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JohnSteed1967 -> Cooking for one (6/26/2008 5:16:40 PM)

yet another food related post, Boy I must be hungry or something. My grandmother taught me how to cook. But, she was taught how to cook for her family of seven plus three hired hands. My Gran is 101 years old and was raised on a farm.

Years later, She had a large family of her own, Growning up we had a large house and an extended family. A total of Seven and occasionally an Aunt or Uncle or two would stop by.

Now years Later I live on my own, no kids or signicat others and I have been spending the last 4 years of my life eating Microwave meals, Take out, or stuff I cobbled together from scratch because it was in the house and I didn't want to go out. The Stuff I cobble together is usally enough to feed atleast four people or more.

Any singles or previous singles that have any word of advice for feeding your self and not feeding an army.

I know how to cook, just know how to cook for a division



Termyn8or -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 5:40:27 PM)

I got two words for you, deepfreeze and Tupperware.

It is cheaper to cook larger meals, take advantage of it. You could have a literal smorgasboard in your freezer. Make some good bean soup or whatever, make the big pot. Eat your fill and take containers or even bags and portion out what you consider the right amount, for a side or a meal, preferable for a side because if you feel like soup that day just thaw two or three containers.

Many types of foods that were cooked for large families lend themselves very well to freezing. The problem I have is I can't seem to make enough. Like I made some beef stroganoff, I made it with real filet mignon. We used to but the whole tenderloin for cookouts and eventually you wind up with some ends and pieces. We kept freezing them and accumulated enough. If I were to make enough for everybody who wanted some got some it would cost alot. Same thing happens with my paprikash. One time I made it with six chickens and it was gone in one day, except I squirreled away one smallportion.

Anything that uses noodle or rice, you make that when you eat it, in other words you don't want to freeze the noodle with the stroganoff nor the dumplings with the paprikash. But each of these are only glorified stews, and stews are soups. In fact if you make good chili, make alot, eat your fill and freeze the rest. A good beef stew can be some work. Save some work, make ONE mess and freeze whatever you don't use.

There are also alot of stirfry mixes that come frozen, those generally you can use right away, Cut up and fry a couple of chicken breasts, or anything else youi please to go in it, once it's done pour some of the stirfry mix on it and, well stir and fry. Reseal the bag, it'll be fine for next time.

Just some ideas. So cook for seven and freeze for six.

T



atursvcMaam -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 6:03:15 PM)

i agree with you, cook for a bunch and freeze some for later use.  with italian food (spaghetti and such) if the pasta is cooked aldente, it comes out acceptably from the microwave.  if i am thinking in advance, i take it out of the freezer the day before.  i learned to cook for 8.



Lockit -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 7:41:40 PM)

I used to cook three days a week, all day, for a huge household.  When I finally got to live alone, I went through this.  It took a while to learn my new style.  I eat a lot of fish and chicken and found an electric grill that really works well for a couple pieces of something.  I can microwave a potato or corn on a cob (wrap in wet paper towel) and make it easy.  When I shop, I clean and get ready, freash veggies and water melon or something like that and have them ready in fridge to add to any meal.  I go with simple, yet I want it tasty.

Instead of large family packs of things, I get frozen chicken in a bag and like a whole salmon that is frozen in peices and it makes it easy to just pull something out and prepare.  Most meals I cook now take very little time and are hassle free and I am eating better than ever.  Crock pots are also great!

I read some time ago and don't know if I could find it now... but with a microwave, it said that it doubles the calories.  I don't know for sure...



candystripper -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 7:58:49 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnSteed1967

yet another food related post, Boy I must be hungry or something. My grandmother taught me how to cook. But, she was taught how to cook for her family of seven plus three hired hands. My Gran is 101 years old and was raised on a farm.

Years later, She had a large family of her own, Growning up we had a large house and an extended family. A total of Seven and occasionally an Aunt or Uncle or two would stop by.

Now years Later I live on my own, no kids or signicat others and I have been spending the last 4 years of my life eating Microwave meals, Take out, or stuff I cobbled together from scratch because it was in the house and I didn't want to go out. The Stuff I cobble together is usally enough to feed atleast four people or more.

