Matt’s been out of town for the past week (but is coming home tonight! yay!), so I’ve been having to feed just myself.  The vast majority of the time, we eat dinner together, and even when we don’t, it’s usually because there’s something going on, so I don’t often cook for just myself.  But, I didn’t want to eat takeout or peanut butter and jelly for a whole week, so I’ve been practicing cooking in smaller portions.

Cooking for one can be a challenge: most recipes come for four or even six, cans of things are usually too big for one person, and many ingredients are hard to buy in smaller quantities.  And, cooking can just seem like a lot of trouble when there’s only one mouth to feed.  Many of these are problems for cooking for two people also, but when there’s two of us, cooking a recipe for four isn’t so bad, since I like to eat leftovers for lunch anyway.  However, I didn’t want to have to eat the same thing for three or four days, so my usual leftovers strategy wasn’t going to work for just me.

Despite these challenges, I actually had some fun cooking for only myself, and found that it had some upsides: you can eat the things your usual dining partner doesn’t care too much for, you can be a bit more creative and risky with trying combinations that might not work out, and if you end up eating a little less healthy or balanced a meal, there’s no one to judge you or give you funny looks.

I’m the first to admit that I don’t have a lot of experience in this department, but when I said I was actually enjoying cooking for myself, my cousin Bethany was interested to hear what I was making, so I thought others might be, too.  So here’s the “tips” that worked for me (at least this week) and a list of what I made this week with links to the recipes, some my own, and some from others.

• Use fresh or frozen ingredients, not canned.  I don’t know about you, but whenever I use half a can of something, I dutifully pour the leftovers into a container, stick it in the fridge, and throw it away 2 weeks later.  Fresh ingredients can be more expensive, but you can often buy smaller quantities of fresh produce and use it up a little at a time.  Similarly, it’s easy to use up part of a bag of frozen vegetables and keep the rest for later.
• Eggs!  They are a great protein source that comes in a perfect one-person sized portion.  I love a poached egg on top of just about any vegetable, but you can also make omelettes or fritattas, or add to  pasta.  It’s a great way to doctor up leftover vegetables from a previous night, too.
• Pasta – another great way to make something new out of leftovers is to toss with some freshly cooked pasta
• Frozen pastry.  I didn’t actually do this because I ran out of nights.  But thawing some frozen pie crust or puff pastry (NOT filo dough) and then using that to make a simple hand pie with something simple for filling seems like it’d be another way to make any leftover veggies or meat feel new.  You could also make a bunch of these and freeze them individually wrapped, like your own homemade frozen dinners.
• When all else fails, just stare at the pantry/fridge/freezer until you think of something, and even if it sounds a little weird, try it!  If it’s bad, there’s always pizza, and it probably won’t be as bad as that anyway!

And a list of what I ate this week, with links, all ready to eat in less than half an hour:

• Garlic Soup (adapted from Julie Powell)
• Pasta Carbonara (adapted from Marcella Hazan)
• Cheddar Chicken Fingers (from Gourmet) with Sweet Potato Fries
• Asparagus with Poached Eggs (recipe below)
• Pork Chops Saltimbocca – this was a treat for Saturday night, so it’s a little more expensive, but just as easy as the others (recipe coming soon)

Asparagus with Poached Eggs

I love the way poached eggs make their own sauce for whatever they’re topping. This is great adapted with any vegetable, or even something like pasta or rice. Crusty bread for soaking up the egg is a nice accompaniment. Without an egg poacher, you get a spread out, frilly egg white, but I actually think it’s kind of pretty that way, and as it happens, I’m the only one who’s gonna see it!

about 1/3 to 1/2 of a bunch of asparagus
1 clove of garlic, minced, or 1/2 t garlic powder
balsamic vinegar (optional)
olive oil
1 egg
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 F. Toss asparagus with garlic, a generous glug each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan in the oven until the edges are browned and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place about 2″ of water in a small saucepan, salt, and add a tablespoon or so of plain white vinegar. (The vinegar is supposed to help the egg set or something, but it’s not really essential.) Bring the water so it’s just barely simmering, so you see a few tiny bubbles floating up but it’s definitely not boiling. Crack an egg into a shallow bowl (makes it easier to slip the egg into the water). When the asparagus is almost done, gently slip the egg into the simmering water. Cook for just a few minute, just until the white sets but so the yolk is still nice and runny. While the egg cooks, plate the asparagus, and then remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon and place on top of the asparagus. Parmesan cheese is a nice topping, but not essential.

Another variation, as pictured: Heat some olive oil (a couple tablespoons maybe) with a couple shakes of red pepper flakes, and some other herbs if you want.  Take off the heat and just let sit so the pepper infuses the oil, and then use to top the egg.  The spiciness is nice with the richness of the yolk.  Any extra infused oil will keep for a while.

This makes 2-3 portions of broth, so if you’re cooking for only one, cook the egg or shrimp in just one portion and save the rest for another night.

half a head of garlic, broken into cloves but not peeled
1 T olive oil
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/4 t thyme
3 fresh sage leaves, or 1/4 t dried sage
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/2 t fresh ground pepper

6 or 8 shrimp per person, peeled (optional)
1 egg per person (optional)
fresh parmesan cheese (optional)
crusty bread (optional)

In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan, combine garlic cloves and next 6 ingredients (through pepper). Add 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes. Strain the broth into a heatproof bowl, squishing as much of the “meat” of the garlic through as possible.

Place as many portions of broth as you’re going to serve in as small a saucepan as will hold it (so it’s as deep as possible). Bring back to a low simmer. Add the shrimp, or slip in an egg. With shrimp, cook until they’re pink. With an egg, cook until it’s really barely set, as it’ll continue to cook after you take it off the heat, and it’s easy to overcook the yolk.

To serve, top with grated parmesan cheese, with crusty bread on the side, and maybe a simple salad.

Easy to scale up or down for any number of people, from one to a crowd.  The recipe below is for 2 medium size portions, or a pretty large one with a bit leftover.  Spaghetti is traditional, but I like egg noodles.  Adapted from Marcella Hazan.

3 slices of bacon, cut in 1″ pieces
about 4 oz (1/3 of a package) egg noodles, or other pasta
1 egg
1 T creme fraiche (optional, or substitute sour cream or plain yogurt)
2 T parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
fresh ground black pepper
2 T chopped parsley, or other fresh herb

Brown bacon in a small pan, until crispy. Reserve drippings. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles per directions. While pasta cooks, beat together the egg, creme fraiche, and parmesan cheese. When pasta is done, reserve a little bit of the pasta water and drain. Return the pasta to the pot, and toss with the egg mixture. (Since the pasta and pan are hot, the egg gets most of the way, but probably not completely, cooked, making a rich and delicious sauce.) If it seems too dry, add in a bit of the reserved pasta water. Toss in the bacon, herbs, and some of the drippings. (I only used about half the drippings, but my bacon was pretty fatty.) Garnish with more herbs and parmesan cheese.