Need suggestions and recipes for cooking large meals-for-one (Lebanese, Turkish, Moroccan, etc)
September 23, 2011 9:13 AM Subscribe
At mid-life, I've finally discovered cooking. I've experimented with Lebanese, Portuguese, Moroccan and Turkish because they're my favorites. But I'm single these days and cooking for one. What are some good strategies?
Because I'm single and also fairly busy, I'm looking for the kinds of meals that are well-rounded and easy to serve. The kinds of meals that can be served out of a giant pot, like stew, onto a plate. Ideally, well-balanced meals that contain all the crucial stuff like meat, rice and vegetables together, rather than served separately.
So far I've made some curry dishes and Moroccan chicken. But I honestly don't know what I'm doing. I recently inherited a bunch of cooking gear but don't know many good recipes. Already checking out Epicurious, but would love links to some recipes that are tasty and easy to make for a beginner. I do like the spicier and more bitter stuff.
Thanks for helping me finally become more domestic!
Because I'm single and also fairly busy, I'm looking for the kinds of meals that are well-rounded and easy to serve. The kinds of meals that can be served out of a giant pot, like stew, onto a plate. Ideally, well-balanced meals that contain all the crucial stuff like meat, rice and vegetables together, rather than served separately.
So far I've made some curry dishes and Moroccan chicken. But I honestly don't know what I'm doing. I recently inherited a bunch of cooking gear but don't know many good recipes. Already checking out Epicurious, but would love links to some recipes that are tasty and easy to make for a beginner. I do like the spicier and more bitter stuff.
Thanks for helping me finally become more domestic!
Getting a slow-cooker would enable you to make nice meat-and-beans/lentils type dishes, which you could serve over rice made in a rice cooker and serve with some fresh veggies. That way, you just set up the two meal components that require cooking and the machines do the rest, while you get the health benefits of fresh produce. Plus you can easily make more than you need and have leftovers. Or you can just make stew in the slow cooker, even easier.
I realize this is not recipe advice, but one nice thing about cooking this way is that you can put almost any combination of seasonings into a slow cooker with the right base (pork butt, whole chicken, tough cuts of beef) and it will turn out pretty well.
This is also a good way to ease yourself into cooking! Once you start making tasty meals for yourself, you may feel culinarily emboldened and want to try more things and keep going.
posted by clockzero at 9:24 AM on September 23, 2011
I realize this is not recipe advice, but one nice thing about cooking this way is that you can put almost any combination of seasonings into a slow cooker with the right base (pork butt, whole chicken, tough cuts of beef) and it will turn out pretty well.
This is also a good way to ease yourself into cooking! Once you start making tasty meals for yourself, you may feel culinarily emboldened and want to try more things and keep going.
posted by clockzero at 9:24 AM on September 23, 2011
Response by poster: Also, it's usually a snap to halve a recipe so you're not left with a mountain of leftovers.
(I should add - I actually want to be left with a mountain of leftovers ;) I would prefer it so that I can have it for lunches or dinners for 3-4 days at a time. I know that sounds weird, but it's all I have time for and I don't mind eating the same thing.)
posted by deern the headlice at 9:30 AM on September 23, 2011
(I should add - I actually want to be left with a mountain of leftovers ;) I would prefer it so that I can have it for lunches or dinners for 3-4 days at a time. I know that sounds weird, but it's all I have time for and I don't mind eating the same thing.)
posted by deern the headlice at 9:30 AM on September 23, 2011
Best answer: Freeze. Make big pots of whatever you fancy and freeze individual portions. Ziplock bags and plastic take-away containers are great for this. The latter also stack nicely in the freezer.
