a.single.pantry

[asinglepantry]

C A P E L L I N I 🌿 P O M O D O R O | One of the most basic, and most satisfying pasta dishes. On the whole, I am not a huge marinara fan. I’ve yet to find one that isn’t too sweet or too salty. Clearly everyone is doing it wrong 😅 I do, however, love a homemade pomodoro. This one is super light, garlicky, full of oregano, basil, a hint of pepper, olive oil, & balsamic vinegar. Unfortunately, I am out of onion, but it still worked. If we’re ever able to leave the country again, Italy is my first stop... that would be one helluva food coma ❤️ #farmfresh #romatomato #pomodoro #angelhair #capellini #rustic #simple #italianfood #italy #roma #asinglepantry #mealsforone #basil #balsamic #favorites #thereshecooks #leftovers https://www.instagram.com/p/CC38jIKJCsw/?igshid=13cc3mjr359q6

[asinglepantry]

S P A N I S H 🍾 W I N E 🥂 I received this bottle in mid March for my birthday... It was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, on a rain drenched Friday. Needless to say, I was not keen on celebrating anything, least of all the 1st anniversary of my 40th birthday. 💁🏻‍♀️ So, I held on to this puppy. I’m so glad that I did, although I was saving it for the end of this nightmare. Instead, tonight felt like the perfect night to crack this open. I’m sad to say that I don’t know nearly enough about Spanish wines, that I do about Italy, France, or California. This was such a delight, it’s balanced, neither too sweet or dry, and utterly drinkable by itself!! Next time, I may actually pair food with it... we shall see 💁🏻‍♀️ {Thank you so much for thinking of me on my birthday, I appreciate you!! 💖} #wine #sparklingwine #spanishwines #premiumfincas #riojawines #rioja #spain #montelevia #cheers #bubbly #summerwines #spanishcava #wineoclock https://www.instagram.com/p/CCpeB-7p50o/?igshid=1wqazg3xjzt3s

[asinglepantry]

S U M M E R S Q U A S H + P E N N E • When I first started experimenting in the kitchen, I began with a variation on this. It is deceptively simple - boil a bit of water, toss in some pasta, add in some veg and spice at some point, et voilà! Today, I took a more... measured approach, adding in the veg midway while the pasta cooked... I prepared butter, garlic, lemon, & crushed red pepper separately then combined everything with Parmesan, salt, pepper, & some olive oil. I love the versatility, any veg will do... spinach, asparagus, broccoli. I used squash because it’s what I had on hand. It’s a little soft, since it’s mostly water, but it’s sooo good, & an easy batch meal! #pastabilities #summersquash #veggies #penne #parmesanreggiano #simplicity #peasantfood #asinglepantry #mealsforone #leftovers #thereshecooks #dinnerforone #summerveggies #quarantinecooking #selfteaching #kitchenadventures https://www.instagram.com/p/CCZVKV0J2pU/?igshid=91sp0g1xpsub

[asinglepantry]

R O A S T • C H I C K E N | This was one of the easiest, but also most difficult things I’ve ever done in the kitchen. Utterly nerve wracking, as a first timer. I can’t wait to do it again!!. I picked up a whole chicken to roast and to make #bonebroth with. The broth is still doing it’s brothy thing in the slow cooker, & the chicken, itself, came out beautifully. I paired it with sautéed spinach and toasted pine nut couscous for dinner last night. I’m cautiously optimistic that the broth will be just as wonderful... wish me luck! #roastchicken #bonebroth #leftovers #usingthewholeanimal #novice #homechef #ICanDoAnyThingJuliaChildCanDo 😅 #asinglepantry #nourishment #gastronomie #mealsforone #guthealth #wellbeing #somethingnew #slowcooker #crockpot #itsabird #couscous #spinach #dinner https://www.instagram.com/p/CCDsx4fprZT/?igshid=1w1g06e4la6ks

[asinglepantry]

