Solo Saturday - 5-Courses with Summer Ingredient

Solo Saturday - 5-Courses with Summer Ingredient

"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

  1. Zucchini Chips
  2. Summer Fruit & Veggie Salad With Roasted Peach
  3. Pork Loin with Honey Mustard Glaze
  4. Peas & Carrots Quinoa
  5. Yogurt Ice Cream Bark

 

1, Zucchini Fries

 Ingredients
  1. 1 Zucchini
  2. 1 Egg
  3. 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
  4. 1 tsp salt
Instruction
  1. Cut the zucchini into thin 1/4" slices.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg. Dip each zucchini strip into the egg.
  3. Place the breadcrumbs and salt in another bowl. After the egg, coat each zucchini strip with breadcrumbs.
  4. Arrange zucchini strips in the air fryer and set it to 400°F. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crispy.

2, Summer Fruit & Veggie Salad with Roasted Peach

 Ingredients
  1. 1/2 Cucumber
  2. 1 Peach
  3. 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
  4. 1/4 Red Onion
  5. Juice of 1/2 Lemon
  6. 1 tablespoon Honey
  7. 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Instruction 
  1. Cut the peach into slices. Arrange peach slices in the air fryer and set it to 400°F. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until they are slightly charred and caramelized.
  2. In the meantime, slice the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and red onion into bite-size pieces.
  3. Once the peaches are done, let them cool slightly. Then, add the peaches to the bowl with the other ingredients.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to make a dressing.
  5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy your summer fruit and veggie salad!

3. Honey-Glazed Air Fryer Pork Loin


(image credit: Cookie Rookie)
 Ingredients
  1. 1 pound pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch thick slices
  2. 1 tablespoon honey
  3. 1 tablespoon mustard
  4. 1 teaspoon dried herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano
  5. Salt and pepper to taste
Instruction
  1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, herbs, salt, and pepper.
  3. Brush the pork loin slices with the honey mustard glaze.
  4. Air fry the pork loin slices for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.
  5. Remove the loin from the cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes

4, Peas & Carrots Quinoa 

 

(image credit TSG Cooking)

Ingredients
  1. 1 cup quinoa
  2. 1 1/2 cups chicken / veggie stock
  3. 1 tablespoon butter / olive oil
  4. 1 cup frozen peas & carrots
  5. 1 cup frozen corn
  6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instruction
  1. Cook quinoa as instructed on packaging
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the frozen peas, corn, and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are heated through.
  3. Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and stir to combine.

5, Yogurt Ice Cream Bark

 Ingredients
  1. 1 cup Plain Yogurt
  2. 1/2 cup soften Ice Cream (your choice of flavor)
  3. 1/4 cup Chopped Fruit (try to use the seasonal fruit)
  4. 1/4 cup Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans
Instruction
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix plain yogurt and soften ice cream.
  3. Add fruit and mix
  4. Spread mixture into 1/2" thick onto the baking sheet
  5. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours, then break into pieces.

Shopping list:

  1. Zucchini x 1
  2. Breadcrumbs 
  3. Cucumber x 1
  4. Peach x 1
  5. Cherry Tomatoes x 1 cup
  6. Red Onion x 1
  7. Lemon x 1
  8. Pork Loin - 1 pound
  9. Quinoa 
  10. Veggie Stock
  11. Frozen Peas & Carrots
  12. Frozen Corn 
  13. Plain Yogurt
  14. Ice Cream (your choice of flavor)
  15. Chopped Fruit (try to use the seasonal fruit)
  16. Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, or Pecans)

Things you may already have:

  1. Salt 
  2. Butter
  3. Honey
  4. Dijon Mustard
  5. Dried Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, or Oregano)
  6. 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:

     Morning

    10:00 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.

    Afternoon

    I don't yet, anything. But I know there will be a nap there 100%. Oh, and will also be picking out a movie.

    Evening

    6:00 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!

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