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.

When I buy a pound of organic hamburger, I quarter it, seal it, and freeze it. Here are two ideas for a quarter pound of hamburger. I have made these before, but they are super easy and fast and better than fast food. You can get two meals out of the chili. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: TACOS: 1/4 pd organic hamburger, taco shells, salsa, Mexican cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce. Seasoning; Tajuin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, chopped onions, lemon pepper CHILI: 1/4 pd organic hamburger, organic black beans, onion, Mexican cheese. Seasoning; garlic and herb seasoning, garlic powder, 21 seasoning salute, chili powder.

DIRECTIONS: TACOS: Brown your hamburger and season. Once it is browned fill your shells with sour cream, cheese, and a little lettuce and hot sauce. CHILI: In a saucepan, brown your hamburger with a slice and chopped onion. Cook till brown. Add a can of black beans and season. Serve. You can top it with sour cream or I like to add organic blue corn chips. Cooking for one can be fun.

Every once in a while, you just have to have comfort food and feel like a kid again. This is how chicken fingers and sweet potato fries make me think. Chicken fingers are easy to make and fun to eat, and sweet potato fries are always a plus with any dish. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 4 chicken tenders, 1 sweet potato, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, black pepper, smoked bourbon sugar, garlic and herb seasoning, Tajin. Mayonaisse and Franks hot sauce.

DIRECTIONS: Peel your sweet potato and cut into strips. Place in a bowl and toss with some avocado oil, smoked bourbon sugar, and black pepper. Place in your air fryer. Cook for ten minutes, after ten minutes shake and cook for another 10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking scramble and egg on a dish. On another dish add breadcrumbs and seasoning and mix all together. Once the potatoes are done, place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Roll one chicken tender in the egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Place in the air fryer and continue with the other three. Cook for 10 minutes, turn over, and cook for another 10 minutes. I made a quick sauce using some mayonnaise and Franks hot sauce. Enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

I bought a chorizo sausage at the local butcher store, Armando’s, and was trying to decide how to make something with it. I also have some raw shrimp in the freezer and some rice, so I thought about making my version of a Jambalaya. I made some Spanish rice using some salsa that I bought, and used more of the salsa for the sausage and shrimp. This chorizo from Armando’s was very good. I want to go back and try some of their other sausages. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 chorizo, 6 raw shrimp, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 slice onion, 2 cloves garlic, chicken broth, and salsa.

DIRECTIONS: Start your rice first. Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup salsa and 1 cup rice, stir and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. While the rice is cooking, pour some avocado oil into a frying pan. Slice your carrot and celery, press 2 cloves of garlic in the pan, and saute. Chop your onion and add that to the pan. Remove the casing of your chorizo and crumble and brown in the same pan. Once the chorizo is brown, add 1/4 cup salsa and mix it all together. Add your raw shrimp and continue cooking till the shrimp is cooked. Your rice should be ready at this point. Use half the rice and add it to the mixture. Stir and serve. Cooking for one can be fun.

I have shown you how to shred chicken before but it is an easy go-to thing to do and have on hand for a quick meal. I used the shredded chicken this time for a salad. You can use the remaining during the week in tacos or even as protein for breakfast in some scrambled eggs. You could add some mayo, pickle relish, and make a chicken salad sandwich. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 2 organic chicken breasts, Artisan romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, Panera Caesar dressing.

DIRECTIONS: Start by covering the chicken breast with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. While the chicken is boiling, make your salad. Add all the ingredients to a large salad bowl. Once the chicken is done, shred it using two forks. Add the amount you feel you want in your salad. Add the dressing and toss. Cooking for one can be fun.