins and walnuts. Plop the batter into the prepared pan, making sure that the top is even. 
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the cake once about halfway through. Keep baking until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing. It will go faster if it’s up on a wire rack.

Make the Icing:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and maple syrup together until it’s very smooth.
2. Add the water or non-dairy milk 1 TBLSP at a time until it’s a smooth and thick icing that’s still pourable.

Assemble the Cake:

1. When the cake is completely cooled, run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen it. Unmold the cake and set it on your serving plate. You might want to put little rectangles of parchment paper under it so you can pull them out later and not have icing on your plate, but don’t worry about it too much.
2. Lightly drizzle some of the glaze over the top of the cake. If you want it sweeter, coat the top more thoroughly. There’s plenty of icing for both little cakes and some for the cook, too!

Cream of Mushroom Soup for One

I love soup. I love it with chunks and I love it smooth, I love it both cold and hot, and I love it clear and I love it creamy. The earthy flavor of this quick little soup will have you dancing with joy, too!

The Vegetables:

Slosh of olive oil

¼ medium onion, chopped

½ stalk of celery, chopped

½ carrot, chopped

The Mushrooms:

1 ½ cups button mushrooms (or a mixture of mushrooms), cleaned, stems removed, and quartered

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of dried sage

½ TBLSP all-purpose flour (you can use cornstarch for gluten-free, or just leave this out)

The Broth:

1 cup water or veggie broth

2 ½ TBLSP vegan sour cream

The Garnishes:

Whole or sliced button mushrooms

Chopped chives or green onion

1. In a stock pot or deep saucepan, sauté the onions, celery, and carrots in the oil until they begin to soften.
2. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too soft and mushy, though. You want them to retain some texture. Add in the salt, pepper, and sage before they’re entirely done, just long enough for the sage to infuse everything with flavor.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the flour is cooked a bit and whatever juices are in the pan start to thicken. If there aren’t any juices, slosh in a little water (maybe a teaspoon or so).
4. Add the water or veggie stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• If you want a smoother soup, hit the soup with an immersion blender or transfer slightly cooled soup to a blender or food processor and give it a whirl. Put it back in the pan (if necessary) after this step.
5. Add in the sour cream and stir until it’s all bended and creamy.
6. Add in the whole or sliced garnish mushrooms so that they have a chance to heat through. You might save a couple for making it pretty later if you don’t mind raw mushrooms.
7. Garnish with chives and any remaining mushrooms, and serve. 

Mushroom and Onion Tart for One

You won’t want to wait until this pretty little treat is cool enough to eat because the smells will have been taunting you for quite a while. But after you finish burning your upper palate, you’ll love how simple this pie tastes, how earthy and savory, and yet so delicate at the same time!

For the Crust:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 TBLSP coconut oil (or vegan butter)

2 ½ teaspoons cold water (half could be vodka)

½ TBLSP olive oil

For the Filling:

Slosh of olive oil

¼ yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

½ TBLSP water (or veggie broth, or white wine)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ½ TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond, but coconut or soy would be nice, too)

1/3 cup of mushrooms, sliced or chopped (I used button, but a mix of oyster, Portobello, and etc. would be even better)

1 or 2 thin slices of onions, halved

Another slosh of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sprig of fresh thyme (or a pinch of dry), stems removed

Make the Crust:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a single-serving pie or tart shell with parchment paper, cutting it neatly to fit. Mine is about 5-inches across. (It doesn’t have to be round, and you could even free-form it on a lined baking pan.)

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the coconut oil with a fork until it makes little pills. Add in the cold water (or half vodka) and oil, and mix together. Use your hands to make it into a nice tight ball.
2. Press the dough into the prepared tart shell with your fingers, bringing the dough up the sides at least ½-inch. You want a good lip to help control the tasty goodness that goes inside.
3. Bake for 5-7 minutes. It won’t have changed color at all, but it will have a slight skin when you touch it with your fingertips.

Make the Filling:

1. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil, and then toss in the chopped onions. Cook them until they’re translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, and then add the water (or wine or broth) and deglaze the pan, scraping up any lovely onion bits that might have stuck to the pan. Salt and pepper generously, and then take the pan off the heat.
2. Put the sautéed onions in a blender or food processor, add the milk, and blend until it’s smooth.
3. In a small bowl, toss the mushrooms and sliced onions in another slosh of olive oil, and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Assemble the Tart:

1. Spoon the smooth onion mixture into the tart shell.
2. Sprinkle the mushrooms and onion slices generously across the top of the filling. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and the edges of the mushrooms are also golden and scrumptious.

