Cooking for 1 or 2

You Can Do It!

Cooking Is

Intuitive

A skill

Fun!

What do I want people to know?

A plan is NOT a rut

Menus

Are money saving

Prevent waste

Save time and energy

Give a structure that encourages creativity.

Take Taco Night

This doesn't mean, plain beef tacos every week.

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork

Cook a round steak or chicken breasts, bone-in or boneless in a crock pot with 1/2 cup to 1 cup of your favorite salsa on low, all day

• Shredded
• Ground
• Grilled & Cubed

Forget tacos altogether and just go Mexican

Pizza Night is the same way

Standard toppings are great,

but don't be scared to experiment.

BLT, Taco, Buffalo Chicken

Calzones - Meatball, Veggie

Planned Overs

Cook once and create the base of several meals.

Examples?

Basic Meatloaf

• 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• 1 garlic clove finely minced
• 1 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (or sage, basil, oregano, or my favorite Cajun!*)

Optional Glaze

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 tsp dry mustard

Vegetable Beef Soup

• diced onion
• 2 - 3 ribs celery + leaves diced
• 2 - 3 carrots, peeled, diced
• garlic 2 - 3 cloves, minced
• 2 quarts beef stock
• 1/2 lb or more ground beef
• frozen, canned, leftover vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, lima beans, etc)
• salt, pepper

Variations on the theme

• thyme
• bay leaf
• tomato paste
• red wine
• noodles
• lentils
• barley

Basic Marinara

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 medium onion sliced thinly
• 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• ~ 1 Tsp Italian seasoning
• 2TBSP chopped parsley leaves (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring frequently. When the onion is soft add the Italian seasoning and stir for about 30 seconds, this helps develop the flavor in the hot oil. Add the tomatoes and heat through. Reduce the heat, add the parsley, and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Roast Chicken

• olive oil or butter
• 1 chicken
• salt / pepper
• poultry seasoning, Cajun or Favorite Rub

350F 20 minutes per pound, tent w/ foil if necessary

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 1/2 qts water
• 3 TBSP Better Than Boullion (or, if you must substitute bouillon cubes, but why would you want to?)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 5 carrots peeled and sliced into coins
• about 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken or turkey
• about 80z pasta (whatever noodles float your boat, we like wide egg noodles)
• thyme, sage, salt, and pepper to taste

Chicken Salad

• leftover chicken
• mayonnaise or cream cheese
• celery
• salt / pepper
• basil
• lemon

Optional:

apples, raisins

Wine Braised Pot Roast

• 1 pot roast preferably 3 – 4 lbs
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 cups of drinkable red wine, divided (it doesn’t have to be super fancy, but nothing you wouldn’t touch in a glass)
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh ground pepper
• optional 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Sandwiches:

Toasted Beef and Cheddar on Hoagies

French Dips with Au Jus

Vegetable Beef Soup

diced onion

2 - 3 ribs celery + leaves diced

2 - 3 carrots, peeled, diced

garlic 2 - 3 cloves, minced

2 quarts beef stock

1/2 lb or more ground beef

frozen, canned, leftover vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, lima beans, etc)

salt, pepper

Variations on the theme

thyme

bay leaf

tomato paste

red wine

noodles

lentils

barley

Reduce the Scale

Oven Fried Fish

• Four 6oz fillets of white fleshed fish
• 1/2 cup of flour
• ~ 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup white cornmeal mixed with 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• 1 tsp dill
• salt / pepper to taste
• ~ 1 TBSP olive or vegetable oil

In a shallow bowl add the seasonings to the cornmeal & breadcrumb mix.

Place the flour in another shallow bowl

Preheat the oven to 500°F and grease a baking sheet with the oil.

One by one dip the fish fillets into the milk, then the flour, back into the milk , and finally into the breadcrumb mixture.

Place onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes carefully turning halfway through.

Chips

3 medium potatoes sliced into thin wedges

2 tbsp olive oil

salt / pepper to taste

Soak the potato wedges in warm water for 15 minutes. Saute over medium high heat in the olive oil for 10 minutes. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil until they reach the desired shade of brown.

Wilted Spinach Salad with

Feta, Pecans, Cranberries

1/4 small red onion, vertically sliced

1 bunches of spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons sherry, rice, cider, or red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

6 tablespoons olive oil

black pepper, freshly ground

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425°F, cut vegetables into chunks, toss with a small amount of olive oil, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until tender. For variety consider sprinkling with herbs such as rosemary or thyme.

Versatile Recipes

Alfredo

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 TBSP whole wheat flour (white will work)

4 TBSP butter

4 cloves garlic – minced

1 cup half and half

In a small bowl stir together the parmesan and flour. Mince the garlic. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute until just golden. If you are adding steamed vegetables or planning on quickly sauteing shrimp in the garlic and the butter, do so now. Proceed to the next step only when your additions are heated through. Add the half and half, then slowly stir in the Parmesan.

Stir constantly and bring to a low simmer until thickened. Serve immediately over your favorite pasta.

Shrimp

Chicken

Beef

Salmon

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Spinach

Your Freezer is Your Friend

Save bones and vegetable scraps for stock

Experiment!

• Soups, casseroles, stock
• Freeze flat for storage
• Freeze anything that won't be eaten in 5 days

(really)

(I mean it)

You paid money to hear this, the least you could do is pretend as though you believe me.

Meat Sauce for Pasta

• 1 recipe basic marinara
• crumbled meat loaf
• parmesan

Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles or toss with a ziti, mostacolli, or rigatoni

• Fish
• Black bean

Ratios are Your Friend

Oatmeal

2 parts oats

1 part water / milk

White Rice

2 parts water

1 part rice

Grits

4 parts water / milk

1 part grits

Learn Ratios

Grits

4 parts water / milk

1 part grits

Oatmeal

2 parts water or milk

1 part oats

White Rice

2 parts water

1 part rice