Any singles or previous singles that have any word of advice for feeding your self and not feeding an army.

I know how to cook, just know how to cook for a division


I cannot cook; I think it's a genetic defect of mine, LOL. 
 
However, I also live alone (yippie!) so here are some ideas:
 
If gardening is appealing, try and partner with a family.  Even one tomato plant will produce far more than You can eat fresh, so unless You're willing to get into caning, some will go to waste.
 
For reasons that may be apparent to experienced gardeners, never plant zucchini; You'll be drowing in the damned things.
 
If You're willing and able to pay premium prices, decent soup can be gotten from cans.  I prefer the Progresso brand.  One can of soup and some crackers is enough for a whole meal, at least for me.
 
Give up buying bananas. No one person can eat them fast enough to avoid waste.  Try apples and fruits with similar textures -- they seem to last longer.
 
Those prepacked bags of 'Caesar Salad' etc. aren't bad if You add a few little tomatoes.  If You eat the entire bag, You've had a 'big salad', which is enough for me for a meal.
 
If You resort to sandwiches, spend the money to buy better breads and meats.  Beware of the 'no preservative added' type breads; they will probably go to waste.
 
If You experiment, You may find frozen foods, especially meats and meat-substitutes, that can be microwaved one at a time and are edible.  I'm fond of Boca Burgers, myself.
 
My general rule is to pay for better milk (Lactoid milk will last at least a month; regular milk spoils after a week), cheese, meat, bread and fruit, but to buy small quantities.  I shop once a week and cannot keep a 'pantry' so I don't stock up on food items.
 
Hope some of this was helpful, Sir.
 
candystripper



Bethnai -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 8:59:03 PM)

allrecipes.com will take a recipe geared for 10 and make it for one.

I'm picky so during the winter its easier to take soups that freeze well and divide it up. I also just go to the grocery store and pick up one of whatever seafood or meat and grab whatever veggie I feel like. Or..........I make a dip and live on it until my UM comes home. George Foreman's grill rocks. I make my own salad dressings and whatnot so I will make stuff I will use for more than a day.  Too, run a search on google for cooking for one or even two.



Quivver -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 9:24:21 PM)

I can cook. 
I hate to cook for Me.  [:@]   I get hungry for a pork roast, crave it for weeks, finally find a small one .. then I eat pork roast all week.  ick...
So I started the soup and frozen asian dinners ... wow, sodium!  sigh............ 
Rather then live on plain white or brown rice I've been pondering steaming veggies, flash freezing and placing in a baggie for ease of use. 
Same thing with say chicken, beef, pork and so on. 
Then all I have to do is open up a bag, take out a handfull of say 2 or 3 different things, flash fry it with a little olive oil and finally a healthy dinner worth eating.  ........... then again if that fails there's always rice...  [;)]



slaveboyforyou -> RE: Cooking for one (6/26/2008 9:54:37 PM)

I'm single and I cook all the time.  I love to cook, and I rarely eat out.  You can't make some dishes for just one person; it's just not possible.  So I will freeze a lot of things, or I will leave it in the fridge and eat it for leftovers during the week.  I make a lot of my big meals in a slow cooker, and most of those dishes are perfect for freezing.  I have to do it with pasta sauces, soups, and stews because I always make a bunch of it. 

A grill is a wonderful thing when you're single; I use mine all the time.  You can buy a small cap sized grill if you don't have much room.  The little charcoal grills are cheap.  I will grill a steak, a few pieces of chicken, a couple of pork chops, or some fish and have it with a salad and baked potato. 



pahunkboy -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 6:23:02 AM)

Gosh- of all the time I been on CM, this is a cool topic.

I cook thin boneless pork chops, round steak, burger, or something in a crock pot.  I find I do not do well with freazers.  The stuff gets freazer burned and I always question if the meat is good.

Due to busy,lazy or pain,  my hands arent good for chopping and knives.

One can snack on produce- oranges, bananas, pears....


ok if i cook up 4 pork chops- throw in mushrooms, or corn or brocolli- thats 2 meals.

various people i know we have traded off= make a batch of whatever, send a plate...[tho we dont keep score, tit for tat]


im about to make breakfast.    3 eggs mixed into cardboard bowl...with poppy seeds, raisons, cinnaminn, microwave 2 minutes.  add slice of swiss chease, serve sandwhich on wheat.   it is quick, and if you use a paper plate- only a fork is then dirtied......



soul2share -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 10:03:44 AM)

I'm with the cook for 100 crowd.....

