Recipes for one ?

[Iffy]

Due to my husbands career, I quite often am on my own and find it very difficult to source any foodstuffs that are designed for single people.

Yes, I buy things like ready meals, but that is hardly a source of proper nutrition is it ? I read of so many recipes on this forum which sound absolutley delicious....... BUT........ what do I do with the leftovers ??

Before anyone suggests it - YES, I can 1/2 or 1/4 a recipe, but where it requires 2lb of mince or a single red pepper or anything else which would need to be used as another "left over" or frozen, then I go without "fresh" ingredients for another dish !!!

Wouldn't it be really nice for me (and other people - eg. - singletons, wife/husband working away, widows/widowers.. students, etc ) to be able to go into a supermarket and be able to pick up the food of our choice which caterers for ONE person only ?????

[Tugmistress]

when i'm on my own i just cook enough of something to last me two nights, maybe not the answer you were looking for but it works for me.

[Orla]

The key to cooking for yourself is to

1. Make things that you will enjoy eating for a couple of nights
or
2. Make something that is really easy but still feels as if you are spoiling yourself so that you don't mind the effort
or
3 Make things which you can freeze in batches (good for when you need to use things up which can be one of the biggest problems)

For 2. I like to make pasta with a sauce from a couple of chopped tomatoes or a can (fried with just a couple of cloves of halved garlic and some salt and maybe some fresh basil and some olive oil added at the end).

For 3. I tend to make a batch of curry at a time, that I can then just defrost and make some rice.

If you keep things simple but really tasty then it does really help. Freezing herbs and spices where necessary means that you don't worry whether you have to use the whole of a packet of chillies or herbs - you can just use the amount that you want to. It makes it a lot easier to make healthy food from scratch in small quantities. The plus side is that it is much easier to cut down on your red meat quota when you are cooking for yourself. If you keep enough in your store cupboard you can eat whatever you really fancy, eat like a king, still eating healthily and never have to please anyone else. (Just keep enough in to make macaroni or something bog standard for if anyone else comes round and you're laughing)

[sjr014]

Well i had chilli con carne we rice 2nyt but will have baked potatoe we chilli 2mrw!

I tend to freeze things also or sure buy packs of chicken fillets, pork chops, mince whatever but just freeze it in individual bags enough for just urself ta cook as you want it, works fine for me.

[starry]

I make lots and freeze it in individual portions, it is easy then to just take one out in the morning and it just needs heated up when I come in.

I do get what you mean about wastage tho, I no chop and freeze things like peppers as there is no way I could use a pack of three before they go off.
I also cook and freeze as much as I can.

This is more to do with trying to save money than anything else.

[sjr014]

1 pork tenderloin chop thinly sliced with fat removed. Gently brown with some spray oil, add some chopped onion and carrot add some veg stock and a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard cook slowly, then just before serving add 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche and heat gently.

Yummy had it tonight with new potatoes and sweetheart cabbage.

[shamrock2007]

I'm in the same boat with hubby working offshore. I like making chilli con carne & curry and freezing some. Also enjoy baked potatoes, salads. Buying from the butchers is good because you can ask for half a pound of mince etc or 1 pork chop.