Winter Salad

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Yes, salad can be a year-long feature! It’s not just relegated to summer anymore.

I think most people think of salad as being a cold dish. But the best pasta salads are actually served warm – you combine the hot drained pasta with the rest of the ingredients so that the pasta absorbs all of the other flavors more easily.

Winter salads can be served on the slightly cooked and warm side. The greens and vegetables that are available at this time of year are hardier and can stand up to heat and a stronger and sweeter vinaigrette to balance out their earthy flavors.

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The Roasted Root of Things

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Once the chill is in the air I turn inwards, with the oven on full tilt and I begin work on a multitude of indoor projects. This fall, I am in the middle of a move from Pennsylvania back to my house in the Hudson Valley so I have more indoor projects to complete than ever.

Creating some quick dishes to fuel one or two (the poor person who offers some help) is a bit of a concern. What I can make a lot of, that I can repurpose during the week for dinner or lunch, is key. Usually this decision is predicated upon what I already have on hand or bought too much of at the market.

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Roasted Brains

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Spooky things are afoot this time of year, with some devilish treats to consume. There are so many delicious tricks to play but I prefer the treats…of course!

We aren’t always talking about candy and things coated in sugar. Instead, let’s delve into the savory side and whip up something that is not only scary good, but healthy and hopefully, visually tempting!

Cauliflower, with its white, knobby florets, reminds me of brains. So I’m going to roast it and serve it with a delicious Italian sauce, Bagna Cauda, meaning “hot bath,” as a dip for our roasted veggie brains.

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The Ultimate Apple Pie

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Apple picking is the thing to do at this time of the year and my house in the Hudson Valley is surrounded by acres of apple fields.

So today’s post is on apple pie and some tips to make the ultimate one.

Dough Ingredients:
The butter should be well chilled. Although the recipe below uses half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, you can use just all-purpose flour if you like. I keep my flour in the freezer but it is not necessary. Freezing keeps the flour bug free and is the perfect temperature for making any kind of dough.

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The Right Time to Stew…

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

…Or so I thought when the first chill of the fall season was in the air and I purchased a two-pound piece of chuck steak. Then the weather changed and it turned into murky, swampy, allergy- producing air that surrounded the Lehigh Valley where I live.

With it, my feeling for cooking a big pot of stew went out the window. However, my taste memories were already activated and stew it had to be! Plus I had already bought the rest of the ingredients and there is nothing like the aroma of good stew to fill the air, no matter how hot and steamy that air might be.

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