We all know the hardships of cooking and eating alone. It can be hard to make an effort to cook a full meal and eat it gracefully, sitting at a table with a napkin and a fork. But the rewards are great; some of my favorite cooking memories were formed in my tiny solo kitchen. And there are other advantages as well: Luxury dinners that we think of as expensive are actually quite economical when cooking for just one. Here are five of my own favorites.
When I was living alone and learning how to cook, I often veered towards the rice, beans, and noodles. I was on a budget and being careful with my grocery shopping in particular. But then one night I was shopping for dinner, ravenously hungry. I wanted something quick and easy, and the huge scallops in the seafood case stopped me in my tracks. I thought of them as expensive restaurant food, and their $15/pound price always put me off.
But then suddenly I realized the obvious; for just one person, I would only need a scant half pound. Maybe even just a quarter pound. I bought a quarter pound of scallops for less than $4 and went home and seared them in three minutes flat. They were one of the best suppers I could remember eating.
After that I looked at other luxury foods I wouldn't ordinarily buy — fresh wild salmon, steak, and expensive mushrooms. Because you need so little of them for a modest single serving, all prove quite economical for just one person. Here are my favorites:
- Bay or Sea Scallops - Like I said above, this quick-cooking seafood is one of my favorite dinners for one (or two). Here's a guide to buying, cleaning and cooking scallops, and a recipe for scallops with a vegetable puree (pictured above), and another for scallops with fennel and tomato.
- Steak - Steak is another quick yet luxurious meal for one. Don't let those $22/pound prices scare you off. Just buy a small piece or a 1/2-pound steak, and cook it quickly in the oven (instructions here). Slice and eat half for dinner, then eat the other half cold for lunch on a salad the next day.
- Wild Mushrooms - Wild mushrooms can come with scary price tags. I love porcini mushrooms and morels, but if you're cooking for a crowd those $30/pound prices will eat up your paycheck fast. When cooking for one, though, a few ounces is plenty to flavor a meal richly and not break the bank. I love David Tanis' wild mushroom ragout (pictured above), which could be sized down considerably to feed just one.
- Fish, Salmon, and Smoked Salmon - Nearly any good piece of fish will be quick and easy to cook. And those prices (whoa there, wild salmon!) can be pretty steep, but a small piece for one really shouldn't set you back. Quick fish recipes like this Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia and Salmon and Couscous with Cilantro Vinaigrette are satisfying dinners that take almost no time to make after work. Also think about smoked salmon, which can be very economical and a total treat when you purchase just a couple ounces.
- Prepared Foods from the Grocery Case - This is a bit more general, but every now and then I like to pick up one of those bacon-wrapped filets at Whole Foods, or a quarter-pound of a fancy stuffed salmon. These prepared items can be little dinner luxuries, when purchased from a really good market. And they don't break the bank when you're buying just one.
What are some of your favorite meals for one? Are there any special treats you splurge on when you eat alone, instead of with your partner, spouse or roommates?
Related: Solo Eating: Tips on Cooking for One
(Images: Faith Durand; Christopher Hirsheimer/Artisan Books)
(Originally published April 18, 2011)
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I love this! When I'm not at home with my mom, I'm just eating with my boyfriend... so a lot of the time it's just meals for two. Plus, I'll be out on my own soon, so this really applies. All of those sound tasty - and the picture of scallops looks especially delicious..
I love buying a really good (grass-fed, organic, local) and therefore expensive steak and sharing it with my boyfriend. Half a big steak each is more than enough to feed us when paired with potatoes and other veggies.
Since when are steak and seafood inexpensive? It might seem cheap because you're only buying a tiny amount, but it's still costlier than chicken or beans.
I agree with Emily. I really don't get the logic of this. It's still a relatively expensive meal.
eat less and eat better, that's the logic I guess.. and I agree to it.
Relative to chicken or beans - yes, expensive.
However, I think the point is that when buying for just yourself, you can splurge on things you might otherwise not consider buying when cooking for a group.