I started doing this since I finally got myself a reasonably-sized fridge freezer (Nothing huge - I live alone too). It has made my life so much easier. I still get the pleasure of cooking, but when it suits me and I'm not rushed (usually the weekend). And then I get the pleasure of home-cooked food even when i am rushed or tired.
posted by Decani at 9:59 AM on September 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I started doing this since I finally got myself a reasonably-sized fridge freezer (Nothing huge - I live alone too). It has made my life so much easier. I still get the pleasure of cooking, but when it suits me and I'm not rushed (usually the weekend). And then I get the pleasure of home-cooked food even when i am rushed or tired.
posted by Decani at 9:59 AM on September 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Get a copy of Judith Jones' book The Pleasures of Cooking for One. She's got one of the most practical "solo eaters" cookbooks I've ever seen -- because she tackles the biggest problem I've faced, which is the purchasing problem: you want lamb chops for dinner tonight, but the supermarket only sells lamb chops in "family-of-four" portions. Now what?
The actual dishes she cooks don't always have leftovers in the "reheat and have the same thing the next day" sense -- but a lot of her recipes are tailored for re-using the ingredients from last night's meal in something totally new. One chapter has recipes in groups of two or three, where you first cook one thing, but she builds in a little bit of leftovers, and then the second recipe uses the leftovers from the first recipe. Or, she tells you to get one cut of meat and cut it in three different ways, then use the first cut in one recipe, the second in the next one, and the third cut in the last one.
The rest of the book is also really good for showing you how to incorporate leftover things into totally new dishes -- got some leftover fish from Tuesday, and some leftover mashed potatoes from Monday? Here's the fish cakes recipe! Got a whole lot of little bits of stuff that you aren't sure what to do with them? Here's how to make a single-serving quiche that can use them ALL up! I just used it last night, in fact -- I made a little too much rice for something two nights ago, and saved it for a dish of the "tian of greens and rice" from her book last night (saute up some chopped greens, throw in the cooked rice to heat it up, dump into a dish, add some parmaesan cheese and bake it for 15 minutes).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:04 AM on September 23, 2011 [3 favorites]
The actual dishes she cooks don't always have leftovers in the "reheat and have the same thing the next day" sense -- but a lot of her recipes are tailored for re-using the ingredients from last night's meal in something totally new. One chapter has recipes in groups of two or three, where you first cook one thing, but she builds in a little bit of leftovers, and then the second recipe uses the leftovers from the first recipe. Or, she tells you to get one cut of meat and cut it in three different ways, then use the first cut in one recipe, the second in the next one, and the third cut in the last one.
The rest of the book is also really good for showing you how to incorporate leftover things into totally new dishes -- got some leftover fish from Tuesday, and some leftover mashed potatoes from Monday? Here's the fish cakes recipe! Got a whole lot of little bits of stuff that you aren't sure what to do with them? Here's how to make a single-serving quiche that can use them ALL up! I just used it last night, in fact -- I made a little too much rice for something two nights ago, and saved it for a dish of the "tian of greens and rice" from her book last night (saute up some chopped greens, throw in the cooked rice to heat it up, dump into a dish, add some parmaesan cheese and bake it for 15 minutes).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:04 AM on September 23, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I just wanted to say I'm in a similar situation, and I've had a lot of fun finding recipes at allrecipes.com.
Also, since you're like me and have only a vague clue of what you're doing, be sure to check out this amazing blog, Food Wishes, voted by readers of Saveur magazine as the best online video recipe site. It's run by a one-time chef teacher at a culinary school who is so awesomely down to earth and so NOT pretentious about food and cooking. The recipes are all short (3-5 min) videos he records that makes his food and method accessible to us commonfolk who don't know a whole lot. I watched two or three of his videos and was hooked! Now I check out the blog every few days, and have gone back in his blog history, watching video after video. I've learned SO MUCH! I bet you'll really enjoy him, too.
One final note I'll share is that even though I am single, I have a well-stocked pantry. When I was first building it up, every week that I went to the grocery store I'd pick up two or three pantry items that I didn't need for anything specific at the time but wanted to just have on hand. Once I built up a well-stocked pantry I've found it so much easier to create recipes. It seems that almost every basic ingredient in recipes I look at nowadays I already have on hand!
