Cooking for one isn't as hard as it might seem. As long as you plan ahead and know what's in your pantry, you can come home to a real meal every day of the week and have enough left over for tomorrow's lunch and maybe even enough to freeze for later use.
What's in Your Pantry?
While pantries should always be well-stocked, they should never be overstocked. Keep too many canned goods, and you run the risk of canned items expiring before you get a chance to use them. If you don't have enough items stocked, however, you run the risk of not having the correct ingredients when you decide to make something out of the ordinary or have a special occasion pop up unexpectedly.
Stock your pantry now, and avoid food disasters in the future. Remember, however, that when you remove something from the pantry, you must immediately replace it. Keep a few frozen dinners on hand as emergency food for those times when you simply cannot cook.
Pantry Necessities:
Produce:
Spice Cabinet:
Refrigerator Necessities:
Freezer:
Cooking Meals in Advance
Fresh meats are better, of course, but buying frozen often means getting better deals, and frozen means it's available for today or next month. However, if you live in an area where the electricity often goes out, such as Miami during hurricane season, you'll want to be careful about how much you keep in your freezer or fridge during these times. There is nothing more frustrating than having an entire freezer of food go bad.
Do not buy in bulk. If something appears to be going bad, use it that day. This may mean you have to be creative, but nothing will go to waste.
Crock Pot Cooking
Use a crock pot and come home to a hot meal every day of the week. Chili would require one can of beans, one frozen packet of burger (browned), one celery stick (including leaves), one third to one half of an onion, a can of tomatoes, and, if you like it juicy, one or two cans of V-8 or tomato juice. While the chili is simmering, boil two cups of elbow macaroni. When the chili is done, ladle it into a bowl, add noodles and sprinkle croutons and cheese over it. Top with a dollop of sour cream, and you have enough for two meals.
When using the oven, make sure you bake everything rather than waste energy elsewhere. With this well-stocked pantry you can make baked potatoes with butter and sea salt, a baked chicken breast, and glazed carrots drizzled with brown sugar and butter. Anything extra can be frozen for later use.
Other recipes you can make from this list include:
Save leftover canned vegetables for up to three days, and then make vegetable soup. The ingredients list would look something like this: leftover veggies, onion, celery, potatoes, your choice of meat, bouillon, salt and pepper to taste and tomato juice or V-8. For dessert, thaw one frozen bread roll in the microwave, flatten and fry in the frying pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
 | When it comes to single cooking, vegan recipes are hard to find. While vegan cooking is wonderful because it brings out the subtle and often extraordinary tastes of vegetables, vegans who cook for themselves can often have a hard time finding ingredients. |
 | Healthy cooking for one is much simpler if you make sure your pantry and refrigerator are stocked with certain essential ingredients. Some such of these ingredients include low-fat milk and low-fat cheeses that will help keep meals on a healthy track. |
 | Not looking forward to eating those leftovers? These ideas can help you take leftovers and turn them into something even better. |
 | Cooking dinner for one needn't be a chore. Nor should you deprive yourself of a well-prepared meal made by your own hands. Keep prep time down and pleasure time up by following these recipes for dinner for one. |
 | Making recipes for one person is all about creativity. Don't overlook leftovers, and don't overlook the obvious. Once you begin to rely on your imagination to cut through stereotypical meal ideas, you can think of dozens of recipes for one person. |
