I am married but when my husband is out of town I find myself cooking for one. Last summer. He was gone for a few months. My friends (single) and I got together every night for dinner. We would rotate houses. One night would be my night so I would make dinner for everyone. The next night would be someone elses night. This helped everyones grocery bill, there were no left overs to keep up with, and we got to see each other a lot.
Posts: 17 | Location: Shreveport, LA | Registered: April 10, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Carol: Just though of this, and maybe someone can help me, why do Manufactures make a lot of canned goods example: Black,Cannoli, Kidney Beans and Refried beans
Carol, A couple of thoughts: 1. The beans keep a really long time in the fridge. I just used some beans that I opened at least 10 days ago and they were just fine. You probably have longer to use them than you might think. 2. Try making your own from dried. Then you can make exactly what you need. KD's first book talks a lot about how to make beans and it really is pretty easy. Plus they're cheap if you screw them up the first few times.
I am so happy that we have started this thread! I wanted to pop on and start contributing while I had a minute. I will be sure to post more soon. Anyway, I love lasagna. It's a love affair with me. I can do alright portioning out one serving, but i always seem to come back and eat a ton of it late at night. I came up with this compromise. Lighter lasagna, less leftovers. Here was my solution:
"Single in the City" basic lasagna
3 uncooked lasagna noodles (i prefer barilla no boil lasagna sheets) 1 cup fat free ricotta 2-3 oz low fat mozzarella 1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes 1/2 onion, diced 1 garlic clove, diced 2 tablespoons parmesan 1/4 cup wine of your choice italian seasonings 1 egg white, beaten or a splash of egg beaters
spray a pan with olive or canola oil very quickly. Over medium heat, cook the onion until it begins to soften a bit. Add in the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes more. It's OK if it starts to become golden on the bottom of the pan, but don't let it burn. Remove the pan from the burner and add in the wine. Deglaze the pan by using a spoon to scrape up all the bits. place it over the heat again and let it simmer to burn off the alcohol. Add the can of tomatoes and italian seasoning. If you like a little kick, add a small splash of red pepper flakes. Let this simmer while you mix the ricotta, egg white, parmesan, and 1 ounce of the cheese together. Turn off the sauce. Add 1 ladleful of sauce to the bottom of a meat loaf pan. place a noodle on top. Smear the noodle with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Add some more sauce and repeat. For the final noodle, put the sauce down first. Dot the top with the remaining ricotta. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. You want to use way more sauce during this process than looks necessary. You may not use up the ENTIRE batch, but really give the pan a good amount of sauce to work with. Cover the top with foil and bake for approx 45 minutes. The noodles should have expanded, and the pan should look much fuller. Test how long it takes for them to be fully cooked in your oven. Bake the last 5 mins with the foil off. This will give you about 3 servings -- way better than having an entire sheet pan full of lasagna to wrestle with late at night.
Now for the variations:
1/4 pound of ground meat of your choice. Lean chicken and turkey definitely work here. Beef can work too. I buy the leanest kind they have and rinse it in hot water after with a very fine strainer. (I am trying to limit my sat fats, though.) Oh, italian turkey sausage taken out of the casing is greeeeat.
Garden style (my favorite): add 1/4 cup cooked spinach to the ricotta mix, with a tiny bit of nutmeg. Add whatever veggies you like. Zucchini and yellow squash, grated carrots, bell peppers...you name it, you can probably get away with it. I saute them separately and make them their own layer.
White lasagna: You can make a classic white sauce, but I am far too lazy for all of that. I use a can of low fat creamy mushroom soup, melted down in a pan with a little bit of FF milk. I still add the veggies to this one. Particularly the spinach. I like this better with a sharp parmesan as half the mozzarella, though.
Fiesta Style: Ground meat, no ricotta, salsa and mexican seasonings added to the tomatoes instead of wine and italian. I use Sargento LF cheddar for this one. Lots of bell peppers too.
Ok, I think that's enough lasagna to make any girl satisfied!
Note: In a pinch, yes, you definitely can use store bought sauce! This way takes literally 5 minutes, though, and I think is much better.
Have you ever been to the 30daygourmet website? They have portion break downs for freezing foods, and you can use your own recipes to freeze or prepare ahead of time. I have started to freeze the extra servings of chili, spicy beef stir fry, and crustless quiche that I make. That way I am not stuck with the same thing every day, plus, after a few weeks of this, I can go one or two weeks without cooking at all. The superstore near me has these little containers for freezing (lined with foil), and I put brown rice on the bottom, and the stir fry on top. Easy portion control, I never have to think about it again.
