# Simple Meals for One - for AZJim



## Warrigal (Mar 28, 2019)

I've been thinking of AZJim and understand what he is facing right now.
My husband is totally helpless in the kitchen despite my best efforts to teach him some simple meals. 
I admit self interest here because if I am incapacitated I shudder at the thought of eating whatever he would serve up to me.

As I was thinking about what to serve tonight I decided on sausages from the freezer. I usually make them up into an easy to make pasta dish and decided to photograph the steps and write out a tutorial for AZJim, but not just for him. Perhaps in the future I will be able to get my husband to follow the same instructions.

First - the ingredients.

Everything in the recipe is a staple I keep on the shelf or in the fridge/freezer and I can pull them out any time I want. They are

-1 lb of long sausages (8 in a pack from the supermarket). Mine were frozen so I thawed them out in the kitchen sink earlier in the afternoon.
- 2 medium sized brown onions - the amount used depends on how much you like onions. I like them a lot.
- 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 tub of tomato paste or two tins of tomatoes.
- about a teaspoon of crushed garlic. I keep a jar of this in the fridge because I don't use it all the time. It keeps.
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pasta. I used spirals because they are easy to eat with a spoon and fork.

Utensils - a saucepan and a frying pan. I used a 15 inch non stick pan and a 10 inch saucepan.

Method -
Slice the onions. I like to cut them into slivers but whatever method you like is OK.
A splash of oil or a knob of butter in the frying pan and heat the onions over medium heat. Try not to burn the onions. If they start to go brown reduce heat.
Add the sausages to the pan and cook until both sides are just turning brown. The sausages should now be firm enough to cut into inch long chunks. 
Return sausages to the pan, add the can of tomatoes and the crushed garlic and heat gently for about another 5 minutes to blend all the flavours.

In the saucepan boil water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Salt is optional and can be omitted.
When boiling vigorously, add the pasta and simmer for about 10 minutes. This can be taking place at the same time as you are cooking the sausages. The pasta should not be too squishy when you turn off the heat and drain it.
Finally, add the pasta to the chopped sausages, tomato and onions in the pan. Heat gently for another 5 - 10 minutes. If it is too dry add a small amount of water and some tomato paste or just add another can of diced tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes are just as good.

Serve and eat with whatever else you fancy. Some hot garlic bread is good. So is any other bread you have on hand. 

I took some photos to illustrate the instructions and you will see that while this thread is about cooking for one, there will be enough food for 3 - 4 meals so have some plastic containers on hand to put meals aside for another day. It will freeze quite well and all you have to do is heat in the microwave. You might need to add a small amount of water because the pasta will have soaked some up and it might be a little bit dry.






Onions have been heated first then the sausages are added and cooked just enough to be able to cut them into chunks.





Sausages and onions before adding tomato and garlic.





Handy staples to keep on hand. Crushed garlic kept in fridge, canned diced tomato, pasta spirals.







Cooked pasta - al dente - which means chewy, not squishy.





After adding pasta tomato and garlic to the pan with the sausages and onions. I like more tomato than this so I added half a tub of  tomato paste and a bit of water. (The rest of the tomato paste can be kept in the freezer.)
Alternately add an extra can of tomatoes.






The finished product. Eat as much as you like, put the rest in food containers for another meal (or two)
Each time you attempt this you will become more confident and more efficient.

Bon appetit.


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## hollydolly (Mar 28, 2019)

How thoughtful you are..Warrigal..


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## Pappy (Mar 28, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> How thoughtful you are..Warrigal..



My thoughts exactly when I read this, Holly.


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## Pinky (Mar 28, 2019)

Perfect recipe for a "beginner" cook, Warrigal. The more confident one becomes, one could branch out adding different meat and sauces.


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## AZ Jim (Mar 28, 2019)

God bless you Warrigal....If I could I would have eaten it right off my screen.  I'll get the ingredients and give it a go.  God loves you Lady....AND SO DO I.


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## Warrigal (Mar 28, 2019)

I have more. l Let me know how it goes and I'll take photos of our favourite sweet curry.


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## RadishRose (Mar 28, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> I have more. l Let me know how it goes and I'll take photos of our favourite sweet curry.



Well done, Warrigal.


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## Camper6 (Mar 28, 2019)

A pound of sausages is way too much.


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## Warrigal (Mar 28, 2019)

For one meal, certainly, but why cook every night when one effort will be good for several meals? You don't have to eat the same meal every night till all are finished. Just put aside in the freezer or fridge for a convenient quick meal whenever you want.


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## Keesha (Mar 28, 2019)

That was so very sweet of you Warrigal. 
I agree, why cook each time for one person.


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## Camper6 (Mar 29, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> For one meal, certainly, but why cook every night when one effort will be good for several meals? You don't have to eat the same meal every night till all are finished. Just put aside in the freezer or fridge for a convenient quick meal whenever you want.



Well I am single and I cook meals but for some reason I only want that one meal at the time.  I put stuff in the freezer and for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me anymore.  I try to eliminate leftovers as much as possible.

Cooking a meal is a form of entertainment and passing the time.  Something to do and the rewards are enormous.

