Kitchen Yoga

By Lori Powell

Cooking for one is highly underrated and might seem to some a tad lonely. My day job is to create recipes to serve at least four or more people and sometimes involves working in the company of others. So I embrace MY time alone in the kitchen where the only sounds I hear are from my knife chopping and slicing or something sizzling and speaking to me from the pot on the stove.

Being alone in the kitchen is when I can truly lose myself in the ingredients and smells of conjuring up a nourishing meal. Everything else that happened that day gets drowned out by the current task at hand. It’s not unlike a runner who gets in the zone on the track and their single focus is to move forward.

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The Color of Spring

By Lori Powell

It’s nice to be green, especially in spring after a rain. Amazing how many variations of green can sprout out of the ground. Every bud and flower is exploding with color.

I can’t take my eyes off of the lushness of it all. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is open all the shades to embrace the greenness.

In celebration of the color of spring I have developed a recipe for spring pea soup with lemon and mint. I will be eating mine on the back porch while breathing in the sweet scents of everything renewed!

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All about Chives

By Lori Powell

Just when I feel that it’s safe to plant some things in the garden…a frost warning appears out of nowhere. So far everything is still thriving.

My chive plant returned this year with a flourish and started to flower extremely early this spring, due to the sunny days and high temperatures. Chives are a hardy perennial and a member of the onion family, along with leeks and garlic.

As you can see from my photo, they grow in clumps and can reach a height of about 12 inches. The flowering part of the chive plant is one of my favorites for garnishing salads and other dishes. Chives yield a gorgeous purple blossom that is edible and adds eye appeal to any dish.

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It’s Asparagus Season!

By Lori Powell

Spring brings asparagus season and with it the many ways of cooking and serving the lovely stalks. I eat so much of it in season that I have to start pacing myself early on.

The great thing about this versatile veggie is that you can steam, boil, grill, broil or roast it to perfection – just make sure that you don’t under or over cook it.

Asparagus have a natural break in the stem between the tough ends and the tender stalks. To trim, simply snap off the end and it will break in just the right place. Discard the stems or use them to flavor broth or soup; they’re tough, so remove them before serving.

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Super-Speedy Dinner for One Features Naan Bread

By Lori Powell

My super-speedy dinner for one this week requires the aid of a delicious flatbread such as naan bread, sold in the bread aisle of the supermarket. There's also a whole wheat and roasted garlic version. However any flatbread will work for this recipe.

I try to keep a couple of packages in my freezer and before I leave for work in the morning, I simply place one in the fridge so that it is defrosted and good to go when I get home.

This is a great way to use up whatever leftovers or condiments are in your fridge. Then simply add stuff from the pantry to create a flatbread pizza for one. It's also good as a quick lunch or as appetizers for company and unexpected guests.

I love to cook these on the grill but a grill pan works as well.

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