I definitely get sidetracked by the price per pound of things and forget that I wouldn't need a lot for just me...so it's really not that pricey.
I think it's nice to treat yourself well when you're eating alone and agree with several of the suggestions. One of my favorite fast meals for one is 1/4-1/2 lb bay scallops cooked in a 14 oz can of good diced/fire-roasted/stewed tomatoes over couscous with plenty of Parmigiano.
When I'm alone I make comfort food - and it's cheap! Two-egg omelet, a steamed or baked potato and a salad.
Emily G is correct. Seafood and steak are not inexpensive. Whether you're cooking for one or for two, its expensive. I think the key is use the "expensive stuff" — typically the protein — in a manner that provides flavor, taste, and accents the rest of the meal.
I usually cook every night for myself, my husband, and two young children and while the concept of cooking for one is quite foreign these days I can relate to the desire not to trade the luxury of yummy ingredients for money savings. While we are pretty budget conscious in most areas I feel very much at ease splurging in grocery stores...
The key to cooking for one is to have a full plate. Don't forget about quick/ easy sides that can go with with a main dish. Take a small sweet potato (great color) and add some cinnamon, butter, and a dollop of cottage cheese! Or roast some kale greens in the oven with cajun seasoning and olive oil. Spruce up that chicken!
If I can't make dinner in 7 minutes, then I'll stick with a bag of popcorn for dinner.
I think where you are eating when you are eating alone is just as important as what you are eating. My favorite home alone meal (that I get to indulge in maybe once or twice a month) is simple homemade pasta alfredo, a glass of good wine eaten snuggled in bed under my down comforter with a book or movie. It is something I did often during a very difficult time in my life and is now something I would never do when the BF is home, so it makes it that much more indulgent and comforting when I get the chance.
I think those of us who cook for one are challenged in that we often have to purchase more than we need.
A good example is a loaf of bread, which would normally serve a family over a few days. Most of us know to put in the freezer, what we will not be using in the short term. However, this system is less than ideal in terms of eating foods at their freshest and staying within a weekly budget for one.
Deli, butcher and fish counters are a great resource for solo cooks for this very reason - also many bakeries offer small loaves or buns that can be purchased individually.
There is much to be said for purchasing just what you need. Bulk values are not always the smartest approach. One of the pleasures of cooking for one are the modest splurges that do not break the bank.
I sure hope all that nonsense about "hardships" is tongue in cheek! I've lived alone most of my adult life and while I would love to have people to cook for more often there's no hardship involved in cooking for myself alone. I can eat what I want, when I want (within parameters of my chosen diet). I've been doing it a long time so I definitely know a few tricks; maybe I'll teach an adult ed class on how to do it!
I understand the premise of this post - that when eating alone one can splurge on higher end items - but the title and text of the post are misleading.
Cooking cheaply for one means putting a bag of split peas in a crock pot with some sauteed onions and curry powder. Total cost for 3 meals - um, less than $2.
*That* is inexpensive.
I cook for myself the majority of the time and I buy steaks for 3-4 dollars all the time; more expensive than a package of chicken legs but less expensive than if I were buying the same meal eating out somewhere. I think the main point is that these are affordable meals people can cook for themselves without breaking the bank, especially if you were to spend the same amount on that package of chicken whether you get more meals out of it or not.
I think this post is great. I'm usually cooking for two (myself and my husband), but will actually be home alone all weekend and am now thinking about splurging on something fancy so I can have a fabulous meal for one that would cost twice as much to make if he were home. It'll be like a little date with myself. Thanks for the idea :)
I totally agree with this and do it all the time...when I'm on my own I'll pick up a lobster roll or sushi, or I'll make citrus scallops or risotto with bay scallops. Occasionally Whole Foods has lobster tails on sale and I'll make pasta with lobster. My favorite splurge is shopping at Eataly.
The title does not say inexpensive. It says affordable. Which these things are on an occasional basis. The author is not suggesting scallops and steak every night but indeed you can purchase these things once in a while for yourself without breaking the bank.
