Cooking for One: What’s Your Go-To Single-Serving Dish?

[Morning Glory]

Jacques Pepin has a method where he starts them in the microwave and finishes them in the oven (or the other way round ) and he says he gets a quality baked potato in a fraction of the time. Haven’t tried it yet myself, but I plan to.

I've made them that way for decades. Microwaved potatoes lack the right floury texture and and crispy skin. But microwaving first significantly cuts cooking time with nigh on similar to fully baked results.

 

[karadekoolaid]

The airfryer does seem to cook more quickly as well.

Well an airfryer is basically an oven; a convection oven.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Well an airfryer is basically an oven; a convection oven.

yep - just much smaller and cheaper to run than the "main" oven we have. It is one of the reasons we have fallen in love with it and to be honest, it is our main use of it. We sometimes airfry in it, but mostly bake.

 

[The Velvet Curtain]

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As a teenager, I always made what I assume is a souffle omelette, not that I can see the video. But it was fluffy and light and rose, but only had eggs, salt and pepper in it, topped off with a tasty cheddar in those days. It certainly had the same or similar texture to a souffle.

Buy sadly eggs are off the agenda next week because i have blood tests due at the end of the week and my body is very sensitive to them when it comes to certain figures and results in blood tests! Grrrowl

In the recipe the eggs are seperated, the whites whipped, the yolks seasoned and folded back in before gentle frying under a lid.

 

[badjak]

In the recipe the eggs are seperated, the whites whipped, the yolks seasoned and folded back in before gentle frying under a lid.

I remember having done that a long time ago.
I should give it a try again.

Omelettes in the steamer are also very nice

 

[badjak]

All this talk about potatoes is resulting in

 

[Z-Cook]

Cooking for one can be and is often for me a good opportunity to create or try out and adapt. Or just to cook something that I'm dying for, nobody else cares for which happens a fair bit or for various reasons when others might not be around for a particular meal. Most tend to be stovetop - as is the majority of my cooking, which is also the simplest as well as the most energy - efficient.

Other than NewMex/Mex (which I ) general tastes around here are pretty bland, pretty runnothemill meat based, or can get a bit repetitive, so meals for one, like a fave spicy South or Southeast Asian curry, or very pungent Italian dish, or using ingredients that are considered 'unusual', 'weird', or just unheard of, are essential to my general well-being Will post some faves

For one or two portions, most recipes and dish quantities can be scaled down, which is also important for test kitchen sessions.

 

[Gone Hiking]

If it's just me at home, often I'll just whip up a quick canned tuna salad or open a home-canned jar of soup. Sometimes I'll make a burger, bratwurst, or steak, too, if I have the time. But, when I have the whole night to myself, sometimes I'll blare the kind of music my wife hates and cook something really nice that I'll eat for the next few days. It all depends what I'm in the mood for.

 

[Morning Glory]

I think the Japanese and Koreans have all the best egg recipes

Soufflé omelette is originally French. Its often savoury, with melting cheese inside. Mmmm...

 

[SoCalZone10]

Ramen noodle with an egg, shiitake mushroom, green onions.
Cheese and jalapeño quesadilla

 

[TastyReuben]

Ramen noodle with an egg, shiitake mushroom, green onions.
Cheese and jalapeño quesadilla

Quesadilla is a good choice.