You can search google for "well stocked pantry list" or something similar and come up with a list of stuff you should just always have on hand. I have on hand now spices, flour, sugar, chicken broth, canned tomatoes, beans, pastas, rice, yeast, onions, potatoes, frozen veggies, chicken, beef, vinegars, oils, milk, butter, bread, cheese, sour cream, mayo, ketchup, mustard, sauce (soy, teriyaki, worcestershire, etc.). Every time I use one of these items I jot it down to replace it on my next trip. It's been an amazing change in how I eat - I now cook a lot more and always have basic ingredients on hand to make a variety of different recipes. And if I don't have it on hand it only costs a few bucks to get the items I don't have, rather than $50 all at once to make one recipe!
Oh and freezing things is your best friend. I portion out my leftovers and freeze them or eat them for days on end (I don't mind this).
Have fun!
posted by Falwless at 10:20 AM on September 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Also, since you're like me and have only a vague clue of what you're doing, be sure to check out this amazing blog, Food Wishes, voted by readers of Saveur magazine as the best online video recipe site. It's run by a one-time chef teacher at a culinary school who is so awesomely down to earth and so NOT pretentious about food and cooking. The recipes are all short (3-5 min) videos he records that makes his food and method accessible to us commonfolk who don't know a whole lot. I watched two or three of his videos and was hooked! Now I check out the blog every few days, and have gone back in his blog history, watching video after video. I've learned SO MUCH! I bet you'll really enjoy him, too.
One final note I'll share is that even though I am single, I have a well-stocked pantry. When I was first building it up, every week that I went to the grocery store I'd pick up two or three pantry items that I didn't need for anything specific at the time but wanted to just have on hand. Once I built up a well-stocked pantry I've found it so much easier to create recipes. It seems that almost every basic ingredient in recipes I look at nowadays I already have on hand!
You can search google for "well stocked pantry list" or something similar and come up with a list of stuff you should just always have on hand. I have on hand now spices, flour, sugar, chicken broth, canned tomatoes, beans, pastas, rice, yeast, onions, potatoes, frozen veggies, chicken, beef, vinegars, oils, milk, butter, bread, cheese, sour cream, mayo, ketchup, mustard, sauce (soy, teriyaki, worcestershire, etc.). Every time I use one of these items I jot it down to replace it on my next trip. It's been an amazing change in how I eat - I now cook a lot more and always have basic ingredients on hand to make a variety of different recipes. And if I don't have it on hand it only costs a few bucks to get the items I don't have, rather than $50 all at once to make one recipe!
Oh and freezing things is your best friend. I portion out my leftovers and freeze them or eat them for days on end (I don't mind this).
Have fun!
posted by Falwless at 10:20 AM on September 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
Pinterest is my new addiction and I recently saw a post where somebody said to use muffin pans to freeze leftover soup. After it's frozen you end up with little discs that you can easily toss into a mug and microwave. I'm sure once the soup has set you can transfer the discs to individual baggies or even stack them in one giant container in the freezer.
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:35 AM on September 23, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:35 AM on September 23, 2011 [6 favorites]
If you decide to venture into baking, if you can identify a proper cooking store in your area, one of those places with a wide variety of stuff available, look for cake pans, tart pans, etc. in half or smaller sizes. You can cut cake recipes in half, and not have to wonder how you're going to work your way through an entire cake, for one example. I have several of these around and depend on them a lot.
posted by gimonca at 12:22 PM on September 23, 2011
posted by gimonca at 12:22 PM on September 23, 2011
Some random thoughts:
1) Mise en place! Especially if you have limited space in your kitchen. When I was learning to cook I definitely screwed up the timing on some recipes until I started to force myself to chop everything first.
2) Jambalaya can be made as spicy as you like.
3) I like Yummly among the recipe sites. YMMV.
