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Single Servings: July '08

By: Mackenzie Schieck

Find recipes, prepping tips, and a shopping list that will enable you to single-handedly put dinner on the table--and then eat every last bite!

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I've received emails from many of you asking where updates of this column can be found each month. Easy! You will always find the complete history of all columns here.

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Click on "Bookmark This Page" near the top left of the page to keep it in your favorites.

Shopping List

Meat & Poultry:
22 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 ounces tuna steaks

Produce:
5 cloves garlic
2 medium onions
4 fresh poblano chilies
1 carrot
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 cucumber
10 ounces fresh spinach
1 quart strawberries
Additional veggies of your choice to serve with Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa: peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, and/or corn.

Dairy:
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
1 egg
3 ounces plain yogurt

Spices & Flavorings:
Garlic salt
1-1/4 teaspoons Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup plum sauce

Other:
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3/4 cup panko crumbs or breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Pantry:
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Baking powder
Salt
Pepper
Sugar

Shopping List

Customize Your Shopping List

Hypothetical situation: three of the dishes I've selected in this column sound great, but one doesn't strike your fancy. Such a pain--now you're going to have to create a new shopping list from scratch, right? Nope--not so!

Did you know that Allrecipes has a feature that allows you to add recipes to a shopping list? It compiles a list to include only items in the dishes you plan to make, and will even adjust amounts if you change the serving size. You do need to be an Allrecipes Member to use this tool, but it's free to sign up. You can sign up here:

Membership Sign-Up

Here's more tips about creating Shopping Lists:

Shopping List FAQ's

Organics: The "Dirty Dozen"

Have you ever heard of this? I hadn't until I started researching organic produce, but the "dirty dozen" refers to the items that you should either buy organic, or skip altogether. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing them, these fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.

For myself, I am trying to buy as much organic as possible, but it gets pricey. Hopefully this list will help you determine where your money will be best spent if you can’t do a full organic shopping trip.

The "dirty dozen" consists of:

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach

Other produce items have less risk of pesticide residue:

Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas

(Though I did read more than once pregnant women and children might be more susceptible to pesticides in the so-called "safer" items--it might be worth it to go completely organic in such cases.)

Here are a few more organic products that are worth it if you can swing it:

Milk
Beef
Poultry

Extra Groceries

You shouldn't have much leftover this month other than maybe some chickpeas--ever made hummus from scratch? Try it! Serve with your falafel or use as a veggie dip for a healthy snack.

NEW!

This column has moved to an Allrecipes Blog--you can find new editions of Single Servings here:

Single Servings Blog

A couple months ago, a coworker told me that she spent $60 on one week's groceries for her and her husband using one of my Single Servings meal plans (she doubled the Shopping List amounts). I was worried for a second because she hadn't used the word "only" in front of that dollar amount… "So wait--is that good?" I asked. "Yes!" she assured me. I mean, I thought it sounded good, but being a writer, I tend to unconsciously brace myself for rejection despite the obviousness of the situation: Sixty bucks for two people for a week? That's nothin'! Alas, it was a positive comment. Phew!

It got me thinking about my food budget as well, and I realized that since I've become more focused on meal planning (mostly due to writing this column), I noticed that my food goes further and I do less grocery shopping. Probably because I know exactly what I'm going to do with each item I buy. This, as opposed to throwing handfuls of Hail Mary items in my grocery cart hoping it'll all come together to form something edible (Uh, there's a reason they call it a Hail Mary--probably not gonna happen). So the way I figure it, I must be spending less--that's just how math works, or so I'm told. I haven't actually added everything up, but abiding by my food budget definitely feels easier these days. And I haven't been afflicted with the freak-out associated with the rising cost of food yet, so that's saying something. I certainly eat much more flavorful, interesting meals when I plan versus when I don't, so that in itself is a huge value to me.

Moral of the story? Planning is worth your time! Consider this column your jump-start; this week is done for you, so start thinking about the rest of your month. Find some new recipes to try, or revisit some favorites from past columns. You'll be eating better than ever, and you might just be able to side-step experiencing one of those cost-of-food episodes that seem to be going around.

