Favourite Single Person Meals

[Words_on_the_Interweb]

@Rucksinator

how do you cook a chicken breast (or strips). I only know how to grill them or follow a recipe, and I don’t have a grill right now.

For oven baking (less fuss, and arguably less mess than pan-frying), I use a pyrex baking pan, crush a little garlic over the top of the breast, add salt & pepper, maybe a bit of lemon juice or herbs, and just bake at 400 for ~20 minutes. I usually cook a couple cups of rice and a couple chicken breasts once a week and make “rice bowls” for individual meals: add frozen vegetables, either microwave with cheese or butter/olive oil (so it isn’t too dry), or pan-fry with a little more fresh garlic & olive oil. Addition of various herbs, spices, or sauces can keep this from getting boring.

[from_a_to_z]

@rowrrbazzle

Salmon filet. Microwave or pan-saute. Add butter, lemon and garlic/garlic salt to taste. Delicious and it don’t get no simpler.

For sure. Tonight it’s pan-sauted. Microwave rice also works for me. Less than 15 minutes to make white rice. Do you ever make your own bread? Easy, enjoyable if time-consuming (if the dough needs to rise 1+ times), makes the home smell good when the bread bakes, and tastes good too. Blender gazpacho, stir fry veggies, etc.

Do you ever have time in your schedule to attend adult-education classes? An area of 3+ million people like Melbourne likely has lots of choices. Aside from the opportunities to make and share cooking-class meals with other students, and/or your neighbo(u)rs, you could learn to make more and more-attractive meals on your own. Improve without nagging criticism.

Continue to eat healthy and stay connected with others, and at the least you can have a good cookbook, perhaps “Matchless Melbourne Meals”.

[dnooman]

I recently made a great meal out of:

one large package of egg noodles cooked until done

one can of peas

a small amount of romano cheese

2 cups of mozarella cheese

as much prosciutto as you can buy

black pepper

[Chimera]

@villa

Is microwaving chicken breast any quicker or easier than cooking traditionally? I would either slice the breast up into strips and stir fry it with any one of a thousand sauces, or oven roast it, or put the flat of my hand on top of the breast and cut through it parallel to the cutting board with a sharp knife, making a much thinner breast piece, and then just pan frying it. Microwave chicken always dries out when I have had it.

That’s why I said a COVERED microwavable dish. Keeps the moisture in. If you just put it on a plate, all the hot water that the microwave is creating to cook with evaporates and you end up with dry chicken-like substance.

Also, don’t cook it too long, or you’ll end up with the same net effect.
There went the timer, my Turkey Pot Pie is done…

[BACI]

@from_a_to_z

Do you ever have time in your schedule to attend adult-education classes? An area of 3+ million people like Melbourne likely has lots of choices. Aside from the opportunities to make and share cooking-class meals with other students, and/or your neighbo(u)rs, you could learn to make more and more-attractive meals on your own. Improve without nagging criticism.

Continue to eat healthy and stay connected with others, and at the least you can have a good cookbook, perhaps “Matchless Melbourne Meals”.

Thanks all for your culinary ideas. They’re great!!

The cooking class is a great idea. I actually did one about four years ago but it was all pretty heavily geared around dinner parties and the like. I’ve got a “project” now, to find one that might be a little more applicable. The local Council of Adult Education have some interesting short courses - I’ll check 'em out.

I’ve got to say, before reading these posts I was kind of dreading doing the cooking for one thing, but with all the great ideas here, I sort of can’t wait to get in the kitchen!

And A-Z, thanks for the words of concern. Hate the thought of “being the single” but will stay connected. Just a part of life that pretty much everyone has gone through I suppose.

Thanks again.

M

[cheeky]

@Missy2U

Since we do a lot of “every man for themselves” meals at our house lately (don’t ask) I can tell you what we’ve made at casa2U over the last few weeks.

Fried hot dogs (you fry them in butter then put them in a hot dog bun and eat them.)

Cheese hot dogs (split them almost in half, stuff with a piece of cheese, fry till melty, eat.)

Egg sandwiches (put some sandwich beef - like Buddig - use maybe 2 or 3 pieces - in a skillet, fry in butter. Meanwhile, make some toast. When the toast is done, put a piece of cheese on it. Put the beef on top of the cheese. Cover that with two fried eggs however you like your eggs fried - me I prefer sunny side up.)

