I thought I would be creative and make some cheesy rice with spinach, tomatoes, onions, and pesto. I also have the perfect piece of salmon for one that I had in the freezer. I buy the fresh salmon at Costco and then cut it into serving sizes then seal-a-meal them and freeze it. They are great to just pull out for a quick meal. The rice turned out great and had lots of flavor. I didn’t add any seasoning to it. The pesto and cheese added enough on its own. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: Salmon or chicken (whatever you have), 1/2 cup basmati rice, 6-7 cherry tomatoes, a handful of spinach, 1 slice onion, 1 clove garlic, 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1 large spoonful of pesto

Directions: Pour a little over 1 cup water into a saucepan. Press in one clove of garlic. Chop one slice of white onion. Slice in half the cherry tomatoes. Chop your handful of spinach. Add all of these to your pan and bring it to a boil. While that is coming to a boil, squeeze 1/2 lemon on the salmon and a spoonful of jalapeno pepper jam on top. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup rice and 3/4 cup shredded cheese, and a large spoonful of pesto. Stir and cover for 20 minutes. Start your barbecue for your salmon. Cook the salmon on medium for 15 minutes. Everything should be ready at the same time. This meal should take 30 minutes to prepare. Enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Potato salad is such a fun summer salad and you don’t have to make a large bowl. You can just make a small amount for yourself to enjoy. I used four red potatoes, however, two would make a smaller batch for one. You can also add celery and onion if you want to. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 4 red potatoes, 2 hard-boiled eggs, pickles, mayonnaise, mustard. option to add celery and onion

Directions: Hard boil your 2 eggs then place them in an ice bath and put them in the refrigerator. I boil my eggs for 15 minutes, start to finish and they turn out perfect. Cut your potatoes into bite-size pieces and bring them to a boil in a small pot. Cook till soft. Drain your potatoes and let them cool. You can place the potatoes in a bowl and cool them in the fridge along with the eggs. Once they are cool add the potatoes to a bowl. Chop your two eggs and add them to the bowl. Chop some pickles, your choice of dill or sweet. Add them to the bowl. Sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper, Bragg 24 herb and spices. Add 2 tablespoons mayo and 1 tablespoon mustard. Mix this all together. Let it set for an hour before serving. You can serve it with sausage, chicken, or salmon. Cooking for one can be fun.

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A few days ago I cooked up some tri-tip and even though it was a small piece I had some left over so I decided to make some tacos. They are so quick and easy. I like to keep on hand organic taco shells because it does make a quick meal and is so much better than fast food tacos. I heated up the tri-tip in a small frying pan with a little oil and it made the meat crisp like Mexican beef tacos. It only took about 10 minutes to heat up. They were really good and clean-up was a breeze. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 3 slices tri-tip, 2 organic taco shells, Pico de Gallo, Mexican shredded cheese, sour cream, pepper sauce

Directions: Cut your tri-tip into small pieces. Heat in a frying pan with a little oil. While the meat is heating up, put some cheese in the bottom of the shells. I like Pepper Plant hot pepper sauce, the flavor is great and it is not really that hot, to me anyway. Fill your taco shells with the meat and top with sour cream and Pico de Gallo. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Tri-tip is a quick and easy meal to make. You should marinate it for a couple of hours before cooking. But once you are ready to cook it takes only 15-20 minutes for a small piece for one. I served this with red potatoes and a cucumber salad. Both are easy also. The cucumber salad you can make at the same time you are marinating the beef as the salad should marinate also. You can prep the potatoes and have them ready to put in the oven along with the tri-tip. I used the oven this time but this is also great on the barbecue. The rule for cooking tri-tip is to cook for 10-15 minutes per pound. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 small piece tri-tip (1-2 pounds), 2 red potatoes, 1/2 cucumber, lemon. Seasoning: Classic steak seasoning, Bragg 24 herbs and spices, garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, parsley.

Directions: Season your tri-tip on both sides generously with Classic steak seasoning, Bragg 24 herbs and spices, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours. While the meat is marinating, peel and slice your cucumber. Add them to a small bowl and squeeze one lemon and toss. Add some thyme, toss, and cover. Let the cucumbers marinate for a few hours too. Cut two red potatoes into quarters and add to a bowl. Pour a little olive oil over the potatoes to coat. Sprinkle with some garlic powder, parsley, and black pepper. Mix that all together. Place in a large piece of foil and wrap tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, once hot, place your tri-tip in the pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side. Then place the oven-proof pan into a 400-degree oven and roast for 10 minutes per pound. Make a donut out of foil and let the beef rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes and cucumbers. Cooking for one can be fun.

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Do you ever find yourself with leftovers and need to figure out what to do with them to use them up? Well, that is what I had to figure out. I have some leftover garbanzo beans, some ground beef that I have leftover from making tacos, a few cherry tomatoes, and an avocado. I also had a flour tortilla and some Mexican cheese blend. I decided I could make a burrito which is a perfect meal for one and used up all the leftovers in the fridge. This is also really quick and easy to make. If you have some leftovers and are not sure what to make, send the ingredients in a message, and let’s see if I can come up with something fun to make. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: Ground beef, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, green salsa

Directions: Heat your ground beef in a frying pan. I did not need to season it, as it was already seasoned from making tacos. Slice your cherry tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add your leftover garbanzo beans. Continue cooking till the tomatoes are soft. Add some Jardine’s street taco sauce with hatch chili. Add as much or as little as you like for spiciness. Add a dollop of sour cream, and stir. While that continues to heat up, Heat your flour tortilla in a large skillet. Flip and add the cheese and let it melt. Fill with the meat mixture and some slices of avocado and fold into a burrito. Yummy. Cooking for one can be fun.

