Healthy Bachelor Meals -- any ideas?

[destro800]

So, after 4 years of co-habitation and cheering on a very good cook from the comfort of my kitchen counter, I seem to have gotten myself into a quandry, of which I can outline the 3 over-arching components:

1) I am now obsessed with food.

2) I am not obsessed with cooking.

3) I need to eat better. Up the veggie/fiber intake, cut down on carbs, etc.

I am looking to you guys for some ideas on quick, healthy meals I can make myself.

I am really into Diana Kennedy and John Thorne right now -- also Elizabeth David -- but these are not meals, these are undertakings. I want something that will still give me time to digest, exercise, and then go get TANKED.

Any ideas???

Oh, I will eat just about anything. I'd like to stay away from pre-prepared stuff...

[NulloModo]

Quick curries, stews, and stir frys are great. Very tasty, can take advantage of any produce and or meats you happen to have laying around, only dirty one pot, cook mostly unattended or very quickly, and let you experience the flavors and interactions of a bunch of different spices.

[destro800]

Agreed. I get weak in the knees for a good simple pasta, but, alas, CARB TOWN.

I have never made a curry. How hard are we talking here?

[slkinsey]

Cheetos and beer always worked during my batchelor days.

Seriously, though, Thai curry dishes are easy and quick to make if you have access to those cans of Thai curry.

[destro800]

It sounds like I need to get my curry on.

Currently I have been eating a LOT of Annie's Goddess Dressing, Raw Broccoli, and RoastedSunflower Seeds all mixed together. SO DAMN GOOD.

[chezlamere]

the only pasta (if you can call it that) that's low on the glycemic index - which is a much better indicator than carb's table is surprisingly

Kraft Dinner

the main stay in any bach's pantry. Most guys have a SECRET way of making it just perfect. Has to be timed, just so much butter, not more than this amount of milk. So of you want pasta salad, make it with kraft dinner.

[baw]

From what I hear, my ex-man, who is not a big cooking fan, has become quite handy at several simple dishes since he no longer has my cooking to rely on. One is red coconut curry, using half a pouch of "Taste of Thai" red curry paste. Takes only about 15 minutes and gets you nutrition from whatever veggies/meat/tofu you like. Another is pesto chicken pasta ... but that is carbs. Another is what we called 'taco bar' .. if you are watching carbs then you could have a 'taco salad bar'. Pan cook a couple of boneless chicken breasts, shred them and simmer for a couple minutes in a store bought bottle of enchilada sauce (I know its pre-packaged, but it will make your life easy). Should only take around 30 minutes. Add some beans, whole or refried. Serve w/ lettuce, carrot, salsa, etc ... Its good to make a batch and eat for a few days of leftovers. Good luck!

[Yuki]

Agreed. I get weak in the knees for a good simple pasta, but, alas, CARB TOWN.

I have never made a curry. How hard are we talking here?

It depends on how much work you want to do and what kind of style you are looking for? You could start from scratch or buy ready made curry block or paste from store. The ready made curry is really easy, it only takes less than 30min to cook up everything. If you want the curry to taste better, then simmering on low heat for long period would be good.

[Rachel Perlow]

Check out the eGCI Cooking for One class.

[TJHarris]

I'm kinda with slkinsey, I made my way through culinary school on a steady diet of Diet Coke and Ice Cream Sandwiches.

[mags]

Speaking as a carb-avoider who lives alone -- and is thus not always inclined to do a big cooking number every night, since there's nobody to jump up and down, lick the plate, and DO THE DAMN DISHES -- I can tell you that the freezer is your friend. Any kind of stew (and this includes your basic "curry") can be loaded up with protein and veggies, piled into single-serve tupperware containers, and slapped into your freezer, there to remain until you come home tired and vulnerable to the siren song of the pasta pot.........until you remember that it will be EVEN EASIER to just pop one of those babies into the microwave, nuke it for 10 minutes, and presto! hot and healthy dinner.

Stew recipes are remarkably forgiving. You don't have red wine? Try adding a little brandy, or take it in a different direction, and use beer and a whole lot of onions. You don't like carrots? Try turnips; cooked long and slow, they will soak up all your good stew-flavor, and taste great. You don't want to use potatoes? Throw in some cauliflower florets. Your sauce is too thin? Use a big slotted spoon to pull out the protein and veg, then boil down the sauce until you like the consistency (or stir in a "slurry" of a SMALL amount of cornstarch mixed with about 3 X as much water, and bring to a boil).

And stew can go in a zillion different directions -- curry, red-cooked Chinese, chili, chili verde, etc.

Stew, of course, is great sopped up with some great crusty bread. But depending on how carbo-phobic you are -- and how much tolerance you have for added fat -- you could make pureed cauliflower (steam or nuke florets till tender, whiz in food processor with butter/cream/cream cheese plus seasonings of choice -- I like salt, pepper, and a little chicken-stock base, which I buy in jars and stow in the fridge, plus maybe some caramelized onion). Once again, this stuff freezes very well in single-serve Tups. On a cold night, a dollop of mashed cauli with a couple of fried or poached eggs is a really fast and really delicious dinner.

