Recipe o' the Week: Dinner for One!

If I keep this up, I might actually get the hang of cooking. (D.C. Rainmaker (scroll down for food p0rn) and I are going all Top Chef. Somehow? I think he's winning.)

On tonight's menu:

1. Roasted broccoli with pecans

2. Risotto with porcini mushrooms

3. Tilapia with pico de gallo


Roasted broccoli with pecans (From Real Simple (which in this case lives up to its name), October 2007, p. 345)

Ingrediments:

some amount of broccoli, stems and florets

1/4 cup olive oil (more or less, depending)

1/4 cup pecans (more or less)

Kosher or sea salt

Heat oven to 400F

Combine all ingredients in a recyclable-friendly plastic bag. Shake.

Spread broccoli in baking pan.

Roast til tender, stirring once or twice, 20 minutes or so.

Voila!

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Risotto with porcini mushrooms

Buy risotto mix.

Buy dry porcini mushrooms. (You kind of have to do this because otherwise it might not actually qualify as "cooking," due to use of risotto mix.)

Reconstitute mushrooms. Combine leftover liquid from mushrooms with whatever other liquids you are using to make risotto (I used soy milk).

Add reconstituted mushrooms.

Follow package directions!

Voila! Risotto in 20 minutes.

Roasted broccoli, risotto with porcini mushrooms. Cherries bringing up the rear. Obviously I am not a food stylist and the RISOTTO TASTES BETTER THAN IT LOOKS! I swear!

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Tilapia with pico de gallo

OK, this is just inspired.

I'm sitting on my couch, ABOUT to transfer some pico de gallo on a tortilla chip into my mouth, when I stop, and drop.

Move to kitchen.

Open tilapia filets (fresh!)

Put in microwave-safe dish.

Sprinkle with Krazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt, and a few bread crumbs.

Pour remainder of pico de gallo on top of fillets.

Cover with saran wrap, or if you are out of any saran-wrap-like substance, as in my case, cut up some small plastic bags and try to cover dish with them.

Nuke for 5 minutes.
Tilapia with pico de gallo
You are so done! With a CHERRY ON TOP!