I love being creative. Sometimes I think of something fun with the simplest food items. I found a package of chicken tenders in the freezer and thought it would be fun to skewer them, and grill them, and then I was thinking of something different to marinade them in. I ended up using Bragg coconut liquid amino which is like soy sauce but has less sodium and is much better for you. Then I decided to make a peanut sauce but in this case a sunflower seed sauce with items that I had in the pantry. You can use any nut spread that you have, be it almond butter or cashew butter, or peanut butter, they all work. The package of organic chicken tenders had 12 pieces in it and I cooked them all up and will have them during the week with rice, noodles, or a salad. The peanut sauce will make a good salad dressing, add a little more rice vinegar to thin it making it more like a salad dressing. The sauce will also mix nicely with Asian noodles or rice. Just cut up a few of the grilled chicken tenders and toss them with the salad, rice, or noodles. You could add green onions and carrots and peas to make it really fun and delicious. Remember, cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 package organic chicken tenders, Bragg coconut liquid amino, 1/2 cup favorite nut butter, 1 TBL brown sugar, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1/2 TBL Bragg coconut liquid amino, 1/2 TBL teriyaki sauce, 1/2 cup coconut milk, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to your taste.

Directions for the chicken skewers: Take your package of organic chicken tenders and season with dash-free salt and pepper and poultry seasoning. Place in a baggie and coat with Bragg coconut liquid amino. Seal and place in the refrigerator for several hours. When ready, soak skewers in water for 15 minutes. Skewer the chicken tenders. Turn on your grill high at first then lower to medium. Place the skewers on the grill and turn every 3-4 minutes till done. You can serve these hot or cold.

Directions for the peanut sauce: Place all the above ingredients in a bowl and whisk them all together. If it is too thick, add a little more coconut milk. You should end up with a nice creamy sauce that is delicious with the chicken skewers. Using the sauce for the next time, add a little more coconut milk or rice vinegar to thin it out. Cooking for one can be fun.

When cooking for one, an easy way to portion a serving of organic, free-range, ground turkey is to divide it into four sections, wrap each section in foil, freeze two, and save two for something to make during the week. I’m going to make a turkey burger with one quarter and saute another quarter later on with leftover rice and broccoli I have in the freezer. The other two portions in the freezer can be a great grab-and-go and ready to make for another meal later down the road. Making the turkey burger takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. You can enjoy your turkey burger with a salad or chips. Chips aren’t the best for you, however, there are healthier chips, so look for the ones with low sodium and organic.

Ingredients: 1/4 PD of organic ground turkey, 1/4 c bread crumbs, 1tsp garlic powder, 1tsp Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute, pepper, barbecue sauce. Cheddar cheese, hamburger brioche bun, spinach, tomato, red onion, pickles, mustard.

Directions: Place your organic ground turkey in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with your hands. Shape into a nice turkey patty. Add some barbecue sauce on top. Start your grill on high and reduce to med. Place the burger and add more barbecue sauce after each turn. Grill for about 2 minutes each side turning about 4 times. Add the cheese, use the cheese of your choice, and heat the brioche bun. You can get creative with what you may want on your burger or just what you might have in your fridge. You may want ketchup or mayo or add avocado. Make it fun because cooking for one can be fun.

Salmon is so healthy for you and so easy to cook. Cooking salmon takes about 15-20 minutes. I grilled the wild-caught salmon on the barbecue topping it with my good friend, Betty Pace’s, red bell pepper jalapeno jam. We can’t all enjoy Betty’s fabulous homemade jam, but you can find jalapeno jam at your local grocery store or farmer’s markets. I served my wild-caught salmon with basmati coconut curry rice. The rice flavors and the spicy barbecue salmon are a taste treat I am sure you will enjoy. This meal takes less than 30 minutes to make. When making the rice as a large batch you can enjoy it the next day, but freeze half for another meal down the road. Costco has a great price on wild-caught salmon. I buy the smallest package and when I get home, I section it into one serving, wrap it in foil and freeze them in a marked baggie. This makes it so convenient to just pull out your one serving when you want.

Ingredients: Salmon, lemon, red bell pepper jalapeno jam. 1cup basmati rice, 1 can organic coconut milk, 1tsp turmeric, 1tsp curry powder, and 1 cup water.