Soup is also a great way to pile in the veg. We're coming right into gazpacho season, and that's my idea of a great lunch, plus you get enough vegetables in to qualify as a rabbit. I'm a big fan of Jim Fobel's recipe from "Big Flavor," but there are recipes everywhere. Make a big batch -- which will take all of 15 minutes -- and keep it in the fridge for several days.

Finally, on a hot day, a plate of cut-up raw vegetables and an interesting dip -- which will keep in the fridge for several days -- can be a great lunch. If you're really rich and/or really lazy (I'm occasionally the latter) you can buy the packs of ready-cut veggies at gourmet markets -- coins of cucumber and summer squash, carrot and celery sticks, topped-and-tailed string beans, sliced red pepper. They will keep perfectly well in your vegetable crisper for several days -- more, if you get one of those "fruit fresh" bags.

[Moopheus]

CARB TOWN.

One of my favorite places to visit! Indeed, I have standing reservations at all the best places in town.

Carby foods (rice, wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, beans, fruit, etc.) have basically supported most of human civilization for the last 10,000 years or so. For most of that time, most people were not overweight. Carbs are not the problem.

But more practically, I'd suggest picking up a copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. It covers a lot of ground, most of the recipes are not difficult or especially time consuming to make.

[Susan G]

My current favorite supper is gazpacho: Blender-based and very few steps! Low carb and high fiber!

[Verjuice]

Sorry for all of the replies. The interweb is BREAKING. Seriously tho -- it sounds like I need to get my curry on.

Currently I have been eating a LOT of Annie's Goddess Dressing, Raw Broccoli, and RoastedSunflower Seeds all mixed together. SO DAMN GOOD.

Ah, see? You're on to something. A great theme = endless permutations.

Eat more dressing. Hell, make it yourself if you want to feel industrious.

Toss with raw vegetables and toasted nuts of choice. Minimal effort, really. You could go with cauliflower and pine nuts, for a change. Cukes and sesame seeds. Zucchini and sunflower seeds. Carrots and peanuts. Snap peas and crushed cashews. Bell peppers and almonds.

You get the picture. Go to town.

[Behemoth]

I am only recently de-bachelored...here are a few I'd make as a grad student coming home at 9 or 10pm.

Since you like Diana Kennedy -- I used to make a bastardiza-er, variation of the tarsacan bean soup. Whir tomatoes onions garlic & chiles in blender then fry w/ oil in a pot, add canned pinto or black beans & stock (or, okay I'll admit it, often veg bullion) and then back in the blender for a spin. Then top w/ corn tortilla strips that you fry while waiting for the soup, and crumbled queso fresco. Whole thing takes about 15 minutes probably. You can also make quickie approximations of Diana Kennedy corn chowders with frozen corn.

Oh, hummus is really easy to make in a blender. I keep frozen pita bread, then defrost it in a toaster. And you can make hummus and vegetable sandwiches that way.

Also: frozen chinese vegetable dumplings. Would dump them in seasoned broth with handfuls of spinach. Frozen dim sum items in general are great when you don't have a lot of time or energy.

quesadillas with lots of vegetable odds & ends are quick. I toast them in a nonstick pan. I've done them with brocolli raab, roasted peppers, mushrooms, all good...

[beetee]

I also live on my own and my three best friends are chili, meatballs, and boeuf bourguignon, and since I'm a student that has not worked for months these are also relatively forgiving on the wallet.

I can make all those dishes on a sunday afternoon in large enough quantities to last the rest of the week. I just wait for the cooking vessel to cool down cover and throw in the fridge. In fact, pretty much the only thing in my fridge right now besides the usual items is a 10 qt pot of chili (I hope the sanitation police do not chew me out).

I'm also quite fond of my rice cooker. It always has at least one serving of beautiful fluffy white rice waiting for me.

Now getting a dinner ready is no problem. Pull out a sauce pot and ladle in one of your three best friends, quickly prepare some veggies for a side, ten minutes later plate the stew, rice, veggies, and make a rude gesture towards Rachel Ray while she cooks an inferior meal in 30 minutes. Of course plating is optional, you live alone, eat out of the cook ware, you don't affect the flavour from eating out of it and you save on dishes :D

Some other dishes that I have found to be excellent for those poor, living on their own, no free time, and like food:

-Pork tonkatsu

-Fried chicken

-Pan roasted chicken and veggies

-Cast iron steak/hamburgers

-Braised veal shank/lamb shank (make on weekend then good for leftovers on mon/tues)

That's all I got for now, but I could go on forever with strategies on cooking for one person.

[Carlovski]

As another confirmed Bachelor (Actually, even when I haven't been single, I always end up doing the cooking!) I can sympathise.

I can't say I approve of Carb dodging (Remember when everyone was trying to adopt a mediteranean diet? More carbs, less meat? Low carb is just another fad) - Everything in balance I say.

But, things that keep me going are

Salads - I know it goes against the Bachelor image, but think rare beef salad with a lime/chilli/fish sauce dressing, Bacon and frisee (With optional poached egg) etc. You know. Man salads!

