One of my very dear friends brought me a sack full of homegrown tomatoes. Cooking for one can be fun, however, that is a lot of tomatoes for one person, even though I really appreciated all the delicious tomatoes. I thought I would make some homemade marinara sauce. I looked up several ideas from different recipes and made one that included some excellent advice and added them to make my own. I just made the sauce, then froze it, and will enjoy it later. I did try it and it is delicious and will be so good down the road. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 10 tomatoes, black pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning, dried basil (from my hydroponic garden), 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS: Cut the top off the tomatoes. Place in a Vitamix or blender and puree. Pour the mix into a large pan. I used a generous amount of all the seasoning. Press the garlic into the sauce. Add the wine, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Stir and simmer on low for an hour covered. I let it cool a little then pureed it once more. I poured the sauce into a container, labeled it, and placed it in the freezer. Cooking for one can be fun.

I made some fritters using just 1/4 pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken. These are perfect for one because cooking for one can be fun. I modified a fritter recipe by adding the ground chicken and the veggies. I also made a nice dip using just mayo and hot pepper sauce. They were effortless and quick to make and delicious. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken, 1 egg, 1 slice onion, 1 slice red bell pepper, 2 jalapenos, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup grated gouda cheese, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, grapeseed oil

DIRECTIONS: Chop your onion, your red bell pepper, and your jalapenos. Place these in a small bowl. Add your ground chicken, egg, and flour. Season to taste. Mix thoroughly. Once all mixed together, heat some grapeseed oil in a frying pan. Put enough just to cover the bottom of your frying pan. Using a large spoon place them in the heated oil. Let them cook through and brown on both sides. Mix a spoonful of mayonnaise with some shakes of hot pepper sauce together as a dip for your fritters. Cooking for one can be fun.

Costco had a four-pack of Mary’s organic ground chicken on sale so of course I had to buy it. I took one of the one-pound packages and divided it into four sections. This will make four meals for one perfect. The first meal I will make is Chinese chicken lettuce wraps. These are delicious and low in sodium, fat, and calories. This took less than 30 minutes to make. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 pound Mary’s organic ground chicken, lettuce, 2 cloves garlic, onion, red bell pepper, celery, jalapenos. For the sauce: 2 tablespoons each of rice vinegar, Braggs coconut aminos, teriyaki sauce. 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

DIRECTIONS: Pour a little avocado oil into a frying pan. Press 2 cloves garlic into the pan and saute. Dice one slice of onion and add it to the pan. Dice one stalk celery and one small piece of red bell pepper and add them to the pan. Add your ground chicken. Keep stirring and breaking up your ground chicken till brown. Slice a few jalapeno peppers and add them to the pan. Whisk all the ingredients for your sauce together. Add the sauce to the chicken mixture and cook till reduced. Once the sauce is reduced place the chicken mixture into a small bowl, then add a small amount into a lettuce leaf, roll, and enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

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The summer season is ending and now fall is upon us. So for a last summer salad, I thought this corn salad would be a delicious ending and a new beginning of the season. Roasting the corn gives the corn that smokey taste that adds so much to this salad. This is quick and easy to throw together and enjoy all week long. Serve it with chicken or salmon or just enjoy it by itself. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 2 ears of corn, 1 can organic black beans, 1 avocado, 10-12 cherry tomatoes, onion, 2 limes, Tajin spice.

DIRECTIONS: Sprinkle your corn with Tajin spice and wrap it in foil. Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Once the corn is done, open the foil and let the corn cool. Meanwhile, slice your cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a bowl. Cut one slice of red onion and dice and add that to the bowl. Drain your black beans and rinse then add them to the bowl. Cut the corn off the cob and add that to the bowl. Dice your avocado and add to the bowl. Then squeeze 2 limes and stir. Mix it all together and enjoy it with your favorite meat or fish or just by itself. This salad tastes like a veggie ceviche. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Now that fall has arrived, I thought a nice warm meal sounded good. I love this time of the year when the mornings are cool and the afternoons are warm. The leaves are starting to turn and everything is crisp and clean. I bought some hot Italian sausage and will make some meatballs with it along with some freshly made marinara sauce and fall colored pasta. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1pd sausage mild or hot, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 egg, basil, garlic powder, oregano, garlic herb seasoning. MARINARA SAUCE: 1 can tomato sauce, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tsp sugar, 3 cloves garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic herb seasoning, basil. Pasta of your choice. There are some pretty fall-colored ones available now.

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl add the sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese and sprinkle generously with the seasoning. Before getting your hands dirty, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then mix everything together using your hands. Once all mixed in start forming meatballs. I made 12 meatballs out of the pound so three meatballs are a 1/4 pound serving. Place the meatballs in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking, make your marinara sauce. Pour the tomato sauce into a large skillet. Add the red wine, and sugar and season generously. Press in the 3 cloves of garlic and let simmer. Start your pasta water and once it comes to a boil add the pasta and cook. Add 6 meatballs into the sauce and stir. Once the pasta is ready, add that to the skillet and stir. This was a really fun dish to make. I took the other 6 meatballs sealed 3 each in one pouch and froze them. This will make for a quick grab-and-cook meal for later. Cooking for one can be fun.

I love making these potatoes. They are quick and easy and clean-up is a breeze. They are really good on the barbecue because you get a smoky flavor from that, however, you can make them and throw them in the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and they turn out just as good. You can serve them with your favorite meat or fish or just enjoy them by themselves. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 small bag of petite medley potatoes, 1 shallot, 3 cloves garlic, rosemary, olive oil, pepper, and smoked paprika.