Directions: Take your serving of wild-caught salmon. Squeeze 1/2 lemon onto the salmon. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a spoonful of your jalapeno jam and spread it on top of the salmon. Set aside and start your rice. Bring to boil 1cup of water with one can of organic coconut milk. Add the spices to the water mixture. Rinse one cup of rice in a strainer. Add the rice when the water comes to a boil. Cover and lower heat to a simmer and set a timer for 20 minutes. Start your barbecue grill. Spray the grill with vegetable oil so the fish won’t stick. Lower the grill to a low and place the salmon on the grill. Close the cover and let it cook slowly for 15 minutes while the rice cooks. Both the rice and the salmon should be done at the same time. Enjoy and remember cooking for one can be fun.

Cooking for one can be fun and sometimes you can cook for your friends too. Summertime is a fun time to get together with friends and family for barbecues or picnics or concerts in the park. Ceviche is nice and refreshing on a hot summer night. Ceviche is also best to make the day or night before because the longer it sits the better the flavor. This dish is a little time-consuming because you need to chop everything so small. Just turn on a little music and dance while chopping, making it fun. Be sure to wear gloves while chopping the jalapeno so you don’t get it on your skin or in your eyes. Another tip I just learned is that if you put a bowl of water next to your cutting board while chopping onions you won’t tear. I wish I could remember where I saw this idea to give her the credit for this tip, however, it does help. Since I was taking this to a summer concert in the park, I took a large container, placed a smaller one inside and filled the large one with water, and placed it in the freezer. The next day when I was getting ready to go to the park, I added the ceviche to the smaller bowl that was surrounded by ice. This kept the ceviche cold all night. The ceviche was a big hit with my friends.

Ingredients: 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 red onion, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 jalapeno, 1 avocado, 12 medium shrimps, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 2 lemons, 3 limes

Directions: Use a medium size bowl. Cut half of the cucumber in half and then in half again and dice it into small pieces. Chop 1/2 of the red onion until you have small pieces. Cut the Roma tomatoes into quarters and deseed. Then chop the tomatoes till you have small pieces. Cut the stem off the jalapeno using your gloves. Cut the jalapeno in half and deseed. Chop the jalapeno into small pieces. I used half of the jalapeno for this dish and since I had my gloves on I chopped the other half and put it into a small container to use later for another recipe. Add the jalapeno to the bowl. Rinse your cilantro and chop finely. Cut your avocado in half and remove the seed. Slice and make small squares and spoon out into the bowl. Chop the 12 medium shrimps into small pieces and add to the bowl. After all the ingredients are in the bowl, squeeze the lemons and limes. Stir and mix thoroughly. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Serve with fresh, homemade tortillas that you can purchase at your local market.

Every once in a while, you need to spoil yourself and make something that isn’t the healthiest, but you feel like being bad. It’s just like making your comfort food. So, the other day I was at Trader Joe’s and saw the gnocchi in the pasta section and they looked so good, that I had to buy them. Using the gnocchi, organic chicken thighs, and some pesto, I made a hearty dinner for one. This is really simple to make and can be made in less than 30 minutes. Once you open the gnocchi package you need to refrigerate them and use in a week. Cooking for one it isn’t feasible to eat a full package in one week unless you really love gnocchi and make it several times during the week. I used two-thirds of the package for this meal and then divided the remainder into two servings placed in a baggie and placed in the freezer. For the chicken thigh package, I only used 1 1/2 for this recipe and then placed the other 2 1/2 and placed in a baggie to use later on in the week. Later in the week I ended up boiling them and shredding the chicken thighs and used them one time in a salad and another time I made a chicken quesadilla. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 organic chicken thighs, 1/3 Trader Joe’s gnocchi, large spoonful pesto, 2 cloves garlic, gouda cheese, olive oil.

Directions: Take one package of organic chicken thighs and cut them into bite-size pieces and chop two cloves of garlic. Place some olive oil in a pan, heat, and add the chicken and garlic. I know the pesto has plenty of garlic but cooking the garlic with the chicken thighs brings out a nice crispy garlic flavor. Cook the chicken till it’s brown and done. Heat in a small saucepan some water to boiling. Add the gnocchi and cook for only 3 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and add to the pan with the chicken and garlic. Add a generous spoonful of pesto and stir and heat through. Grate some gouda cheese to make it rich and creamy. Serve and enjoy.