[QUOTE] why do Manufactures make a lot of canned goods in the large cans,QUOTE]
I am not sure what you consider large cans, but here I can get the beans in normal sized cans, the size of all the veggies..what are they 8oz or something. Even still, if I am making a mixed bean salad or something, I find I have leftovers....one way I use them is to throw them into my salad for lunches. Another way is to puree them (white cannilini beans or garbanzos) with a small amount of tahini, garlic, lemon juice and water and use as a veg dip. Other beans, such as red beans, pinto beans, or black beans you can puree the same way, experiment with the spices and herbs you like and make dips out of them. For black beans I mix in a bit of carribean spices mix, a little water, and lime juice. Also you can puree pintos with a little taco or mexican blend, lime and water to thin and use it like refried beans. Sometimes I also add salt to these depending on the brand of beans I buy. Beans can also be frozen too...but then I personally only like to use them in soups as I think the texture changes.
If you can afford one of those machines that wraps your food and takes the air out.. they are great... gives you so much more room, the food stays fresh.. and so easy to reheat. You can get them for about $40 now.. When I was single. I did like some here... cook a chicken and make it last..roasted for first day, salad second.. soup third, etc.. but I always made myself a tv dinner and stored.. (even though my freezer was small too) eventually I had enought tv dinners to not cook for a whole week... that was my favorite week.. I still do that with a family of 5.. I take one meal out with each meal and freeze it. Then one day a week, everyone can pick from a tv dinner and I don't have to cook.. not awhole week but I do enjoy that day!!! The kids love it.. we do it like a lottery... draw numbers, I take the first dinner out and give it to number one.. then the same for number two.. he can keep it or change with number one.. and so forth.. dad and I go last.. and can kind of judge if someone got something they really don't like, and we change with them. the kids love it.. sorry kind of got off the single/cooking for one track.. Cindy
Be happy and healthy
Posts: 72 | Location: Florida | Registered: March 23, 2004
Just though of this, and maybe someone can help me, why do Manufactures make a lot of canned goods example: Black,Cannoli, Kidney Beans and Refried beans in the large cans, don't they know that not everyone has a family, there are alot of people out there that are single,(including Sr's) they are O.K if you are making a soup,I hate buying some of this stuff and have to use it all up in a week, after a few days I get tired of eating it and end up throwing it out (more money down the drain)
Maybe one of these days, I will wright a letter to some of these companies and suggest they should make smaller size cans.... (probably won't do any good)
The More I Learn, The Less I Understand
Posts: 167 | Location: Coconut Creek, Fl. | Registered: March 12, 2004
Last night was "fend for yourself night." I lucked out. Earlier in the day, the folks had made a sam's club run, and came back with all sorts of fancy goodies.
I had two small slices of artisan bread, toasted, w/dijon, smoked salmon, a lil bit of brie, and tomatoes + a bottle of water.
Tonight I hope to *finally* make the fried plantains I planned on making Friday for my Cuban dinner's dessert.
__________________________ DUM SPIRO, SPERO Check up on me!: My FitDay Log
Posts: 1421 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: March 11, 2004
My dinner last night was a good example of creatively re-using food. I had a big salad with arugula, smoked red pepper, smoked corn (have I mentioned I love having a smoker?), half an avocado, and some roasted chicken from earlier in the week.
I do have a tendency to morph foods a lot, being single.
One doesn't have to be one to enjoy this thread. I am the ONLY one in my house routinely following a healthy eating plan. I've gained much info from this thread about being a single in the city. Great ideas. Thanks so much.
Summer Challenge Goals:
1. Get out of the house and in the pool four days a week. 2. Schedule meals a week at a time. 3. five fruits and vegetables a day, along with water.
Posts: 3420 | Location: Central USA | Registered: March 11, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Carol: But my biggest problem is the spices and herbs and vinegar’s most recipes are for 4 or more and they might say use 1/8tsp of something or 1/3 cup of something , so how do you break that down for either 1 or 2 servings.
I have a fridge magnet that has all sorts of divisions of measure so if I was trying to divide the 1/3 cup, I might look on there to see how many ozs, tblspoons or teaspoons add up to 1/3 c. and divide that instead of the 1/3 c. Now the 1/8 of tsp, you are just going to want to use a 'dash' because an 1/8 of a tsp is an itty bitty amount. I have seen those sorts of magnets in kitchen gadget stores. Here's an online resource: http://www.globalgourmet.com/cgi-bin/hts?convcalc.hts+usequiv+new and you could just print it out for yourself if you didn't want to pay for one.
