Did your parents ever make beef and gravy and serve it over toast? Most of the time, they used hamburger meat. It was a cheap dinner and actually quite tasty. They sometimes called it “s$!t” on a shingle, but we don’t need to use the original word. This meal brings back memories of my military childhood. Did you ever have this meal when you were younger? It’s very easy to make and makes a perfect meal for one. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 small package of shredded beef, 1 slice onion, sourdough bread, beef broth, 1 tablespoon Wondra flour, garlic powder, 21 seasoning salute, salt-free dash, black pepper, olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Make a roux using the flour and mix with olive oil. Season your roux. Chop your slice of onion. Saute in olive oil. Add your shredded beef and make sure it’s well-shredded. Once browned, add some beef broth and your roux. Whisk this till thick. Serve over sourdough toast. Cooking for one can be fun.

I marinated chicken tenders in yogurt and barbecued them, which made them very tender and juicy. While the chicken was marinating, I also made some peanut sauce. You can also buy some tzatziki, which is also very good with the chicken. There were about 5 chicken tenders in the package. I made a sandwich with them using naan bread, or you can eat them by themselves. This should give you about 3 meals. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 package chicken tenders, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 lemons, sesame oil, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, dill, thyme, smoked paprika, lemon pepper. PEANUT SAUCE: 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 1/2 rice wine vinegar, 1/2 cup sesame oil, 1/4 cup Bragg Coconut amino, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon ginger.

DIRECTIONS: CHICKEN TENDERS: Season the chicken tenders and add them to a large baggie. Add the yogurt and squeeze the lemons, and mix them all together. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Skewer and barbecue. Serve with peanut sauce and tzatziki. PEANUT SAUCE: Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. You might have to blend in a little more vinegar and oil to get the peanut butter to a smooth consistency. Cooking for one can be fun.

Sometimes, you have leftovers in your fridge that you need to use up, and this was the case for me. I had some half-and-half cream that I needed to use, and it was just enough to make a vodka cream sauce. I had some raw shrimp in the freezer, so I used that to make this quick and easy dish. It is fun to get creative with leftovers in your fridge. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup half and half cream, 1/2 cup vodka, 5 raw shrimp, 6 cherry tomatoes, a handful of peas, fettuccine, 1 clove garlic, basil, garlic powder.

DIRECTIONS: Start your pasta water. Pour some olive oil into a frying pan. Mince one clove of garlic into the pan. Slice your cherry tomatoes and start to saute. Add your peas. Season with basil and garlic powder and stir. Saute till soft. Add your cream and vodka, and a small amount of butter. Let it come to a boil and add your shrimp. Cook till pink. In the meantime, cook your pasta while cooking the shrimp. Top with parmesan cheese. Cooking for one can be fun.

Sometimes, you need to fix something quickly and don’t want a lot of cleanup. So, I made a quick one-pan dish that will take about 30 minutes to make. This chicken pesto cheesy rice is really yummy. Even though I used one chicken cutlet and 3/4 cup of rice, it made enough for three meals. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 chicken cutlet, 3/4 cup rice, 1/4 cup pesto, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 3 asparagus, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder

DIRECTIONS: Cut your chicken cutlet into bite-size pieces and brown in a little olive oil in a saucepan. Season with black pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. Stir this all together. Add the pesto and stir. Add the cheese and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Chop your asparagus and add that to the pot. Add rice and cover for 20 minutes. Optional: top with feta or Parmesan cheese. Cooking for one can be fun.

I am having company for the next few days, and even though cooking for one can be fun, it’s also fun to cook for others. I found this recipe for individual lemon meringue pies in Smith’s magazine and thought it would be fun to try and make. They look amazing, and I am sure my guests will love them. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 6 ramekins, 1 pkg cook and serve lemon flavor pudding and pie filling mix, 1/2 cup sugar + 1/3 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for meringue), 2 1/4 cup water, 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tbl unsalted butter, melted, 4 egg whites, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, lemon zest

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place ramekins on a baking sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine pudding and pie filling, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Divide the mixture equally among the ramekins, pressing down gently and evenly. Once cooled, divide the lemon pie filling equally among ramekins. Make meringue: In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 4 egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and remaining 1/3 cup sugar; continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Divide the meringue evenly among the ramekins. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Refrigerate pies at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers. Cooking for one can be fun.

