cook-at-home

twice as nice

cooking for two

Some people love leftovers. Others can’t stand the thought of having the same meal again. No matter how you feel about enjoying the same dish twice in a row (or more!), sometimes you want to make something once, eat it, and be done.

This is where cooking in smaller amounts comes in handy. Here are some tips on tailoring meals for smaller serving sizes. ✔ Look for single-serve packaging, which allows you to use a small amount of an item and keep the remainder of it sealed. Cooked rice, yogurt, applesauce, and sliced fruit can all be found packaged this way. ✔ Most recipes tailored for smaller serving sizes require just a few ounces of vegetables. Consider purchasing precut cubes or florets. You’re less likely to toss leftover amounts, and you’ll also save in prep time. ✔ When cooking for two, you seldom need an entire bunch of an herb. Replace a fresh variety with a dried version.

Fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme are herbs that can easily be swapped out for their dried counterparts.

Replace the fresh amount called for with a third the amount of dried. ✔ Try cooking with a shallot instead of having to cut up a whole onion. When you need onion flavor, a medium shallot yields a few tablespoons, often the perfect amount needed for two servings. ✔ Prep and freeze garlic cloves and fresh ginger to have on hand when needed. Storebought versions sold in jars and tubes also work well when you need just a little. ✔ Try recipes that have been developed for two serving sizes. They address the need for smaller ingredient amounts and equipment sizes. ✔ Prepackaged meat often comes in too large an amount for just two people. Purchase from the meat and seafood counters instead to customize the amount of protein you need. ●

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

From Vegan Cooking for Two by America’s Test Kitchen ($34.99, America’s Test Kitchen, 2022)

2 tsp vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped fine 1 small red bell pepper (4 oz), chopped fine 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp ground coriander ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 2 c low-sodium vegetable broth, plus extra as needed 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces ½ c dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped coarse, divided ⅛ tsp table salt 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, coriander, and cayenne (if using). Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 2. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in potatoes, ¼ cup of the peanuts, and the salt. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. 3. Process sweet potato mixture in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Return soup to now-empty saucepan and return to a brief simmer over medium heat. Adjust consistency with extra hot broth as needed. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with cilantro and remaining peanuts before serving. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.) Kitchen Note: This soup, inspired by the peanut and sweet potato soups beloved throughout several West African cuisines, proves that the humble sweet potato is actually a peanut’s perfect mate. The combination of the sweet potatoes’ starchy sweetness and the peanuts’ toasty, nutty crunch is hard to beat. If you don’t have a blender, an immersion blender or a food processor will also work. You can substitute other root vegetables, such as carrots or yams, or winter squash, such as butternut or sweet pumpkin, for the sweet potatoes. Substitute other fresh herbs such as tarragon, chives, or parsley, for the cilantro.

Per serving: 496 Calories, 15 g Protein, 63 g Carbohydrates, 17 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 13 g Fiber, 23 g Total fat (3 g sat), 319 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Vitamin A, B6, C, ★★★★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), Phosphorus, ★★★ Vitamin E, Folate, Magnesium, ★★ Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Iron, Potassium, Zinc, ★ Vitamin K, Calcium

40 min

prep time serves 2