One of my favorite online magazines for cooking recipes and products is Food52. They have amazing recipes and really cool products. Check them out http://www.food52.com I found this recipe for avocado fries at Food52 by author Nik Sharma and they turned out amazing. Cooking for one, I halved the recipe and used only 1 avocado. I served the fries with a blackened chicken thigh on a brioche bun. One tip that Nik suggested is to use an avocado that is firm and not too soft. Also, do not handle the avocado too much as it will bruise. This recipe is taken from Food 52, author Nik Sharma.

Ingredients: You will want half this amount, except for the egg. I scrambled the egg and had it for breakfast the next day.

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (60 grams) panko bread crumbs
• ¹/₂ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¹/₂ teaspoon onion powder
• ¹/₂ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¹/₂ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
• ¹/₄ cup (60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 small (or 2 large) ripe, firm California Avocados

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 420°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the egg in a medium mixing bowl and lightly whisk it until combined.
3. Place the panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Dry whisk to thoroughly combine, then fold in the olive oil. The panko should absorb the olive oil and no longer be dry and white but turn translucent.
4. Work with one avocado at a time, to avoid browning of the cut fruit. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, then remove and discard the seed and peel the skin. Cut the avocado into ½-inch-thick wedges and lay them out on the cutting board. Season lightly with salt.
5. Using a fork and a large spoon, dip the avocado wedges into the whisked egg, drain the excess egg, and add the avocado to the panko mixture. Toss to coat well, transfer with a fork, tapping gently to remove any excess crumbs, and place the breaded avocado wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Prepare all the avocado wedges similarly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp, rotating halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and serve hot (or warm) with the sriracha mayo. Note: These are best eaten within an hour of cooking.

To make the blackened chicken sandwich you will need. Ingredients: organic chicken thighs, organic mexi mix seasoning by Engage Organics, olive oil, brioche bun. Optional: onion, garlic, olive oil.

Directions: I used half of the package of organic chicken thighs. Sprinkle generously with the mexi mix spice. Heat some oil in a frying pan then add the chicken thighs. Fry till crisp and blackened and firm. Take the chicken out of the pan, add a little more oil and cook one slice of onion and some chopped garlic. I like to get my garlic crisp and onions soft. Just add the chicken to your warmed brioche bun and top with the onions and garlic and serve with the avocado fries. Nik Sharma suggested making a sriracha mayo sauce, which I did and used on the sandwich and with the fries. I didn’t measure but added mayo to a small dipping bowl, sriracha to taste, and squeezed some lemon into the bowl and mixed. Makes a great spicy dip and sandwich spread.

Most packaged organic chicken thighs come with 4 thighs. I cooked up 2 1/2 for the sandwich even though I only used one. I had leftover fries and chicken and did a repeat the next day. So yummy. I took the other half of the organic chicken thighs and boiled them and shredded them for another meal. Shredded chicken thighs can be used in a salad or quesadilla. Remember, cooking for one can be fun.

Baking chicken in parchment paper makes your chicken so moist and tender. It’s one of my favorite ways to cook chicken. The marinade I use is also perfect for barbecuing. I served the chicken with butternut squash. I don’t normally buy packaged frozen foods because they have too much salt and preservatives in them. However, EarthBound Organic frozen veggies do not have any preservatives or salt in them. They are just organic pure vegetables. This makes it so much easier than buying a whole butternut squash and trying to eat it in one or two servings. The frozen EarthBound veggies are perfect for us solo cookers because you can cook just a small amount and freeze the rest.

Ingredients: 1 organic chicken breast, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, celery seed, dried mustard, pepper, and salt-free dash, 1 lemon, and olive oil.

Directions: Cut your chicken breast length-wise in half. Season with all the above spices on both sides of the breast. Place in a large baggie. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the baggie. Add olive oil to coat. Seal the baggie and mix it all together. Place in the fridge for 2-4 hours or overnight. When done, line a cookie sheet with foil. Take a large sheet of parchment paper on top of the foiled cookie sheet. Place the chicken on top of the parchment paper. Fold over the top and bottom, then fold the sides over. Place seam-side down on the cookie sheet. Bake at 420 degrees for 30 minutes. Unwrap and make sure the chicken is done. Serve with your favorite vegetables. Enjoy cooking for one, it can be fun.