Omelettes - Perfect when in a hurry.

Grilled, marinated meats (And chicken). You can leave them ovenight in a ziploc bag, ready for the next day. I usually do with couscous (Or bulgar wheat)and chickpeas. Bit Carby again though.

Soup. More of a winter one this, although I do like making refreshing (But hot!) thai style soups in summer. Make them a meal by adding prawns/salmon etc and noodles.

Stir fries - they only really work for one (two at a push) so make the most of the opportunity. I had pork and asparagus last night.

If you live near a decent supply Mussels are perfect for the solo diner. Cook however you like (Personal favourites include classsic moules marinere, with chorizo, chilli and tomatoes or hybrid southeast asian with lemongrass, ginger lime leaves and optional coconut milk)

One cookbook which I think has good ideas for the Bachelor is Bowl Food - I was quite surprised by it, quite good recipes.

[NulloModo]

CARB TOWN.

Carby foods (rice, wheat, oats, potatoes, corn, beans, fruit, etc.) have basically supported most of human civilization for the last 10,000 years or so. For most of that time, most people were not overweight. Carbs are not the problem.

Not to take this thread off-topic, the problem isn't neccessarily the starches that we eat, but the sugars. True sugars have always been a part of our diets over the years, but in recent (last 20/30 years or so) history sugar consumption has positively skyrocketed in western cultures. Refined sugar is found in tons of products, is super easy to come by and cheap, is found in kids juice drinks, in every snack food, in almost every low fat product, etc. Add to the fact how much soda many people drink and you can see how we just let way too much sugar into our diets.

Also it doesn't help that many of the carbs that used to be wholesome (made fresh from wheat, potatoes, etc in the form of breads and pastas) are now most commonly consumed coated in trans-fats, sugars, and tons of oil in the form of chips and crackers or coated in grease and sugar in the form of snack cakes, etc.

Now, to keep this on track:

With regard to curry and stir-fry I sometimes use real recipes, but often I will just take a meat that I have on hand (I happened to have thin sliced pork chops the other night, so they got cut into thin strips for stir-fry), some veggies I have (I had some bok-choy, shitaki mushrooms, serrano chiles, and shallots), and some spices (I had five spice, bird chiles, garlic, and well, tons of other stuff, but I kept it pretty simple here), so I just heated up some sesame oil till very hot, tossed it all together, stirred till it looked done, and enjoyed.

Curries can work the same way, take some meat, brown it, add your spices/veggies/cream/etc and stir till mixed then just let it simmer until the flavors blend. If you are trying to avoid carby rice you can make a very passable alternative by grating cauliflower and seasoning basmati style after cooking it and draining it.

[destro800]

Wow. Thanks for all the excellent replies. Ya'll are giving me some wonderful ideas.

Last night, we had a silkscreening party at my loft. I was at a loss as for what to make so I ended up with grilled polenta which I served with some caponata that I had made earlier and then a whole bunch of good, shaved pecorino and a simple arugula salad. It turned out really nice.

I really like the idea of the curry and think I am going to go with the pre-made paste, and then just go from there. Whatever I don't eat I can freeze.

Oh, also, I made cold sesame noodles -- just Udon with a super-secret paste I invented. They are chilling in my fridge right now and I will totally rock them during my lunch hour.

Should I get a rice cooker? I always massacre rice when doing it the normal way. I generally avoid the boil-in-bag stuff and just get a big bag of brown rice from the local indian grocery store...

Oh, Carlovski -- I could live off salads. What is Pork Tonkatsu?

Mags -- what is a fruit fresh bag? Every time I buy the pre-sliced veggies they go bad within a day or two.

Also, porcinis for $20 a pound at the local Whole Foods. I am so tempted.

[Bicycle Lee]

this one is easy:

got to the store, buy some ground turkey, some chicken broth, some ziti pasta, some mustard greens, and some decent parmigiano cheese.

Make meatballs with the ground turkey, brown them in a pan deep enough to cook pasta in (this may require some additional fat, as turkey is very lean).

Set the cooked meatballs aside.

Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil.

Toss in the ziti.

cook until almost done and then add chopped mustard greens. Once the greens begin to cook, add the meatballs and finish cooking the pasta and greens...

serve and shave some parmigiano over the dish...

You get protein without a lot of fat, good carbs from the pasta, and lots of vitamins and minerals from the greens...

[destro800]

Lee I will try that soon. Looks great and easy.

[slkinsey]

Two words: roasted cauliflower

[destro800]

Do I like cauliflower?

[NulloModo]

Also collard/mustard greens are great even solo. Stew them over low heat for hours with some ham hock and chopped up bacon tossed into the pot... and serve them in a big bowl with vinegar and fresh chopped onion drizzled overtop. Everything that goes in is cheap, and while it takes a while, it can do it almost all unattended.

[slkinsey]

Do I like cauliflower?

Yes, you do.

Or, more to the point, you don't know whether you do or not until you've tried roasting it. Read the thread. Plenty of cauliflower converts there. One dish that looked especially good to me was cauliflower roasted with garbanzo beans, dusted with (curry) spices and topped with a poached egg.