I recently taught a cooking class for the Young Professionals group at our church. This group is mostly 30-something single, working adults. Many of whom felt like they didn't have the knowledge, skill, time or energy to cook healthy meals for themselves (or others for that matter), so I taught them a delicious, healthy meal they could serve guests and gave them tips for cooking for one.
In the group, there are only two of us with food allergies, but all of them know people with food allergies, so the meal was pretty allergy friendly (though the appetizer and dessert were not). The entree was Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce with a side of sauteed Zucchini and Summer Squash. I think they were shocked by how easy and delicious it really was! Here is the recipe for the Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce.
 |
Blueberry sauce.
Photo courtesy of Colleen Deanna Photography |
Pork
Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce
1-1½ lb (or so) pork tenderloin
2 t Mrs. Dash (or other) basic seasoning blend
½ t Sea salt, divided
½ t Fresh cracked black pepper, divided
½ T Grape seed or Coconut Oil
1 Small onion, finely diced
1 ½ Cups frozen blueberries
¼ Cup apple cider vinegar
1 t Local honey
½ t Dried thyme
Instructions
Heat oven to 400° F.
Rub pork with Mrs. Dash seasoning and ¼ t each sea
salt and black pepper. Place in a roasting pan and roast for approximately 25
minutes, you’ll know it’s done when the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat,
add onion, and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add blueberries,
vinegar, honey, thyme, remaining sea salt and black pepper.
Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring
frequently and lightly mashing the blueberries until sauce is thickened.
Serve pork with sauce drizzled on top.
Here are the cooking tips I gave them as well!
 |
Sauteed veggies.
Photo courtesy of Colleen Deanna Photography |
Tips and Recipes for Cooking for One
1.
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Take
some time each week to jot down a menu and a shopping list. You'll find it makes your grocery shopping
easier and ensures that you have everything you need when you're ready to cook. When you shop, be sure to buy (and keep on
hand) frozen vegetables, canned beans, healthy grains such as quinoa, whole
wheat pasta, brown rice and a few fresh fruits & veggies for quick and
healthy additions to meals. Rinse canned
beans under cold running water to lower their salt content. When shopping, shop with a realistic
expectation of your time and energy in mind. You know there'll be days
when you don't have the time to cook. So
plan ahead and keep on hand foods that can be heated quickly such as canned
soups, frozen entrees, sandwich meats, etc.
Just be sure to read labels carefully as these can all be loaded with
sodium and not have a lot of nutritional value.
Just don’t plan to eat them too often.
2.
Have breakfast for dinner
No, I’m not talking about cereal. Eggs are cheap, quick and easy to make in any
quantity. Just throw in some vegetables that
you have on hand (see #1) or leftover meat from the night before (see
#7), you've got a fast, healthy dinner. Or go for an omelet stuffed with wilted
greens or sautéed mushrooms. A fried egg over some sautéed vegetables or on top of
soba noodles elevates
it far beyond its breakfast beginnings. You could even do a more traditional
breakfast with eggs and bacon or sausage!
Both bacon and sausage freeze well (see #5).
3.
Mix it up with meat & veggies
Simply having a meat and some veggies is a very healthy way
to eat and is super easy! You can have a
wide variety of flavors, textures and cooking styles. Sautéing is perfect for cooking
individual-sized meals like a single steak, pork chop, fish filet or chicken
breast. Make a zesty sauce, steam some veggies,
and dinner is served. You can even sauté
the veggies in the same pan for a meal that is tasty and easy to clean up. You can also do a stir fry by cutting up the
meat and veggies and sautéing then adding a simple stir fry sauce. Grilling is also a great way to cook for
one! You could grill almost any meat and
even grill your veggies. Asparagus, corn
on the cob, and zucchini are just a few veggies that grill well. Another great method for solo cooks is
cooking en papillote. The technique has
a fancy French name, but it's simple: wrap a bunch of food in aluminum foil or
parchment paper and pop it in the oven (be sure to wrap tightly). The idea of en papillote is to steam food in
its own juices. You can make fish or
chicken together with veggies in a single-serving sized packet. You can also use different combinations of
meats, vegetables and herbs, and even add some wine or lemon juice to the
packet for more flavor. When you're done
you don't have any pots to scrub — you just throw out the paper or foil.
