A Single Girl's Dinner

No - Boyfriend and I did not break up. However, since he's out of town for a few days, I have reverted back to my single girl ways. The bedroom has my clothes scattered all over the place, I roam the apartment in my tightie whities and a tank top, I drink soda, and I watch A LOT of cooking shows. In addition to my behavior around the apartment, my eating habits have changed. Balanced meal? HAH! I do try to keep vegetables somewhere in the mix but I don't cook much meat. In fact, the other day I had an ice cream sandwich, roasted broccoli and french fries for dinner - in that order. The broccoli, in addition to being the healthiest thing I ate, was also really tasty. Since we have gotten our slingbox to work, I have been watching a lot of Food Network and that means a lot of Ina Garten which also means a lot of new "experiments" coming your way.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Scaled down from a recipe by Ina Garten

(Serves 2)

1 head of broccoli, cleaned and cut into 1 1/2 inch spears

1 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbs pine nuts, lightly toasted (I used sunflower seeds but I think it would be best with the pine nuts)

2 tbs freshly grated parmesan

3 basil leaves, finely julienned

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

About 2 tbs of good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, 215 degrees C. Line a baking sheet in foil.

Toss the broccoli, garlic, the olive oil, salt and pepper. The broccoli should be well coated. Spread it out into one layer on the baking sheet and bake until it is tender but still has a little bit of a crispness and the florets are a little charred, about 20 minutes.

While the broccoli is roasting, toss the lemon zest, grated parmesan, basil and toasted pine nuts in a small bowl. When the broccoli is done and still hot, sprinkle the lemon, basil, cheese, and pine nuts over the broccoli and toss. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. It's great served immediately and still warm but it's also fantastic as a snack the next day straight out of the refrigerator, door open, no utensils - single girl style.