Tip One:

One of the things I dislike about cooking for one is having to eat the same thing for several days. What I do now is make several days’ worth of plain brown rice in my rice cooker, and then I jazz it up every night with my sides. I might add Moroccan spices and throw in some chickpeas and raisins. Or I’ll add salsa and chicken cooked in fajita mix. Sometimes it’s lentils with Ethiopian spices. Whatever. I’ve learned that rice is the carb I can eat daily without getting sick of it. Making a big batch at once and reheating it uses less energy, and time, than making several small batches. You could do the same thing with pasta. I don’t like reheated potatoes (unless they’re made up into hash browns!), but I know folks who do.

Tip Two:

Since I started eating chicken again, I’ve been buying boneless, skinless, chicken breasts on sale and freezing them individually in baggies. Invariably, I forget to take one out first thing in the morning. They cook up very nicely from frozen, but won’t take on any flavouring. I tried an experiment last week and it works beautifully: I add the flavouring to the chicken breast before freezing it. This way, the meat marinates as it freezes and as it thaws, infusing it with flavour. Tonight, I had one marinated in VH Asian five-spice sauce, and in the freezer I have one with mustard, one with balsamic vinegar, one with BBQ sauce, and one with just salt, pepper, and garlic powder to be served up with gravy. I just transfer the frozen chicken breast to a bowl filled with water and let it sit in the fridge for about a half hour, then I slice it up and cook it. It comes out tender, juicy, and flavourful.

Tip Three:

Frozen vegetables are at least as nutritious as fresh ones. Keep different kinds on hand and throw a handful in with your carb of choice while you’re reheating it. Too easy!