The Nekkid Recipes

One of the things that I regretted in my life is not living on my own, prior to getting married. I often wondered what it was like living alone, no curfews, no rules and certainly no pesky little brother sharing the bathroom with me :-)

Hubby's off to Shanghai for the week for a business trip. During his trips abroad, I live out my single woman's fantasy of living on my own. One thing that ruins that lovely fantasy is the cooking part, what would a single, fabulous woman make for herself?

This reminded me of Jamie Oliver's Naked Chef philosophy of paring down his recipes to their bare essentials. I take no pleasure in making an elaborate meal (meaning 5 major ingredients or more) when it's only me who will eat it. It's simply easier and more cost effective to just dine out. Although being the only one without a dining companion in a nice restaurant makes me feel a bit conscious (just a tad).

This week, with hubby off to another country, I'll be a bachelorette again! Well, in terms of eating that is.

Here are two recipes that are pared to their barest essentials. They're very simple food made in less than ten minutes, slicing and dicing included. The ingredients are very cheap too!

Pan-grilled Eggplant with Soy-Calamansi Glaze



1-2 Eggplants
1 Part Calamansi juice
2 Parts soy sauce
Pinch of Salt
Olive Oil

1. Toss eggplant in olive oil and salt to coat well.
2. Grill eggplants on a non-stick pan. Pour soy sauce and calamansi to the same pan and let boil for one minute.

Tomato Egg Goo



2 Eggs, slightly beaten and lightly salted
1-2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
Vegetable Oil
1-2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Teaspoon sugar

1. Mix sauce sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Make sure it has the right balance of saltiness and sweetness.
2. In a non-stick pan, saute garlic and tomatoes in oil until the tomatoes are just wilted.
3. Pour eggs to the pan, scramble and add the soy-sugar mixture.

This would go well with bell peppers too. Just add them together with the tomatoes. I love to eat them with buttered toasts or garlic fried rice.

Nekkid Recipes? Totally!