Hope that helps!
Peg
This message has been edited. Last edited by: p7eggyc,
Here's one I made last night (variation of one I saw on TV). We ate it warm, but I saved about 1/4 of the shrimp to have on a salad today for lunch. I'll post it as a recipe for 2, but keep in mind that half of it can be refrigerated & eaten the next day.
3/4 lb shrimp (smallish size, either frozen & defrosted or fresh, deveined & peeled) 1/2 minced sweet onion 2 cloves minced garlic 2 pinches of dried parsley or small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped 2 pinches dried basil dollop of dijon mustard pinch of kosher salt, pinch of pepper 1/4 c olive oil 1/4 c white wine vinegar 1/4 c cold water
Mix all the stuff together and let the shrimp marinate an hour or so. Throw it all into a hot pan and cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes or so on each side, then remove the shrimp to a plate. Let the "sauce" reduce to however thick or thin you like it, then spoon it over the shrimp and eat warm; save 1/2 the shrimp and "sauce" and refrigerate, serve over a salad the next day.
The original recipe called for the shrimp to be skewered & grilled, and it's probably wonderful, and you could still reduce the sauce for a salad the next day with the leftover grilled shrimp. Just use large enough shrimp that you can run a skewer through them
With the other half of the onion, put a couple of Tbl of cold water in a ziploc bag and set the onion in it, store in your vegetable drawer. The water keeps the onion crispy a bit longer.
Something I've begun doing is breaking the garlic cloves apart into individual cloves and storing them in a ziploc bag in the pantry. I can reach in and quickly grab a garlic clove or two, however many I need.
Other variations of this recipe can use bay scallops or cubed chicken instead of shrimp (or probably even cubed firm tofu); lemon or lime juice for the vinegar; dill instead of basil; white wine instead of vinegar; different mustards for different flavors.
D
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
Wow these are all GREAT ideas...such a creative group you all are! Keep the ideas coming. Also I thought that maybe we could also start posting recipes we have worked out for 1-2 servings as well. I will try to get some of mine down for you in the next few nights...I have to look through my cookbooks first.
Carol made a good point about not knowing how to use herbs and seasonings. This is something that I have been learning and having fun with. Sometimes when I find a recipe that I think I will like I will make the recipe as is so I know how it should taste, then next time I can adapt it for 1 by either halving the ingrediants or using pinches...but the secret is to taste as you go...I know for us loosing weight that can seem like a pitfall, but if you watch the tv shows a taste is as small as sticking your spoon (or finger) and just tasting the coating on it...what you are testing is the flavor, not trying to get a bite...like I used to think...sometimes by the end of cooking I had eating half a serving!!
Another thing I learned from watching KD was to taste and smell your herbs...knowing what they taste like will tell you how much you like a herb and how much you will want to use. Also trial and error..sometimes you will use too much or too little...here is where jotting a note or two down in your cookbook will help to remind you next time you cook the dish. Also I find it easier to experiment with fresh herbs than dried ones...you can use a lot more fresh herbs before you mess up something, but dried herbs are more concentrated...and I don't think that they taste as good for the most part. The best way to learn to cook with herbs to to just start...experiement, use small amounts at first untill you learn what you like, try new herbs, and have fun!
No Room in Your Refridgerator? Try this method. I freeze everything flat in freezer bags. You could easily fit 30 pounds of food in a small "over the fridge" freezer. I do it all the time. The key is to freeze it flat. You can put the bag on a cookie sheet or cake pan in your freezer until it hardens then remove the pan.
stephanie
"Succeed! Because you have the opportunity to do so." - KD
Posts: 708 | Location: nashville | Registered: March 11, 2004
My problem with cooking for ONE isn’t portioning the meats, fish etc, it is I never know what I want to do with them, I for some reason can never plan my meals for the week cause I never know what I will be in the mood for.
An example: About 1 month ago I was in the mood for a real meatloaf, I bought 1# made it and sliced it up, had it for dinner and then a cold sandwich the next day, froze the rest and it is still sitting in the freezer, no longer in the mood for it, so will probably just dump it(money down the drain)
But my biggest problem is the spices and herbs and vinegar’s most recipes are for 4 or more and they might say use 1/8tsp of something or 1/3 cup of something , so how do you break that down for either 1 or 2 servings. I guess I could wing it, but then again I could have too much of something or not enough, especially if is something I have never used before so I wouldn’t know which one would need more of. Or what it should taste like…
I have always been the type of person who needs specific amount of ingrediance to start with and then after it is made I can adjust the next time if needed . So can anyone help me with my problems???
