On Wednesday, I found myself in an unusual situation:  I was going to be alone for dinner.  With my husband away on business and the kids not home until after dinner, it would be a party of one for my evening meal.  Needing to retrieve the kids at 7:00 didn’t leave much time for a dinner date with a friend, so it was definitely a single gal sort of night.

With only my dining preferences to be considered, I mulled my options.  I could order take-out food and eat it at home.  I could go to one of my favorite restaurants and dine solo.  I could make a dish that I enjoy.  I didn’t feel like eating alone in a restaurant, not really a lot of fun.  Nothing from the world of take-out was of interest, so I thought about something I could cook.

Driving to the grocery store, I decided to think about foods that I like that the kids don’t, a chance to indulge myself.  A vegetable-based dish seemed to be the right direction for my dinner.  I remembered that we had a small zucchini in the refrigerator and with that came the idea to saute that with some canned tomatoes and seasonings.  Topped with some melted cheese, it sounded just heavenly.

As this was a simple meal, the veggies were in the pan and simmering within minutes of returning home.  Shortly before the dish was ready I toasted a multi-grain pita pocket and topped it with a pinch of parmesan cheese for an accompaniment to the meal.  My dinner alone was quite enjoyable, as I enjoyed some veggie-cheesy goodness while reading a section of the New York Times.