Anyone facing an occasional dinner for one, making solo brown-bag lunches, or living alone will find Toni Lydecker's Serves One invaluable. She shows you how to make tabbouleh and ratatouille in modest amounts so you don't have to eat them for days. She even gives a recipe for pizza dough you can turn into perfect, single-size pies. Who needs soggy take-out when you can make your own potato and pesto pizza
Finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
Combine the chicken broth, gingerroot, garlic, celery, and carrot in a medium-size saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl.
Stir in the vinegar, soy sauce, and Tabasco. Sprinkle with the parsley or cilantro (if using).
VARIATIONS
Tortilla Soup
Omit the gingerroot, vinegar, and soy sauce; add 1 fresh or canned tomato to the other ingredients. After straining the broth, add 1/2 cup chicken cubes and simmer until done.
After spooning the soup into your bowl, add 2 tablespoons crumbled farmer's cheese or goat's cheese, a taco shell broken into bits (or a handful of crushed corn tortilla chips), and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Tortellini-Spinach Soup
Omit the vinegar, soy sauce and Tabasco. After straining the broth, return it to the saucepan.
Add 1/2 cup dried, fresh, or frozen tortellini and 1 cup shredded spinach leaves; simmer until the tortellini are cooked.
