Cooking and the single gal?

Question

I am a new college graduate... out on my own and needing to learn how to cook really good meals for just myself! Any ideas on HEALTHY, easy dinners and such?

Answer 1

Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped onion
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese

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DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add chicken and onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in broth, chile peppers, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro and red pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in beans and simmer for 10 minutes; top with green onion and cheese and serve.


Cajun pasta fresca

INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces vermicelli pasta
3/4 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
1-5/8 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

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DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
While the pasta water is boiling, in a large skillet over medium heat, briefly saute garlic in oil. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and sprinkle with salt. When tomatoes are bubbly, mash slightly with a fork. Stir in parsley, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes more.
Toss hot pasta with tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, mozzarella and Parmesan.


Chicken Fiesta salad

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 (1.27 ounce) packet dry fajita seasoning, divided
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/8 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 (11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salsa
1/8 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens
1/8 onion, chopped
1/8 tomato, cut into wedges

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DIRECTIONS:
Rub chicken evenly with 1/2 the fajita seasoning. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear; set aside.
In a large saucepan, mix beans, corn, salsa and other 1/2 of fajita seasoning. Heat over medium heat until warm.
Prepare the salad by tossing the greens, onion and tomato. Top salad with chicken and dress with the bean and corn mixture.

Spicy Chicken soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
5/8 cube chicken bouillon
1-1/4 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 onion, chopped
3/8 clove garlic, chopped
1/8 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1/4 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/8 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1/8 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
1/8 (8 ounce) container sour cream

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DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.


Beef tips and noodles


INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces sirloin tips, cubed
1/8 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/8 (1.25 ounce) package beef with onion soup mix
1/8 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons water
1/8 (16 ounce) package wide egg noodles

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DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a 13x9 inch casserole dish, combine the mushroom and beef onion soups, canned mushrooms and water. Mix thoroughly and add beef tips. Turn to coat well.
Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour.
While beef tips are baking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Serve beef tips and sauce over noodles.

Answer 2

Breaded Ranchero Chicken
Chicken breasts with a kick of ranch! Cut this recipe in 1/2 to feed a smaller group.
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1 envelope ranch dressing
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
8 servings

1. In bowl, combine cereal, salad dressing mix and cheese.
2. Dip chicken into melted butter, then dip into above mixture.
3. Bake in a greased, 9x13 dish, uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Answer 3

Take a look at Rachel Ray's 30 min. meals cookbook. Healthy food and not too long to make. Ideal for the youngster on the go (?) ;-)

Answer 4

There are several cookbooks on the market for "2". When I first moved out on my own, I got one & started practicing. It's great for when you want to have that special someone over & if there isn't someone special right now, you can always have leftovers for lunch or the next day.

Answer 5

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes recipe -
Cuisine: Russian
• Ingredients
7 potatoes, peeled
5 c water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
400 g mushrooms
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp water
1 salt and pepper, to taste
1 c flour
1 tbsp oil


• Method
Boil potatoes in water till tender. Drain and mash potatoes. In a separate pan, saute onions and mushrooms in oil and water over medium-high heat for three minutes. In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, sauteed onions and mushrooms, seasonings and flour together in a large bowl. Form croquettes. Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry croquettes over medium-high heat for 8 minutes on each side or until light brown.
Serve with sour cream and chopped greens.



Pskovsky Hot Vinegret recipe -
• Ingredients
3 ea potatoes
2 ea carrots
1 ea turnip
5 tb canned peas
Sauce:
5 tb vegetable broth
oil
1 ts flour
1 ea onion
3 tb canned mushrooms
celery and salt to taste
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

• Method
Wash vegetables, peel and cube. Then stew every vegetable (except peas) seprartely in a small amount of water. Combine and drain off vegetable broth.
Sauce:
Oil the pan, heat a little, add flour, stirring constantly. Then, very carefully, pour in the broth, so that there are no lumps. Add in finely cubed onion, celery, mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes.


CABBAGE WITH TOMATOES~KAPUSTA Z POMIDORAMY recipe -
Cuisine: Ukrainian, Yield: Feeds 6 people, or 4 Ukrainian
• Ingredients
What you need: one small head green cabbage~one small onion, chopped~3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon butter~2 tablespoons water~one tablespoon white flour~one cupful cooked tomatoes, strained~2 tablespoons sour cream~salt and black pepper to taste
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

• Method
What you do: Shred the cabbage. Cook the onion in 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pot or skillet until tender but not browned. Add the cabbage and the water and let cook uncovered for about ten minutes until the cabbage is tender but still slightly crisp. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter, blend in the flour and stir in the tomatoes. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the sour cream, adding salt and black pepper to taste. Combine the sauce with the cabbage and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavours.



Meat and Cabbage Pie recipe -
Cuisine: Russian
• Ingredients
Filling:
1 head of cabbage (small to medium)
1 onion (medium)
4 large eggs (hard boiled)
1 lb (or 500g) ground beef
Salt
Other spices

Crust:
-If you live in countries where a ready pie crust is sold in supermarkets, get 2 9-inch round crusts (any brand will work);
-If you have to make the crust yourself, here are the ingredients for the dough:
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar (regular or powedered)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of solid vegetable shorteninng OR 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening and 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter OR 1 cup of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of ice cold water
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

• Method
Filling:
Finely cut the cabbage and onion; heat up a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil; when it is hot add chopped onion; satee the onion until golden brown; then add cabbage and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until golden in color and soft in consistency. Simulatenously, in a separate skillet satee the ground beef; cook it for 5-10 minutes or until the meat is of consistent brown color and there is no redness. Boil the eggs. When everything is ready, mix the cabbage, meat, and chopped eggs together; add salt and/or other spices. Your filling is ready!

Crust:
If you are making your own dough:
In a large bowl thoroughly mix together flour, salt, and sugar. Then add shortening (broken in large chunks) or butter (cut into small pieces). Begin chopping the fat/butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. When you are done, the mixture should be of coarse consistency; dry and powdery. Then drizzle over the mixture 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of ice cold water. Begin mixing the dough with a spatula until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water; if the do not, drizzle the dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice cold water. Continue to mix the dough first with the spatula, then with your hands until it coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide the dough in half; press each half into a round flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling. The dough can be frozen for up to 6 month in an airtight packaging (Thaw completely before rolling).

When your dough is ready to roll, roll out 2 9-inch (~22cm) rounds. Place one crust on the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan; press the dough over the bottom and into the corners of the pan. Transfer the filling into the pan; smoothen the top. Place the second crust on top and seal the sides. The dough should not hang over the sides of the pan too much, otherwise it will char; you can either cut the excess dough with a knife, or fold it inside the pan. Before baking, cut 4 ventilation holes on the top crust of your pie. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350F (175C) for 20-30 minutes or untill golden. When done, let the pie sit out for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm. Great with milk. Enjoy!!!


Chrov plav (rice pilaf with dried fruit and nuts) recipe -
Cuisine: Caucasian
• Ingredients
1 cup of long-grain unconverted white rice
2 tablespoons of currants
4 medium prunes, pitted and cut lengthwise into narrow strips
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of dried apricots, cut into narrow strips
1/4 cup of finely chopped blanched almonds
1 tablespoon of honey

*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.

• Method
1. Soak currants and prunes in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Melt the butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over high heat and add the apricots, currants, prunes and almonds. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the nuts are lightly colored. Stir in the honey and rice, cover with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. Serve hot.