Single Servings: February '08

By: Mackenzie Schieck

Cooking for just yourself? Want it to be as easy as it is delicious? You're precisely the type of person I'm talking to.

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Meals to Scale

Each recipe on Allrecipes has a scaling tool that allows you to change the number of servings. (Handy, right?) You can find it next to the recipe photo--I highly recommend taking advantage of it.

Class up the Joint

You may be eating dinner solo, but you are still worth impressing, so amp up the aesthetics by using tableware that pleases your inner dinner guest. You might be surprised how much of a difference it can make.

Oh, and no more of that dining over the sink business or leaning up against the kitchen counter. You're eating, silly--park it! Need more convincing?--Did you know that when you eat sitting down, you are much less likely to overeat? Now you do.

A Couple Things to Keep in Mind

With the exception of the Prep and Freeze recipe, I intend for you to eat all the meals in one week, which is why prep is done on a Sunday night. If you don't plan to eat them all within seven days, adjust your prep accordingly. (Veggies may go bad if cut and stored for too long.)
Keep all meats frozen in individual servings until one or two days before you plan to cook them. And don't scrimp on the resealable bags--get the good ones--the generic variety aren't as good at keeping things fresh.

Secrets to the Single Serving

The freezer is your friend! Keep it clean and organized so you don't lose track of anything in there--help it, help you.
Get to know the bulk section of your grocery store. In addition to the usual stuff (granola, oats, nuts, etc.), you can also buy spices and often get away with spending mere pennies rather than five dollars on a full container of something. After all, we so rarely need half a cup of parsley flakes at any one time. Although, they're delicious heaped over ice cream. (I'm kidding. Don't do that.)
Cozy up to the deli and the meat and seafood counter. Getting meats and cheeses from the in-store counters are often the same price or less expensive than pre-packaged versions, and you can get the exact amount you need.

Shopping List

Aside from salt and pepper, I included every item needed for the recipes and the suggested sides.

Meat:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast for soup, plus two more boneless halves for stuffed chicken breasts
1 tilapia fillet
4 slices bacon
1/4 pound beef round steak

Vegetables:
1/2 cup diced onion
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
A couple handfuls of green beans
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 ounces snow peas
1 zucchini
1 lemon

Spices:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Dairy:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon butter
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Other:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 cup rice
2-1/4 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons rice wine
3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cornstarch

Let me Know

Is this column helpful? I'd really love to know what you think, so drop me a line to tell me what worked, what you could do without, or what else you'd like to see. Also, feel free to pass along recipes you think would be great to feature, as well as any helpful "single serving" tips you might have (I'll give you a shout-out if I use them!).

What I know about cooking for myself is that if I'm not organized about it, it can be very time consuming and easy to get stuck in a boring rut. But here's the thing ... I don't do cereal for dinner. I didn't resort to that in college and the idea gets less and less appealing as I get older.

You see, I really enjoy food and I just can't bear to waste an opportunity to have a great meal. But during the week, time for cooking is scarce. And what's more, when I get home from work I'm just too hungry for cooking. I need to eat--like, now. So, I've decided that taking the time to get organized is the only alternative to cereal. And that's the part I hope to help with.

What's in it for You?

Here are a few things you can expect from this column each month:

A group of recipes that will yield about ten to 14 dinners.
Recipes that don't involve too many obscure ingredients--two or three of those can knock out a week's grocery budget pretty quickly, so I’ll be mindful of that.
I try to eat relatively healthy so most of the recipes will reflect that, but I'm no saint--I've been known to splurge, so don't be surprised when it happens here.
A Shopping List that consolidates the ingredients from all the recipes and suggested sides.
Sunday Prep! The key to being organized is getting ahead of your week, so I'll tell you what you can chop, mix, or prepare Sunday night to save time on the weeknights.
A Prep and Freeze recipe: this will be a six- to eight-serving dish that can be fully prepped, divided into single servings, then stored in the freezer. Simply defrost overnight, then cook or reheat as-is for a quick meal.
A Cook Once, Eat Twice recipe: leftovers you'll want to eat--I promise! This recipe will be a dish that will make a lasting first impression and demand a repeat appearance the next night.
Recipes for Two Easy Meals--No Leftovers! Leftovers are not your only option for an easy dinner. These two recipes will take no more than 20 minutes to whip up from scratch (after you've prepped them to the max on Sunday night), and they will taste just as good as anything that's been in the works for hours.

Prep and Freeze

Chicken Enchilada Soup III: Prepare this recipe completely, but wait to add the cheese to individual servings before you eat.

Make it healthier: substitute low-fat mozzarella for cheddar.

Chicken Enchilada Soup III

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast: Bake both servings, then save one for the next night--these are still oh-so delicious reheated.

Make it healthier: I always use turkey bacon instead of real bacon and the taste is still fantastic.
Easy veggie side: Serve with green beans…rinse, cut off, and discard the ends, and sauté on medium heat with a teaspoon of olive oil for about ten minutes--just until they are hot. Add salt and pepper to taste (and a sprinkle of Parmesan if you've got it--mmm).

NOTE: Be sure to change serving size on the recipe to two.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Two Easy Meals--No Leftovers!

Asian Beef with Snow Peas: Serve with rice you cooked Sunday night.

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

Lemon Garlic Tilapia: Broil this dish instead of baking it in order to reduce the cook time. Keep an eye on it, but it should take about four to seven minutes on each side. Broil one side plain, turn the fish over, then add the lemon garlic butter and broil the second side.

Easy Sides: Make a second serving of the lemon-butter topping and use it to sauté sliced zucchini for about five minutes. Pour the zucchini and lemon butter over a serving of heated rice.

NOTE: Change serving sizes on each recipe to one.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Sunday Night Prep

Make Chicken Enchilada Soup--leave the cheese out, then add some to each serving when you reheat.
The Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast can be assembled and either refrigerated (if you plan to cook within 2-3 days), or stored in the freezer. (Defrost in the refrigerator the night before cooking.)
Wash and cut all veggies, then store in resealable bag.
Peel and mince ginger root, then store in resealable bag. (It might lose a little flavor by doing this beforehand, but it'll save you about ten minutes the night you cook your Asian Beef with Snow Peas.)
Cut steak into thin strips--store in freezer if you're not going to cook it within 2-3 days, otherwise store in a resealable bag in the refrigerator.
Squeeze lemon--refrigerate in covered container.
Cook rice, then refrigerate in covered container.
Shred cheddar cheese for Chicken Enchilada Soup and refrigerate in a resealable bag.

Who Wants Dessert?

Me--I do. Pretty much all the time, though I try to limit myself to just a couple nights a week.

Mrs. Sigg's Snickerdoodles:

Either freeze the dough in round balls, already rolled in cinnamon and sugar--pull out one or two the night before so you can bake them fresh; or
Freeze them baked and pull out a handful each week.

NOTE: This recipe is NOT included in the shopping list.