I've been loving the single-serve cookbooks that have been coming out lately. Eating alone doesn't have to be a lonely affair, and these books, including Sam Stern's "Meals for Me: One Core Ingredient - Two Delicious Meals" (Quadrille, $29.95), celebrate the act of cooking for yourself.
The recipes not only yield smaller quantities; they also often work in conjunction to help you use up leftovers in a smart way. This stir-fried beef, for instance, is followed by Stern’s recipe for fried rice, but this dish could easily serve two people if you added a side of steamed broccoli or snap peas.
Spicy Stir-Fried Beef
The steak is easier to slice if it’s still partially frozen. The meat will thaw quickly once sliced and in the marinade. If you plan to make fried rice with the leftover rice, refrigerate any extra rice quickly after it’s cooked.
7 oz. top round or sirloin steak
For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 hot chili, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice wine
2 tsp. superfine sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
For the rice:
3/4 cup basmati rice
1 1/4 cups cold water
For the sauce:
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
Squeeze of lime juice and a dash of toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 scallions, chopped
Fresh cilantro, to serve
Thinly sliced red chili, to serve (optional)
Trim any fat off the steak and cut it into 1/4-inch thick slices across the grain. Put it into a bowl with the marinade ingredients and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Rinse the rice, then put it in a saucepan with the water. Bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, sugar, squeeze of lemon and dash of sesame oil for the sauce.
Once your rice is under way and your beef has marinated, heat a wok over very high heat and add the peanut oil and 2 tsp. sesame oil. When very hot, add half the marinated beef. Do not overcrowd the pan; the steak needs to be brown and cook very quickly to keep it tender. Remove it from the wok and keep it warm while you fry the other batch. (Discard the remaining marinade.) Remove the cooked beef from the pan and set aside.
Lower the heat, add the scallions, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add all the beef and the sauce. Heat for another minute. Drain the rice and fluff it with a fork. Spoon half of it into a bowl and top with the stir-fry and a little more cilantro and chili, if desired. Serves 1-2.
— From "Meals for Me: One Core Ingredient - Two Delicious Meals" by Sam Stern (Quadrille, $29.95)
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