This is a low-sodium, low-calorie meal that takes about 20 minutes to make. You can use your air-fryer for the broccoli but I used the same pan as I did cooking the chicken cutlets. Once I started cooking for one, which is fun, I started losing weight, which is always a good thing.

Ingredients: 1 organic chicken breast, 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, avocado oil, 1 bunch of organic broccoli, salt-free dash, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.

Directions: Cut one organic chicken breast in half. Put one egg on one plate and scramble. Add flour and seasoning, to taste, to another plate and mix with a fork. Take some avocado oil to a pan and cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat on medium. Take your chicken breast and roll it in the egg then the flour mixture and place in the heated oiled pan. Cook till brown and firm. While the chicken is cooking, cut the tops of the broccoli and roll them in the egg and then roll them in the flour mixture and set aside till the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and add a little more avocado oil to the pan. Add the broccoli tops and fry till brown. The chicken cutlets and the broccoli bites are both nice and crisp and yummy.

If you want to make some gravy, it is really easy. Add a little more oil to the pan and a tablespoon of flour. Mix it up till it is not lumpy but nice and smooth. Add a cup of milk and whisk while heating. It should thicken as it heats up. I added a little more salt-free dash, pepper, and garlic powder. If it is not thick enough you can always make a little roux by taking another tablespoon of flour in a cup and adding oil till blended smooth. Add this to the milk mixture and whisk it till it thickens. Remember, cooking for one can be fun.

A hydroponic garden is so much fun to have. It is so fun to watch the herbs grow. I have harvested several herbs, oregano, basil, cilantro, rosemary, sage, and thyme, and dried them to use later or fresh from the garden. The idoo hydroponic garden that was given to me as a wonderful gift is one I recommend. I did discover that some pods don’t always grow but you can replace them, add a new seed and watch it grow. Another thing I found is you need to restart your garden every so often, at least every 4-6 months. I went to replace a few herbs with vegetables and when I did I discovered that it is one big root ball underneath in the water. I had to cut it all off and start the whole thing over. This was a blessing to find out as the roots were starting to strangle the air filter that keeps the water flowing underneath. So I started fresh and planted more basil and oregano and decided I would try to plant organic lettuce and tomatoes. The lettuce has grown like crazy and the tomatoes are doing really well but no flowers yet. Not sure how they are going to grow yet, but I will keep you posted.

So I harvested the lettuce. Cutting enough for two salads but only prepared one and will have lettuce for later in the week. The beauty of growing lettuce indoors is that you don’t have to share it with the bugs and it is so natural you don’t even have to wash it. It is also perfect for one!

I made a wonderful salad using the ingredients I had in the fridge. I used frozen shrimp, hard-boiled egg, grape tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, avocado, black olives, and feta cheese. After cutting the lettuce into my salad bowl, I cut up the red onion, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 avocado, 5-6 black olives, 5 grape tomatoes cut in half and then I quartered the hard-boiled egg, added about 5 shrimp and a spoonful of feta cheese. I tossed it with a balsamic vinegarette. So healthy, easy, quick, and delicious. So remember, cooking for one can be fun.

This honey mustard garlic marinade is sweet and spicey. You can make this marinade in the morning or the night before. The longer it sits the more flavorful the chicken thighs will be. Most organic chicken thighs come with about 4 in a package. You can barbecue them all up, enjoy one the first night, and then have 3 later in the week. Or you can cook just two and leave two in the marinade bag and freeze them to enjoy at another time.

Ingredients: Organic chicken thighs, 3 TBL organic honey, 2 TBL avocado oil, 1 TBL whole grain mustard, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and dried cilantro, season to taste with Crystal hot sauce and red pepper flakes.

Directions: Take a small bowl and add all of the above ingredients and whisk. Note: add as much or as little of the hot sauce and pepper flakes to your taste. Make it as spicy as you might like. I also dried the cilantro from my hydroponic herb garden, but you can use regular dried cilantro from the spice section at the grocery store. Pour the marinade into a large baggie and add the chicken thighs. Mix together, seal the bag, and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. When ready to barbecue pull the chicken thighs out. Heat your barbecue to 300 degrees then turn the burners on low. Turn the chicken thighs every 3-4 minutes and watch carefully. The honey burns quickly. They take about 15 minutes to cook. This marinade is sweet and spicy and the charcoal of the burnt honey adds an extra smokiness that is a bonus to the flavor. Enjoy, cooking for one can be fun.