| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 12:20:53 PM | Ok, how do I go about it? I mean, does anyone have recipes for any tasty main dishes?
I'm certainly not lazy, but when it comes to cooking for one, I suppose I need make more of a conscious effort to make meals for myself.
Ideas? | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 12:36:00 PM | Cook whatever you would normally cook for more than one, and enjoy leftovers.
Cook a quarter of what you would for a family.
I don't use recipes, except for baking. Be creative.
I love my freezer for leftovers. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 1:02:58 PM | I'm with Rose. I would love making soups, really tasty soups, but always had trouble making sure it didn't go to waste.
So, now I make it. Then freeze individual portions. This way, anytime I want a bowl of delicious soup, I just throw the frozen chunk into a pot and simmer. Poof, yumminess.
Since I am a single dad, I tend to do a lot of cooking for one. I just usually try to keep the portions in mind when i'm cooking. It's hard when you love those dishes that when made are usually big. Like Lasagna or Spagetti, or Enchiladas.
So I don't have recipes for one, I just take yummy recipes and make enough for one, or sometimes two, if I want left overs.
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 1:12:04 PM | | most times its hard to scale a recipe down to one person sizes op...my only suggestion would be to make normal sized recipes but have on hand a good supply of large and small ziploc freezer bags..AND a permanent marker...bag your leftovers into meal sized portions...label...date them and freeze them | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 1:38:31 PM | a crock pot and a george foreman grill are your friends.......both can be used for small portions.....you can make a complete roast beef dinner in the crockpot......a steak.......or any hunk of beef.....can of mushroom gravey...a cut up potato and a handfull of baby carrots......turn it on when you leave for work.........its done when you get hope...add a salad and a dinner roll.....
the george foreman grill cooks anything you like grilled ...burgers.steaks....slice of ham.....plus...is about the best grilled cheese sandwich maker on the planet
and like the others said........nothing wrong with leftovers | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 4:35:41 PM | I cook on the weekend...I put Chicken, beef and veggies in the oven to roast.
durring the week I have meat for sandwiches for lunch and meat for dinner dishes.
I buy bags of frozen veggies and use what I need with no waste.
I buy chunky soups and jazz them up with more chicken and veggies
I buy par boiled rice and instant mashed potatos
lots of salads with tuna...cheese and lots of fruit
I learn to cook on the fly when I used to live on the road in a motel room for 3 months at a time...I wass getting tired of the same take-out. So I got a cheap bbq pit and grilled chicken and veggies- carrots, bell peppers, potatos, squash, and onion... | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 7:24:24 PM | Yes, make a pot of soup, stew, or whatever the dish of choice, then freeze either in zip loc bags or plastic containers. Mark the date on the container before freezing.
Some of my "attached" friends think I am being frivolous when I buy one, two or four potatoes, for example, instead of a 10 pound bag. Truth is, if I did buy a bag of potatoes, especially since I don't eat potatoes on a regular basis, the bulk of them would go bad.
I enjoy bbqued chicken wings, and will buy a bulk package of them, then freeze in groups of 4 or six. Great for a snack or to pack for my lunch.
I will buy the instant potatoes if I decide to make a shepherd's pie or a similar dish. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/7/2009 8:03:44 PM | | I know this is probably common knowledge among those of us who are single, but I will still share it. I probably use my toaster oven and microwave on a nearly daily basis, while my oven might be used biweekly, if that. | |
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Joined: 10/13/2007
Msg: 9 | |
| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/8/2009 12:49:11 AM | mik1950 has hit the mark, just keep some small tupperware tubs handy at the end of a cooking session and freeze the stuff as soon as its cool...seals in that 'fresh home-made taste' ;-)
As for cooking for one..hmm, one of my fave snacks is to cook a corn tortilla over the open flame on the stove---flip it over a few times till its almost crisp...spoon some fresh avocado and a little salsa(cheese optional) onto it, roll the baby up while its still hot and can burn your fingers and munch away....try to stop eating after three quarters of the tortillas are gone ;-) | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/8/2009 5:32:49 AM | | Speaking of pototoes, I always buy 2 or 3 at a time. That way you can choose the ones you want and not get stuck with hidden damaged or rotten potatoes in a bag. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/14/2009 11:59:44 AM | Yes, give thanks to freezers.
I gave up cooking for one ... just cook the recipe, store extra in glass containers, pop into the freezer.