DIRECTIONS: Place the potatoes in a large bowl. If some potatoes are large, cute them in half. Slice the shallot. Mince the garlic and add both to the bowl. Add some olive oil, enough to coat the potatoes. Add the rosemary and pepper and paprika, salt if you like. Toss till everything is mixed. Take two large sheets of aluminum foil and crisscross them. Pour the potatoes onto the foil. Fold the aluminum foil over and seal. Take the other piece fold it over the other direction and seal. Place it on your grill on medium heat and cook for 25 minutes. Enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Recently I saw this YouTube video on cooking chicken breast using butter. It was a popup and I didn’t save it so I am sad that I can’t give credit to the person that gave me the idea to cook a chicken breast this special way. I know cooking in butter is fattening but this turned out so juicy and easy to make. I also used no-salt butter and salt-free Dash making this a low-sodium dish. I decided to make potatoes with it because I had a russet potato that I needed to make something out of. So I made a one-pan dish. Using the same pan for the potatoes and veggies gave them an extra flavor that turned out rich and delicious. Adding milk and sour cream made the potatoes nice and creamy. I had leftover potatoes so I cooked them up in the morning with some eggs. The chicken breast was very large so I got two meals out of this dish. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 organic chicken breast, 1 russet potato, 1/2 zucchini, 3 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, 6 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sour cream, chicken broth.

DIRECTIONS: Slice your chicken breast down the center but don’t cut all the way through. Then on each half of the chicken, slice again but not all the way through. Season with salt and pepper, I used salt-free Dash. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the center. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan and add some sliced garlic. Place your chicken breast in the pan with the butter side up. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking peel your potato and slice it into small pieces. Slice and quarter your half of zucchini. Slice one small shallot. Turn your chicken over and cook for another 5 minutes covered. Remove your chicken from the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and your sliced veggies. Cover the veggies with chicken broth and cook covered for 15 minutes. Add the milk and sour cream and stir. Cover and cook till the potatoes are soft about 10 more minutes but check after 5 minutes. Place your chicken back into the pan. Cover and heat for 5 minutes. Serve. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Sometimes you look for something quick and easy to make and this is what I did the other day. I had some artichoke hearts in a jar, Kalamata olives, and a jar of roasted red bell peppers. I also have some frozen shrimp in the freezer so I just put these all together with some pasta and made this dish in the same time it took to boil water and cook the pasta. Fresh shrimp is so much better than frozen, however, frozen is good to keep on hand for a quick meal. You can always go to your local fish market or the grocery store fish counter and buy 4-7 fresh shrimp to make this dish for one. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: A small amount of your favorite pasta, I used organic Nastri from Italy. 4-6 frozen shrimp, 1 lemon, 1 large piece of roasted red bell pepper, 6-7 Kalamata olives, 3 artichoke hearts, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 shallot, 2 tablespoons butter, and parmesan cheese.

Directions: Start your pasta water. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Press the garlic into the butter. Chop 1/2 shallot and saute with the garlic in the butter. Add your pasta to the water once it comes to a boil. Chop up the roasted red bell pepper. Squeeze one lemon into your pan. Stir your pasta and make sure it is covered in the water. Cut in half the olives and add to your pan. Add a small ladle of pasta water to the mixture. Cut some fresh basil into the pan. Stir. Slice three artichoke hearts and add them to the pan. Cut the tails off your shrimp and heat them in the pan. Toss in the pasta and serve with parmesan cheese. Cooking for one can be fun.

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My daughter was telling me about making little tostada cups and filling them with whatever you want. I found these Keto-certified tortillas by Guerrero. They have zero net carbs and only 25 calories. They are 0 sugar and high in fiber and low in sodium. And they actually taste good. I bought the street taco size for making the taco cups. I had some leftover turkey taco meat so I added some eggs and cheese and hot pepper sauce and made up some really easy and delicious breakfast tostadas. You can eat them with your hands so they make them a really good-to-go food when you are in a hurry. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 6 street taco tortillas, seasoned ground turkey, Cotija cheese, 2 eggs, a dollop of sour cream, hot pepper sauce

Directions: I used some ground turkey that was already cooked. If you need to start from scratch, cook up about 1/4 pd ground turkey meat with some taco seasoning. In a large bowl, place the eggs, turkey meat, Cotija cheese, dollop of sour cream, and hot pepper sauce to taste and scramble them all together till mixed thoroughly. Gently place the tortillas into the muffin tin and fold them so they form a nice cup. You do not have to oil the bottom of the muffin tins. Fill with the egg mixture. This made six cups for me. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm. The cups come out nice and crisp. Just grab and go. Cooking for one can be fun.

My dear friend Betty Pace makes this delicious red bell pepper jalapeno jam every year. She grows the peppers and puts her magic touch to make a delicious jam. I like using it on salmon but this time I made a marinade with it for some barbecue chicken. It was really simple and made the chicken so tender and juicy. You can find pepper jam at your local grocery store, however, Betty’s is the best. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 organic chicken breast, one lemon, jalapeno pepper jam. Thyme, basil, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, lemon pepper.

Directions: Season both sides of your chicken breast with the seasoning. Squeeze lemon on top and spread the pepper jam on both sides. Cover and place in the fridge and let it marinate for an hour. When you are ready, heat your barbecue to medium. Reduce the heat to low and place your chicken breast on the grill. Cook slowly, turning every five minutes, and spread more of the marinade each time you turn. Once your chicken is cooked through serve it with your favorite side dish or a salad. Cooking for one can be fun.

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