Want to make meat even cheaper? Invest in a vacuum bag machine.
When you go shopping, buy the "family size" bundles of chicken, pork, beef, or whatever. You can easily vacuum pack the individual servings, even after seasoning if you want, and save them for later.
Soon, that $14.99/lb ribeye you've been eyeing becomes $9.99/lb in the family pack, and you've shaved quite a bit of money off in the long run.
Besides, $9 for a ribeye is nothing compared to the $25-$35 you would get charged eating out in town. So when you want to treat yourself to a delicious meal, splurge.
Just not every night... unless you're doing fairly well these days.
These comments floor me - so glad I'm not at a place in my life where a $4 scallop dinner not only qualifies as "expensive" but also upsets me so much that I have to post comments ranting about it. I personally liked the article (except for the "hardships of cooking/eating alone" line - really???) The per pound cost of dried mushrooms has scared me off, but I'll definitely remember that a few ounces will suffice in future.
HLG22 must be nice. Not all of us are as financially comfortable as you.
I think "affordable" should be understood in the context of what she says at the end about "special treats you splurge on". Yes, there was a time when I never ate out (i.e. I cooked every single thing I ate) for budget reasons, but most people eat out now and then. Maybe a sandwich, or even just coffee and a pastry. I could buy a sandwich or burrito or a latte and a cookie for $4-6, but for the same price, I can get something much more luxurious. I buy sea scallops and sear them at home, and I view this as a wonderful splurge, but it's not NEARLY as expensive as getting the same thing at a restaurant ($20-30).
jenwithonen, $4 won't even buy you a fast food meal or a beer at many places - I could afford that occasionally even when I was in college living on stipends and hardly financially comfortable. I don't get how that's not an "affordable" occasional splurge for most people in a first world country, as described in the article.
HLG22 - I've been a full-time student for the past 3 years, and I totally agree with you.
1) Spinach, mushroom & cheese omelet with either multi-grain toast or leftover rice or roast potatoes.
2) Pasta: Brown sliced mushrooms in butter-olive oil mix, add sliced garlic, onion, white-wine or lemon juice, leftover roast chicken or tuna & red cayenne pepper flakes & heat through. Add, toss in cooked pasta, spinach & grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Sometimes I make this pasta without chicken or tuna & top it with a poached or fried egg.
Where are you all buying stuff? $22/pound for steak?!? I got an organic, grass fed NY strip from the coop the other day for $12/pound. Yikes.
Sigh ... your scallops look yummy! I love scallops; but, the feeling isn't mutual. Your photo reminds me of shrimp & grits ... hmmm, shrimp & grits are now on the menu for sometime this weekend!
Prawn (or shrimp) pasta with a chilli oil and bacon bits is my favourite home alone meal... par boil the prawns, boil pasta, fry off the bacon until really crispy and break into pieces, put prawns and pasta in frying pan where you have cooked off the bacon and pour some chilli oil over the whole thing, eat directly from frying pan =0)
I cook for my self all the time. Yes, buying things like a nice cut of steak and quality seafood can be expensive. Sometimes its worth it. I don't do it every day because I do live on a budget, especially in this economy.
http://imaginarybeginnerchef.wordpress.com
QUOTE: Where are you all buying stuff? $22/pound for steak?!?
I was wondering the same..
Thanks for the reminder that I can eat a satisfying
meal that is also fairly quick and easy. Often, if I cannot think of a meal that is convenient, and almost ready, I will either go out, go without, or order in. The only option that will fit into any budget is to go without. But none of these ways should become a habit either. :)
It has taken me a LOOOOOONG time to realize that I automatically buy too much food - as if I were still cooking for 4. So, if I eat more expensive (relatively speaking) food but do not waste it, it is still a budget conscious meal in my book. Wasted rice and beans still costs money if I don't eat it all.......
And I am wondering where you are buying your food as well..... it is never that expensive where I shop.....
I also supplement with herbs and veggies from my garden, so that helps.