Good Meals for People Living Alone (Leftovers +++)
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Author Topic: Good Meals for People Living Alone (Leftovers +++)  (Read 968 times)
HagridOfTheDeep
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« on: August 29, 2015, 08:27:39 PM »

Maybe this is an absurd thread, but ever since leaving home for university five years ago, I've been pretty bad at cooking things for myself. I've spent way too much money going out to eat, and now that I'm living in Vancouver, one of the most expensive cities in Canada, reality is hitting me over the head a bit. Plus, some people actually enjoy cooking, so maybe I'll surprise myself...

SO! Do any of you know any good recipes/dishes that I could make for myself? Simple and tasty is best. Something with a large yield for leftovers would also be awesome. I might try my hand at making chilli sometime soon. Anything ideas along those lines?

Thanks! Cheesy
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darthebearnc
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« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2015, 08:34:25 PM »

Hash browns are one of my favorite easy dishes. Just shred potatoes and fry them in oil until they're crispy (also add salt/pepper for flavoring). They don't take that long to make and you can probably make as many as you want if you want leftovers.
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Simfan34
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« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2015, 08:43:58 PM »

Binge watch America's Test Kitchen. You'll want to cook and convince yourself that it's doable enough to stick through it. Worked for me.
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Classic Conservative
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« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2015, 09:18:04 PM »

Chicken Cutlet is very simple it's basically pieces of boneless chicken breast, a few eggs, bread crumbs and oil. Also make some homemade sauce if you want to chicken parmigiana, get a can of tomatoes larger the better, oil, garlic, onions, salt, pepper and that's it if you have any questions just feel free to contact me.
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Nutmeg
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« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2015, 10:43:30 PM »

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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2015, 11:17:35 PM »
« Edited: August 29, 2015, 11:33:21 PM by Delicious Steak Pentagram »

If you don't mind leftovers, there are any number of easy to fix recipes out there, especially if you have a crockpot or a pressure cooker. My own go to meals are beef stew, pepper steak, and chili. Pepper steak's probably my most involved dish, but that's because of the second pot for the rice and the deseeding and slicing up of the peppers of different colors I use. (I'll use a green, a yellow, and an orange bell pepper, with the color red coming from the can of stewed tomatoes.
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Donerail
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« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2015, 11:33:16 PM »

Ernest's advice is probably the best - Fix-It and Forget-It can work wonders. Throw some stuff together in the morning, go to class and do whatever else it is you feel like doing that day, come home to a good amount of food that can easily be made into a meal with some rice and vegetables (something you can do in <10 minutes with a microwave). Bourbon chicken in the crock-pot with yellow rice was my parents' go-to meal on busy days when there wasn't much time for cooking dinner.

Also, Trader Joe's has some easy & cheap chicken dishes (orange & teriyaki are the most popular among my brothers) that can be fixed quickly with rice. One bag serves three teenagers, so it should last you a few days. Not sure how far away you are from their unofficial Vancouver location (I know their prices are usually a few bucks higher too).
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NeverAgain
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« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2015, 11:55:57 PM »

https://www.blueapron.com/
My Savior.
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HagridOfTheDeep
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« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2015, 12:13:52 AM »

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming. Right now I'm basically sustaining myself on canned meals, smoothies, and spoonfuls of peanut butter (skewed towards the spoonfuls of peanut butter... it's dire, but oh so good). Your help is appreciated.
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muon2
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« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2015, 07:33:52 AM »

The important question to start with is what level of cooking are you comfortable with? The OP doesn't say where your skills are at. The suggestions I'd make largely depend on what you've cooked before and how you liked the result.
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HagridOfTheDeep
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2015, 07:58:35 AM »

If I take my time I can pretty much follow any recipe and be successful. I've made chicken marsala and things like that, but it does tend to stress me out. Cooking fish on the stovetop is somewhere I haven't gone yet, mostly because I've heard it's notoriously hard to cook to the proper doneness without over-cooking.