S U M M E R 🥑 S A L A D S • part 3. The final salad in this series, Arugula | Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, Basil, Green Bell, Sesame, & Lemon is just divine summer magic in a bowl. Creamy avocado is a boon to just about any food item, and yes, I am VERY biased here 💁🏻‍♀️ Still, the peppery leaves and crunchy tomatoes were just so good. I’m not one for bell pepper, but I loved the dimension that it added, so I’m sure I’ll add it to other salads in the future. I love what I’m doing here at ASP because even a month ago, if you’d told me that I’d willingly buy, & enjoy a #BellPepper, I’d have laughed and put the bag of chips in the cart.... okay, I still bought the chips when I bought the peppers , but still... It may be a small, insignificant thing, that pepper, butI was a woman who ordered chicken fingers and fries until I was 30. (Still do, sometimes - comfort food & all 💁🏻‍♀️) #summersalads #nourish #gastronomie #avocado #salads #chickenfingers #frenchfries #comfortfood #healthyfoods #mealsforone #dinner #lunch #asinglepantry #thereshecooks #foodstories #foodiesofinstagram #foodie #delicious #noms #foodphotography #foodstyling https://www.instagram.com/p/CCDkfHUJKxC/?igshid=1nupszndpb2rx

[asinglepantry]

S M O O T H IE • S U N D A Y | I love a good smoothie... after having the #WatermelonMintMojito smoothie from @tropicalsmoothiecafe, Friday night... I’d forgotten just how much I do in fact love them. So, here we are... a moment of #SelfCare, in between the food... I blended (In my ridiculously LOUD blender) Strawberry, Banana, Spinach, Honey, Mint, Chia, Peanut Butter, & Coconut Milk... next time I’ll leave out the peanut butter... not my favorite bit in the flavor profile, but still pretty great! Now, I’ve just gotta figure out that Watermelon recipe! #Smoothie #Fruit #beverages #asinglepantry #smoothiesforone #wellbeing #delicious #yum #kettlebell #lazydays #weekendvibes #sundayfunday https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_uLihpWv0/?igshid=12v22lsbahkqb

[asinglepantry]

B R U N C H Y | G O O D N E S S • I just wanted a GOOD BLT, which is, apparently quite difficult, despite the seemingly straightforward ingredients. I burnt my first round of bacon, & quickly abandoned the stovetop for the oven. This first picture doesn’t do the burn justice... as soon as I sat the phone down, it was a crispy, cindered mess. It was so bad that I couldn’t save the drippings. (Yes, I had a moment of 🤫) 🤦🏻‍♀️ Once I found my bacon cooking footing, it was game on... seriously, one of the most labor intensive, but delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had. Adding red onion & a fried egg was just pure genius... Happy Saturday, friends!! #BLT #brunchforone #weekendvibes #bacondestroyer #asinglepantry #gastronomie #brunchvibes #lazydays #saturday #mealsforone #noms https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8uATfpseS/?igshid=i4yz9ngruk83

[asinglepantry]

C H I C K E N 🐔 A V O C A D O 🥑 B U R G E R • Sometimes a girl just needs to use a bit of ground chicken before it goes out of date, & here we are. This particular recipe is compliments of @delish, fashioned by their editor, Lena Abraham. This is, seriously, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had! I mixed together an avocado, the chicken, breadcrumbs (all I had were seasoned, & it worked!) red pepper flake, s&p, garlic, and I threw some everything bagel seasoning in for kicks. I tossed them in a pan, let them cook to 150 & then tossed them in the oven at 425 for 10 minutes to finish cooking. (They’d have otherwise burned on my stovetop. Glass tops are so persnickety!!) Seared the bun, added @dukes_mayonnaise, tomato, onion, & an arugula blend (so much better here than regular lettuce!!) and that was Jenga, baby!! Next time I think I’ll slice some avocado on top & add some Colby Jack too... yum!! #asinglepantry #summervibes #burgernight #pollo #avocado #delicious #weekendvibes #dinnerforone #leftovers #gastronomie #mealsforone #lunchtomorrow #thereshecooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CB68iGxJPNi/?igshid=19j5xatstkatt

[asinglepantry]

S U M M E R 🥗 S A L A D S • Part 2... Asian Cucumber Salad. This one is a little outside of my comfort zone, which I love!! As far as salads go, though, it’s probably the easiest of the three that I made. Slice cucumbers, a little red bell, and a little red onion; mix together some salt, honey, sugar, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and red pepper flake... et voilà. It’s ready to go right after mixing, but I let mine sit in the fridge for about half an hour. I love the hint of warmth, it’s not overpowering and the sweet right on top of that... so good! Stay tuned for the final part of the series! #salads #cucumbersalad #asiansalads #asinglepantry #thereshecooks #dinnerforone #snacksforone #leftovers #summer #gastronomie #sesameoil #noms https://www.instagram.com/p/CB66mukpf6j/?igshid=m8luicb970y0

