Getting dinner on the table on the daily isn't easy. At times, we lack inspiration, the time to meal plan or the energy to cook at the end of a long day. And those woes are universal to us all.
But solo cooks face their own set of challenges – and many of you have asked for our best tips, tricks and recipes. I'm hoping these "Cooking for One" ideas help you find some fun and feel more powerful in your kitchen – whether you're cooking for one or a crowd.
Enjoy!
-Adam
1.) Shop the bulk bins. Don't buy in bulk – that's never a good idea for a single cook, but being able to customize your quantities of oats, nuts, raisins, etc., is a great way to not overbuy and waste ingredients.
2.) Pump the breaks on too much fresh produce. Obviously, fruit and veggies are some of the healthiest ingredients you can put into your body, but be careful that you don't overdo it at the store or you'll be throwing them away later in the week.
3.) Make the freezer your friend. Extra nuts? Ginger? Tortillas? Bananas? Wrap them in foil, label and date, and then send them into the deep freeze. Having a stocked freezer is like having extra money in the bank, plus you'll never have to experience rancid almonds or moldy bread again.
4.) Learn to substitute. If you're tired of buying random recipe ingredients to only use them once, this tip is for you. Almost any ingredient has a decent sub which can be found via a quick Google search. Spices all have fairly comparable subs, baking soda and powder can be tweaked as each other's subs – and whatever you do, never buy buttermilk (which always comes in a huge container) – regular milk with vinegar are all that you need.
5.) Cut recipes in half. Don't shy away from dishes that serve more than a few; they can easily be halved, and you don't even need to DIY the math or pull out a calculator. Many recipe sites have a built-in serving size converter, usually where the serving size is listed on the recipe. Paella for 1-2? Here you come.
6.) Reinvent those tired veggies in your crisper. Create a last-minute meal with those almost-expired veggies. A kitchen-sink frittata is always a smart move, but now that fall is here, soup sounds even better. Roast any/all of your leftover veggies at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper) add to a stockpot of warm broth, simmer, then blend till smooth, season to taste.
7.) Leftovers = solid gold lunch the next day. When you've got a Tupperware of healthy soup, stew, grilled chicken and quinoa, (or insert your favorite meal here) packed and ready to go, you can skip the salads near the office – which get pretty tired anyway, right?
8.) Let others do the work. There are some really great resources out there. Greatist, known for curating killer recipes for various food sensibilities, has this roundup: Easy, Quick, Healthy Meals for One that shouldn't be missed. And Food52's Table for One, a weekly column written by and dedicated to solo cooks is dinner and a story for those who want to dive in a bit more.
9.) Lastly, have fun with it. You have only one mouth to feed and one palate to please. You're not a short-order cook, you're the boss. If you like spicy, pile on the peppers. If you are beat and just want eggs for dinner, go for it. There are no rules, except the ones you make.