Why cook every night?  For the fun of it.  The variety.


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## RadishRose (Mar 29, 2019)

Jim, you might like this






*Get the recipe here*:    https://tasty.co/recipe/fajita-chicken-and-rice-dinner


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## Catlady (Apr 19, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> For one meal, certainly, but why cook every night when one effort will be good for several meals? You don't have to eat the same meal every night till all are finished. Just put aside in the freezer or fridge for a convenient quick meal whenever you want.



I do that all the time, make one meal, eat one portion, and freeze the other portions in individual containers.  Each morning I decide what to have that day and take it out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator and then put on the counter one hour before I need to heat it up.  I usually do one or three days marathon cooking and then am all set for THREE weeks.  I did it three weeks ago and my freezer was full, now I have to replenish. my freezer is almost empty.


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## Keesha (Apr 20, 2019)

I’d like to add a suggestion for Jim also. 
This is taco soup and it’s very filling and tasty but it makes a lot of soup. The good thing is that you can freeze it for later. 
It goes really nice with shredded cheese, sour cream , chives / green onions & corn chips. 
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/taco-soup-recipe-1943872



If you drink it goes nice with margaritas


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## AZ Jim (Apr 20, 2019)

Looks good....especially the beverage...LOL


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## C'est Moi (Apr 20, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> I have more. l Let me know how it goes and I'll take photos of our favourite sweet curry.



Warri--I'd love your recipe for curry.


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## Warrigal (Apr 21, 2019)

It's very easy and very flexible regarding ingredients. I'll make one soon and take photos for Jim in case he wants to try his hand.
I think photos of the various stages help with confidence building.

C'est Moi, this is in no way a traditional Eastern curry. It is more like a bastardised English version using curry powder from a tin.


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## C'est Moi (Apr 21, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> C'est Moi, this is in no way a traditional Eastern curry. It is more like a bastardised English version using curry powder from a tin.



Sounds good, Warri.   I'm all about "easy."   

How are your eyes progressing?


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## Warrigal (Apr 21, 2019)

Thanks for asking, C'est Moi.

Both procedures went smoothly. I am now busy putting drops in each eye 4 times a day; one drop five minutes apart from four different bottles. This will go on for 28 days for each eye, or until the bottles are emptied. I have to juggle 8 little bottles being careful not to mix the left eye bottles up with the right eye ones. I have a small travelling alarm clock that doubles as a timer and this helps me keep on track.

I am booked in for an eye exam at the optometrists mid May. I am pretty sure I won't need specs except possibly for close work. 
I won't mind this at all because I realise that if I did not do something about the cataracts I would become legally blind in the not too distant future.


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## Trade (Apr 21, 2019)

And when you are finished eating, you can use the can for target practice.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 21, 2019)

Trade said:


> View attachment 64635
> 
> It's not bad!
> 
> Stir up a pouch of Bisquick Complete to go with it!


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## C'est Moi (Apr 21, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> Thanks for asking, C'est Moi.
> 
> Both procedures went smoothly. I am now busy putting drops in each eye 4 times a day; one drop five minutes apart from four different bottles. This will go on for 28 days for each eye, or until the bottles are emptied. I have to juggle 8 little bottles being careful not to mix the left eye bottles up with the right eye ones. I have a small travelling alarm clock that doubles as a timer and this helps me keep on track.
> 
> ...



I'm glad it went smoothly and you are doing well.  

Sorry for the thread hijack, Jim!!


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## Camper6 (Apr 22, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> Thanks for asking, C'est Moi.
> 
> Both procedures went smoothly. I am now busy putting drops in each eye 4 times a day; one drop five minutes apart from four different bottles. This will go on for 28 days for each eye, or until the bottles are emptied. I have to juggle 8 little bottles being careful not to mix the left eye bottles up with the right eye ones. I have a small travelling alarm clock that doubles as a timer and this helps me keep on track.
> 
> ...



Don't forget to get a good set of sunglasses.  After you have your cataracts done you will be amazed at how much brighter everything is.


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## Trade (Apr 22, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> Trade said:
> 
> 
> > View attachment 64635
> ...


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## Catlady (Apr 22, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> It's very easy and very flexible regarding ingredients. I'll make one soon and take photos for Jim in case he wants to try his hand.
> I think photos of the various stages help with confidence building.
> 
> C'est Moi, this is in no way a traditional Eastern curry. It is more like a bastardised English version using curry powder from a tin.



I don't like curry, but it sounds like it has a lot of health benefits =

Curry powder is a popular spice mix that has a number of valuable health benefits, including the prevention of cancer, protection against heart and Alzheimer’s  disease as well as pain and inflammation. It also improves bone health,  boosts immunity, and increases the liver’s ability to remove toxins  from the body.
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-curry-powder.html


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## RadishRose (Apr 22, 2019)

Jim you will love is one. I have included the link for the written recipe w/ measurments, etc. I'd love this with a baked potato or brown rice and broccoli.







http://cooknshare.com/recipe/french-onion-chicken/

Freeze leftovers.


