I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #27
Stuffed zucchini
I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #27
Today’s post is the 27th of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my column highlighting a solo dinner and my reading or watching accompaniments. Please treat yourself well at mealtime too. Don’t just eat alone - dine solo! You’re worth it. And it’s not hard to do.
Missed the earlier instalments? Check out the bottom of the post.
I eat: Creamy chicken stuffed zucchini
When a neighbour offers you a zucchini from her mother’s garden, you don’t say no. Even though it’s a big one and my fridge was already a bit overstuffed. The very next night I found myself at loose ends so invited a friend over. Using that zuke seemed an obvious choice!
I began by cutting it lengthwise and scooping out a lot of the flesh. This baby was going to be stuffed much like I planned to be afterwards. I brushed the resulting zucchini boats with olive oil, gave them a dash of S&P, and got them into a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Then the filling. I started by chopping an onion and getting it sautéing in a pan in some olive oil. Then I chopped the zucchini innards and squeezed the moisture from them. I added some diced red pepper to the onions and finally the zuke flesh and a chopped tomato — also from my friend’s mother. I covered it and let it simmer for a while and then removed the lid and added a chopped chicken breast leftover from this week’s rotisserie chicken. The breast is always the last to be used — so unappetizing on its own! I uncovered the pan and added some 10% cream, some goat cheese Parmesan and a bit of the regular Parm too. Then went to my herb garden and plucked a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil. You can’t have too much herb. That’s the way I was raised. And then I added a drop of Calabrian chillies, which is definitely NOT the way I was raised but the way I’ve become.
By then, the zucchini boats were par-cooked so I pulled them from the oven and stuffed them with the creamy chicken sauce. Then, of course, the final flourish was grated cheddar. Then back in the oven for 10 minutes. With a side salad of cucumbers and feta in a yogurt/vinegar dressing. Delish!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Origin: All Canadian I think — except I guess the Calabrian chillies.
Cost: $10 max
Got a favourite way to fridge-cleaning meal? In the Comments below please!
I read: The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward, Melinda French Gates
As someone working on my own memoir called Lane Change, it’s no surprise Melinda French Gates’ 2025 release popped into my actual or metaphoric feed. As French Gates says on page 4: “Another important truth about transitions is that they are usually easier to navigate together than alone,” and I felt that as I read her book. Despite the fact that her life with Bill Gates made her extraordinarily wealthy (net worth = $36B USD!!), there is a companionability to her writing. Reading it, I felt like I would enjoy meeting her, that her power and celebrity has not gone to her head.
As well as covering the various lane changes she’s had in her life, including the most recent one when she divorced Bill for his infidelity, she spends quite a bit of time writing about how her conscious decision to abandon perfectionism has freed her up to explore so much more in life. I’ve always claimed to value completion over perfection myself - if you’ve missed that blog, check it out here.
While I often angst over whether to buy or borrow a book, knowing that writers struggle financially and they get more from a purchase than a library royalty, I confidently used the Toronto Public Library for French Gates’s book. She’ll be fine:-) And I encourage you to do the same.
What good non-fiction can you recommend? Add it to the Comments below.
I watch: Here We Go
This BritBox sitcom chronicles the life events of a hetero couple, their teen son, their 20-something daughter who’s just come out, a mother-in-law, and other extended family in a small city somewhere in the UK. Shot through the video-cam of the son, it’s deliberately full of quirky camera angles and inelegant scene cuts. The humour is gentle and believable. I like all the characters, despite their very human flaws. If you’re looking for something to wind down to, it’s perfect. At just 22 minutes, even if you fall asleep before the end of the episode (as I do of late), it’s not hard to pick it up the next night. Give it a try.
Have you found any good bedtime viewing? In the Comments below please!
Missed the earlier instalments of this column? Click:
#1 (pork chop & green beans)
#2 (trout & veg)
#3 (shrimp pepper bisque)
#4 (rice & peas with coleslaw)
#5 (ramen)
#6 (burger & fries)
#7 (duck sausage & salad),
#8 (shrimp & veg with pasta)
#9 (Wigilia)
#10 (mushroom shepherds pie)
#11 (roasted veg and sausage)
#12 (leftovers)
#13 (garlic shrimp with rapini on egg noodles)
#14 (beef stew)
#15 (salmon mac and cheese)
#16 (salmon cakes and ragout)
#17 (pork tenderloin, red cabbage, potatoes)
#18 (pulled turkey and salad)
#19 (almond butter chicken korma)
#20 (lobster tacos with asparagus)
#21 (rainbow trout, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus)
#22 (pork tenderloin and black-truffle infused egg noodles with fresh asparagus)
#23 (grilled halloumi with roasted asparagus and mushroom salad)
#24 (savoury bread pudding)
#25 (Kung Pao chicken)
#26 (tofu, pepper, and shiitake stir fry on rice)
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