
Solo Saturday - 5-Courses with Summer Ingredient
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"You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients." - Julia Child
'Solo Dinner Saturday' – this is our introduction to self-medicating with genuinely good food. And by "good," we mean the "clear your calendar and savor every bite" level of delectable. Cooking isn't merely tossing ingredients together; it's a savory journey, a dance of flavors, a meditative choreography. The act of mastering each dish becomes therapeutic, allowing you to disconnect from the world's chaos and truly connect with the ingredients, yourself, and the ambiance of your home. Our solo dinners are crafted as multi-course affairs, not to show off culinary expertise, but to accentuate the essence of time. Each course is a step, a moment of reflection, culminating in a luxurious result stemming from an intentional process.
Dive in, nourish not only your body but also your mind. We call it 'solo' to highlight how these multi-course meals are designed for simplicity and enjoyment in preparation.Whether you're relishing it solo or sharing the experience with someone special, welcome to your transformative weekend ritual.
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The menu
- Zucchini Chips
- Summer Fruit & Veggie Salad With Roasted Peach
- Pork Loin with Honey Mustard Glaze
- Peas & Carrots Quinoa
- Yogurt Ice Cream Bark
1, Zucchini Fries
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2, Summer Fruit & Veggie Salad with Roasted Peach
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3. Honey-Glazed Air Fryer Pork Loin

(image credit: Cookie Rookie)
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4, Peas & Carrots Quinoa

(image credit TSG Cooking)
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5, Yogurt Ice Cream Bark
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Shopping list:
- Zucchini x 1
- Breadcrumbs
- Cucumber x 1
- Peach x 1
- Cherry Tomatoes x 1 cup
- Red Onion x 1
- Lemon x 1
- Pork Loin - 1 pound
- Quinoa
- Veggie Stock
- Frozen Peas & Carrots
- Frozen Corn
- Plain Yogurt
- Ice Cream (your choice of flavor)
- Chopped Fruit (try to use the seasonal fruit)
- Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, or Pecans)
Things you may already have:
- Salt
- Butter
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Dried Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, or Oregano)
- Egg
My Saturday Schedule
To do all these, a well-planned schedule can be helpful. This dinner is to recharge and rejuvenate after all, even the process should be an active rest, not a grind. Therefore, I will be my own cook and butler in the morning when my brain is the most productive and as an honored guest at the evening.
This is how my Saturday will look like:
Morning10:00 AM: I wake up, get ready and find a podcast to listen to. (Intermittent fasting, so no breakfast for me). 11:00 AM: I get my podcast playing, then I start prepping the Yogurt Ice Cream Bark as it needs to freeze for around 4 hours. I mix the yogurt, softened ice cream, and chopped fruit, then spread it onto a lined baking sheet, and freeze it. Next, I prep for salad. I slice the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and peach. I air fry the peach slices at 400°F for 10-12 minutes. Once they cool, I store them separately for the salad. I keep other salad ingredients refrigerated as well. I trim and cut the pork loin, and then store it in the fridge ready to be used. I cut the zucchini into thin slices and store in the fridge as well. I start cooking the quinoa according to the package instructions. When the quinoa is cooking, I make the salad dressing and honey mustard glaze for the pork. Once the quinoa is done, I allow it to cool and then store it in the fridge. 1:00 PM: I clean up my kitchen area, rest, and enjoy my Saturday afternoon. |
AfternoonI don't yet, anything. But I know there will be a nap there 100%. Oh, and will also be picking out a movie. |
Evening6:00 PM: I preheat my air fryer. I coat zucchini slices with egg and breadcrumbs. I air fry them for 10-12 minutes until crispy. This will be my appetizer. While the zucchini is frying, I gather all the ingredients out. Once the zucchini chips are done, I start air frying the pork loin. I sauté the quinoa while the pork loin is cooking. I let the pork rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, I assemble my Summer Fruit & Veggie Salad by adding the roasted peach and dressing to the rest of the ingredients, toss to combine. Then, most importantly, cleanup! I want to make sure, at the end of the night, I will only have 4 dishes and a tea cup to be put away. 7:00 PM: My meal should now be ready; kitchen is cleaned; movie has been picked out; dessert is waiting. I am trying to cut down my drinking, so I will be having tea instead. 7:01: Let the night begin! |