Work has been nuts, which means less cooking and eating at home. But this is one of my new obsessions: roasted tomato soup with avocado toast. Super easy recipe for the soup, and with a whole grain bread, this makes a very healthy meal!

I love the farmers markets during the summer months. So many amazing veggies, so little time (and stomach space!).

Arugula, red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, corn and edamame with a white wine vinegar and lime juice dressing

Corn salad with fresh corn, cucumbers, mixed cherry tomatoes, basil and lime juice (I started making this at Camp Fern and it was a hit!)

Sauteed zucchini and yellow squash, carrots, onions, kale and sea kelp noodles

Scrambled eggs, heirloom tomato, avocado

Lately I’ve had a pretty full social calendar with lots of dinners out, for friends’ birthdays, my two dinner clubs, plus a handful of friends visiting from out of town. Still, eating at home a couple times a week is a necessity for me so that I have lunches for weekdays. Here’s what I’ve been stirring up the past week or so.

Chunky potato, leek and carrot soup

Mussels cooked in white wine with garlic, shallots, fennel, tomatoes and crushed chili flakes

Spicy three bean chili with black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, corn and edamame

Cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), oyster mushrooms and broccoli rabe

As much as I love to try new restaurants and new cuisines (I live in NYC, after all!), I actually do love to eat at home. I shop at the farmers market for fresh, seasonal, local produce, and I supplement with other stuff from grocery stores. I find it difficult to create single serving portions, so there’s usually enough to last a few meals, which are good for weekday lunches at work. Most New Yorkers just pick up the phone and order delivery, but it’s quicker (and certainly much cheaper) to throw something together, even if it’s not something I’d necessarily serve friends or family.

So what do I eat when I’m home alone? Well, my simplest meals might be a bowl of tofu in broth, or soba, maybe tuna or sardine salad on crackers, a bowl of steamed or roasted veggies, or if  I’m feeling decadent, some cheese, crackers, and a glass of wine. But usually, I like to make a real meal. I’m talking soups, stews, or hearty salads. Most of the things I make are vegetarian. I’m currently reading Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which inspired me to start this new blog series: Dinner for One. Here’s what I made for dinner tonight:

Spicy roasted butternut squash over quinoa, chickpeas and kale, with a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt

And here are some other meals I’ve enjoyed recently. Winter means limited options if you try to eat mostly local and seasonal, though sometimes I cheat. I’ve been eating lots of root veggies, butternut squash, and beans and grains.

Smoked trout and green bean salad with mustard vinaigrette and a hard boiled egg

Winter veggie stew

Veggie tagine (cooked in the terra cotta tagine I picked up in Morocco!)

Fried egg over roasted green beans, topped with grated parmesan

Roasted butternut squash and black bean tacos, with homemade guacamole and fat-free Greek yogurt

My version of Maialino’s Uova al Contadino (roasted brussel sprouts, fried egg and grated parmesan)

Making dinner for yourself doesn’t have to be boring. Life’s short, treat yourself right and eat good food!