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.

There is nothing like some homemade chicken soup during the cold and flu season. This is a simple, quick recipe to make a small batch of chicken soup for one because cooking for one can be fun. You can add different vegetables if you like. I just happened to have asparagus and carrots on hand. I know it is quicker and easier to open a can of soup from the grocery store, however, they are usually loaded with sodium and preservatives. You can buy the low sodium which is better. I think making this soup from scratch is more fun and healthier. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 small piece of chicken, 10 cheese tortellini, 1 carrot, 3 asparagus, 1/2 box chicken stock, turmeric, garlic powder, onion flakes, Italian herbs.

DIRECTIONS: Pour a little olive oil into a saucepan. Cut your carrots and begin sauteing them. Cut your chicken into bite-size pieces. Brown your chicken. Season with turmeric, which is good for colds, garlic powder, onion flakes, and Italian herbs. Once the chicken is brown cut your asparagus and add that to the mix. Pour in 1/2 box of chicken stock. Place 10 tortellini in the soup. Continue cooking till the tortellini are soft. This makes two servings. Cooking for one can be fun.

Walking through my favorite store, Trader Joe’s, I came across their pizza dough. I grabbed the herb and garlic one and thought I can make individual pizzas. I haven’t made a pizza in years, not sure why not, but this will be fun to make. I cut the dough into thirds. I topped mine with lots of fun things that are in the fridge and the chicken I had in the freezer. I also bought some Trader Joe’s pesto that I will use as the base. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/3 Trader Joe’s pizza dough, Trader Joe’s pesto sauce, 1 chicken cutlet, Greek olives, sundried tomatoes, gouda cheese, feta cheese, parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: Cook your chicken in a little olive oil. Season with garlic powder, black pepper, salt-free dash. While the chicken is cooking cut 1/3 of the pizza dough. Using a little flour on the counter, spread out the pizza dough. Shape and place on a pizza stone. Spread some pesto evenly on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cut your olives in half and slice your sundried tomatoes. Place on top of the pizza. Slice your chicken and add that to the pizza. Cover with grated cheese. Add a small amount of feta cheese. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. Cooking for one can be fun.

Cooking for one can be fun and tricky. I will make a one-pan oven dish using organic chicken thighs and rice. I will make the whole package of chicken thighs to freeze part of it and enjoy two servings, one for now and the other for later in the week. This package of chicken thighs had 5 thighs so I will freeze three and enjoy the other two later. The combination of paprika and thyme is a delicious combination. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 package of Mary’s organic chicken thighs, 1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice, 1 slice red onion, olive oil, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, garlic powder, paprika, thyme

DIRECTIONS: Pour some olive oil to coat the bottom of a baking dish. Add one slice of red onion, chopped. Bake the onions at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While that is baking, mix all the seasoning together and coat the chicken thighs on both sides. Add rice to the onions and mix well. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Add 2 cloves of garlic minced. Place the chicken thighs on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Easy one-dish meal. Cooking for one can be fun.

My dear friend, Debbie, gave me this tarragon chicken salad. She has passed away, but I love making it and thinking about our good times together. This salad is easy to make. I used two chicken breasts because I like to enjoy it all week. You can make a lettuce wrap, or a sandwich, or put on some crackers. It is also good by itself. Also, I just bought myself a little Christmas gift and bought a titanium cutting board. The plastic boards after using it a lot will start to put plastic pieces in your food. The wooden cutting boards can put splinters in your food. I also like this titanium cutting board because it won’t contaminate the food. It cleans easily too. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 2 organic chicken breast, Greek yogurt, lemon, tarragon, 12 red grapes, pecan pieces, olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Pour a little olive oil into a baking dish and spread it around the bottom. Place your chicken breast in the dish and squeeze one lemon over them. Spread some Greek yogurt on both sides of the chicken. Sprinkle the tarragon, generously, over the top. You can also add some black pepper and salt if desired. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Let the chicken breast cool. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Cut the red grapes in half and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle in some pecan pieces. Add a large spoonful of mayonnaise. I added a small spoonful of some homemade cranberry sauce. Stir this all together. Refrigerate and enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

Making turkey meatballs can be messy and fun because cooking for one can be fun. I used the whole package of organic ground turkey but only used 6 for the soup. I enjoyed the remaining meatballs during the week as a sandwich and sometimes a quick bite of protein. I have enjoyed having them on hand. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 pd organic ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, 1 egg, rosemary, garlic powder, black pepper, sweet paprika. For the soup, 3/4 box organic chicken broth, 1 carrot, 1 slice onion, handful of spinach, 1/4 cup rice, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper.

DIRECTIONS: Add the ground turkey to a bowl. Cover with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Add the egg and season generously. Mix everything together with your hands. Once everything is mixed in, start making small meatballs and placing them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking start your soup by pouring some chicken stock in your pot. Add the rice and let it cook with the chicken stock. Slice one carrot and one onion and add to the stock. Season generously. Simmer this all together. Once the meatballs are done, slice the spinach and add it to the soup. Gently place the meatballs in the soup and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Serve with some warm bread. Cooking for one can be fun.

Having rice in the pantry is always a good idea for a quick meal. You can serve rice with any protein. I have two pork loins in the freezer and decided to thaw them and fry up some rice and veggies. When you cook one cup of rice it does make a lot but once I finished making this pork fried rice it gave me enough to enjoy during the week. This is nice because it is a quick and easy heat-up and enjoyable meal. When I heat it up again, add an egg to the dish for a little extra taste. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup rice, 2 cups chicken broth, 2 pork loins, 1/4 green bell pepper, 1 carrot, 3 green onions, 1 clove garlic, parsley, thyme, black pepper, salt-free dash, olive oil, 2 tbs butter

DIRECTIONS: Place chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Add your rice and simmer for 20 minutes. While that is cooking. Cut your pork loin into very small pieces. Slice your carrot, bell pepper, and green onion. (You can add any vegetables that you might have on hand.) After your rice has cooked, take a large frying pan add some olive oil and butter, and heat. Press in one clove of garlic. Add the rice and begin to stir and fry. Add your pork let it brown and fry with the rice. Add your carrots and let them soften. Add the green peppers and onions. Keep stirring and frying. Add some fresh parsley and stir. Add some soy sauce if desired. Serve. Cooking for one can be fun.