Chook Me!

Sr. citizen lady looking for easy, nutritional recipes for dinners for one person. Thank you.?

Beef, chicken, ham, pork chops all o.k I particularly like one dish casseroles but really hoping for some that are 'Cooking for One' type.

Public Comments

1. brown rice pasta, with chunky vegetable marinara, and ground turkey if you want meat in it
2. Shop with convenience in mind. Purchase foods that are individually frozen, such as fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts or fish fillets. These foods allow you to thaw out only the amount you need. Also, keep on hand low-fat frozen meals and prepackaged single-serving foods, such as ready-to-eat, low-fat, reduced-sodium canned soups, seasoned rice, pasta and instant hot cereals. Take advantage of your freezer. Storing food in your freezer helps prevent waste and keeps foods fresher longer. Most foods freeze well, including breads, meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. For best quality, freeze food while it's fresh. Don't wait until it's been refrigerated or on your counter for several days. Cook meals in advance and freeze single-size portions. For example, make a casserole or stew and freeze individual-size servings. Then take out only the food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer. Prepare one-dish meals. For quick and simple cooking, choose a dish that serves as the meal. A good choice is one that includes foods from several food groups, such as meats, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole (made with turkey breast, white beans and tomatoes); or vegetarian chili with diced vegetables. Use leftovers wisely. Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in other dishes. For example, cook rice as a side dish for one meal, then use the leftover rice in a casserole or rice pudding. Bake chicken breasts for a meal and use what's left in sandwiches, soup or a stir-fry. Or make a meatloaf mixture and bake some as a meatloaf and freeze the uncooked portion for later use in meatballs or stuffed peppers. Redefine a 'meal.' If you're short on time or energy, make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or low-sugar, spreadable fruit. Or try spreading it with herbed goat cheese and sliced olives. Other snack-turned-meals are corn muffins served with apple and cheese slices; or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of low-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips. Invite others to eat with you. Make cooking more rewarding by inviting friends or relatives to join you for a meal. Or recruit people for a cooking club, which provides a good opportunity to try new recipes and makes preparing meals more enjoyable. Look into cookbooks designed especially for one to two people. Not only are cookbooks a good source for recipes, they also can provide practical advice and helpful tips on such things as selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels. You Will Need 2 ripe red-skinned pears Fresh lemon juice 7-ounce wedge of Gorgonzola dolce cheese 1/4 cup pecan nuts 8 large slices French bread, about 3/4 inch thick 4 tablespoons mango chutney 1 ounce watercress sprigs 1 ounce arugula Fresh-ground pepper Cherry tomatoes What to Do 1. Heat the broiler. Core and quarter the pears, then toss with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the pears from browning. Cut the cheese down the length of the wedge to make 8 thin, triangular slices. 2. Lightly toast the pecans under the broiler, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn, then roughly chop them; set aside. Spread out the bread slices on the broiler pan and toast lightly on both sides. 3. Spread the mango chutney on the toasted bread and top with the watercress and arugula. Arrange a slice of cheese and a pear on each piece of toast and sprinkle with pecans. Season with pepper. Serve at once, with halved cherry tomatoes. Pecans add crunch to the cheesy stuffing. Rosemary and thyme subtly flavor the meat. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes You Will Need 1 beef flank steak (3/4 pound) 1 can (6 ounces) pineapple juice 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Stuffing 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons chopped pecans 4-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped onion 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic 1 tablespoon vegetable oil What to Do 1. Flatten steak to 1/4-in. thickness. 2. In a bowl, combine the pineapple juice, Worcestershire sauce, onion, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour half of the marinade into a resealable plastic bag; add meat. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining pineapple juice mixture. Drain and discard marinade from meat. 3. For stuffing, in a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, pecans, onion, parsley and garlic. Sprinkle stuffing over meat. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Tie with kitchen string. 4. In a small skillet, brown meat in oil until browned on all sides. Pour reserved marinade into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Thicken pan juices if desired.
3. Turkey cutlets with lemon 1 tablespoon flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 turkey breast cutlets 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted margarine 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate. Press turkey cutlets in flour mixture, coating evenly and shaking off excess; set aside. 2. Heat oil and margarine in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cutlets and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned. Transfer to a plate to drain. 3. Reduce heat to medium. Add lemon juice and parsley to skillet, stir to loosen the browned bits in pan. Return cutlets to skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through, basting often with the lemon-parsley sauce. Solo Teriyaki 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup chicken broth, divided 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingeroot 1/4 LB. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1/3 C. uncooked long grain rice 1 jar (4-1/2 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained. In resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons broth, the soy sauce, garlic, sugar and ginger; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil. Stir in the rice, mushrooms and remaining broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-17 minuets or until the rice is tender Lasagna for One 3 ounces lasagna noodles dash of oregano 1 - 8 ounce can or 1 cup of spaghetti sauce with meat 1/2 cup cottage cheese 3 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese dash of salt dash of pepper 1. Cook noodles according to package directions. 2. Mix in small bowl, oregano, salt and pepper with spaghetti sauce. 3. Alternate layers of noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce in small baking pan. 4. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. You can find more of these recipes here: http://answerpool.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/9661030933
4. Try one of these web sites. They're great. www.cookingalone.com homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blmisc73.htm boston.com/ae/food/.../03/07/singling_out_meals_to_cook_for_just_one Here's a super recipe: MOTHER OF ALL PORK DISHES DIFFICULTY SCALE: 2 1 To 5 With 1 The Easiest, 5 The Toughest: This is a basic recipe for preparing just about every kind of fish, chicken or pork filets. It is so easy and takes very little time to prepare and wow, it is good. The "Difficulty Scale" rating system gives it an excellent low mark of 2, making it one of the easiest and most prepared entrees for fish filets, chicken breasts and pork tenderloins. TOOLS NEEDED: 1 skillet or frying pan 1 lid for skillet 1 spatula 1 spoon for stirring 1 set measuring spoons 1 sharp knife 1 stove for cooking INGREDIENTS: (2 servings) 1 medium to large size pork tenderloin 1or 2 pats of butter 1 teaspoon of flour 1 or 2 ounces of teriyaki sauce 1 or 2 ounces of water (White Wine is better) Sprinkle of garlic powder Sprinkle of your favorite special seasoning salt DIRECTIONS: One large thick pork tenderloin should be enough to serve two people unless they are really hungry, then you may need two. Using a good sharp knife cut away all the extra fat that may be on the tenderloin then slice it into “Silver Dollar” size wafers. Add a teaspoon of flour in the skillet with the butter, heat and stir. When the flour is mixed, add the teriyaki sauce and a little water to make the sauce about ¼ inch deep. Continue to heat and stir on low to medium until it forms into gravy as you stir. Add the pork wafers to the gravy, mix it up a little then quickly season and cover with the lid. Check to make sure the heat is not too low or too high. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Scoop it out of the sauce with a skimming ladle onto a platter or directly onto the serving plate. You may want to dribble a little of the sauce on the top of the pork wafers. Pretty easy isn’t it?