Cooking for one

kah22

PasturesNew wrote: »

Whilst reading this, I am tucking into a cheese/onion pasty, mash and baked beans.

The thing with cooking for one is ingredients management. Take my spuds. I bought them early/mid December and used a green bag to keep them - and they're pretty intact still, only just starting to sprout a little. But I fished out 5 spuds and peeled them.

I then opened a can of beans.

So .... I have spuds and beans to be used up in the next 2 days because I bought them/opened them, and/or didn't get round to eating them sooner.

That then dictates, in part, what I eat for the next 2-3 days. I have to eat a lot of spuds ... to finally get rid of them. The beans are good for a couple of days and they can always be slid in somewhere.

Without having a big appetite, you end up "chasing your 4rse" with using things up all the time, unless you're careful. And even when you're careful it still happens sometimes.

I've no eggs. I have not bought eggs because I've spent the last 3 weeks getting through the existing leftovers - I didn't want to add eggs into the equation of "things that you have to eat before they go off".

Cooking for more people you can buy ingredients, use them up entirely, without having leftovers or to freeze anything.

e.g. take a pie/mash/beans. A pie in a family can be eaten, a bag of potatoes mashed, a tin or even two of beans opened. At the end of the meal there is no trace of any of that food.

In a single household you've eaten pie/mash/beans and you've now got three slices of pie to use up in the next 2-3 days or find freezer space for; you've still got most of a bag of potatoes to get through; you've still got half a can of beans that need using up.

While the family are tucking into a nice chicken curry, rice with poppadums the following night, they are also doing so knowing there will be no trace of the ingredients they used to get that meal onto the table.

If the single decides to have that curry the next night they've then got a shed load of curry that needs using up, shedload of rice - and most of the poppadoms.

Now the freezer's full, the fridge is full and you're fed up with looking at the pie and curries in the fridge/freezer and really fancy having a pizza.... but you can't.

Meanwhile, the family are having pizza tonight, knowing that at the end of the meal there'll be no trace of the ingredients they used.....

The single is now wishing to eat pizza, yet shovelling pie/mash/beans down their neck again .... and wondering whether to have pie again tomorrow, or one of the curries .... and they can't choose another meal in the foreseeable future as the freezer's full of pie and rice and curry.



Yes, the single could make just a single portion of chicken curry - by only cooking 1/4 of it.... but then the 3/4-pack of raw chicken is sitting in the fridge, waiting to be used up or frozen. And it's easy enough to cook a single portion of rice (I do it all the time).... but I was using this as an illustration.

The "answer" given is often "Oh freeze it".... you can only really do that for 2-3 days, then you've got food overload in the freezer and it's full and you don't fancy that lot. For most things it's easier to cook more.

Then you eye up the bread bin and it's sandwich time, or toast. I've not actually bought any bread since December as I've already too much food to use up. I miss it ... but I can't buy bread as it'll be yet another thing that needs using up and I've no freezer space.

Food You Like/Eat
Then of course there's this.... if you're somebody who lives on stir fries it's easier as you can lob anything at that. Personally, I've never liked/rated them - and they are horribly mucky, with fat spraying everywhere and clinging all round the kitchen as it's lifted with the fumes, settling everywhere and leaving a greasy residue after time.

If you don't like certain foods, then you can't stick to eating those choices.

We all eat/like different things..... which has to also be taken into account. You have to enjoy your food, you can't eat things just because somebody else likes them.

Quantities:

This is another issue. For a family, it doesn't matter how much food you make, somebody will always gladly scoop up the last of it.

I'm small and have a small appetite. I push myself to use 1/2 a can of beans on toast as 1/3rd of a can is ample, but I do it just so I get through the open can in 2 meals instead of 3.

Those who are larger will be able to, more easily, eat up the food they buy in.

I bought a 2.5Kg bag of spuds. I wanted some mash with my Xmas dinner. I made mash from 4-5 potatoes, but ended up only using 1 tablespoon of mash on the plate.

I bought a swede.... whole s0ddin' swede... one spoonful on the plate.

I bought a bag of carrots, cooked one large carrot, used 1/3rd of one carrot on the plate.

I bought one parsnip, put three rings on the plate, which left two long strips still to be eaten.

It's taken me 2-3 weeks to finish those veggies!

