What We Eat When We Eat Alone - Deborah Madison [70]
2. Using a sharp knife, cut a slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Stand the grapefruit on a cutting board and slice away the peel, following the contours of the fruit and removing all the white membrane as well. Holding the fruit in one hand over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment to free them. Let them fall into the bowl, along with the juice.
3. Combine 2 teaspoons of the grapefruit juice, vinegar, 2 pinches of salt, and shallot in a small bowl. Let stand while you prepare the greens, then whisk in the walnut oil with a fork.
4. Wash and dry the greens. Gently tear butter lettuce leaves into large pieces, if using, or leave them whole. Toss the greens with the dressing, then arrange them on your dinner plate. Halve, pit, and peel the avocado, then slice and tuck the pieces among the leaves so that they intermingle with the grapefruit sections. Finally add the walnuts and some freshly ground pepper. (Be sure to drink the rest of the grapefruit juice.)
A Simple Tomato Sauce for Spaghetti and More
This basic tomato sauce is our answer to the bottled stuff, which never fails to disappoint. You can make a few cups with ease and use it with spaghetti, polenta, meatballs, on pizza, over an English muffin, and in countless other ways. Since worthy fresh tomatoes are expensive and of short seasonal duration, I suggest using canned. One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes in sauce makes a deep red sauce, enough for 1 to 11⁄2 pounds of pasta.
2 TO 4 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, OR OLIVE OIL AND BUTTER MIXED
1 SMALL ONION, FINELY DICED
1 (28-OUNCE) CAN CRUSHED TOMATOES IN SAUCE
1 GARLIC CLOVE, CRUSHED
SALT AND PEPPER
Heat the oil in a skillet—one with high, sloping sides is ideal—over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is soft and nicely browned. Add the tomatoes, with their sauce, and the garlic, season with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with freshly ground pepper.
Variations
There are many ingredients you can use to influence a tomato sauce, such as dried mushrooms, finely diced carrots and celery, and herbs. For example, add one of the following to the onions as they cook:
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
3 teaspoons fresh marjoram or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
A handful of fresh basil leaves, rinsed, then torn or chopped
Spaghetti for a Crowd
If you have some fresh basil, tear a few leaves over the top. This is a very straightforward plate of noodles.
TOMATO SAUCE
SALT AND PEPPER
1 TO 1-1⁄2 POUNDS SPAGHETTI
ADDITIONAL OLIVE OIL OR BUTTER, TO TASTE
PARMESAN OR OTHER HARD CHEESE, FOR GRATING
1. Make the tomato sauce first. This can be done well in advance.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the spaghetti. Add several teaspoons salt, then the pasta. Boil until it is al dente—the package will suggest how long, but be sure to taste because at high altitudes it will take longer. Drain, but don’t rinse the pasta. Put it right into a big, warm bowl. Toss it with a few tablespoons olive oil or butter, then with the sauce. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and grate cheese over all.
Spaghetti for One
Cook as much pasta as you think you’ll eat. Four ounces will feed a hungry fellow. Two or three ounces are adequate for most others. Boil and drain, then toss with sauce to your taste, 1⁄2 cup or more.
Brooke’s Chicken Fajitas with Black Beans
This is for one hearty solitary eater, but Brooke Willeford claims you can expand it indefinitely. Chicken tenders work perfectly for this dish. Otherwise, get a small chicken breast and slice it into strips. If you want the kind of fajitas you get in a restaurant, add a sliced bell pepper to the onion. There will be extra beans, but you can eat them a second time in a bean burrito or turn them into a black bean soup.
1 CHICKEN BREAST, SLICED INTO 1⁄2-INCH STRIPS, OR CHICKEN TENDERS, ABOUT 5