By freezing the extra, there is a variety of meals to be selected from throughout the week ( I tend to do major cook-offs during the weekends ) --- no more three days of the same meal.
Also, I tend to give a lot of stuff away .. giving away food is an expression of love. IMHO | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/15/2009 1:43:59 PM | I'm like several others -- make stuff on Sunday and freeze smaller portions in baggies (well, every three Sundays or so). E.g., I baked two dozen oatmeal/flax/rye/banana muffins this afternoon. I'll put about five per baggie in the freezer, bringing a bag down to the fridge every few days. A crock pot is almost always going -- soup of the day is whatever smallish amounts of left overs got dumped into the crock pot yesterday. Ate some chicken? Dump the bones into the crock pot. If the mix is getting old and I want to start over, the dog never complains.
Two others:
1) I often boil a pot of rice on Sunday and keep it in the fridge for stir fry. Day old rice works much better for stir fry than just-made rice. I keep bags of frozen corn, peas, okra, etc. and also chop onions, garlic, and celery to freeze in baggies. Heat just a little bit of oil in a wok, dump in whatever frozen veggies you have on hand and whatever little bits of meat you have. Takes about ten minutes start to finish, and a wok cleans up with just a little water (while it is still hot) and a paper towel.
2) Subway-style subs are fast and easy. Buy a bag of pre-cut salad fixings (not just plain lettuce). Don't buy the separate ingredients and cut it yourself -- one person can't eat it fast enough (in sandwich quantities) and lettuce doesn't freeze well for fresh-veggies purposes. Buy a six-pack of hoagie buns (or hamburger buns will work), sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, low-fat sliced turkey, a small tomato, and if you like some taste at the cost of calories, some salad dressing. Comes out to about a dollar and a half per sub if using hoagies, less with cheap white-bread buns. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/17/2009 6:07:16 PM | Like everyone else on here, it's difficult to cook for one. The new George Forman 360 Grill is great for cooking, baking, frying, and it can be done in smaller portions. The advantage of the George Forman Grill is that for baking you can use it in the summer instead of the oven, which will really heat up your house. Another good thing is that GT Express that is on the infomercials. I got one of those and it has really helped a lot with cooking for just myself. It came with around 7 different recipe pamphlets, which are very good for cooking for one or two.
As for soups, casseroles, and such, when using a recipe, either cut it in half or quarters. with quarters though, it's sometimes difficult to gauge the seasonings. Another thing you can do is when making a meatloaf, break them down into mini -loaves and freeze all except what you want. There are recipe books for cooking for one or two, also magazines, like Taste of Home.
When I learned to cook it was for a family of seven, and making sure we had leftovers. When I moved out on my own I still cooked as though I was cooking for my family, did the freezing of leftovers in bags, laying them flat to make more room, however, unless you make sure there is no air in the bag, you run the risk of freezer burn. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/17/2009 7:35:20 PM | | yo...fishin dude...think gnocchi for left over spuds...mashed anyway...if baked whole...dice'em and do pan fries or tater salad...one can even utilize potato water for makin bread | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/17/2009 7:41:32 PM | | When I cook chicken I always cook extra. Then I use them for dinner, and to add in julienne salads, which I could eat all the time. The others are right Irish hun. Freeze your extras in single servings. That way, you can come home to a nice meal in a pinch. Just because we are single doesn't mean we don't deserve good food hun! Another thing I learned? Set up your dinnerware and nappy. Maybe add a flower in a vase. Make it look attractive. You are worth it! | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/17/2009 7:56:07 PM | OP--
See my posts #52,53, don't let the thread title dissuade you--
http://forums.plentyoffish.com/11952302datingPostpage3.aspx
Like a recipe, adjust and adapt the ideas to what works for you.
For example, in your case I would not recommend a doz hard boiled eggs at a clip.
For you I would recommend one of those food sealers because it removes the excess air which cuts down on spoilage and freezer burn in a major way.
Some of the other ideas might help out friends who could use a girl's night out with you but can't find the time, or an overwhelmed relative who needs a different strategy...
Oh, I have a 4-place setting of bone china, crystal and silver. Make the presentation of your meals as special as you are.
In real estate it's location, location, location.
In dining it's presentation, presentation, presentation. The flower(s) in a vase is another nice idea as is candlelight.
