On those cold winter nights soup is always so warming and comforting. I made one of my favorite homemade potato leek soups that is very comforting and warming. You can make this in less than 30 minutes. I only used 1/2 box of chicken broth so it wouldn’t make too much because cooking for one can be fun. It still made enough for two meals. You can make a quesadilla or a grilled cheese sandwich to go along with this soup, however, the soup is also excellent alone. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 russet potato, 2 leeks, 1 stick of butter, 1 cup milk or heavy cream, 1/2 box of organic chicken broth, 2 cloves garlic, sour cream

Directions: Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large pan. Cut off the top and bottom of the leeks. Slice down the middle and remove the outer leaves and rinse. Slice and place the leeks in the pan with the butter and saute till soft. Season with salt-free Dash and pepper. Press two cloves of garlic into the pan. Keep sauteing till soft. Peel and dice your potato and add to the leeks. Season with 21 seasonings salute from Trader Joe’s and a little more salt-free Dash and pepper. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are soft. Place the soup in your blender and puree. Pour back into your large pan. Add 1/2 stick of butter, milk, and a large spoonful of sour cream. Stir and heat through. Serve. Cooking for one can be fun.

This pasta dish is easy, quick to make, and healthy. If you don’t want to do carbs you can make zucchini noodles and make this healthy. I added Greek olives and feta cheese and of course garlic. The aroma from this dish was so delectable too. This dish takes about 20 minutes to make basically the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: Fettuccini pasta, 8 cherry tomatoes, a large handful of spinach, 8 Kalamata olives, 2 cloves garlic, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, olive oil, white wine, Italian seasoning

Directions: Start your pasta water and bring it to a boil. In a large frying pan add some olive oil. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and add to the frying pan. Saute. Press two cloves of garlic into the pan with the tomatoes. Season with a generous amount of Italian seasoning. Slice the kalamata olives and add to the pan. Pour white wine to cover the bottom of the pan. When cooking for one, just cook a small circle of pasta. Add the pasta to your boiling water. While the pasta is cooking add a generous amount of spinach covering the pan. Stir. When the pasta is done toss it into your tomato mixture. Add some feta cheese and toss. Serve and top with parmesan cheese. Cooking for one can be fun.

Recently I bought a russet potato with the idea to make a stuffed baked potato, instead, I decided to make mashed potato and gravy. I had some Wondra flour in the pantry and milk and in the freezer, I had some broccoli and a pork loin. This meal is not difficult to make, however, it did take close to an hour to complete. So pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 pork loin, 1 russet potato, broccoli, milk, butter, olive oil, Wondra flour, tarragon, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt-free dash, and black pepper.

Directions: Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Season both sides of your pork loin with tarragon, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt-free Dash, and black pepper. Sear your pork loin for 10 minutes on each side on medium heat. While the pork loin is searing, peel and dice your potato. After the pork loin is nice and brown on both sides, add a cup of white wine. Cover and cook on med-low for 20 minutes. Place your diced potato in boiling salted water. Boil till nice and soft. Place your broccoli in a small saucepan and heat on low with a little water in the pan. Drain your potatoes and place them back in the pan. Add just enough milk to cover the bottom of the pan. Add butter to taste. Mash it all up on low heat till nice and creamy. Check your pork loin and make sure it is cooked all the way through, if not cut it in half and cook it another 15 minutes. Remove your pork from the pan with all the drippings add 2 tablespoons butter and melt on low heat. Add 1/2 cup of milk. Whip and blend together scrapping the pan. Shake some Wondra flour into the pan and whisk till it thickens. And you are ready to enjoy a hearty dinner. Cooking for one can be fun.

I had leftover biscuits that I made to go with soup and thought it would be fun to make beef sliders. I didn’t make the biscuits from scratch which is easy but used the Pilsbury canned biscuits instead. They are delicious and easy. I used 100% grass-fed ground beef. I like organic mayo and dijon mustard on my sliders and I added a pickle and avocado and tomato also. Whatever you have in your refrigerator will work. This only takes 20 minutes to make, making it a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Using 1/2 pound of ground beef, I made three small patties. One slider was enough for me so I had two leftovers to enjoy later. They are easy to reheat. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef, Pilsbury biscuits, (or a roll if you don’t have biscuits), tomato, avocado, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, classic steak seasoning, black pepper, salt-free dash

Directions: Shape 3 small beef patties. Season with garlic powder, steak seasoning, black pepper, and salt-free dash on both sides of your patties. Place in a frying pan, cover, and cook on medium for five minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes covered. Heat your biscuit in the oven on low while the patties are cooking. Turn your patties once more and add the cheese, cover and let the cheese melt. Prep your biscuit with all your favorite toppings and enjoy. They are so quick and easy to make and yummy. Cooking for one can be fun.

