Noodle Salad for One

I make this tasty bowl-full all the time. It’s easy, fast, and uses just about all the leftovers in the fridge, and best of all, it tastes great!

1 large handful noodles (I like corn and quinoa—gluten-free—penne, but anything will do)

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

5 stalks asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 slices zucchini, cut into sixths

½ carrot, diced

5 slices cucumber, diced

1 green onion, diced

1 ½ TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1 ½ teaspoon pickle relish, or 2 slices of pickle, diced

1 TBLSP lemon juice, pickle juice. or rice vinegar

Pinch dried parsley

Pinch dried basil

Pinch of garlic powder

Pinch of salt (if you’ve used pickle juice, it’s salty, so taste first!)

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Pignolia or other nut

1. Get the water boiling and toss the noodles in when it’s ready. Follow the manufacturer’s direction, and don’t overcook them. Drain and put into a bowl.
2. In another pan, get the broccoli florets, asparagus pieces, and zucchini bits boiling. Don’t overcook these either! Drain, and plop them into the same bowl as the noodles.
3. Add the diced carrot, cucumber, and green onion to the bowl with the noodles and cooked veggies.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish/pickle, lemon juice, and the dried herbs and spices.
5. Combine the dressing that you just made with the noodles and mix them gently. Top with the seeds or nuts.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then devour, or take it on a picnic, for a fun time.

Portobello Mushroom Sauce for One

This rich and tasty sauce can go on pizza, noodles, rice--almost anything! If you like mushrooms, this will be your new favorite.

1 TBLSP olive oil

2 2-inch across baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced (you can use other kinds for a milder flavor)

2 green onions, diced

½ teaspoon vegan butter

1 clove garlic

1 TBLSP all-purpose flour (you can use a gluten free option too)

1 TBLSP white wine

½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I make my own)

3 TBLSP water or vegetable broth

½ TBLSP nutritional yeast

Pinch of dried thyme

Pinch of dried tarragon leaves

½ teaspoon dried chives

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I like almond milk, but they’re all good)

1. In a skillet, add the olive oil and mushrooms. Cook for about 4 minutes over medium low heat, until they begin to soften and brown.
2. Add in the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Whisk in the flour and combine well. It should make a paste. Turn the heat down if it’s starting to stick or brown.
4. Add in the white wine, Worcestershire sauce, and the water or broth. Let it thicken a bit.
5. Stir in the nutritional yeast, thyme, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper. Add in the milk and whisk it in too. Let it thicken a bit.
6. Add this sauce to the mushrooms and toss in the black olives. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, your favorite faux meats, rice, breakfast biscuits—anything you can think of!

Variations:

• This would be lovely with 4-6 sliced black olives in there, or a crown of chopped and toasted walnuts.

Fennel and Mushroom Pasta for One

I love fennel. From its licorice-flavored fronds to its celery-shaped stalk, it’s something I could eat very nearly every day. When you fry it a little, the flavor gets milder, but no less delicious. Yummmmm.

1 serving spaghetti or fettuccini noodles

1 TBLSP olive oil

1 TBLSP vegan butter

2 thin slices yellow onion, cut into crescents

3 mushrooms, halved and sliced

½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

¼ cup white wine or 2 TBLSP vodka and 1 TBLSP water

Sprinkle of flour (use corn starch if you’re gluten free)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, get the water boiling for the pasta. Don’t start the sauce until the pasta’s in the water—it goes fast! Once the water’s boiling, put the pasta in and start the sauce.
2. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and butter, and sauté the onion and mushroom for a few minutes, until the onion is soft but not yet translucent.
3. Add the fennel and continue stirring and sautéing until the fennel is relaxed, the onions are transparent, and the mushrooms have lost and reabsorbed all their water and are turning a little brown.
4. Add in the garlic, give it 20 seconds or so, and then add in the wine or water and vodka mixture. Sprinkle the flour and stir it in to make a thicker sauce.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on a bed of cooked noodles. Yum!