Eat well and enjoy! | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 3/17/2009 8:03:34 PM | I love to cook cous cous instead of rice. It is much easier to prepare, and less filling. I will add chopped carrots, red onion and green pepper, or microwaved veggies to the finished cous cous. Seasonings, for me, range from basil, oregano, hot sauce, soy sauce, fresh ground pepper, to the more "exotic" cinnamon, or curry. Sometimes I will add leftover souvlaki, or chicken to give it a dash of protein. Cheese is also a nice addition.
I will often buy the bulk packages of chicken pieces or pork chops, and freeze them individually, just as Mooonchild has suggested above. I like to make my own seasoning bags for either of these, and the seasoning combinations are rarely the same. My toaster oven gets a lot more use than my microwave, and with my tiny kitchen the only extras I have room for are a roasting pan, electric frying pan, and slow cooker. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/18/2009 11:28:58 AM | www.saucydreams.com
buy the sauces and most of the proceeds go to charities!
plus its all natural and portion controlled! | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/18/2009 12:00:09 PM | Strollinbella, I only buy 3 or 4 taters too, and my mom used say I was being wasteful. I explained to her that I end up throwing most away if I but a 5 or 10 lb bag. Some people with families tend to have tunnel vision.
I mostly don't like reheated potatoes, but I will use them for potatoe cakes and stews and such. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 8:19:18 AM | ^^^^ I tried only buying 1/2 doz taters at a time as well...but didn't like the fact that I seemed to never have enough in, so went back to buying 5lb bags, keeping them in your crisper they last twice as long, I've also sliced them up, sprayed with cooking spray, toss in freezer bags, for oven ready fries... or chopped with onion, sprinkle salt and pepper, wrap in heavy duty tinfoil, placed in freezer bag and freeze... all ready for the bbq or grill whenever.
I do same with lasagna, cook full size, after cooked and cooled, slice into nice sized, portion squares double wrapped in plastic wrap, stack in freezer bag and freeze...to thaw, leave in fridge overnight, or unwrap, place in microwave dish and cook on reheat for 10 min, (covered with paper towel) just time enough to make a salad and pour the wine lol...I make full recipe for spaghetti sauce and pasta... chili as well, freeze individual servings or enough for 2 meals...all will last up to 6 months in freezer if packaged properly, so when I'm busy or just not in the mood to cook for myself, there is always something quick and available...
why buy the processed stuff from the grocers freezer when I have have homemade from my own lol...sounds like a lot of work a head of time but really only takes about 10 -15 min to get freezer ready, if I turn on tunes ...it only feel like 5 lol | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 9:06:56 AM | Splitting large purchased item with family and friends also helps cut down on waste. Often large watermelons will be on sale cheaper than the smaller ones so I'll buy the larger and bring half over to my daughter and grand or to some friends. The same with potatoes.
Frozen vegetables are wonderful to throw into a quick cooking rice mix. The chedder broccoli rice mix doesn't seem to have more than half a tablespoon of broccoli in it on its own. But throw in a few handfuls of chopped broccoli or broccoli/carrot mix and they make quick, easy, meatless dinners with enough left over for lunch the next day.
I ordered a whole brisket from a fund raiser and should be getting it in a few days. The team making them has won several cookoffs the past few years so I'm planning on freezing a lot and only sharing a little. I love brisket! | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 11:23:12 AM | Check these out
http://www.online-cooking-school.com/product.php?cat_id=17
http://menu-planning.suite101.com/article.cfm/cooking_for_one
and click on the rightside food n drink on second site
Recipelink.com - Search Results For: cooking for one recipes
Cookbooks - Cooking for One
college students cook for one as does others. | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 1:59:35 PM | likes fishing...he seems to promote himself and his business thru these cooking threads a lot...I never checked it out either, smelled kinda fishy! and besides, thought it was against the rules to promote your business
I agree with shopping with family and friends for bulk and dividing it up, sometimes it's the storage problem too , great deal, but not enough space to store it or expiry would run out if buying just for self | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 9:00:27 PM | | look there - it isnt porn and in fact its great products for great causes! | |
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| cooking for one.
Posted: 4/19/2009 11:41:55 PM | ~bites tongue at Geloping~ what does that post have to do with COOKING FOR ONE?
I always freeze.... agree with Mik! Always nice to have leftovers available. When the kids aren't around... its nice, simple and easy to get a quick tasting meal for just me!!! | |
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