Thanking you now, Incase I don't get back to thank you
The More I Learn, The Less I Understand
Posts: 167 | Location: Coconut Creek, Fl. | Registered: March 12, 2004
Cooking for one can be a challenge. One of my tricks is to cook in quantity, then freeze. I particularly like to do this with meat dishes such as meatloaf.
When I find ground turkey on sale, I will pick up as much as 5 lbs. and have a cooking marathon. I will usually take 1/2 to make a huge meatloaf which after cooked, is cut into individual portions, wrapped well and put in a large freezer bag.
I will take the rest of the turkey and cook it with taco seasonings. Then I take 1/2 cup measures and freeze in the cups of a muffin tin. After frozen, I pop them out of the muffin tin and wrap well and put in a large freezer bag.
When chickens are on sale, I will buy 1 or 2 whole ones and roast them. Debone, freeze in individual portions.
By doing this, I have lunches and dinners ready in a very short time. All, I have to do is add some veggies and a salad and I'm set.
I like to use one main ingredient many ways. This works really great in the crock pot. I made a chicken go a whole week once and didn't get repetative.
Day 1 - cooked whole chicken in crock pot, ha some with roasted veggies and potatos for dinner. Put broth from crock pot in the fridge as well as leftover chicken, removed from the bone.
Day 2 - removed fat from broth and made a quick soup with frozen veggies and some diced leftover chicken (can also make into a gravy and have over dumplings)
Day 3 - combined some diced chicken and whole wheat bread crumbs with thyme, sage and a little broth and egg beaters to moisten, rolled into chicken croquettes. Used rest of can of broth to make a quick gravy.
Day 4 - sprinkled cubed chicken with pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika. used as an enchilada filling served with black beans and spanish rice
Day 5 made a chicken salad with diced chicken, strained yogurt, thyme, sage and white pepper. Added diced celery to it. Served it on a bed red leaf lettuce with all sort of fresh veggies.
Day 6 used last of it for a quick chicken cacciatore, mix with a little broth, tomatoes, basil oregano, parsley, large diced peppers and onions and carrot slices. Serve over whole wheat pasta.
tada - once I cooked the chicken (can also use a rotisserie one from the grocery) all the other meals were extra fast. Its just a matter of heating everything through.
Laurie
There is no luckexcept where there is dicipline.
Posts: 1512 | Location: Adams, MA | Registered: March 10, 2004
I live alone and cook for one, but I was never taught to cook and I don't like to cook from recipes, so my meals tend to be very simple; i.e., 3 oz. of grilled or baked chicken breast and a couple types of veggies.
One thing that has helped is that, since July 1 last year, I bring my lunch to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'm off on Monday and usually allow myself lunch out on Friday. I cook all my lunches on Monday afternoon and usually make three of the same thing.
So this week, for example, I marinated a pack of boneless chicken breasts in Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian dressing all day and then grilled them along with some corn on the cob and red bell peppers. My lunches for the week will be:
Chicken wraps (1 ww tortilla, 3 oz. grilled chicken, red bell pepper strips, cucumber strips, scallion strips and grape tomato halves).
Roasted corn and red bell pepper as a side dish.
Cucumber, radish, and grape tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette as a salad.
Cooking for 3 days allows me to buy and use things in more of a normal family size volume and, while I'm not super thrilled about eating the same thing 3 days in a row, it has worked for me thus far.
Summer Se7en Challenge Goals: 1. Add back core & toning work + weight work 1X each per week to start. 2. Tackle the Sugar Monster--Have a sugar free mint after lunch and dinner, wait 20 minutes, and reassess the need for a sweet treat.
Posts: 7105 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Helpful for us (there's only 2) is putting the meats we'll be eating into the ziploc, then the marinade, THEN freezing. It thaws right along with the marinade. Not perfect for everything, but it works good for us.
What I've been doing is shopping at a meat market for meats, and requesting that certain items be packaged certain ways. For example, 3 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast in 1 lb packages, or two 1/2 lb bags of shrimp. I've also requested that larger cuts of meat (NY strip, for example) be cut into halves and wrapped separately.
D
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
I cook for 2 and a lot of times I'll try to come up with a few recipes to use the same ingredients so that I can use them up. Like, if I want to make a recipe that uses cilantro, and I buy a big bunch of cilantro, I'll find other recipes that use that ingredient for the same week.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