I pretty much do what is suggested here...I love my crock pots, and have two.  I do soups and chili, spaghetti sauce, pasta, (gotta be careful tho w/pasta in a crock pot...it can go from al dente to mush in less than 2 mintues!), roasts...anything you can put in an oven, you can cook in a crock pot.

Some tips for cooking and freezing stuff......I love the airtight locking lid things you get from wally world.  The lids clip down, I forget what the brand name is, but it's in the rubbermaid aisle.  They are great for transporting stuff because you can turn 'em any direction from Sunday, and they don't leak!  I freeze chicken noodle soup, and haven't had a problem when it's thawed...but I also use Kluski noodles.....they are just like the ones in the Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and harder than heck to find....but they are in the Jewish food section in the grocery stores....Manischewitz, or something close.  Also, cook your noodles separate from any liquids..this goes for any pasta dish..that way, the starch from the pasta doesn't gum up the liquid.  Chili freezes great, which is a good thing...cuz I make a ton of it!

For dinners on the fly, I'll divide up meats into smaller portions.....hamburger usually.  Or I'll cook the entire package and then separate it into amounts that I'd use in food.  I parboil my hamburger when I cook it, the largest percentage of the grease boils out of it, I then rinse it off, and it's grease content is greatly reduced.  I get the smaller bags of lettuce, I love salads, but never eat the lettuce fast enough to avoid spoilage.  I also cut up all my veggies for salad and put them in containers all at once, then I don't have the excuse of "it's too much trouble to cut everything up".  I use cherry tomatoes, and shredded carrots, also cukes, green pepper, celery.....loooove my rabbit food!

I also have a george foreman grill.  Great for hamburgers, chicken, small things like that...pretty quick, clean-up's not that bad, I just put it in the sink, squirt soap on a scrubie, and wash.....let it air dry and it's done.  You are supposed to be able to do veggies on it too, but I haven't tried that.  My next purchase will be a bbq grill.  Sometimes, ya just gotta have that big ol' juicy hunk of red meat!



RCdc -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 10:12:14 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: slaveboyforyou

I'm single and I cook all the time.  I love to cook, and I rarely eat out. 


*whimpers*
Seriously doesn't help my crushin'
 
the.dark.




seeksfemslave -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 10:47:56 AM)

Chops, sausages, chicken legs, the odd pie, liver, kidney, the odd pie, the occasional pizza, plenty of veg , carrots cabbage potatoes, tinned fruit an apple and a cup of tea.
Use a steamer for the veg. and the grill where possible for the meat.
20/30 mins tops.....its a doddle.

Plenty of time left to wash me undies or  take a shower only I carnt be bothered.



slaveboyforyou -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 6:14:14 PM)

quote:

*whimpers*
Seriously doesn't help my crushin'
 
the.dark.


*smiles*  Sorry darlin', I wasn't trying to make you suffer.  I'll try and deflate that crush a little.  I eat at home all time because I'm a cheapskate and a tightwad.  [:D]



daddysliloneds -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 7:00:20 PM)

bookstores are you friend.  they have so many wonderful cookbooks now-a-days that use one skillet and four, six, eight,  ingredients, etc. that are geared for one person, and that are yum, yum, yummy!!!!!!!! 



Hippiekinkster -> RE: Cooking for one (6/27/2008 7:49:01 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: candystripper 
If gardening is appealing, try and partner with a family.  Even one tomato plant will produce far more than You can eat fresh, so unless You're willing to get into caning, some will go to waste.
There are community gardens in some locales, too, and also many small organic growers will grow by "subscription".
 
quote:

For reasons that may be apparent to experienced gardeners, never plant zucchini; You'll be drowing in the damned things.
Plant it, then freeze the excess for soups, veggie lasagna, etc. or give it to a food bank.
 
quote:

