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Cristeta Comerford, the White House executive chef, in November, 2005. (Photo: Jamie Rose for The New York Times)

Video: The First Lady provides a tour of the White House Kitchen to culinary arts students.

Chef Jill returns this month with tips for cooking for one.

Cooking for one can present unique dietary challenges, especially in portion control that you don’t face when cooking for a crowd. She will share her insights for planning, shopping and learning to enjoy the process of cooking. she’ll give tips on saving time and buying in small
quantities, do’s and don’ts of freezing and storing, and how to break away from the “t.v. dinner” habit.

Bring your questions and join us. You’ll see why Jill Houk is our favorite chef!

She provides fabulous tips for Being Your Own Guest when dining alone.

Vegetable Stir-Fry with Flat Iron Steak

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

4 to 6 ounces flat iron steak, trimmed, cut into 1-inch strips

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

½ cup pea pods (fresh or frozen)

½ cup sliced mushrooms

¼ cup shredded carrots

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Method

1. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high. When hot, but not smoking, add oil, and heat 30 seconds. Sprinkle salt over steak and add steak to pan, sautéing until all pink color is gone, about 3 minutes. Remove steak from pan and set aside.
2. Add vegetables and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir back in steak and add in soy sauce and simmer 1 minute.

1. Serve on rice, quinoa or rice noodles.

Minestrone with Basil

Makes 4 2-cup servings.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1 16-ounce can beans (kidney or white beans), drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans)

2 cups chopped frozen collard greens

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 ½ cups chopped frozen broccoli

1 celery stalk, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 medium russet potato, peeled, left whole

1 small russet potato, peeled, diced

½ teaspoon salt or salt substitute

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1.      Heat olive oil in a deep, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds, stirring constantly

2.      Add beans, chard, tomatoes, greens, celery, carrot, zucchini, whole potato, and chopped potato to pot. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

3.      Transfer 2 cups soup and whole potato to blender and puree. Return puree to soup in pot. Add 1/4 cup basil and simmer, uncovered until flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in 1/4 cup basil. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Meatloaf

Makes 8 single-serving loaves.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey, raw

1/2 cup yellow or white onions, grated or chopped finely

1 egg, beaten

½ cup bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon crushed

 garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Method

1.      Combine all ingredients and mix well.

2.      Divide mixture into 8 equal servings. Form each serving into a loaf. Wrap and freeze loaves until ready to cook.

3.      When ready to cook, defrost a single meatloaf in the lowest part of your refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350ºF and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the meat loaf reaches 160 degrees.

3. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

This is delicious with a baked sweet potato (which can be done as the meatloaf is baking), and a fresh salad with oil and vinegar dressing.

My friends, Drs Kim Bloomer & Jeannie Thomason, over at Animal Talk Naturally Show have produced another fine program that I want to recommend to you. Their guest was Leslie Rugg. Leslie writes for a variety of dog magazines, is published author, and former publisher of a collie magazine and also a rare breed magazine. Leslie is also a raw feeding advocate and a great supporter of the Rabies Challenge Fund. Here is the program synopsis:

Synopsis
1. Collie lover
2. The Article
3. Business & profits
4. Who determines what OUR pets eat?
5. A success story
6. Bacteria & toxins
7. Minute poop
8. Homeostasis
9. Commitment to the animal
10. The turn to raw food
11. One Dog
12. Why breeders?
13. Dogs & their food choices
14. Balanced & complete?
15. Normal, natural & common sense
16. Leslie’s dogs
17. No Fear

ALERT: My Friends receive 30% OFF “The Joy of Green Cleaning” – use code ‘AskBarb’ at checkout. Download today!

Leslie Reichert – Leslie Reichert is a “green” cleaning coach. Her mission is to teach and encourage others in the “art” of homekeeping and green cleaning. Leslie has seen scores of people who fight a daily battle with asthma and allergies, which many believe are caused by using harsh chemicals in the home. With over 20 years experience, she realized she wanted to share her knowledge and encourage people to start green cleaning and since then she has become an author, coach, presenter and speaker for the green cleaning industry. She presents with Celebrity Chefs like Paula Deen and Ming Tsai at events such as the Chicago International Home and Housewares Show and Good Taste, Pittsburgh.

Leslie can be contacted at her cleaning hotline at 1-866-50CLEAN or on her blog at www.thecleaningcoach.us. Her book, The Joy of Green Cleaning, is available on line at Amazon.com or at her book site at www.thejoyofgreencleaning.com You can also download an e-book or just specific chapters for only $2. She resides with her husband and three children in the Blackstone Valley area of Mass.

Great-grandma’s Laundry Soap

2 cups soap flakes*
1 cup baking soda or soda crystals*
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, and then place in glass container with a lid. This soap works best with hot water.

For top loading washing machines- use 1/2 to 1 cup, 2 cups for very heavily soiled clothing.

For front loading and HE machines, use 2 tablespoons.

Kneadless Breadmaking with Cookbook Author Nancy Baggett

Nancy Baggett is a baking expert, food journalist, and bestselling cookbook author whose thirteen titles include the IACP Award–winning International Chocolate Cookbook, The All-American Cookie Book, a James Beard Foundation and IACP best baking book nominee, and The All-American Dessert Book. She contributes to Eating Well, the Washington Post, and many other leading food magazines and newspapers, and is an occasional commentator for NPR’s Weekend All Things Considered. Baggett appears frequently at culinary and food writing workshops, classes, and demonstrations around the country, and has been interviewed on many national TV and radio shows. Her Web site is www.kitchenlane.com.