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Celtic Radio Community > From Your Kitchen to My Plate > Cooking For One


Posted by: WizardofOwls 05-Aug-2006, 09:47 AM
Hi there!

Now that I am out on my own for the first time in my life, I need some recipes or suggestions of good recipe books on cooking for one. I see lots for cooking for two or more, but - being reduced from two incomes to one - I'm on a tight budget now and I can't afford to waste. Anybody have anything for me? Anything you can offer will be greatly apreciated.

Also, does any know if there is a book like "Cooking for Dummies" or "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking" out there?

Anyway, have a great day! Take care and God bless!

Allen

Posted by: Shadows 05-Aug-2006, 10:56 AM
Wiz, Finding recipes for just two is a challenge, not to mention cooking for one! I will look around and see what I can find for you.
Mean time I suggest you cook for two and freeze the other portion for a latter date and time. That will eliminate any waste. Buying food for just one will not be much different in cost then buying for two.

When I was single I used to eat those premade meals that you boiled in the pouch, occasionaly I splurged and bought real food.

I hope someone here can be of more help in this matter.

Posted by: Shadows 05-Aug-2006, 11:11 AM
Wiz after a quick web search I came up with a few links that might interest you, mind you I have not tride any of these recipes!

http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingforone1/

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/HQ/00474.html

http://www.ability.org.uk/cooking_for_1.htm

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/he516w.htm

Posted by: dundee 05-Aug-2006, 11:27 AM
mr owls this is pretty intresting you may like it.

good luck on the new life.


Posted by: stoirmeil 07-Aug-2006, 09:37 AM
Give us an idea of what kinds of foods you like to eat! And get a basic cookbook out of the library (The Joy of Cooking will never lead you astray) so you can look at the beginning part of the book on simple cooking methods.

I think Shadows is absolutely right. It is cheaper and more efficient to cook some things in larger portions so that you have meals ready in the freezer. It will also make it more likely that you will eat right when you feel blah and don't feel like really cooking. When you buy meats especially, the larger "family size" packages come out a good deal cheaper by weight than single or small portions. Also, boneless cuts may look more expensive, but they usually work out cheaper, since you are not paying for throw-away bones. Use a simple cooking method (bake, saute) to cook the meat and divide into portions, wrap and freeze, and then all you have to do is add veggies (keep big economy size bags in the freezer -- corn, peas, string beans, peas-corn-carrots medley, broccoli).

Going to a Chinese take-out for a pint of plain white rice to put with your meat and veggies is worth it sometimes smile.gif . Top Ramen noodles are inexpensive and cook very fast, and if you like Chinese noodle soups, you can put your pre-cooked meat and frozen veggies in the Ramens to thaw and heat as the noodles boil, and have a very satisfying meal very quickly.

The only thing with this is: shop when you know you have the time to cook, usually weekends. If you buy a big pack of chicken, for example, and you don't cook it within a day or two, it will just go bad and you will kick yourself. But you can do this one Saturday a month or less, and have your frozen ingredients all ready for a good few weeks.

Little by little add seasonings to your collection. I don't know what you like, but I think an italian blend, a french blend (like "fines herbes"), a chili powder, a standard curry powder (hot or mild, as you like), dried onion and garlic, and thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley are basic. (Cinnamon and either an apple pie or pumpkin pie spice blend is comforting too, for hot cereal, yogurt or toast.) And some kind of hot sauce, and RealLemon juice is handy.

There are canned soups that make nice sauces (cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cheddar cheese), thinnned with a little milk. I find very little difference between the cheaper store brands and the Campbells, by the way. They can be jazzed up with seasonings so you don't get bored, and they are a lot cheaper than prepared sauces in a jar. Cream of mushroom with a standard curry powder, for example, or the cheese soup with a little chili powder. A little salsa is nice tossed with pasta and chicken. And so forth.

All this is about variety, saving money, and making sure it's easy to fix something decent even when you're in a hurry or not in the mood. People who live by themselves (myself included) have a tendency to spend way more than they should, grabbing stuff on the run. Always having something at least partially prepared in the fridge helps a lot.

Posted by: MDF3530 03-Sep-2006, 04:18 PM
New thread for us single folk (or if you're just single for one night)!

Posted by: MDF3530 03-Sep-2006, 04:28 PM
Dish: BBQ SEASONED CHICKEN PARTS

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast or 2 drumsticks
Dash of ground pepper, black
Dash of garlic salt
1/2 cup of barbecue sauce

Directions:

Preheat grill. Season chicken parts with ground pepper and garlic salt. Put parts on grill and baste with barbecue sauce. Cover and grill until desired readiness. Serve with mashed potatoes topped with warmed-up barbecue sauce and lettuce salad with French or Catalina dressing.

Posted by: CelticRose 16-Nov-2006, 01:20 AM
There for awhile, I was cooking for two. But I found it more econimical to cook a large meal and freeze the rest for later. You just never know when you don't have time to cook and need a quick meal and these freezer meals come real in handy. My hubby has low blood sugar and needs to eat often and so I found it best to always have food in the freezer. Just a thought.

Posted by: Shadows 10-Dec-2006, 09:06 AM
I have not tried this but it sounds good!

Solo Baked Chicken Breast and Lemon Rice

This solo meal can be doubled, and if you have an instant read thermometer with an oven probe, the dish can be ignored until you are summoned to the kitchen. Serve with a green salad .

by Bill Hilbrich

1 servings 50 min 15 min prep

1 boneless skinless chicken breast (5 to 6 ounce)
1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon basil
1/3 cup rice, un-cooked
2/3 cup white wine or vermouth



Preheat oven 375 degree (f) Put 1 tablespoon butter into an oven proof dish stir in the rice until all the grains are coated.
Add the wine. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half the lemon into a dish with the remaining melted butter and the basil.
Other herbs such as dill, or oregano could be used instead.
Coat the chicken breast with the butter/lemon/herb sauce on both sides and place on top of the rice and wine. Slice the remaining half of the lemon into thin rounds and place on top of the chicken.
Cover with a tight fitting cover or foil and bake for 35 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the chicken has an internal temperature of 175(f) or 79©.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Found this on http://www.Recipezaar.com

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