4.
Buy exactly what you need to avoid waste
Shopping in bulk bins (Hyvee and Gerbes have them) allows you to buy exactly
how much you need. You can buy a tiny
scoop of nuts, a little bit of a few different grains, spices, etc. You get fresher ingredients that you can use
up on a single meal, and you save money.
Taking advantage
of salad bars in your supermarket is another great way to save time and money. It's a great idea to buy smaller portions of already
chopped vegetables you can use in stir-fries and casseroles in addition to
salads. The produce section is also a
great way to buy exactly what you need. Only need 3 mushrooms? Then buy 3 loose
mushrooms and skip the 8-ounce package unless you have plans to use them. The meat counter can also be a great resource
for buying one steak, one pork chop, etc.
5.
Your freezer is your friend
Many things freeze very well! If you buy a larger package of meat (or there
is a great sale), be sure you take a few minutes to wrap individual portions in
heavy duty foil or freezer bags, label well, then freeze for a later meal. Other foods that freeze well are breads, shredded cheese, fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. Freezing keeps food fresh longer and helps
prevent waste. You can also cook a batch
of soup, stew, a casserole, meatloaf, filling for stuffed peppers and freeze
single portions. Then take out only the amount of food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on
packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer. For the best quality, freeze food while it's
fresh.
6.
Don’t be afraid of leftovers
On a free night, make a big batch of a one-pot meal such as soup,
stew or a casserole and eat on it all week (or freeze individual portions if
that sounds boring-see #5, or share them-see #8). Or, cleverly reuse leftovers. With a
little planning, you can make one recipe for tonight’s dinner and have enough
leftovers to make a different meal for tomorrow that doesn’t feel like
leftovers. Many leftover meats such as
rotisserie chicken or steaks are always great for easy one-person meals, like
tacos, sandwiches, salads, omelets, pita pizzas, and pasta tosses. Think about combining leftovers into
casseroles. You can transform any
leftover pasta into a frittata the
next day, serve taco filling over greens for a salad, and add some grated
carrots, horseradish, and mayo to leftover roast beef for a fabulous sandwich
spread.
7. Use the same ingredients in several ways
Sometimes you can’t buy exactly what you need (see #4) because it
only comes in a larger quantity and can’t be frozen (see #5). Greens are generally sold in
a large bunch and are the first thing to go in our refrigerator. So if you have a lot of spinach, make it a
salad one night, then add it to a soup or casserole the next night, then sauté
it with some meat and other veggies or lay some in a foil packet and cook one piece of fish (see #3). You can purchase
a whole chicken (or pot roast, or ham) and roast with
potatoes, carrots, turnips, or other root vegetables cut up underneath and eat
on it all week (see #6) or just roast the meat (or buy a
rotisserie chicken) and use the meat in several ways thought the week. You could use it in a pasta dish, for sandwiches,
salad, soups, casseroles, etc. Rice is
another thing you can make a batch of and use as a side dish for one meal, then
use the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding.
8. Find a friend and do a meal trade
Think
about starting a cooking club/meal trade with other singles. This can be a fabulous way to meet new people
and try new foods - plus you get several days off a week! You can cook larger casseroles and recipes and
simply divide them up for each other person in your group. Everyone gets to sample something new, you'll
vary your diet and have fun all at the same time. Keep one portion for yourself and trade
the other portions so you’ll have different single-serving meals.
Reminder: more people = more variety. Make sure the meals you’re cooking are still
good the next day or can be frozen. Another
way to have a home-cooked, healthy meal without letting anything go to waste is
to cook with (and for)
your roommates or just invite someone over for dinner!
.jpg)