[asinglepantry]

S T U F F E D 🧀 P A S T A • I love Italian food... I think that maybe I always have. As all good non-Italian women should, right? One of my go-to’s is #ravioli. Cheese ravioli to be more specific. Usually, I just do a little butter or olive oil, & garnish with salt & pepper. It’s simple, exquisitely so, & does a wonderful job of letting the creamy cheesy goodness shine through. Today? I did a bit of a pesto & Parmesan cheese. Still simple, still magic... Stay tuned for the next part in Summer Salads!! Part 2 will be coming soon!! #ItaliansDoItBetter #imnotitalianthough 🤦🏻‍♀️ #pasta #ravioli #cheese #pesto #delizioso #parmesanoreggiano #asinglepantry #mealsforone #lunchforone #theresheboils #thereshecooks #gastronomie #nourish #ohthepastabilities 🍝❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CB3YP7ZJ93q/?igshid=119cwp2ih81fl

[asinglepantry]

S U M M E R 🥗 S A L A D S • Part 1... In the first of a three part series, I am trying my hand at summer salads. I love cucumber, it’s one of my favorite fruits! (Yes, botanically speaking, it’s classified as a fruit) so all three will feature cucumbers in some fashion... Last night I made this Cabbage + Cucumber. I’ll be the first to admit... I am NOT a cabbage lover. I do not like it cooked, in slaw, in sauerkraut, nothing... this, though, may have changed my mind about cabbage as a salad ingredient. I blanched the veggie because it was so tough, which helped., although there was still that satisfying crunch. Then I added in the cucumber, dill, kosher salt, olive oil, and lemon. As salads go, this was pretty easy, & I’m sure that I’ll be making it again. #saladseries #cucumbercabbage #summer #asinglepantry #gastronomie #nourishment #delicious #noms #leafeater #omnivore #thereshecooks #dinnerforone #saladforone 🥒 🥬 🍋 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBx89UGJXZP/?igshid=ndzi6e2wsu67

[asinglepantry]

G U T 👌🏻 H E A L T H • I haven’t been caring for myself for a long time, & The taxman, he is working to collect. So, in the next few days, I am going to experiment with a #bonebroth reset. I need to lose weight, but that isn’t the purpose - rather, I need to power down and turn back on again. I’ve tried so many various diets over the years, most recently #LowFodMap, which I actually really liked, but nothing else worked. My approach and reasons were super wrong. My quarantine baby, @a.single.pantry, was borne from that need to nourish myself, to teach myself how to, and really to live my best life... & to do that, I need to get back to one, and get the damn weight off. So, first things first... this pause. I watched my bff do this, for similar reasons last week, and I really enjoyed watching her journey. Like her, I’m going to “fast” during the day, and eat leaves and veg at night, drink mostly water, with the exception of herbal teas. I’m not going completely cold turkey and eliminating #caffeine, I don’t want to be uncomfortable, but rather set intentions for the next leg of the journey after this... In the meantime, I made a veggie #RiceBowl for dinner tonight, and it was pretty much amazing! (I really wanted to gorge myself on fast food, but nah...) - Sweet Corn, Rice, Black Beans, Tomato, Green Onion, Garbanzos... the only think missing is some avocado, but it wasn’t quite ripe enough... Wish me luck! #nourishment #wellbeing #weightloss #reset #asinglepantry #gastronomie #wellness #dinner #thereshecooks #ricebowl #noms #weightlossjourney #bonebrothfast https://www.instagram.com/p/CBrsDVBJBss/?igshid=1xiw0uz8s5scz

[childofthecrowmoon]

Summer solstice honey cakes ☀️🌻

Happy summer solstice! Here’s a recipe to honour the day:

(Makes about 30 cupcakes or 2 big cakes)

Ingredients:

Cake:

450g plain flour

225g butter

4 tbsp honey

150g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

250 ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

150g icing sugar

20 ml water

1 tsp cinnamon

As much honey as you want

Lavender (optional)

1. Lay out cake cases or grease your tray if you are making one big cake and preheat your oven to 180C/350F

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together

3. Add the eggs, honey, butter, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth

4. Put the mixture into whatever you are baking it in

5. Bake for 20mins (cupcakes) or 40mins (big cake)

6. Whilst cakes are baking prepare your icing. Mix together the icing sugar, water, cinnamon and honey until smooth. Add more water if you need to.

