Ideas for tea??!!

[pinkspangle]

Does anyone else have this problem..?? I live on my own and really really struggle to think of meals to make just for me. Everything in the shops seems to come for 2 and i end up wasting half the packet! Please give me some quick and healthy ideas!!

[ChilliSpice]

I've live on my own and my solution to this problem was to invest in a large freezer (7 cu ft). I buy fresh vegetables and make up my favourite dishes, then separate them into individual portions and pop them into the freezer. I always then have meals that just need taking out and heating up. Examples:- curries, stews, casseroles, veg in sauces (cheese, tomato, spicy), lasanges and so on. Serve up with pasta, rice, couscous etc if needed. If a friend comes round for a meal, I simply take out two portions !

It doesn't really take much longer to make a "big" pot of stew than a "small" pot, so there's not a lot of extra work involved. The hardest bit is washing and prepping the veg !

[shaneystar2]

Invest in a slow cooker especially now we are drifting towards winter . You can make lovely stews ,casseroles ,soups etc very cheaply for very little effort. You will have a hot meal ready when you come home and you can freeze single portions to use another time.
Prue Leith does an excellent Cookery book ..Cooking for one or Two I think it's called .You can probably find it on Amazon.

[lugsy]

i often have this problem a good idea i came up with is just pasta, prawns,mushrooms and a chilli sauce it was really nice !! but the best advice i would give is to make something with ingredients that you know you enjoy mix and match !!

[pinkspangle]

Thanks.. some great ideas there.. I never think of freezing things! is it ok to freeze things like left over sauces.. like jars of stir fry sauces etc??

[Ed Strong]

Although I don't live on my own I always cook more than I need and then freeze the extra so that I have at least a couple of nights a week when I come home from work and have hardly any cooking to do. I also freeze left over sauces (like Dolmio), sometimes in their original jars, with no problems. Also by buying things like meat or veg in larger portions it actually works out cheaper.

[Scarlett]

I would stop buying packets of food for 2, and start cooking!! You can cook really easy and nice chillies/curries/bolognese etc, and cook your pasta or rice separately so there is no waste. You can freeze the remains or put it in the fridge and have it for lunch the next day! Home cooked food often tastes loads nicer the next day, for some reason!

[flubber]

I have to agree with all the advice given. For heavens sake stop buying packets of stuff! It's often cheaper to buy 2-4 portions of things (and I agree that everything seems to come in two's) I simply purchase things, come home and split them and freeze them in individual portions. Anything cheaper (sell by today type of produce) I get and blanche and freeze in individual portions - it saves waste and I bless my freezer.

[spudqueen]

What's wrong with a couple of lamb chops, new potatoes and veg? Cook a chicken (at the weekend), use that for one meal then use the leftovers for chicken risotto, chicken curry etc. Pork chop and jacket potato with an avocado (one of my favourite meals), lots of things to cook for one!

[aurelia]

thanx for posting this question as I am in the same boat - but I have ME so I have no energy to make stuff for myself nowadays. When I felt well I used to brwon mince and add a pasta sauce and freeze into seperate portions - for bolognese with pasta.

I have a slow cooker but haven't used it yet - but should try that with a stew for the near futur coming home from work.

I have a health grill - and I often do lamb chops Asda do summer lamb chops in a pack of 4 with a mint sauce - you can have as many chops as you need and they keep well in the fridge. It cost �5 for 2 packs - so I freeze the second one - and I throw a baked potato in the microwave and have shop bought lettuce bought with a dressing with balsamic vinegsar

i also put bacon into an oven-proof dish withgarlic-fklavoured olive oil and put into oven at About 200C - and ad the same amount of pasta as bacon into a pot and boil. after about 10-15 inutes I drain the pasta and mix with the bacon = gorgeous

[doomey]

invest in aboy friend , it will be easier

[pinkspangle]

I know.. i have thought that too. Though not having much luck! I need to meet a chef..hahaha..

Thanks for the advice!