I always buy in-season vegetables because they’re a cheap way to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. However, it can be slim pickings for good seasonal produce during the winter. My favorite farmers market won’t be open until the spring and all of my favorite veggies are more expensive than I’m willing to pay for at the grocery store.
Thank goodness for the sweet potato! Sweet potatoes pretty affordable year-round, but they tend to be a little cheaper during cold months. At less than $1 per pound, they are a great way to add nutrients like beta-carotene, fiber and Vitamins A, D and C to your diet. These baked sweet potato fries are easy to make and have become one of my favorite side dishes.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries for One
Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato (I leave the peel on, but feel free to peel it)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt (or whatever salt you have on hand)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut sweet potato into ¼ inch wide strips.
- In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil.
- Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with parchment.
- Sprinkle sweet potatoes with brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, then take out and turn the sweet potatoes over with a spatula.
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until crisp.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying your fries.
Sometimes it’s hard to get excited about cooking when you live alone. It’s easy to fall back on eating a bowl of cereal for dinner instead of putting the time into cooking a meal for yourself, but I think cooking for one is worth the effort. It’s less expensive than eating out and usually healthier too. I’ve been trying to find good recipes for one that use in-season ingredients and products that are on sale. Here’s a pizza recipe that’s great for autumn because zucchini and onions are inexpensive right now. The cost to make 2 pizzas came out about $5.00. I typically eat one pizza for dinner and have some leftovers for lunch. I then freeze the other pizza to eat later.
Ingredients
2 pounds grated zucchini
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 chopped garlic clove
1 cup shredded three cheese blend (I use DiGiornio Parmesan, Romano, Asiago)
1 pound prepared pizza dough (I use either dough from the Publix bakery or Pillsbury dough)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Directions
- Position an inverted baking sheet in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°.
- Toss 2 pounds grated zucchini with 3/4 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand for 20 minutes, then squeeze dry.
- In a large skillet, cook the zucchini, 1 finely chopped onion and 1 chopped garlic clove in 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl, season with pepper and freeze for 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup each grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and grated asiago cheese.
- Divide 1 pound prepared pizza dough in half. On a parchment-lined rimless or inverted baking sheet, stretch out 1 piece of dough to a 12-inch round; brush with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle half of the zucchini mixture on top, leaving a ½-inch border, and slide onto the hot baking sheet.
- Bake until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a second pizza.
Adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine.
