Quick meals: dinner for one.

I love, love, love cooking just for myself:  

Very fast and uncomplicated and fresh – it is great fun, because, of course, I only prepare what I like myself, and don’t need to accommodate any preferences. 

Nobody picks out the green ingredients from the dish (“What is this? Zucchini? I don’t like Zucchini!”), complains about unfamiliar tastes and misses Nutella.  

And when I put the finished dish on the table, nicely presented, all you hear are  sighs of pleasure and no skeptical looks! 

Priceless.

In the morning I blend a big glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with a ripe mango and two bananas for a sweet smoothie. 

Or prepare an omelet made of eggs, crispy bacon, finely chopped shallots and small pieces of tomato. 

For lunch I have sweet potato fries from the oven, that I sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking, together with a yogurt dip and a store-bought mango chutney. 

Or veggies and quinoa, heartily seasoned with cumin or Garam Masala. 

Or minestrone soup with lots of peas. 

Or rigatoni pasta with a sauce of mixed mushrooms, cooked with a bit of white wine and garnished with a lot of fresh herbs and Parmesan. 

Or a garbanzo bean curry. 

Or I cut green vegetables into thin slices, such as sweet peas, broccoli and bell peppers, sauté them briefly, season them with fish- and soy sauce and top everything with a handful of cashews.  

In the afternoon I have black tea with a chocolate macaroon from Breuninger’s (currently my favorite sweet thing), or a bit of Ben&Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice-cream.

Or a piece of bittersweet chocolate with tonka beans or barberries. 

(I tried packaged brownies from the grocery store, they were unfortunately very disgusting.) 

In the evening I eat a piece of a very aromatic cheese such as cave ripened cheese or Gruyere and wild boar salami with crunchy bread, olives and home-made guacamole. 

Or I prepare leafy green salads in different variations – with fried porcini ravioli (bought from the fridge at the grocery store), marinated prawns, feta cheese or pan-fried salmon – I like pairing this with something fruity, such as fresh mango slices, raspberries or pomegranate seeds.  

Or I’ll have root vegetables such as parsnips, beets and carrots from the oven accompanied by a garlic dip. 

In the evening I drink to myself and the beautiful day with a cocktail: 

Sometimes this is a Hugo with fresh raspberries or a liqueur glass full of chocolate Bailey’s (I mix it additionally with whipping cream at a 1:1 ratio – long live the calories!), my own creation of a mango cocktail or simply naturally pressed apple juice from the region around Ludwigsburg (available at the grocery store, I like it a lot). 

Do you want to try something really delicious?  

A great tip and definitely a recommendation on my part: the Inpetto delicatessen – the name stands for products made by small-scale producers, usually family-run businesses, in top quality. 

If you like using balsamic vinegar in your salad dressings, you should definitely try the fruity sauces: I used both the mango and strawberry balsamic vinegar. 

Both taste very intensely of each of the fruits and are so fantastic that you would want to pour them into small bowls and use them as a dip for Ciabatta bread. 

A simple spring salad with radishes and herbed prawns and some added mango vinegar tastes to die for. 

A toasted slice of bread with a little goat’s cheese and some drops of strawberry vinegar is heaven on earth. 

Serving a whole buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomatoes and basil: yum. 

Serving a whole buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomatoes and basil AND strawberry vinegar: SENSATIONAL.

The latter works as a dinner for one or as a starter for a multiple-course meal. 

Any dish that can handle a bit of acid is instantly boosted by the balsamic vinegar – it is so good that you will wipe the leftovers neatly from your plate with a piece of bread so as to not leave even the tiniest bit behind.  

In case you order the mango balsamic vinegar at Inpetto’s you absolutely do have try the following: 

Fill a glass with ice, add ½ teaspoon mango vinegar and fill everything up with a bit of champagne, Hugo or sparkling water. 

Trust me: it tastes amazingly refreshing and it will go down really well as an aperitif at any party. 

But the refreshingly sweet mango cocktail also works perfectly to toast to yourself! 

Plates with writing in gold: HERE

Small bowls with writing in gold: HERE

Small plate with writing: HERE

Inpetto vinegar: HERE

Chocolate with tonka beans, barberries, etc.: HERE

Everything via Inside Living.

Note: naturally all recipe suggestions also work for couples or a family with children. 

But if somebody starts picking out the green things in disgust – it’s not my fault! 

Let’s toast to that!

Cheers!

Love,

Joanna

This post was translated by Ginnell Studio.