Devour as if the gods will steal this tart in 3, 2, 1….

Persimmon and Pecan Muffin for One

Autumn has arrived rather suddenly and persimmons are in every shop and on every tree. I’m not normally a big fan, so I was delighted when I figured out this great way to consume this nutritious gem.

Makes two muffins.

For the Muffin:

¾ TBLSP ground flax seed meal

1 TBLSP warm water

4 TBLSP granulated sugar

2 ½ TBLSP melted coconut oil

1/3 cup persimmon pulp (a little less than half a persimmon)

Splash of vanilla extract

4 teaspoons almond milk (or the non-dairy milk of your choice)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

A pinch of baking powder

A dash of cinnamon

A pinch of kosher salt

4 teaspoons chopped pecans

For the Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about as wedge’s worth)

½ teaspoon lemon zest

To Make the Muffin:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two muffin tin spaces with parchment cup/muffin liners.

1. In a small bowl, stir the flax seed and warm water together. Leave them alone to form a glop, about five minutes.
2. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and the coconut oil. Add in the persimmon, vanilla, milk, and the flax seed glop.
3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Add in the pecans. Don’t over mix!
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, filling to the top of each cup.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before glazing.

To Make the Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, juice, and zest until it’s smooth. Add more juice if it’s too thick, more sugar if it’s too thin.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the muffins once they’re cooled.

Variations:

• Skip the nuts and toss in some chopped candied ginger.
• Try adding raisins. 
• You could use pumpkin pie spices in the batter--or, just for fun, in the glaze! 

Pear Tart for One

Every day, I count how many grams of protein I’ve eaten. Sometimes it’s hard to get up to my “normal” range (39-45 grams a day), so I have to supplement my meals with a protein-heavy dessert like this one. <sigh> Poor me. It’s such a chore to get enough protein sometimes.

For the Crust:

2 teaspoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 ½ TBLSP almond meal (garbanzo or coconut flour would also work, as would all-purpose)

2 teaspoons brown rice flour

1 teaspoon brown rice syrup

For the Filling:

2 ½ TBLSP almond butter (you could certainly use peanut butter, too)

4 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Slosh of vanilla extract

For the Pear Topping:

1/3 (or so) of a medium-sized pear

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons of sliced almonds for garnish (you don’t have to match the butter—if you’re using peanut butter in the filling, you could still use almonds on top, or mix and match. Whatever makes you happy.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the Crust:

1. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave (30 seconds should do it). Then add in and combine the sugar, almond meal, and brown rice flour. Mix in the brown rice syrup. Stir it enough that all the dry ingredients are a bit moist.
2. Press this mixture into the bottom of a single-serving tart dish (mine is about 5-inches across) or freestyle it in the center of a parchment lined baking sheet. If using a tart dish, bring the crust up the sides a bit. If freestyling, make a little lip to catch the cream filling.
3. Set the crust aside.

Make the Filling:

1. Put the almond butter, water, maple syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl and give it a vigorous stirring until it’s well combined and not watery or lumpy with almond butter. 
2. Spoon the cream into the crust and smooth the top.
3. Set the crust and its friend the cream aside.

Make the Pear Topping:

1. Core and slice the pear by cutting it in half lengthwise and then cutting the half in to 1/8-inch slices. (Don’t peel them. The peels add nutrition and flavor, but they also make it pretty.) You’ll probably need more than a quarter of the pear and less than half. It all depends on how crowded you make the top. Don’t worry. You can always eat any extra slices.
2. In a small bowl, toss the pear slices with the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Place the pears on top of the cashew cream in the crust. I like to make a circular pattern, but you could go wild. Why not?
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pears are soft when you poke them with a fork.
5. Sprinkle the finished tart with sliced almonds as it rests comfortably on a rack to cool. It doesn’t have to be cold before you slice it, but it tastes best cooled to room temperature.

 Variations:

• Try it with almond milk (or other non-dairy offering) instead of water in the cream. You'll get a more creamy cream that way. Yogurt would also be nice. 
• Mix in some raisins or other kind of dried fruit, like apricots or chopped dates. You could put them in the cream or sprinkle them on top of the cream as a layer, or mix them in with the pear pieces in the cinnamon and sugar. 
• You could certainly use apples instead of pears.