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## Warrigal (Apr 27, 2019)

Tonight Hubby asked for curry so I took the opportunity to engage him in the preparation of a simple sweet curry that he enjoys very much.

I photographed his progress.

First the ingredients.

You need some curry powder. This very much a beginner's recipe. More advanced cooked tune out now.
You need some vegetables. I use onion and carrot because I always have these in the fridge.
You need some meat. A sweet curry goes well with white meat. I always use chicken breast but these is no reason why you couldn't use rabbit or pork.

Since it is a sweet  curry you will need some fruit. I usually combine some dried fruit with some fresh. In this case I used sultanas and fresh apple. If I have any dried apricots I use 50:50 sultanas and chopped dried apricots.

I serve the sweet curry in a bowl over boiled rice and top it with chutney (I like mango chutney but any chutney will suffice), sliced banana, shredded coconut, and if I have  any, some chopped peanuts.

This is what the finished dish looks like 







Method

In a pot or pan add about 1/4 cup of oil and 1 teaspoon of curry powder. More if you like it spicey.
Start heating over low heat and mix the oil and curry powder with a wooden spoon.

Add one chopped brown onion and keep stirring until the onion starts to caramelise, then add chopped chicken (I use one half chicken breast) and two sliced carrots. Keep turning everything over with the spoon until the chicken is coated with curry mixture and begins to cook. 






Add enough water to just cover the ingredients and add the fruit. I used one cup of sultanas and a peeled and chopped fresh apple. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly.






While it is simmering you should be boiling the rice in plenty of salted water. When cooked, drain the rice and spoon into a bowl. Spoon the curry mixture over the rice, add toppings to suit your taste and enjoy your meal.






Using the ingredients I have listed we had enough to serve two with left over curry for the next day. This method  is not ideal. The chicken comes out a bit boiled but it is quick and easy for a beginner to try,


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## Catlady (Apr 27, 2019)

I don't think I like curry, but I've bookmarked your recipe to try and find out.  I'm a vegetarian so meat is out, I might try it with tofu (probably won't taste as good).  Thanks!


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## CeeCee (Apr 27, 2019)

Although Ive eaten Curry, I just don’t think it’s as popular of a dish here in the US as it is in the UK or Australia...at least not in California.

Am I right or wrong?

Its something I’ve wondered about before ....

Im not saying we don’t eat it but at least here I think Mexican is more popular, Chinese also.


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## Catlady (Apr 27, 2019)

I'm willing to try curry and hope I like it because it's supposed to be healthy, especially one of its ingredients, Turmeric.



 Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease. Turmeric is probably the most valuable spice component... 
  Prevents Cancer. Recent research has suggested that increasing the amount of turmeric... 
  Relieves Pain & Inflammation. Once again, turmeric is an agent of positive health in terms... 
  Protects Heart Health. Heart disease is one...


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## Catlady (Apr 27, 2019)

Deleted


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## AZ Jim (Apr 27, 2019)

C'est Moi said:


> I'm glad it went smoothly and you are doing well.
> 
> Sorry for the thread hijack, Jim!!


I was pleased to hear how Warri was coming along in the eye dept.


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## CeeCee (Apr 27, 2019)

PVC said:


> I'm willing to try curry and hope I like it because it's supposed to be healthy, especially one of its ingredients, Turmeric.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Curry is good, I’m just wondering why it’s not as popular here....I’m not saying people don’t eat it, I just hear it more often from posters from the UK or Australia.


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## AZ Jim (Apr 27, 2019)

Thank you all for the ideas.  I'll save this and give it a try.


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## Catlady (Apr 27, 2019)

AZ Jim said:


> Thank you all for the ideas.  I'll save this and give it a try.



Jim, one of my favorite and very simple meals is to fry mushrooms, onions, and anything else you like (sliced or cubed) and sometimes a dash of soy sauce and  then spread on top of rice and sprinkled with grated cheese.  Sometimes I omit the rice if I don't have it  and lay down a couple of bread slices in place of it.

For perfect brown rice (the healthiest):

Boil 2 cups of water
Add 1 cup of brown rice
Stir and bring to a boil again
Cover and bring heat down to low
Cook for half hour, never lift the lid
Shut off the heat and leave on hot burner for another half hour, don't lift the lid, the steam will keep cooking
Stir the rice with a fork to fluff and put into one cup containers, eat one portion and freeze the rest.  It makes 4 one cup portions or you can make smaller portions.


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## C'est Moi (Apr 27, 2019)

CeeCee said:


> Although Ive eaten Curry,* I just don’t think it’s as popular of a dish here in the US* as it is in the UK or Australia...at least not in California.
> 
> Am I right or wrong?
> 
> ...



I agree, CeeCee.


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## Warrigal (Apr 27, 2019)

Being closer to Asia, Australians have become accustomed to authentic curries from India, Thailand and Malaysia.
The recipe I outlined above is nothing like any of these. I really enjoy the robust taste of a vindaloo or a Madras beef curry.
It is an (old) English housewives idea of a curry and is really just a differently flavoured stew. 
It's easy and the ingredients can be substituted with anything else you might fancy.


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