St. Patty’s Shamrock Shortbread Cookies

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

St. Patty’s Day makes me think of all things Irish, such as corned beef and cabbage, champ and brown bread. But let’s not forget some sweet treats that are so simple and simply delicious.

A friend of mine, Carole E., who lives in the Hudson Valley, made batches of these cookies in the form of small heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. I was lucky enough to be able to get a couple sent my way…they are the BEST shortbread cookies I have ever tasted!

That says a lot, as I have had my fair share of shortbread cookies over the years. These have the best short-like texture with the perfect balance of sweet with a touch of salt. I only wished that I had more of them so I asked Carole for her recipe and, low and behold, she was gracious enough to pass it along to me and now to you…of course with appropriate credit to Carole.

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Lasagna Love

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

Lasagna is one of those Italian American comfort foods that has been reworked into a million different recipes over the years. When I visited Italy years ago I was surprised to find that the Italian version was very different from its American adaptation.

The lasagne that I find more often in the States is a towering wonder of cheese and meat-filled sauce, not to mention some noodles. In Italy, it’s a bit more refined and made more simply with super-tender, melt-in-your-mouth noodles and generally very little cheese, if any at all.

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Winter Greens

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

While waiting for spring to arrive, I start yearning for more veggies and everything green. Swiss chard, collard greens, kale and spinach are my go-to greens.

All of the four are packed with tons of flavor and nutrients. They ranked in the top six vegetables with the highest nutrient content in a comparison of nearly 85 vegetables by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. These greens are loaded with vitamin K and lutein and contain calcium, fiber, folate and vitamin C.

There are many varieties of Swiss chard, such as rainbow and green chard. Kale varieties include lacinato (also known as dinosaur kale), curly and red Russian.

A fun fact is that winter greens actually get sweeter as the weather gets colder. So the time to buy and eat these power-packed leaves is now.

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A Quick Dinner for One

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

Frozen ravioli is a great shortcut to putting dinner on the table. The key is to find the brand that you like.

Fresh Market in my neighborhood makes some exceptional flavors such as pumpkin, roasted vegetable and a cheese one that is not all about the fillers or preservatives. The dough is thin and tender, and cooks up in no time.

So I have dinner on the table in minutes without any guilt that I’m eating something that’s not healthful. The other great thing is that frozen ravioli are easy to portion out since they are individual pouches of deliciousness.

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Cockles – Perfect for One...or Two

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

Just call them the other littleneck clam – New Zealand littlenecks (cockles), that is. They’re a bit sweeter and more tender than the larger, better-known littlenecks, but only if you are careful how you cook them.

I am big on buying local but I make occasional exceptions when it’s an ingredient that can’t be sourced locally, no matter what the season. These little (1/2- to 1-inch in diameter) briny jewels are flown in live from New Zealand where they play a critical role in filtering the water. Amazing!

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