7. Once the cakes are done, take them out and leave to cool

8. When the cakes are cool, drizzle the icing onto them. Add lavender if you wish

9. Eat!

[asinglepantry]

F O O D • S T Y L I N G | five years ago, if you had asked me what food styling, or any sort of styling for photography, was; I’d have laughed. Then I discovered what all the fuss was about, and I was in love as I watched others set up shots and snap beautiful photos. It isn’t enough for your food to taste good, it also has to look good. We first eat with our eyes, after all. Arguably, you could say that this one, from a 2017 wedding, isn’t styling, but more about minimalist angles, and really, you wouldn’t be wrong. I love it anyway. This, I took at an off-site wedding that my then restaurant catered. It was a beautiful day, moody, rainy atop Lookout. Before the clouds rolled in, you could see straight down to the valley. It was perfect. #asinglepantry #foodpic #oysters #catering #LookoutMountain #props #seefood #foodstyling #photography #throwbackthursday #worklife #memories #2017 #2017weddings #minimalistphotography #cleanlines #shapes (at Lookout Mountain, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmMogRJgBm/?igshid=5ri47lf6aufa

[asinglepantry]

W H A T • T H E • C L U C K ?! | I burned the chicken 🍗🤦🏻‍♀️. Needless to say, dinner was an unmitigated disaster tonight... everything was going so well, until I overheated the oil. While I hate wasting food, I have to say this was an excellent reminder that a) shit happens b) patience is a virtue & c) this definitely isn’t my worst kitchen mistake, nor will it be the last... & maybe, just maybe, this is the cosmos telling me to lay off the fried foods. The rice and grilled veg were fabulous, though. Glass half full... until next time. #asinglepantry #burntchicken #whatthecluck #kitchendisaster #oops #thereshecooks #theresheburns #gastronomie #learningcurve #dinnerforone 🤷🏻‍♀️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CBhQoyWpR_B/?igshid=4tvcsrsrbkou

[asinglepantry]

C H I C K E N + R I C E • S O U P | I may or may not have had soup for #breakfast this morning! 🤫 Several weeks ago, I found this recipe from @calmbellykitchen, a chef who specializes in cooking #LowFodmap & #IBS friendly foods on @Pinterest. I am in LOVE with this soup, it’s rich, it’s warm, it’s a delicious bowl of comfort. Also, it’s my first experiment with a slow cooker. Being able to sleep while cooking? A huge win!! 😅💁🏻‍♀️ I will definitely be batching this out in the fall/winter months, and will be experimenting with different lowfodmap friendly veggies. #soupson #lowfodmap #slowcooker #foodiesofinstagram #asinglepantry #thereshecooks #sundayfunday #foodie #souprecipe #recipes #foodstagram #limogesporcelain #props https://www.instagram.com/p/CBawAsEJFKj/?igshid=rrdjjc0k6t4q

[asinglepantry]

T H Y M E + T A B L E | Utensils. As I continue to lay the foundation of a.single.pantry, I am always on the hunt for just the right utensils, gadgets, and products to complete my kitchen. Not just any sauce pan, stand mixer, plate, or skillet will do. I 💯 per cent believe in investment pieces, great design, and quality rather than quantity. These may be the adventures of a single girl, cooking for one, but pieces that can stand the test of time, mistakes, and my sometimes tempestuous moments are vital. I stumbled upon Thyme + Table today and fell in love! Purple is my absolute favorite color! While it’s not so great for hair 🤦🏻‍♀️, Purple is a color for majesty, royalty - musical or otherwise, my first car was also graced with this magical iridescent hue. I’m so excited to make my eggs tomorrow, and to continue to work these products into my culinary tool kit. #thymeandtable #asinglepantry #tools #gastronomie #oilslick #purple #magic #thereshecooks #thymeandtablekitchen https://www.instagram.com/p/CBZKnXupAb1/?igshid=lzivg3w3tyr8