Cooking For One or Two
Yesterday I was perusing the meat section at the Franklin Hannaford when a gentleman who works there asked if he could help. I explained I wanted a cut of beef to use for Beef and Broccoli. He pointed me in the direction of some wonderful sirloin tips that were on sale, yet I opted for the usual top round (which, when you semi-freeze; can be sliced paper thin) perfect for beef sauté. As this exchange was going on I noticed a sweet older lady listening with interest. While I wasn't sold on the sirloin tips, she was. The problem she said was that the packages were too big and she didn't need that much meat. After all, her husband passed away and she was feeding just herself. The wonderful Hannaford employee told her it was no problem at all to go and package her a couple pieces of sirloin. He was back in a flash with a parcel just her size and she walked off quite pleased.
All of this left me thoughtful of my own grandmother who now lives alone. We just returned from New Jersey to celebrate her 80thbirthday, and the only thing dating her would be her birth certificate. She is a youthful picture to behold and has the spunk and get-up-and-go of any young person. She is also, as you may recall from my introduction blog, an incredible cook. As Gran and I sat talking about food this week I was shocked to hear her use terms like, "That's just too much trouble", "I'd love a good roast, but that's just too much food", and worse yet, "I can't be bothered". Suddenly the reality of my grandmothers being alone hit me hard. Don't get me wrong, she has a social life even I couldn't keep up with and if the number of her senior friends who came to her party is any indication, she isn't alone per se; just alone in her kitchen.
Grandma is famous for her soups, and she admitted to wanting some good Cream of Broccoli, but getting out the pot and lugging down that unbearably heavy food processor is just too much trouble. Canned will do, but it's just not the same. I was able to tell her all about this new hand dandy kitchen appliance called an immersion wand. She had no idea! I said, "Gran, just boil up a small head of broccoli with all of your other magic ingredients and stick this wand in it and presto, cream of broccoli soup for one; no fuss!" In her words, "Sheesh, what will they think of next!" She found this truly fascinating and will definitely go buy herself one.
A while ago I came across a ‘cooking for two' dilemma when my brother and his girlfriend met. They both love to cook. Yet just like the older generation, they don't want to fuss nor do they want leftovers from a meal that served eight. Let's face it; eating the same thing for four days can become tedious and boring. Not to mention, some foods don't freeze well or hold up well in the fridge either.
It was then that I let my fingers guide me through a plethora of websites that referenced cooking for two. I shared many links and book recommendations with my brother's girlfriend and she was grateful for my thorough research. I too found these low volume meals helpful and put them to good use in my life. Even though we are a family of four, my youngsters lived off of mac-n-cheese, yet hubby and I wanted real food. And just like the older generation, singles and couples, we didn't want a mountain of leftovers either.
One really great book to check out is Going Solo in the Kitchen. The author Jane Doerfer offers up over 350 recipes to please every palate. She offers wonderful tips and strategies for stocking a kitchen on a budget a single person can afford and makes one thing very clear; get friendly with the people who work in your grocery store. Just like the employee at Hannaford, who helped the older lady out by packing a small parcel of steak just for her? Don't ever be afraid to ask the men or women behind the meat counter to help you with a smaller size steak, or smaller portions of ground meats. They are usually more than happy to do so. They even custom cut as well; need two butterflied pork chops? Just ask! Same with produce; ask your produce person what is reaching it's ripening stage and you may even get a deal on fruit and veggies that can be eaten the same day. We adore our produce man, and my three year old knows him by name; as he should! Our Hannaford produce man painstakingly picked through cases of strawberries with me this summer in search of the perfect box.He also has the same name as my grandpa, which endears him to me anyway. I don't know where you all shop, but I adore the Hannaford in Franklin. The staff is so wonderful and I know most by name; they can never seem to do enough for you. The employees have staying power and work there long enough for you to get to know and love them. I wish I could name them all, but I am not allowed to print names. Let's suffice it to say, the whole Franklin Hannaford gang is top notch!
Another book to own is Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just You): Low-Fat Recipes with Half the Fuss and Double the Taste. It includes over 200 low-fat recipes for one or two people and each recipe has a nutritional information section. Author Francis Price has plenty of 30 minute meals as well as meatless dishes for any single vegetarians out there.
Speaking of vegetarians, don't worry, there are cookbooks for you as well. Vegan Cooking for Oneis a must have for single vegetarians who eat no animal based products at all. Of course if you are a less strict vegetarian than the recipes are easy enough to alter as far as vegan ingredients are concerned. This book goes all natural. What single vegan wouldn't want to come home and whip up a dish of Indonesian Noodles with Peanut Sauce?
Let us not forget the websites out there dedicated to one or two person meals. Here are a few clickable links worth book marking:
- The Mayo Clinic offers a whole section of recipes for two and you can guarantee they are good for you too!
- Reader's Digest provides a bunch of one or two serving recipes and good reading material while you eat as well!
- All Recipesis one of my favorite websites. I love that you can read the reviews and get a good idea of what other people have to say and have done to improve the recipe. This clickable link will take you right the Cooking For Two section, but I recommend you peruse the whole site as each recipe has a servings and scaling calculator. If you find a recipe that serves eight try changing the number to two and see how that works.
There really are so many resources for going solo in the kitchen, and I hope I provided a good head start for some of you who may have felt it hopeless. Cooking for one or two doesn't have to be boring or expensive, but it can be delicious and economical if you have the right recipes!
Rosemary-Lemon Cornish Hens with Roasted Potatoes For Two
2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 (1 1/4-pound) Cornish hens
1/2 lemon, halved and divided
Cooking spray
2 cups cubed Yukon gold or red potato
2 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine crushed dried rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Remove and discard giblets from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, place 1 lemon piece in the cavity of hen; tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Repeat procedure with remaining hen and lemon piece. Rub hens with rosemary mixture. Place hens, breast sides up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
Toss potato with oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the potato around hens.
Insert a meat thermometer into meaty part of a thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 180°. Remove twine.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 hen and about 3/4 cup potatoes)
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 372(28% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 2.4g,mono 5.5g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 41.8g; CHOLESTEROL 180mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 702mg; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.1g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2002
