Cooking for one - economically?

[catrina]

In the New York Times this month, under the food section, they have 100 ideas for quick easy summertime suppers. They all take less than 10 minutes to make. From what I recall from a quick peruse, recipes could easily be adjusted to serve 1 - 50.

The article is free, but you have to register to view the new york times (which is free and they never spam you.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?em&ex=1186545600&en=d5db11d39d4f387b&ei=5087

 

[sojourner]

I might ban myself from Suburban all together as there are so many hunger inducing threads

I get like that when I'm hungry too

Which is most of the time

 

[beeboo]

If a recipe calls for several different fresh herbs, try to only get the essentials, or else keep an herb garden, because that will get expensive.

Most herbs freeze pretty well - they go mushy so they're only good for actually putting IN cooking, rather than raw, but vastly superior to dried. Dried thyme and rosemary are good enough substitutes for fresh. But don't even bother with dried basil, parsley or coriander.

I normally have frozen mint, coriander and parsley in the freezer.

However, if the herbs are really important to the dish, it's better to get fresh if you can (then add the excess to your stocks in the freezer).

 

[beeboo]

Most stuff-in-sauce meals (chilli, bolognase, curry etc) taste better a day or two after you've cooked them anyway, so it's good to cook more than you need.

I prefer to spend a bit of time cooking something nice which I eat a couple of times the same week, than rustle up something quick every night.

 

[paolo]

Fab. Lots of good tips.

Catrina... Good tip on the planning thing...with the Fajitas example (which I totally love). You almost read my mind, regarding wasted sour cream.

Beeboo... sadly I *hate* Thai curries. I need thick gloopy sauce on anything curry-ish.

I think me making my own sauces isn't going to happen. I've got bags of time on my hands this week, but next week I start a new job with a hideous commute, so I think effort levels are going to be a bit low by the time I get home.

The freezing thing sounds good. I've ordered some 350ml plastic sealable thingies. I reckon that's about the right size for the "main" bit of the meal. Then just do rice or pasta on the day.

Badgers... just put that book in my amazon basket... cheers sir. Oh, and where is our nearest poundland? Or is that every single shop at E&C, apart from the Abbey National?

Beeboo... about tasting better after a day or two... do you mean leave it to kind of marinade a bit? In the fridge? Then freeze or do you have to eat it?

 

[beeboo]

Beeboo... about tasting better after a day or two... do you mean leave it to kind of marinade a bit? In the fridge? Then freeze or do you have to eat it?

If you're going to freeze it, freeze it straight away.

But if you're planning to eat it the next day or the day after, whack it in the fridge and the flavours develop and it always tastes better.

at you not liking thai curries

 

[mrs quoad]

(meat is murder)

But fish is justifiable homicide

 

[Gromit]

This is good already. I have lots more freezer space than before!

I assume you can freeze, say, chicken curry?

Yes but remember when fridging or freezing cooked meat to let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Not becuase of taste but because of bacteria. Don't ask me the science of it but its something I was taught.

 

[beeboo]

Yes but remember when fridging or freezing cooked meat to let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Not becuase of taste but because of bacteria. Don't ask me the science of it but its something I was taught.

I always thought it just stopped your fridge getting hot?

 

[Badgers]

Badgers... just put that book in my amazon basket... cheers sir. Oh, and where is our nearest poundland? Or is that every single shop at E&C, apart from the Abbey National?

There are two on the Old Kent Road.
I do have one right by my work if you wanted me to pick some up today then I will be over to you this evening.

I think me making my own sauces isn't going to happen. I've got bags of time on my hands this week, but next week I start a new job with a hideous commute, so I think effort levels are going to be a bit low by the time I get home.

I have a book of sauces that you can have mate.
Take a few minutes out of that hideous commute to choose a sauce you like.
Pick up the ingredients at lunch or after work
Make the sauce
Job done

 

[Gromit]

I always thought it just stopped your fridge getting hot?

Hmm I've just googled it and there are two schools of thought, that its ok and that you shouldn't. The shouldn't is more old school thought and so either we know more about the subject now.
Or maybe fridge technology has advanced to be able to cope with hot foods (what with themostats controlling when the motors kick in now).

 

[catrina]

In the US, you are a mad cow if you don't refrigerate everything immediately. Here, people leave things out overnight to 'cool' before refrigerating. I thought the worry about refrigerating too soon was to do with conserving energy, not bacteria overgrowth, which would fit much more with why it breaks down this way culturally.

I go with the way I was brought up, which is stick everything in the fridge as soon as you've finished dinner, so that it's partially cooled.

I could not believe old flatmates who would leave bolognese and lasagne out to cool overnight.

 

[zenie]

but next week I start a new job with a hideous commute, so I think effort levels are going to be a bit low by the time I get home.

More hideous then you had before?