Roasted Vegetables with Ranch Dressing for One

Sometimes, leftovers and scraps make the best meals. I’m usually not so lucky as to remember how I got to the place of yummy, but this time, it was simple. 

For the Veggies:

½ zucchini, sliced thinly

½ large sweet potato, sliced thinly

1/8 cauliflower, cut into florets

½ onion, sliced thinly and separated into rings

1 small ear of corn, kernels removed (or ¼ cup frozen)

1 clove garlic, diced tiny

Slosh (or two) of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Noodles or rice to serve

For the Dressing:

2 TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vegan sour cream

Splash of tamari or soy sauce

Splash of apple cider vinegar

1 shake of onion powder

1 pinch of dried parsley

1 pinch of dried dill weed

1 pinch of dried oregano

1 pinch of dried tarragon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Make the Veggies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. I use a mandolin to make the veggie slices somewhat uniform in size so they’ll roast evenly, but you do whatever works for you. Plop the veggies onto a baking dish. I use a cookie sheet and just corral the veggies toward the middle.
2. Slosh some olive oil over the top of the veggies and toss some salt and pepper on there too. Give the whole pile a nice toss, so that the veggies are coated evenly with the oil and salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 40-45 minutes, stirring the veggies up several times along the way. The veggies are done when the sweet potatoes are fork soft.

Meanwhile, get the noodles cooking. I used whole wheat in this image, but pretty much any noodle that makes you happy will work. Or rice. Any rice would do. Heck. Try millet, quinoa—any grain that pleases your palate.

Make the Dressing:

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk.
2. Let it cool in the fridge until the other components are done. 

Assemble the Meal:

1. Make a pile of the roasted (and amazing-smelling) veggies in the middle of your serving plate.
2. When the noodles are cooked and drained, arrange them in a ring around the veggie pile.
3. Spoon the dressing in a thin circle at the perimeter between the veggies and noodles, or just plop it on, whatever makes you happy.

Variations:

• You can use just about any combination of veggies in this mix, whatever is in season or in the fridge. What’s interesting is to play with the seasoning—try Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, parsley, and rosemary (in a blend or on their own).
• Adding nuts or tofu to the top would be good too. 

Baked Onion Rings for One

It was the middle of the night and I wanted a snack. The fridge was nearly bare, but I had some staples (avocados are staples in my house—aren’t they in yours?) so I managed to make this yummy treat. I’ll be doing it again soon!

2-3 slices of sweet onion, each about ¾-inch thick

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup water or veggie broth

2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot

2 ½ TBLSP cornmeal

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

4 teaspoons nutritional yeast

Big pinch of salt

Big sprinkle of garlic powder

Small pinch of dried basil

Small pinch of dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil.

1. Separate the slices of onion into rings.
2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, water, and cornstarch. This is the batter.
3. In another shallow dish, whisk together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. This is the coating.
4. Using a fork, dip the onion rings in the batter one-by-one. Make sure that each is coated well before transferring it into the coating bowl. Use a clean and dry hand to scoop the coating thoroughly all over the rings and place the coated rings on the baking sheet in a single layer. Keep one hand clean for this bowl, and it will go a little easier. Especially if the phone rings.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, flipping them over at about 10 minutes. If they’re not brown enough for you, broil them for a moment or two.
6. Serve immediately with your favorite dip, such as mustard, salad dressing (like ranch), guacamole, or ketchup.

Vegan Ranch Dressing for One

2 TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vegan sour cream

Splash of tamari or soy sauce

Splash of apple cider vinegar

1 shake of onion powder

1 pinch of dried parsley

1 pinch of dried dill weed

1 pinch of dried oregano

1 pinch of dried tarragon

Salt and black pepper to taste

1.  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk.
2.  Let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes, if you can stand to wait for it.