Carrot and Rice Sauce for One

I wanted something more substantial, with more protein, and a little creamier than the salad dressing recipe from which this recipe sprang, so I added in some boiled almonds and some rice, and whoosh! This thing has body and holds up to hearty fare with its zingy little flavor.

1 carrot, chopped into ½-inch pieces

1 TBLSP raw almonds

1/3 cup cooked brown rice

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 TBLSP vinegar (red wine is nice, or try rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar)

2 TBLSP water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sesame oil (peanut oil works nicely too, or it can all be olive oil)

½ teaspoon brown rice syrup (or maple syrup)

¾ teaspoon soy sauce

1. In a small saucepan, boil the carrot and almonds until the carrots are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and heave them into a blender or food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the blender or food processor and whirl until it’s all smooth and silky.

If you like it thinner, add more water or vinegar, depending on your tartness quotient.

Good over faux burgers or noodles, as a dip for veggies, as a salad dressing, or as a sushi dip or interior ingredient. The zucchini and corn burger you see above is here: http://melaniespiller.blogspot.com/2015/06/zucchini-and-corn-burger-for-one.html

Warm Cauliflower and Mustard Greens Salad for One

It’s autumn and I want comfort food. But I don’t want to eat a heavy meal. What to do, what to do? Here’s the perfect compromise—it’s a slightly warm salad and there’s only enough fat in it to keep the cauliflower from sticking to the pan.

1 TBLSP sliced almonds

½ red onion, medium diced

1 TBLSP golden raisins (black will also do nicely)

1 TBLSP sugar

1 TBLSP red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

1/8 cup water

1 ½ TBLSP olive oil

½ head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1 TBLSP capers

2 or 3 leaves of mustard greens

1. In a non-stick frying pan, toss the almonds on medium heat until warmed through. They should just be starting to smell wonderful and browning slightly around the edges. Remove them long before they burn and put them into your serving dish.
2. In the same pan, combine the onion, raisins, sugar, vinegar, salt, and water. Heat to boiling on medium high (speed is not the point here). Once boiling, stir occasionally for the next 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften and the liquid has somewhat evaporated. Place the onion deliciousness in a small bowl.
3. In the same pan, heat the olive oil on medium until it’s hot. Add the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the cauliflower is lightly browned. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, capers, and mustard greens and continue to cook until the mustard greens have wilted. Add to the plate or bowl of almonds.
5. With a slotted spoon (so you don’t get much of the pickling liquid), transfer the onions to the cauliflower. Add as much pickling liquid as you like. I like mine a little dry AND I want to use the pickling liquid for something else. (It’s a nice pink and very tangy.) Give the whole salad a good stir so that almonds and capers are spread throughout.

Eat warm or let it cool to room temperature.

Variations:

• Any bitter green would be nice in this. Try chard, dandelion—even arugula.
• This would be very interesting wrapped in a noodle (like a lasagna noodle or cannoli), sauced (I thin a mock béchamel or alfredo would be good), and baked for a bit. 

Sweet Potato, Green Beans, and Balsamic Fig Reduction Sauce

You wouldn’t know it by the weather, but the seasons are starting to turn. I’ve seen migratory birds and felt my own compunction to eat root vegetables. Thankfully, the last fruit of summer, my darling figs, are here to keep me in a summer-time frame of mind.

½ sweet potato

Small handful of green beans

Balsamic Fig Reduction Sauce (as much as suits you)

Several blops of creamy faux cheese (as much like goat’s cheese or feta as you can find)

Balsamic Fig Reduction Sauce (recipe below)

Sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper

Chopped nuts (I like almonds, but pecans would be particularly yummy)

