Monday, June 25, 2012

Cooking for One

Though my cookbooks are geared for families, I'm often asked for tips and suggestions on cooking for one, and since this is an issue I too face at times, here are my ideas on the subject.

There are two issues that I see:

1) It often seems too much trouble to prepare a meal (and do all the cleanup) just for yourself.

2) Most recipes are geared for multiple people.

I know that when my kids are with their dad, it can be tempting to fall into a bowl of cereal for dinner or maybe heating some frozen thing--not the most healthy or satisfying dinner, that's for sure. But I have found a solution that works well for me. One that gives me healthy, yummy meals with not too much work.

My solution?

Cook like I would if my kids were there. In other words, make a full meal for 4-6 people. However, the beauty is I can cook foods that I really like that the kids don't . . . like eggplant or mushrooms for example. Or curries and spicy foods. So yes, I have to spend one night cooking a full meal but then . . . leftovers! So for the next few meals, I have premade food that just needs to be heated up. Or you can use the cooked foods to make other easy meals. Like I'll roast a big batch of veggies and then mix them into pasta for one meal or put them in a salad for lunch.

Of course, there are days when I am inventing dishes or trying a gourmet recipe and I hit on something so good, I really want to share. But I've found that usually it just takes a phone call or two before I find someone willing to come over and share a meal with me :) And that's really nice too.

Feel free to share your cooking for one ideas with me as well.

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