Need help cooking for one.

hello there

cooking for one has its advantages - you always get to chose what's for dinner and there is no0one to complain that they don't like what you have cooked!

I would start off thinking about what you like to eat and what constitutes dinner for you. My suggestions would be think about dishes like beans on toast - perhaps with a fried/boiled/poached egg, spaghetti bolognase, chilli con carne, filled baked potatoes and so on.

There are lots of useful tips on here about easy recipes and cheap recipes. If you are making dinner, often it is easier to cook enough for two and have the leftovers the next day or put them in the freezer for another evening (although not sure if you have a freezer in a motorhome?). If you like fish then a fishmonger is your friend as you can buy one fillet or just the right amount for one rather than having to buy a pack from the supermarket, which often feeds more.

pasta is a great staple as well. For a simple and cheap pasta sauce
1. put pasta on to boil
2. chop a small onion and fry gently until slightly coloured
3. add tin of tomatoes and cook with a pinch salt and pepper. Let it bubble away until pasta is ready.
4. mix pasta with sauce.
5. add grated cheese on top.

Vary the recipe by adding other vegetables when you fry the onions or add chopped up sausages or bacon. ensure the sauages are cooked through before eating.


Don't try to be too ambitious, but have a go when you have the time and inclination - often things are easier to cook than you realise. And its great to ask questions on here.

Good luck x

You probably need a student cookbook. We still use the one that dh had as a mature student at the age of 32, when he realised that his options were cook or starve.

Most recipes are simple and aimed at serving one, or two portions at the most.

Incidentally, if you switched your evening sandwich to bread with cheese and tomato, it would probably be a bit better for you, not to mention a change. Tins of veg soup - quick and easy and fairly cheap, no need to give up your bread and again, most food groups covered in one meal.

I'm not making fun of you, I've been where you are (not the motorhome bit though), and for a few weeks I didn't even know what I liked to eat as I was so used to making what someone else wanted to eat.

Take care and good luck.

i echo what cranky40 says about student cookbooks i still use the ones i have from my student days, cheap, i would not be without them for the cheap, quick, easy meal ideas they offer. look after youself and make sure you eat well (you will need to keep healthy if you wish to keep scuba diving)

Benthosboy wrote: »

Are there any books about that deal with people in my situation? (Probably called "The Billy-no-mates cookbook", written by Mr Sad and Lonely )

Yes. And you were pretty close with the title. It's the "Cooking for Blokes" trilogy: Cooking for Blokes, Foreign Cooking for Blokes, and Flash Cooking for Blokes. They assume you know next to nothing (The first book has 3 recipes for cheese on toast), tell you everything you need to know and have a sense of humour.

And they are damned good recipes, too. Some recipes leads to another: for example, the basic tomato sauce recipe can be used on pasta or a pizza. Add minced meat and you have Bolognese sauce. Add chilli powder and red kidney beans to this and you've got Chilli con Carne.

I got mine ages ago in those discount book shops.