Pizza bread (buy some Pastorelli pizza sauce in a can, spread it on white bread, put mozzarella cheese on it, bake it, eat it)

Wilted lettuce salad (cook 7 or 8 slices of chopped up bacon till crisp in a pan with two sliced up green onions. Tear one head red leaf lettuce into a bowl, cover the leaves with the bacon and onions. In the pan with the bacon fat, add a few Tablespoons of vinegar and a little sugar to make a dressing and then pour it over the lettuce leaves and the bacon. I don’t have measurements - I do it to taste - if you want measurements, google Wilted Lettuce Salad. That’s the basic premise. YES I can eat the whole thing myself.)

Shrimp is always good too - you can buy those precooked frozen shrimp, thaw only what you can eat, and then just sit with some garlic butter (or teriyaki butter, or vinegar, or cocktail sauce - you get the drift - and munch on those. If you get them when they’re on sale, it’s a pretty good deal.)

The Kid had nachos the other night (tortilla chips topped with leftover taco meat, covered with cheddar cheese, baked, and then drizzled with taco sauce. He liked that. I did something similar but used salsa instead of taco sauce, added tomatoes, green onions, olives, and sour cream after I baked it.)

There’s always soup and a sandwich too.

Fish would work well too - when I get tilapia, I get it in separate portions - so I can take just one out of the freezer if I want it. Wrap it in some foil, add some butter, onion slices, lemon, garlic, seal it all up and bake that sucker. That’s some good eats. And it only takes like 15 minutes.

“Don’t you worry about cholesterol, lung cancer, love handles?”

[thirdname]

Rice and beans. Not New-Orleans style red beans and rice, but a Mexican sort of thing. I put some rice (white or brown) and canned some beans, either red or black and often refried, in a bowl. I add a little bit of cheese, maybe some jalepenos or tomato, and salsa or picante sauce. If you buy a rice cooker you can cook the rice with hardly any effort. You just microwave the beans and cheese to heat them. It’s not necessarily a full meal, but it’s something and infinitely healther than ramen.

[Cyberhwk]

Pour Chili over Fritos. Eat.

[villa]

@Chimera

That’s why I said a COVERED microwavable dish. Keeps the moisture in. If you just put it on a plate, all the hot water that the microwave is creating to cook with evaporates and you end up with dry chicken-like substance.

Also, don’t cook it too long, or you’ll end up with the same net effect.

I know you said covered. I still find it WAY less juicy and flavorful than traditional methods of cooking, and not any quicker. The only thing I really trust a microwave to cook are some veggies, things that started their existence in a can, and reheating leftovers. I don’t even like defrosting in the damn things as they affect the taste/texture too much.

[Jackknifed_Juggernaut]

White Castle Drive-Thru

[Grrr]

I’ve often thought Hamburger Helper should change their name to Bachelor Helper.

If it weren’t for that stuff I’d probably starve.
Plus I don’t recall meeting a whole lot of women who thought: “Mmm, Hamburger Helper would really hit the spot right now”

If ever there was a man food…

[SaharaTea]

@SHAKES

Plus I don’t recall meeting a whole lot of women who thought: “Mmm, Hamburger Helper would really hit the spot right now”

You know one now. The cheeseburger macaroni is to die for.

One of my favorite treats is a warm tuna pita pocket. Mix together a couple cans of tuna, mayo, chopped celery and onions (I always add a few drops of lemon juice too). Stuff the mixture into a few pita bread halves, then sprinkle the tops with shredded cheddar cheese. Lay the pitas on a cookie sheet and bake at about 350 for about 10 minutes. The pitas will come out warm and crispy.

[Flutterby]

@SaharaTea

You know one now. The cheeseburger macaroni is to die for.

I prefer the store brand stroganoff from Safeway myself. Never quite liked the taste of the original.

[norinew]

@SaharaTea

The cheeseburger macaroni is to die for.

I particularly like it if I substitute a small can of tomato sauce for an equivalent amount of hot water when boiling the noodles. The noodles soak up the tomato flavor, and it mixes great with the cheese sauce, too!

[Lynn_Bodoni]

@Cyberhwk

Pour Chili over Fritos. Eat.

If you’re gonna make Frito Chili Pie, then do it RIGHT. You gotta put diced onion and shredded cheese on top of the piping hot chili. If you want it really classy, put a spoonful of sour cream on top.