Sounds like a good reason to get married and adopt 15 year old children then there should be no food wasted:rotfl:

caronc

Herby pork chop with baby tomatoes/ mushrooms and the last of the root veg mash tonight, An easy one pan and a plate dinner. I find since cooking for one that I'm eating more of the chop/steak/chicken portion options and less stew, curries etc. as it allows me keep a good variety of food going. I do still make lots of dishes that yield more than one portion and don't mind having a freezer stash of these sort of leftovers handy for days when I'm not well enough to cook something more complicated or if time is short. I'll always make a big pot of mashed potatoes and freeze the extras in one person amounts. I love mash but couldn't be bothered to cook just one or two portions of it. My dad buys the frozen mash which is perfectly decent but unfortunately contains too much salt for me. Similiarly I'll make soup most weeks - like Jackie O I don't mind eating it throughout the week. This week's effort will be finished tomorrow but generally I'll freeze odd portions and then every few weeks will have enough to not need to make any that week.

PasturesNew

caronc wrote: »

I'll always make a big pot of mashed potatoes and freeze the extras in one person amounts. I love mash but couldn't be bothered to cook just one or two portions of it. My dad buys the frozen mash which is perfectly decent but unfortunately contains too much salt for me.

I've always got cheapo instant mash in the cupboards, so I don't have to buy whole bags of spuds.

When you read the label it says something like "99% potato"...

All I do is tip some (by eye) into a jug, grab a fork and poke it into a tub of marg to get "a knob of marg" and then I add boiling water.... the trick with instant mash is to not put too much water in, water in, stir it all around, dribble more water in until it looks about right.

For taste/texture it'll never be "like real/proper mash made with actual spuds", but it's probably better than a lot of frozen mashes and it's definitely a lot better than the "... and mash ready meal for one" dishes I've eaten.

As an easy to store, doesn't go out of date, use on demand, solution it's definitely got its place.

I can peel/steam spuds in 15 minutes flat ... if I've got them in the house ... but it's not always possible to have them in the house as I give foods a "break" else they dominate every meal just trying to get through to the end of them perpetually.

Worth trying.

With spuds in the house I just steam them on demand usually - 1-2 portions at a time, no more. I love spuds so can always eat 1-2 portions of mash. 2nd one's good in the fridge in a plastic/lidded takeaway box for days.

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've always got cheapo instant mash in the cupboards, so I don't have to buy whole bags of spuds.

When you read the label it says something like "99% potato"...

All I do is tip some (by eye) into a jug, grab a fork and poke it into a tub of marg to get "a knob of marg" and then I add boiling water.... the trick with instant mash is to not put too much water in, water in, stir it all around, dribble more water in until it looks about right.

For taste/texture it'll never be "like real/proper mash made with actual spuds", but it's probably better than a lot of frozen mashes and it's definitely a lot better than the "... and mash ready meal for one" dishes I've eaten.

As an easy to store, doesn't go out of date, use on demand, solution it's definitely got its place.

I can peel/steam spuds in 15 minutes flat ... if I've got them in the house ... but it's not always possible to have them in the house as I give foods a "break" else they dominate every meal just trying to get through to the end of them perpetually.

Worth trying.

With spuds in the house I just steam them on demand usually - 1-2 portions at a time, no more. I love spuds so can always eat 1-2 portions of mash. 2nd one's good in the fridge in a plastic/lidded takeaway box for days.

I'm not adverse to instant mash and always have a pack in the cupboard though mainly use to thicken soup or stews or make tattie scones. I find one of best ones salt-wise for me is the Tesco Value one. I'm not so keen on it on it's own but it's ok in bubble & squeak type dishes or with a load of butter and/or cheese stirred through it . That said a Frey Bentos pie or similiar, beans and instant mash would never be refused on a cold winter's night as long as the mash is well buttered and there is plenty of brown sauce. I like my spuds especially in the winter and find freezing portions of mash or spare wedges etc. works well for me and don't generally struggle too much going through a bag. Any spares tend to get passed on to my son who tends to be home every 2-3 weeks so they don't get wasted but appreciate not everyone has the offload to someone else option.

PasturesNew

caronc wrote: »

That said a Frey Bentos pie or similiar, beans and instant mash would never be refused on a cold winter's night as long as the mash is well buttered and there is plenty of brown sauce.