Dishes where is all one pot, or like, a casserole over noodles, are probably best for me. Can't go wrong. I've made lamb stew, an apple pork thing, pulled pork, chilli...

So to summarize, my skills are rudimentary, but with patience and the crux of a recipe, I'm comfortable enough to proceed with the dish to completion. If you ask me to cook without a recipe, well... that's another story.
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muon2
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« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2015, 08:36:06 AM »

Here are two simple recipes of quite different scale that I posted in the "What have you eaten for dinner?" thread.

It was my turn to cook but no one had time to get to the grocery store so I was constrained to food available. Here's what I put together.

I took six slices of bacon and sauteed them until they were just starting to brown, then I poured off the grease and added a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I added a sliced sweet onion, two crushed garlic cloves and the skin of a small hot pepper. I let that saute until the onions were soft and starting to brown. I deglazed the pan with a bit of cognac then added a small can of tomato sauce and a chopped leaves of thyme, parsley, and basil from the garden (about 1/2 cup total). I added a third of a can extra water and salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer for 15 min. While it was simmering I boiled 3/4 pound of linguine. The bacon and onion sauce was tossed with the drained linguine and topped with a half cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I served it with a Malbec-Tannat wine from Argentina.

I was out shopping with my kids for college, so dinner was more of a late snack. I made a tasty wrap by spreading some pesto on a tortilla, then some black forest ham, and topped with a sharp provolone cheese. I zapped it for about 40 sec, and then served it with some thin crispy tortilla chips and a cold European lager. Just right at the end of the day.

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darthebearnc
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« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2015, 08:39:00 AM »

Boxed macaroni and cheese is a favorite; it tastes good and actually only takes about half the time it says it does to cook if you like the noodles chewy.
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bedstuy
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« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2015, 09:58:39 AM »

I make a lot of chili.

I use 1 pound of beef, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of red/kidney beans, 1 28 oz diced tomato can, 1 chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, fish sauce, hot sauce and beer.   

I first chop the onion and garlic, and gently cook them with a bit of olive oil, and put them aside.  Then, I brown the beef and add spices/salt&pepper to it.  In a big pot, I combine with beans, onions, garlic and tomatoes (but, not the gross bean liquid).  Once the beef is cooked, I drain out the fat and add it to my big pot.  Then, it's just a matter of adding spices to taste and beer for the proper consistency.  I let it simmer on a low flame for an hour or two.
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DemPGH
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« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2015, 11:45:37 AM »

Yeah, soups are ideal because they're simple and they keep well and you can freeze what's left over.

I get in the mood for vegetarian chili now and again: kidney beans, green peppers, onions, garlic, small can of tomato sauce, a few spices, and a splash of burgundy wine. Sometimes a bit of corn or broccoli. There are a lot of good recipes out there for black beans, and corn goes well with them.

I also make lots of salads with fresh vegetables, and I have to have olives. Love olives.
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Sprouts Farmers Market ✘
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« Reply #15 on: August 30, 2015, 10:30:32 PM »

I typically just throw vegetables on top of pasta for a quick and easy meal. I don't eat much meat and almost every meal includes pasta since I'm Italian - you may require more variety, but I find it quite fast and convenient. Cauliflower, Broccoli don't even need to get breaded like Zukes and others to speed it up a little. Once you prepare it, it can last for three dinners worth! It's not masterful chef'ing, but it's quick and I can do homework simultaneously.

The big expenses are olive oil/vegetable oil and grated cheese though. That is a little expensive, but they last a few weeks.

That's as basic as it gets aside from something like a Campbell's can (or spoonfuls of peanut butter I suppose lol)
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Citizen (The) Doctor
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« Reply #16 on: August 31, 2015, 01:47:49 AM »

I have a roommate who only eats the same pasta dish for dinner every night. He just puts it to boil while he does other stuff and once it's cooked and drained and still warm, he mixes in cheese and butter and lets that melt. Add a little salt and its good to go. I was actually quite surprised at how tasty it was -- only thing is that you likely wouldn't want to eat it every night.
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