I love Thai food, do you? The other day at the grocery store I picked up A Taste of Thai peanut sauce mix. I added shredded chicken and some veggies along with Ramen noodles. This sauce turned out amazing. I recommend any sauce mixes from A Taste of Thai. I am sure they are all really good. It does make a big batch, but I didn’t mind. It was enough for three meals. This cooks quickly as you want to leave your veggies on the crisp side and not overcook them. Ramen noodles cook in three minutes so before you know it your dinner is ready. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 cup shredded chicken, 1/4 red bell pepper, 1 carrot, 1 zucchini, 2 cloves garlic, 1 package A Taste of Thai peanut sauce, 1 can organic coconut milk.

Directions: Slice your carrots criss-cross and slice your zucchini. Slice the red bell pepper into strips. Using the Pampered Chef garlic slicer, slice your garlic. Add some olive oil to your frying pan. Heat and add the garlic, carrots, red bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute for a few minutes but don’t overcook, leave crisp. Bring some water to a boil for your noodles. Add the coconut milk to your veggies. Add the chicken. Pour in your Thai peanut sauce mix and stir. Bring it to a boil and let the sauce thicken. Cook your ramen noodles. Add your noodles to the Thai sauce with the veggies and chicken and stir. Serve. Cooking for one can be fun.

I love tarragon with chicken. Poaching the chicken in white wine adds flavor and keeps the chicken so moist. Chicken salad is a nice thing to keep on hand for a quick lunch or dinner. Add it to a salad, or make a sandwich or even a wrap. Chicken salad is also good by itself with some crackers. It is quick and easy to make. You can add other fun items like apples or grapes. Blue cheese or parmesan. Walnuts or pistachios. Be creative because cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 organic chicken breast, 1 cup white wine, tarragon, garlic powder, lemon pepper, organic mayonnaise, French Dijon mustard. Choice of lettuce, avocado, walnuts or sourdough bread, or tortilla wrap.

Directions: Season your chicken with lots of tarragon, garlic powder, and lemon pepper on both sides. Add 1 cup of white wine to a large skillet. Add your chicken breast, cover the pan, and cook on low for 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure there is still wine in the pan, if it is low add more wine. Once your chicken is done, remove it from the pan and let it cool slightly. Slice your chicken, then dice it. Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add one generous spoonful of mayo and one generous teaspoonful of mustard. Stir and you are ready to serve with a salad or as a sandwich. Cooking for one can be fun.

You know frittatas are so easy to make and you can put so many ingredients in them to suit your mood. I made one using fresh veggies that I have on hand and fresh herbs from my hydroponic garden. This can be a little time-consuming, so I suggest you make it the night before and just bake it in the morning. It is fun to get creative and mix anything from artichokes to sausages in your egg mix. I like adding pesto now since my Granddaughter turned me on to how good this is with eggs. I also use sour cream instead of milk making the frittata moist. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 6 eggs, 1/4 red bell pepper, 1 green onion, handful spinach, 6 cherry tomatoes, arugula, basil, cilantro, thyme, oregano, 1/4 cup goat cheese, 1 teaspoon pesto, a dollop of sour cream, 1 teaspoon ghee

Directions: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut up the bell pepper and onion into bite-size pieces and saute in a small frying pan with the ghee. When the peppers and onions start to get soft, slice the spinach and tomatoes and add them to the pan and saute. Chop up your fresh herbs and add that to the mixture. In a medium bowl crack 6 eggs. Add the pesto, goat cheese, veggies, and herbs. Using your whisk, scoop up a dollop of sour cream and whip this all together. Pour the egg mixture into a greased pie dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with fruit or toast and your favorite beverage. I like my green juice in the morning along with blueberries and bananas and plain Greek yogurt. Cooking for one can be fun.

It is fun to get creative with some spices and organic chicken thighs. I am using turmeric, smoked paprika, black pepper, and this wonderful Bourbon smoked sugar I bought at a really nice spice shop. The lady in the spice shop told me that the Bourbon smoked sugar is great on salmon, pork, peaches, and even on a sweet potato. I thought it would be great to put on the chicken thighs. Also, I will fry some garbanzo beans to add a little flair to this dish. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 package organic chicken thighs, garbanzo beans, black rice, turmeric, smoked paprika, and Bourbon smoked sugar. If you don’t have the Bourbon smoked sugar, organic sugar can be substituted. 1 lemon, 2 cloves garlic. 2tablespoon yogurt, 1 teaspoon French Dijon Mustard

Directions: Put a generous amount of olive oil in a frying pan. Season both sides of your chicken thighs with the smoked paprika, and turmeric, and lightly sprinkle on the Bourbon smoked sugar. Start your black rice by following the directions on the package. I added a teaspoon of truffle oil to the rice for some added flavor. Cook your chicken thighs in the pan browning them and cooking till firm and done. Squeeze one lemon and continue cooking. Remove the chicken. In the same pan, you cooked the chicken, press two cloves of garlic and add the garbanzo beans. Add a little more oil if needed and fry the beans till crisp. While the beans are cooking, mix some French Dijon mustard with some yogurt for a spicy sauce. Serve with black rice. Cooking for one can be fun.