Prep & Freeze

Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa: Very, very good. Assemble enchiladas in small, sealable containers. Since these are on their way to the freezer, simply pour the sauce in and over the enchiladas versus dipping the tortillas--when I made these, I didn't bother frying the tortillas either (healthier!). Microwave enchiladas before serving, transferring them to a microwave-safe container beforehand if necessary.

Serve with sautéed veggies sprinkled with cheese: peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, and/or corn. Cook in pan on medium heat for three to five minutes, until veggies are hot.

Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa

Cook Once, Eat Twice

Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce: Your vegetarian dish for the month! Serve in pita bread (or skip it), and for an easy veggie side just chop up some extra cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, then toss with yogurt/cucumber sauce (make a little extra if you need to).

Now, I'm sure these taste better when you fry them in 2-3 inches of oil as directed by the recipe, but obviously it's healthier to use just a teaspoon of olive oil, fry like you would a burger, and call it good. That's what I did and they were still great.

NOTE: Change number of servings to two.

Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce

Two Quick & Easy Meals--No Leftovers!

Delicious Ahi Fish Burgers with Chives: Very quick and simple to prepare, and strangely addictive. Serve with a Strawberry Spinach Salad, going easy on the dressing. (In a hurry? Instead of preparing the full-on salad recipe, just buy raspberry vinaigrette and toss with spinach, sliced strawberries, and slivered almonds--done!)

NOTE: Change both the Delicious Ahi Fish Burgerswith Chives and Strawberry Spinach Salad I servings to one.

Caribbean Jerk Stir-Fry: Whew--spicy! But good. I recommend checking the jerk seasoning you purchase to see what the recommended amount is per serving--it might be different than the recipe. I failed to do this and, well, like I said--spicy!

NOTE: Change servings to one.

Caribbean Jerk Stir-Fry

Save Room for Dessert

It's berry season, so put 'em to good use in a Triple Berry Crisp. Change the servings to as many as you'd like, then divide berry mixture into small baking dishes, sprinkle with oat topping, and freeze uncooked. They can go right from the freezer to the oven to bake, so put one in the oven before dinner and it will be ready (hot from the oven!) when it's dessert time.

NOTE: This recipe not included in the Shopping List.

Triple Berry Crisp

Sunday Prep

You'll want a good two and a half hours to get yourself ready for the week.

Start by doing steps one and two in the recipe directions for the Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa. Chop veggies you’ve chosen for the sauté side.
While chicken for Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa is simmering and chilies are steaming, prepare Delicious Ahi Fish Burgers with Chives short of cooking. Refrigerate or freeze patty.
Finish Poblano Chile Enchiladas a la Gringa and freeze in individual servings.
Prep Caribbean Jerk Stir-Fry by slicing chicken, peppers, and onions. Store veggies separately from meat.
Prep Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce, then refrigerate uncooked patties and cucumber sauce. Mix dressing for Strawberry Spinach Salad I, wash and store spinach--wait to toss ingredients together until just before serving.

What Say You?

More emails! They make me very happy, so I'm hoping there are still more where these came from. Please, feel free to drop me line anytime!

Mackenzie,
I love having a column devoted to singles.

Your ideas and tips are great.

The June section on "Keeping Veggies Fresh" was very helpful. I just wish there had been a way to print just that. I tried all kinds of things to get it and was not able to. Can you tell me how to print just your tips? --Kita

Hi Kita,
Thanks for the email! To make it a little easier for you to keep track of just the tips, I've created a separate article for them. You can find it here. Thanks for the idea! --Mackenzie

Mackenzie,
I would just like to say thank you, thank you, thank you! I love the Allrecipes website, but find my (single) self, making a dinner for six and eating leftovers for a week or taking them to work and making (ok, forcing) co-workers to eat them. Thankfully they enjoy my cooking. Following your advice and shopping lists, I have been able to cook for my single self and not eat leftovers for a week! This column is greatly appreciated. I now can continue with my love of cooking! --Tish

Tish,
The same meal all week? Tragic! I'm so glad to have rescued you from the monotony--though, you'll have to apologize to your co-workers on my behalf. No more yummy leftovers for them! (Hmm, do I see a dinner party at Tish's in the near future?) Thanks so much for your email! --Mackenzie