I've two in my cupboard. Bought on a whim .... and I'd like to cook one of them, but it's a question of timing because ... well, when I was growing up, one FB pie served four people, so I need to really wait until I'm totally up for managing that

caronc wrote: »

Any spares tend to get passed on to my son who tends to be home every 2-3 weeks so they don't get wasted but appreciate not everyone has the offload to someone else option.

Ah, I didn't realise you had a regular Food Hoover service. For me it's just me, only me, nobody else but me, ever.

suki1964

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've two in my cupboard. Bought on a whim .... and I'd like to cook one of them, but it's a question of timing because ... well, when I was growing up, one FB pie served four people, so I need to really wait until I'm totally up for managing that



Ah, I didn't realise you had a regular Food Hoover service. For me it's just me, only me, nobody else but me, ever.

One of those pies will not in a million years feed four

There's sod all in them nowadays, gravy, a small amount of beef and that's it.


I used to love them as a child. Then B&M opened up selling them so I picked one up. So disappointing:(. Same as Brains faggots. Were a huge favourite of mine growing up. Had a pack about 3 years ago and they went to the bin. Pure pap :mad:

caronc

suki1964 wrote: »

One of those pies will not in a million years feed four

There's sod all in them nowadays, gravy, a small amount of beef and that's it.


I used to love them as a child. Then B&M opened up selling them so I picked one up. So disappointing:(. Same as Brains faggots. Were a huge favourite of mine growing up. Had a pack about 3 years ago and they went to the bin. Pure pap :mad:

Yep agree re Mr Brains bought a pack about a year ago extolling their loveliness to my younger son - they were horrible though made the pooch very happy. When I lived in North Yorkshire I used to like a "savoury duck" from the butchers or deli counter- not a known thing in the West of Scotland are they still on the go? And are they still really tasty?

honeythewitch

iammumtoone wrote: »

I cook for one (i dont count my son as he eats different meals) It is difficult, too easy to get ready meals as they dont work out that expensive when just buying for one.

I need to get back on track and focus on cooking properly again.

I know what you mean about the veg I only buy fresh veg that you can buy small amounts of like carrots/courgettes etc. Any other veg I buy frozen as no waste and I dont have to eat the same thing every night.

I like the sound of the book which lists one set of ingredients and different variations of meals, does anyone know which out of the three that is?

I love the sound of two freezers you can never have too many as far as I am concerned! Mine is only tiny by the time I have my veg in there (why do they sell it in so big bags :mad:) I dont have the space for much else

Do you have a Heron shop near you? They have small packets of frozen vegetables.

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've two in my cupboard. Bought on a whim .... and I'd like to cook one of them, but it's a question of timing because ... well, when I was growing up, one FB pie served four people, so I need to really wait until I'm totally up for managing that



Ah, I didn't realise you had a regular Food Hoover service. For me it's just me, only me, nobody else but me, ever.

I think the Fray Bentos pies must have shrunk over the years?

I know what you mean about never ending meals,Pastures New. I am currently overwhelmed by a bolognaise and a beef stew and the freezer is full due to me being over ambitious with the supermarket ten pence reductions!

caronc

honeythewitch I think they have or I'm just bigger and/or greedier. We always used to have them on caravan holidays (lovely memories) and one did 5 (2 adults 3 kids) without anyone feeling hard done by- generally followed by a Bird's Eye trifle or Angel delight. Now I'd easily eat half. That said when I was wee we always had 2 or 3 courses for our main meals so main course portions were much smaller than I cook. I seldom have more than one course unless it's a special occaision and cetainly don't start a meal with HM soup with bread and butter with something with custard to follow the main. I do enjoy a" soup and pudding dinner" every so often but couldn't manage all the stodge these days on a regular basis

honeythewitch

caronc wrote: »

honeythewitch I think they have or I'm just bigger and/or greedier. We always used to have them on caravan holidays (lovely memories) and one did 5 (2 adults 3 kids) without anyone feeling hard done by- generally followed by a Bird's Eye trifle or Angel delight. Now I'd easily eat half. That said when I was wee we always had 2 or 3 courses for our main meals so main course portions were much smaller than I cook. I seldom have more than one course unless it's a special occaision and cetainly don't start a meal with HM soup with bread and butter with something with custard to follow the main. I do enjoy a" soup and pudding dinner" every so often but couldn't manage all the stodge these days on a regular basis

Yes I remember it serving four, but these days even a half is a bit low on the filling.