| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Dinner for 1 Good day, all! Today's newsletter is dedicated to all of the people who email me regularly asking for more recipes that serve one. Judging by the volume of these requests, there are a lot of you! And I am right there with you — I have lived alone for almost all of my adult life, and have certainly cooked just for myself more than I've cooked for others. But so many recipes are written for a family of four, which means solo cooks have to do quite a bit of division to make reasonably sized meals that don't leave piles and piles of leftovers. Here's a recipe for one that serves up to three — depending on how hungry you are. It's an egg (or three) cradled and cooked in a hearty puttanesca sauce. The whole thing is made in one pan. You start by sauteing some capers and an anchovy until the capers get crisp, then add onions, garlic and kale stems, followed by the kale leaves, olives and mushrooms. After a few minutes, add a can of tomatoes and a bit of vinegar. Season the sauce and keep it hot on a low simmer. Then, make an indentation in it — it will be quite thick — and crack and egg or two into it. Let the egg cook to your desired doneness, and then serve it up, with crusty bread on the side and grated Parmesan on top.  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Marie Ostrosky for The Washington Post | Egg in Hearty Puttanesca - No kale? >> Try another leafy green or even cabbage.
- If you don't eat fish >> skip the anchovy.
- I think the onion adds just the right amount of sweetness here >> but you could skip it.
- Not into olives? >> Omit them, and/or use extra capers.
- Mushrooms are nice here >> but you could use bell peppers or more tomatoes or even a cup of cooked and drained white beans.
- Instead of a baguette >> use any kind of bread, or serve this atop a nest of cooked noodles or even a pile of tender greens.
For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 1 to 3
Total time: 30 mins Ingredients - 2 ounces (about 2/3 cup packed) kale, Tuscan (lacinato) or other variety, cleaned and stems removed
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed (if salt-packed) and drained
- 1 anchovy fillet, drained and finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 very small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 extra-large green or black kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 4 ounces portobello, cremini or other meaty mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups no-salt-added crushed tomatoes in their juices
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, plus more to taste
- Fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 3 large eggs
- 2 or 6 thick baguette slices, toasted
- 1 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Steps1. Coarsely chop the kale leaves and finely chop the stems, keeping them separate. 2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Sprinkle in the capers, anchovy and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the capers start to become crisp, 2 minutes. 3. Add the onion or shallot, garlic and chopped kale stems; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the kale leaves, olives and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms collapse and exude their liquid and the kale is fully wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. 4. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Taste, and add more vinegar or sugar if needed, plus salt and pepper. 5. Press an indentation into the center of the sauce. Crack an egg into a teacup and then carefully pour it into the indentation. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs, if desired. Cover the saucepan, and cook until the egg is done to your liking, 2 or 3 minutes for a set white and runny yolk. 6. Spoon the vegetables and the egg over the baguette slices in a bowl; sprinkle with the cheese, if using, and eat. Repeat with remaining eggs, if desired. From Joe Yonan, author of "Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One" (Ten Speed Press, 2011). Tested by Joe Yonan. Nutrition information per serving (1 egg, 2/3 cup sauce, 2 slices baguette; based on 3): Calories: 260; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 105 mg; Sodium: 600 mg; Carbohydrates: 31 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 12 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 "Xicona" by Xidiminguana.
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