1. Slice the sweet potato into 1-inch chunks. They don’t have to be neat and tidy. I like the skins, but you’ll be mashing these, so if you like them smoother, peel them first.
2. Trim the green beans’ ends, but leave them long. You could cut them up to bite-sized if you wanted to, but I leave them long for the sake of presentation.
3. In a steamer basket inside a larger pan with a little water in the bottom, place the green beans on one side and the sweet potato on the other. You don’t have to keep them separate, but I like to, for the sake of mashing the sweet potatoes. Steam the veggies until the sweet potatoes are tender to the touch of a fork. You may want to remove the green beans sooner, if you like them squeaky.
4. In a small bowl, mash away at the soft sweet potatoes. I use a fork, but if you want it smoother, you might want a potato masher or even a ricer.
5. Place the mashed sweet potato in the center of your serving dish. Array the green beans around it and put a blop of cheese in the center. You could do your own thing too, or just toss everything into the mashing bowl. It will still be yummy!
6. Drizzle the balsamic fig sauce appealingly around your plate. I was feeling like concentric circles when I took this picture, but you could do something a little more wild.
7. Sprinkle the darling little thyme leaves over the top (especially over the cheese) and salt and pepper the whole shebang to taste. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top of everything. You will be glad to have that nice crunch in with the soft veggies and sauce.

Balsamic Fig Reduction Sauce

This simple sauce is equally sweet and savory, so you’ll find yourself using it in a lot of different ways. To be honest, I don’t usually make such a small batch because, as you may already have noticed, I really REALLY like figs.

2-3 fresh figs (I used some HUGE Black Missions, so you might want more if your figs are small)

1 TBLSP powdered sugar

½ cup water (use more if your figs aren’t very moist)

2 TBLSP balsamic vinegar

Juice of ¼ lemon

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, stems removed

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a small saucepan, place the figs (I quarter mine first), sugar, water, vinegar, lemon juice, and thyme. Turn the heat on medium high, and stir roughly with a wooden spoon. You want to break the figs up a bit, so they release their precious seeds into the delicious concoction.
2. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down a little and let it simmer for a while, until the liquid is vastly reduced.
3. Using an immersion blender (or transferring the cooled mixture to a blender or food processor), smoosh everything up. I like to leave some lumps, as they bring me joy when I’m eating the sauce, but most of the sauce is fairly smooth.
4. Simmer it some more, until it’s reduced and about as thick as ketchup. Or until you can’t stand it anymore and just have to eat it.

Use over vanilla nice cream, veggies, slathered on toast, or over rice.

Variations:

• You could replace the water with wine (white or red) for a more grown-up sauce.

Sweet Potatoes with Tofu and Kale for One

It’s autumn, or so the calendar says. I love the colors of this dish, and I can’t decide whether to eat it for breakfast or dinner. It does just fine in both roles.

1 small sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 small yellow onion, chopped

5 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled (about a third of a 14-ounce package)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1 clove garlic, diced small

1 cup baby kale

Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Place the sweet potato cubes in a large skillet and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Pour out all the water, leaving (or returning) the sweet potatoes to the pan.

2.     Add the olive oil and the onions to the sweet potatoes. Sauté on medium-high heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be wilted and the sweet potato should be soft enough for your stirring device to cut it without much pressure.

3.     Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the crumbled tofu, cumin, salt, turmeric, and diced garlic.

4.     Add the tofu to the pan with the softened onion and sweet potato and cook for 5 or so minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.

5.     Add the kale, cover the skillet with a lid, and allow the whole mishegas to steam for a few minutes or until the kale is tender. Probably two or three minutes.

6.     Add salt and pepper to taste, and top with Smoky Coconut (recipe follows), if desired.

This recipe is also excellent when done with butternut squash cubes instead of sweet potatoes. I love the autumn colors, don’t you?

Smoky Coconut

This recipe makes WAY more than a single serving, about a cup’s worth. You’ll find yourself putting it on a lot of things though, and it can last several weeks unrefrigerated (in a tightly sealed container) without losing its crunch.

1 TBLSP liquid smoke

½ TBLSP tamari or soy sauce

½ TBLSP maple syrup

½ TBLSP water

1 ½ cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Combine liquid smoke, tamari, maple syrup, and water in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add the flaked coconut and use a wooden spoon to gently toss the coconut in the liquid until it’s well covered.
3. Spread the gooey coconut evenly onto a non-stick baking sheet and put it into the oven. If there’s any liquid left, just pour it over the coconut.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring and flipping the coconut over about every 5 minutes so that it cooks evenly. Don’t wander off. This will go from nearly raw to burnt SUDDENLY.
5. If it’s crispy but not completely dry and you’re getting nervous about burning, take it out of the oven but leave it on top of the hot oven and in its pan. It will continue to cook a bit. It can cool right there, in regal splendor. It should be a delightful shade of golden brown. 

     Use for topping salads, main courses, and in sandwiches. It also eats pretty good right out of the bag.