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I like to use pork loins for my breakfast meat instead of ham or bacon, but I found an idea to cook them coated in parmesan cheese, tried it and it turned out delicious, tender and juicy. I also found this pasta store here in Reno called Pasta Fresca. They make fresh pasta that you can purchase but it is also a great restaurant. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 pork loin, parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup butter. SAUCE: 1 can tomato sauce, 1/4 can tomato paste, red wine, 1 tbl sugar, Italian seasoning, sweet paprika, oregano, basil, garlic powder, 2 cloves garlic, 4 mushrooms

DIRECTIONS: Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste into a saucepan. Press garlic cloves into the sauce. Season generously with all the above-mentioned seasonings. Chop the mushrooms and add to the sauce. Pour a little red wine in and stir. Simmer for about an hour. Cut the pork loin in half lengthwise. Cover with parmesan cheese on both sides and pat down. Melt butter in a large skillet. Cook on both sides for 4 minutes. The parmesan will get nice and crispy, and the pork will be tender. Cooking for one can be fun.

These peanut butter cookies are a favorite of mine. It only takes five ingredients, that’s it. I added some chocolate chips to these, and that made them even tastier. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional; chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Use regular organic peanut butter, not the kind you have to stir. That one is too oily, and the cookies don’t turn out as soft. You can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter. Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl using your electric beaters. Once the batter is formed, use a cookie scoop to form balls. Roll them in your hands and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press with a fork and criss-cross them. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cooking for one can be fun.

I used chicken thighs to make parmesan chicken and it turned out so nice and juicy and flavorful. I used some leftover pizza sauce and the no-yolk noodles. I used two chicken thighs so that I could have a quick reheat meal later on. This dish is not hard to make but takes a little more than 30 minutes to make. A tip is to clean up while the chicken is baking. This way you will only have the baking dish and the pan that you cooked the noodles in and one plate. This dish will pair nicely with a Pinot Noir. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 2 organic chicken thighs, olive oil, breadcrumbs, liquid eggs, garlic powder, rosemary blend, basil, and black pepper. No-yolk noodles, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese.

DIRECTIONS: Pour some eggs from the liquid eggs into a dish. Pour the breadcrumbs into another dish and season. Pour some olive oil into a frying pan and heat. Roll the chicken thighs into the egg first and then cover with the breadcrumbs. Place the chicken into the heated frying pan and brown on both sides till crisp. Grease a baking dish. Place the chicken thighs into the dish and top with provolone cheese. Top with the pizza sauce or tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook your noodles. I also sauteed some asparagus. Place the noodles on a dish, top with the chicken, and add asparagus. Cooking for one can be fun.

I started with Mary’s ground chicken and made some meatballs. Then using Trader Joe’s pizza dough and pizza sauce, I made some calzones. I have never made a calzone before and as you can see they are not beautiful but they are delicious. They are not easy to make but I had fun putting them together. So if you make these plan on having fun and playing with them. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1pd Mary’s organic ground chicken, Trader Joe’s pizza dough, Trader Joe’s pizza sauce, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, mozzarella cheese. Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt-free dash.

DIRECTIONS: First make your meatballs by placing the ground chicken into a bowl. Cover with the breadcrumbs and season generously. Form the meatballs by rolling them in your hands. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn once after 12 minutes. While those are baking, using kitchen scissors cut the pizza dough into quarters. Stretch or roll out into 4 rounds. Place a spoonful of pizza sauce in the middle of each pizza round. Place 2 meatballs in the middle of each round. Add some mozzarella cheese on top. Fold over to form a pocket. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Cooking for one can be fun.

I found these “no-yolk” dumpling noodles that are low in fat, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium and that’s no yolk. They don’t taste any different from any other store-bought pasta. I used them to make a chicken stroganoff. The dish turned out good, however, next time I would add mushrooms and spinach to the stroganoff. The sauce was nice and creamy and the chicken was tender and juicy. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 package no-yolk noodles, 1 organic chicken breast, 2 tbs butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil, parmesan cheese.

DIRECTIONS: Cut your chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Pour some olive oil into a frying pan and start browning your chicken. Season well. Start your pasta water and bring it to a boil. Add butter to the chicken and continue cooking. Add sour cream and stir. Add some parmesan cheese and stir. Once the noodles are finished add the chicken mixture and mix it all together and serve. Cooking for one can be fun.