Making tacos is quick, easy, and better for you than fast food. I used 1/2 package of 100% grass-fed ground beef. You can always use ground turkey if you don’t want red meat, however, ground beef is a fun treat. Tacos only take as long as it takes to brown the ground beef. I always keep organic taco shells in my pantry for a quick meal. You can also make a taco salad with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese, and top it with your taco meat. You can crumble one of your organic taco shells on top too. Making tacos from scratch is healthier because you don’t have to add salt or lard as they do at fast food restaurants. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound 100% grass-fed ground beef, onion, sour cream, avocado, cheddar cheese, organic taco shells, Crystal hot sauce, or your favorite hot sauce. 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, black pepper to taste.

Directions: Divide the ground beef into two. Wrap half of the ground beef and save for later. Take two of the taco shells and wrap them in foil and heat them in a low 250-degree oven while you cook your ground beef. Place the ground beef in a frying pan and season with garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Chop 1/4 onion. Brown the ground beef and onion and seasonings. Cook altogether. Serve with avocado, hot sauce, grated cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. You can always add salsa or tomatoes to your tacos if you have some on hand. Cooking for one can be fun.

Sometimes you just have to bring out your inner child and fix comfort food, especially on a cold gloomy day. I bought two types of jack cheese, one with mushrooms and one with garlic and both are delicious. I thought they would make a great mac-n-cheese. I took chicken tenders and made some chicken fingers to go with the mac-n-cheese. Altogether, this takes about 45 minutes to complete. While the mac-n-cheese is cooking you can air fry your chicken fingers. I made the whole package of chicken tenders and will freeze the leftovers to have handy for a quick meal another time. Reheat them in your air fryer to bring back the crispness again. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients for the macaroni and cheese: 1 1/2 cup macaroni, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup jack cheese with mushrooms and 1/2 cup jack cheese with garlic, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, black pepper to taste, large spoonful sour cream, parmesan cheese

Ingredients for chicken fingers: 1 package of organic chicken tenders, bread crumbs, onion salt, garlic powder, basil, 1 egg.

Directions for the macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers: Start to bring your pasta water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, scramble one egg on a plate. On another plate add bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion salt, and basil. Spread ghee or butter around a square baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the pasta to your water but only cook till barely al’dante. Take a small mixing bowl and add milk, egg, paprika, mustard powder, and black pepper. Grate both kinds of cheese into the bowl. Whisk all together. Add a large tablespoon of sour cream and mix that in. Drain your pasta and place it in the prepared baking dish. Add the cheese mixture and mix it all together. Top with some parmesan cheese. While the mac-n-cheese is baking for 30 minutes, roll your chicken tenders in the egg and then in the bread crumbs to coat. Place them in your air fryer. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Shake and bake for another ten minutes. When the mac-n-cheese is ready dish it up along with your chicken fingers. Cooking for one can be fun.

Happy New Year! It’s an old southern tradition to eat blackeye peas on the first day of the new year so you will have good luck, health, and abundance all year long. Even though I like to find recipes for us solo cookers, I am making an entire batch of blackeye peas and plan on freezing the rest. I will be able to enjoy them for months down the road. I added collard greens to my blackeye peas making them Southern-style. I hope we all have good luck and good health and abundance all year long. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 bag Blackeye peas, 6 chorizos, 1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 4 collard green leaves, 1 box organic chicken broth, cumin, gram masala, Trader Joes 21 season salute, basil, oregano, black pepper.