If You're willing and able to pay premium prices, decent soup can be gotten from cans.  I prefer the Progresso brand.  One can of soup and some crackers is enough for a whole meal, at least for me.
Waaaay overpriced. Get a crockpot, dump a bag of soup mix beans in, add a bag of frozen veggies, and poof! soup.
 
quote:

Give up buying bananas. No one person can eat them fast enough to avoid waste.  Try apples and fruits with similar textures -- they seem to last longer.
I can. The key is to actually eat them, not let them sit on the counter. Bananas will freeze for use in thickening stews for a Carribean twist.
 
quote:

Those prepacked bags of 'Caesar Salad' etc. aren't bad if You add a few little tomatoes.  If You eat the entire bag, You've had a 'big salad', which is enough for me for a meal.
Only if they're on sale. It takes, what. 10 seconds to rip up a head of lettuce for salads?
 
quote:

If You resort to sandwiches, spend the money to buy better breads and meats.  Beware of the 'no preservative added' type breads; they will probably go to waste.
Breads freeze, too. Or get a breadbox. That's what they're for.
 
quote:

If You experiment, You may find frozen foods, especially meats and meat-substitutes, that can be microwaved one at a time and are edible.  I'm fond of Boca Burgers, myself.
Bocas are good. SO are the Tofurky "hot dogs/brats/Italian sausages". Seitan is really easy to make.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Seitan.htm
Beans freeze well; mix 'em with with some frozen corn, some salsa, maybe some ground beef, you've got a good tasty high-fiber and protein meal with good carbs.
 
quote:

My general rule is to pay for better milk (Lactoid milk will last at least a month; regular milk spoils after a week), cheese, meat, bread and fruit, but to buy small quantities.  I shop once a week and cannot keep a 'pantry' so I don't stock up on food items.
I like soy milk, myself. Keeps for quite a while. Cheeses will freeze pretty well. I love fresh fruit, but it can be a challenge to keep it. I often buy berries frozen. Apples keep well, citrus keeps OK (love, love, love tangelos), most of the rest is dicey. When I have a cantelope getting soft, I'll blend the pulp and freeze it for later melon juice. Watermelon pulp, too. 
 



ownedgirlie -> RE: Cooking for one (6/28/2008 2:40:54 AM)

I live alone and often go all out when I cook for myself.  Lamb shank, chicken chaucer, fajitas, steaks, risotto, pasta, all sorts of seafood, gourmet salads...I love to cook - it relaxes me.  And cooking myself a nice dinner is a way of honoring myself.  I just made a vegitarian chili earlier this week and put the leftovers in individual sized tupperwares so I could take them for lunch throughout the week.

A nice dinner with a glass of wine and I'm set.  Not to say I don't sometimes just throw a sandwich together, but I do enjoy cooking.  I'll go to my friends houses and cook there, too.



Manawyddan -> RE: Cooking for one (6/28/2008 6:01:53 AM)

I coooked on my own for years, simple meals with some main protein dish and vegetables on the side ... never thought anything of it or depended on frozen dinners.

But now that I'm used to cooking for my family (of three), on the rare days I am left alone I never know what to make. It seems like too much effort.



kiwisub12 -> RE: Cooking for one (6/28/2008 6:17:42 AM)

When i am alone and need to eat i eat   ...   cereal.
Love the stuff, and its so easy.

and when i cook something like stew or chicken-and-dumplings, i eat left-overs for days - cheaper than buying lunch, and they usually get better tasting the longer they sit. I love left-overs!

When my Sir isn't in for dinner, i love to cook lamp for my self - he doesn' like it, I love it, then i get lamp sammies for days. Yumm!
The other thing i like is breakfast food for dinner. Very easy, one pan cooking/



batshalom -> RE: Cooking for one (6/28/2008 8:01:45 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnSteed1967

Any singles or previous singles that have any word of advice for feeding your self and not feeding an army.


Canned soup.
Can opener.
Spoon.



DiurnalVampire -> RE: Cooking for one (6/28/2008 8:06:12 AM)

www.allrecipes.com
My favorite site ever, and the recipes have a serving control on the pages that allow you to scale them up and down according to how many portions you want. I usually go for 2-4 so I have enough for me if I really like it and leftovers for one day.

DV



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