Its been seven years since I've lived with my parents, four years of which I cooked for one person and the last couple I have been struggling with cooking for two. Now it would seen that cooking for a small number of people isn't such a tall order but preparing small portions, so that only four servings come out of one meal, has never looked right or just seems to be a waste of time.
Why prepare twelve cookies when forty-eight would make the next cooking excursion so much faster. Slice and bakes.
Why only cook two chicken breast when cooking six would result in not having to spend so much time making the next meal?
During the four years of solo cooking I never had to address these questions, yes I needed to share a fridge with my roommates but I was always the one that cooked. I shared but cooking from leftovers is an expertise of mine. I've had some delicious meals which I cannot recreate because it would take having the same exact leftovers in the fridge when I created said meal. Whats different now? Well now I am cooking for two, both of us have a say in what we eat and one of use doesn't eat leftovers well. Something economy is fixing, but I need to alter my cooking so there isn't so much food. So what have I done to fix my habit of over cooking? Well for starters, I volunteer to cook for others so that I can cook large portions. Parties, people with sick loved ones are a few examples. The thing habit I have adopted is trying new recipes that other people have created for small numbers.
Plus I have challenged myself to make my monthly food expenditures comparable to when I lived in Minneapolis and shopped at a recycled grocer but also focus on sustainability and health. I don't want to buy cheap because its cheap, I want to spend my money wisely so that my vegetables and meat do not come from mass farms.
It shouldn't be hard I do live in the Garden State, but keeping the coast low will be because the East Coast is a frightfully expensive place to live.
My favorite meals so far have been
Cilantro-Ginger Haddock, with kale chips and ferro.
The Kale chips are very easy to make, baked at 400 with seasoning and light dusting of olive oil until almost dry (15min) then put under the broiler until crips (3-5min)
This was a 30min meal and I used the full 3tbs of Sriracha and honey. Next time 2 1/2tbs will be fine. Paired with steamed frozen peas and beans and jasmine rice. I use a salt seasoning that I found in Hoboken, NJ and it makes all the vegetables I have ie peas in to something delicious.
and this delicious Black Bean Lasagna
oh man, this layering of black beans (I didn't add the pepper but added a corn salsa instead), cheese and avocado was easy, simple and heated up real well as left overs.I don't own a microwave, so I use the oven and it always adds some crispness to any leftover lunch :)