Directions: Soak your blackeye peas overnight. I used my crockpot but you can use a large pot if you don’t have a crockpot. Drain and rinse your blackeye peas. Pour the chicken broth into your crockpot or large pot. Add your blackeye peas. Dice your green pepper and onion and add them to the pot. Rinse your collard greens. Slice the leaf off the stems. Using your kitchen shears, cut the collard greens into small pieces into the blackeye peas. Slice the chorizo and add them to the pot. Sprinkle a generous amount of all the spices. Stir and cover and cook on high for two hours. Reduce and continue cooking on low until you are ready to eat. Serve with a biscuit or sourdough bread. I put the leftover blackeye peas in four containers. I saved one for later on in the week and froze the rest for later. Cooking for one can be fun.

This baked salmon meal is one of my easiest and quickest meals when I just want to cook something easy and quick. All you need is salmon and asparagus, lemon, and a touch of pesto and butter. I made pesto rice for one while the salmon was baking. This really is a quick and easy meal and so delicious and healthy. Adding pesto to the rice made the rice so flavorful. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 small piece of salmon filet, a small bunch of asparagus, 1 lemon, 2 dollops of butter, 2 tbls pesto, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup rice

Directions: Rinse your salmon and pat dry. Place your salmon on a large sheet of parchment paper. Rinse and snap your asparagus and add it next to the salmon on the parchment paper. Squeeze one lemon over the salmon and asparagus. Sprinkle some salt-free dash and lemon pepper over the salmon. Add a dollop of butter to the asparagus. Spread the pesto and Dijon mustard on top of the salmon. Fold the parchment paper over the salmon and asparagus, place on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While the salmon is baking start your rice. In a small saucepan add 3/4 cup water and a spoonful of pesto and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 cup rice, cover, and cook for 15 minutes on low. Remove the salmon and asparagus and serve with the rice. Cooking for one can be fun.

I found this great recipe last year on Pinterest from Michelle at A Latte Food. I made mini loaves of this banana bread and they made great gifts. This year I plan on making them again and giving them to neighbors and my wonderful friends and family that have brought me joy throughout the year and I hope they make them happy. I doubled the recipe because I needed to make several. I hope you find them fun and easy to make. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: Bread; 3-4 medium bananas, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract,1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Maple Glaze; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Bread; Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 mini loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, it makes it easier to remove the bread after it’s baked. In a small bowl, mash bananas, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs into the butter mixture and beat until combined. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into the butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour in mashed bananas, and mix until combined. Pour the batter into your bread pans. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Reduce the oven temp to 325 and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cake tester comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before removing it or leave them in the mini loaf pans for easy decorating. For the maple glaze; melt butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon over low heat in a small saucepan. Once melted together, pull off the heat. Sift in powdered sugar, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Allow cooling for 8-10 minutes so the glaze can thicken. Once the glaze has thickened, give it a quick stir and pour it over the banana bread. Allow the glaze to harden completely before cutting into slices. Thank you Michele at A Latte Food for this delicious banana bread recipe. Cooking for one can be fun.

Sometimes you have leftover ingredients that you need to use before they go bad. This is what happened to me, I had leftover milk and tomato sauce and knew I had to use it before it went bad and spoiled. That is when I thought I could make a vodka cream sauce and use the pasta I bought a while ago at the Italian deli along with some chicken breast. It is fun to look around the fridge and pantry and come up with something easy to make and I didn’t have to go to the store. This dish turned out so yummy. It made a big batch and even though I served it all in one bowl I ended up putting half in a container for a meal the next day. I bet the sauce will be even better tomorrow. Cooking for one can be fun.

Ingredients: 1 organic chicken breast, 1/2 cup vodka, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup tomato sauce, heaping spoonful of sour cream, 3 cloves garlic, parmesan cheese, Nastri pasta, basil, oregano, salt-free dash, Italian seasoning, thyme, black pepper

Directions: Chop 3 cloves of garlic. Add some olive oil to your frying pan and add the garlic. Cut your chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Cook your chicken till brown. Sprinkle a generous amount of basil, thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt-free dash on your chicken. Stir and let it continue to cook. Start your pasta water and bring it to a boil and cook your pasta. To your cooked chicken add 1/2 cup vodka, tomato sauce, and milk. Add a generous spoonful of sour cream. Stir and bring to a boil. The sauce will reduce as it cooks. Do not drain your pasta, use tongs to place pasta in the sauce. The pasta water will help thicken the sauce. Stir all together and serve with a spoonful of parmesan cheese. This cooks in less than 30 minutes. Cooking for one can be fun.