Moving out on your own sounds great…usually right up until it’s time for your first supper in your new home. Turns out that living on your own means cooking for yourself too, and it doesn’t take long for a grumbly tummy or a hungry housemate to pose that immortal question: “Hey good lookin’, what’cha got cookin’?”
If that sets your empty boots a-shaking, don’t worry. Living on your own and cooking for yourself doesn’t have to mean a life fuelled by Kraft Dinner. With a few good tools, a full pantry, a bit of planning and a half-hour every night, you can have healthy, tasty dinners every night of the week, easily scaled to feed one person or six—with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
Tools
If you’re starting from scratch, you have a bit of shopping to do. You only need the basics at first and they don’t need to be expensive. Most (especially utensils) can be found at dollar stores. For others (pots and pans) try department stores, or go shopping at yard sales or in a parental basement.
Here’s a short list of things you’ll need: measuring cups (both dry and liquid), measuring spoons, wooden spoon, spatula, whisk, mixing bowls (one large, one small/medium), saucepans with lids (one large, one small/ medium), steamer insert, frying pan, cookie sheet, baking pans (one 8”x8” square, one 9”x13” casserole, one loaf pan), knives (one small paring knife, one larger chef’s knife), oven mitts, a thorough but basic cookbook and, finally, a copy of Canada’s food guide (find it in our Student Survival Guide at thecoast.ca).
Pantry basics
Cooking supper on a weeknight is a lot easier if you have the basics covered. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting halfway into a recipe and then discovering that you’re missing the tuna for your tuna casserole. The basics are versatile: All-purpose flour works for any baking, from pizza crust to chocolate chip cookies, but a package of ready-made mix can only ever be one thing. Pantry basics are the sort of thing that you should be buying when your parents come to town and take you to the grocery store: things that last, either because you don’t use them in great quantities (baking powder) or because they come cheaper in bulk (flats of canned tomatoes). Top this list up with fresh, in-season produce, meat, dairy and bread products.
For baking: flour, sugar (brown and white), oatmeal, cornmeal, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla extract.
For cooking: cans of diced tomatoes, cans of beans, rice, pasta, bread crumbs, vegetable oil, olive oil, tuna, cans of chicken/beef/vegetable stock, peanut butter.
Herbs and spices: pepper, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic.
In the fridge/freezer: eggs, butter, cheese, potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, frozen vegetables, ground beef, boneless skinless chicken breasts, haddock fillets, tofu and/or textured vegetable protein.
The plan
It might seem geeky, but sitting down and planning a week’s worth of meals will save you time and money. Menu plans don’t have to be rigid Monday-chicken fingers-Tuesday-fish sticks regimes—they can and should change depending on what fresh produce is in season or on sale. Planning ahead means you won’t have to waste time wondering about what’s for supper, searching the cupboards for inspiration or making last-minute trips to the store. If you take a few minutes to read the sales flyers you can plan your menus around what’s on sale, which means you can use the money you’ve saved to buy a nice bottle of wine. After all, there’s nothing like Beaujolais with Sloppy Joes.Five-day sample menu
Day one: Spaghetti, green salad, garlic bread
Spaghetti sauce: Over medium heat, saute until tender, one medium onion, diced, and two cloves of garlic, diced, in two tablespoons of olive oil. Add one large can of diced tomatoes and one large can of tomato puree, one tablespoon lemon juice, plus salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley) to taste. If desired, add chopped fresh or frozen vegetables (e.g., carrots, celery, green pepper, mushrooms). Simmer over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes.
Variation: Add one pound of ground beef, chicken or turkey to pot after onion and garlic. Brown meat, then add remaining ingredients. For a veggie option, add crumbled TVP, tofu, or a can of black beans after sauce is ready.
Day two: Steamed fish with veggies and rice
Salmon, haddock or halibut are all good options for this recipe. Set steamer in large pot over one-to-two inches of water. Cover. Set on stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Thinly slice one of each: a green and a yellow zucchini, a carrot and a leek, and carefully arrange the vegetables evenly on the steamer. Cover pot and cook vegetables until just tender, about six minutes. Remove cooked vegetables to a plate, drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm. Place fish on steamer, cover and cook another six to seven minutes. Fish is cooked when it is opaque and flakes easily when prodded with a fork. Serve with veggies and rice on the side.
Day three: Vegetarian chili, bread, salad
In large pot, saute two large onions, diced, and one clove of garlic, diced, in two tablespoons of vegetable oil. When onions are soft, but not brown, add three to four cups chopped vegetables of your choice (think carrots, celery, green and red peppers, mushrooms, corn) and saute briefly. Add two large cans of diced tomatoes and one large can of pureed tomatoes. Stir. Drain and rinse canned beans (use a variety: kidney beans, navy beans, chick peas, brown beans), then add to pot. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of chili powder (or more to taste). If desired, crumble one block of extra-firm tofu or TVP into the chili. Stir well. Cook over low heat until veggies are tender.
Day four: Baked chicken fingers, oven fries
Preheat oven to 400F. Slice two potatoes and two sweet potatoes lengthwise into fingers. Place in a large bowl and microwave for six minutes. Remove bowl from microwave, drizzle potato slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper or seasonings to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Place on foil-covered baking sheet and place in oven, turning occasionally for even browning.
Prepare chicken coating: In one small bowl, beat one egg with one tablespoon of water. In a second small bowl, mix dry breadcrumbs with parsley, pepper and two tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally and then slice into fingers. Dip chicken pieces first into egg mixture, then into crumb mixture, turning to coat.
Remove baking sheet with potato slices from oven. Push potatoes to one end of sheet. Place chicken fingers on other end of baking sheet and return to oven. Continue baking for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
Day five: Sloppy Joes, green salad
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add a medium onion, chopped, a clove of garlic, minced, and a red bell pepper, chopped. Cook until softened, about three minutes. Add one pound ground beef (substitute ground chicken, turkey or TVP, if desired) and cook until meat is no longer pink, about seven minutes. Spoon off excess fat. Add a six-ounce can of tomato paste, and generous pinches of salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Stir well and simmer until sauce starts to thicken, about 12 minutes. Spoon some of meat mixture onto the bottom half of a toasted hamburger bun. Top with grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream (optional) and the top half of the hamburger bun.
RECIPE FILES
By the book
Divert a little bit of your textbook budget and buy a good basic cookbook. You’ll be glad you did. Try:How to Cook Everything: The Basics, by Mark BittmanThe Complete Canadian Living Cookbook, by Elizabeth BairdThe Joy of Cooking, by Irma RombauerHeartSmart, by Bonnie SternHow It All Vegan, by Sarah Kramer and Tanya BarnardThe internet is a free source of recipes too. Try www.epicurious.com www.wholefoodsmarket.com www.foodtv.ca www.vegweb.com www.allrecipes.com or Google search by ingredient.
Natural born fillersBuying organic doesn’t have to cost as much as your textbooks. Home Grown Organic Food (6186 Allan, 492-1412, hgof.ns.ca) offers reasonably priced home delivery of organic produce and groceries in a variety of sizes that can be easily divvied up between roommates. If you’re willing to put in a minimum number of hours working each month, The Grainery Food Co-operative (2385 Agricola, 446-3301) offers a discount to all its members. And if Saturday mornings don’t scare you off, there’s plenty of healthy, seasonal green stuff (not to mention bread, meat and cheese) at the Halifax Farmers’ Market (1496 Water) and the Alderney Landing market in Dartmouth.
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2006.