4) How to Cook Everything is a great cookbook for when you're learning to cook. It not only describes recipes but also techniques (e.g., how to buy produce or how to cut an onion).
posted by axiom at 12:37 PM on September 23, 2011
1) Mise en place! Especially if you have limited space in your kitchen. When I was learning to cook I definitely screwed up the timing on some recipes until I started to force myself to chop everything first.
2) Jambalaya can be made as spicy as you like.
3) I like Yummly among the recipe sites. YMMV.
4) How to Cook Everything is a great cookbook for when you're learning to cook. It not only describes recipes but also techniques (e.g., how to buy produce or how to cut an onion).
posted by axiom at 12:37 PM on September 23, 2011
As a single guy also - I find that having something stewy in the freezer is awesome. I make the accompanying starch separately - and then have the stewy item warmed up and ready to go. Rice, pasta, couscous - all easy to prepare.
Indian curries are great to make in batches - and actually improve with freezing. Check out Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking
French stews are also easy to make ahead and freeze - though I would stay away from anything that has potatoes in it - which can get a little mealy. Beef en daub, beef carbonade, and beef bourgnon are all pretty easy to approach. I've found that the Food of France to be a good basic cookbook and very easy to grasp. See if your library carries it.
posted by helmutdog at 2:11 PM on September 23, 2011
Indian curries are great to make in batches - and actually improve with freezing. Check out Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking
French stews are also easy to make ahead and freeze - though I would stay away from anything that has potatoes in it - which can get a little mealy. Beef en daub, beef carbonade, and beef bourgnon are all pretty easy to approach. I've found that the Food of France to be a good basic cookbook and very easy to grasp. See if your library carries it.
posted by helmutdog at 2:11 PM on September 23, 2011
As for the "I don't mind making stews and reheating the leftovers" part:
I'm actually looking into investing in a slow cooker for stews myself. Not a big one, just a four-quart one. But - I'm also scouring all sorts of cookbooks I have for "stew" recipes that I can adapt. There are a couple of fairly reliable conversion charts out there for helping you "translate" a stovetop or an oven stew recipe to a slow cooker; I just discovered I have a recipe for cholent which won't require any change in the time or ingredients at all, I'm just dumping it into a crock pot rather than my oven. Some of the smaller slow cookers are way more affordable than I thought.
(Also, that cholent is going to make my life SO much easier with the new job schedule I have -- I'll get home and dinner will magically be sitting there and waiting for me.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:11 PM on September 23, 2011
I'm actually looking into investing in a slow cooker for stews myself. Not a big one, just a four-quart one. But - I'm also scouring all sorts of cookbooks I have for "stew" recipes that I can adapt. There are a couple of fairly reliable conversion charts out there for helping you "translate" a stovetop or an oven stew recipe to a slow cooker; I just discovered I have a recipe for cholent which won't require any change in the time or ingredients at all, I'm just dumping it into a crock pot rather than my oven. Some of the smaller slow cookers are way more affordable than I thought.
(Also, that cholent is going to make my life SO much easier with the new job schedule I have -- I'll get home and dinner will magically be sitting there and waiting for me.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:11 PM on September 23, 2011
I cook for just two, but really liked the book by Joe Yonan: Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One. He skews spicy, advocates making batches and freezing them.
posted by sarajane at 5:26 PM on September 23, 2011
posted by sarajane at 5:26 PM on September 23, 2011
Response by poster: Awesome - thanks guys.
posted by deern the headlice at 7:16 PM on September 23, 2011
posted by deern the headlice at 7:16 PM on September 23, 2011
« Older Sorry for the morbid question. | Do you ever feel that the world is a tuxedo, and... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also, it's usually a snap to halve a recipe so you're not left with a mountain of leftovers.
Also, also, family or neighbors might enjoy an occasional goodie basket (or dinner invitation)
On preview, it seems I only really answered the top question. I'm sure you'll get tons of recipe links as well.
posted by bluejayway at 9:21 AM on September 23, 2011