Cooking for one

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

Those who have tried have mostly failed because us CFOs get into our little rut and are loathe to waste cash on hitherto unheard of ingredients, nor take more than 10 minutes to toss something edible into a pile that can be eaten (plates are optional extras).

As someone who has just had a slice of toast and looked at the worktop, and then the plates, and decided that they couldn't be bothered to use a plate that would then need washing up, when a worktop would do, I can relate to this

meg72

I always use my Halogen for quiche. This is the recipe I use.

http://besthalogencooker.com/recipes/low-fat-quiche/

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

While the numbers of single households are huge, we're all "individuals" who pretty much know what we're doing, we just can't be bothered when it's "just for me".

Sums me up perfectly today I'm having a real CBA/fed up day, I'm just fed up with being single and having to do everything myself today

Anne_Marie_2

Hollyharvey wrote: »

As someone who has just had a slice of toast and looked at the worktop, and then the plates, and decided that they couldn't be bothered to use a plate that would then need washing up, when a worktop would do, I can relate to this

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Very naughty HH, but it did make me laugh. No way for me, everything has to be on a plate/bowl, and even worse, certain foods have to be eaten in certain bowls. Think that I must be a bit OCD in the crockery department.

Anne_Marie_2

meg72 wrote: »

I always use my Halogen for quiche. This is the recipe I use.

http://besthalogencooker.com/recipes/low-fat-quiche/

Thank you so much, will give it a try later in the week, when I get some eggs. You are a star.

Anne_Marie_2

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Sums me up perfectly today I'm having a real CBA/fed up day, I'm just fed up with being single and having to do everything myself today

Oh you wee soul. Hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

Think most of us feel like that, could well be doing with someone around to give a hand at times. Only thing for me is, I wouldn't want anyone else living with me, am far too selfish and set in my ways now.

PasturesNew

Anne_Marie wrote: »

PN You mentioned a pastry free quiche....how do you make that please? And, do you think I could make it in the halogen?

Not that I could make one now anyway, as have two eggs left, must get some later in the week. Forgot this morning.

A halogen is the same as any other oven - it cooks food. Yes it would cook your quiche, probably in about the same timings too.

For pastry free, just make up the quiche filling, grease a dish and pour it in, shove it in whatever oven ....and cook it until it stops wobbling (which will depend on the size and the depth of liquid). It's no different to a pastry recipe. Same stuff - it needs to bake until set.

They have many fancy names for it these days, as if they invented it .... but it's just a savoury egg bake, or a frittata, or a crustless quiche, or a baked omelette... same thing: eggs/milk, just like a quiche, fillings just like a quiche. It is a quiche (flan!!)..... so bake it for the same time at the same temperature as any recipe book says.

If in doubt, take it out and poke it ... if done, eat; if not, stick it back in for a bit.

moneyistooshorttomention

Re the recipe book current default setting of 4 portions though - couples and families are going to be as "individual" in their ways of eating as us singles though. Some will want junk food, some will want "fine dining", some yer standard food but "cooked from scratch", and so on.

Add all the "individual" type eating within many families these days.

So - yep...I do see a market there for this. Goodness knows - there are even student cookbooks (which are often a useful resource for singles) often also have that "default of four portions" setting on many of their recipes. Huh?????

I think it's just sheer laziness on the part of cookbook authors to start with that that default setting is at 4 personally.

Whereas, as a single, I find there are many times where I am quite prepared to check out what recipe I might fancy doing from a cookbook and get on with doing it - but can't be arsed to also put in the extra effort to start trying to work out just which recipes can have the ingredients divided down to do for 1 or 2 portions as well as working out what I actually want OR I start "getting political" about it and think "Darn them - why should I do their work for them? I ain't going to....:cool:".

These writers and publishing firms are missing a trick here - ie all of us baby boomers now with time on our hands (and sometimes money too) and wanting recipes to try out/interesting food to have. I think they all divide the market into students (occasionally)/couples (occasionally)/families (darn nearly all cookbooks:mad:) and then think that "Beyond families cometh The Elderly" (ie living on tea and toast in their opinion).

Not any more....:cool:. Some singles will be Elderlies and maybe not that bothered/maybe trying to ratchet down quantities of the "same old same old" they've been doing for years. But - there are lots of us single Baby Boomers out there that still want A Life/are very interested in food/etc and I have yet to come across a single cookbook of any description for us.

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

.....looked at the worktop.....couldn't be bothered to use a plate that would then need washing up, when a worktop would do, ...

Another "tip" - when you're beating/mixing anything by hand, stand over the sink and do it in case you get a splashback ... saves wiping the worktop/floor down

Farway

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Now what I really want is for book publishers to "get their act together" and realise there are millions of single people/catering individually people out there and start doing a LOT more cookbooks with single person quantities in the recipes.

"they" have got their act together except in their eyes recipe books are so yesterday. As CFO person you are expected to to order loads of frozen meals for one from wherever. Go to freezer, remove packaging, ping & eat. Plate optional

I did finish up with a baked spud, and found a tin of bean stew that I must have bought a bit since when Lidl had a German week. It was basically smokey bacon bits in baked beans

Filled me up but doubt I will ever buy those beans again