Cooking for One? Here Are 3 Easy and Nutritious Recipes

I learned to be creative and reduce my portions when I started living on my own. Having grown accustomed to cooking for 4 or more people, I had a hard time reducing my ingredients proportionally. Not only did I end up with a lot of leftovers gone bad, but I also started eating a lot more than normal! I decided to come up with quick dinners that could serve 1-2 people and that were yummy enough to take to lunch the next day if I didn't finish everything. Whatever you have on hand as a substitute for any of the ingredients will usually work and you certainly don't have to be an experienced cook! Here are 3 of my favorites: Pizza on a Pita, Mushrooms with Tomatoes and Rosemary, and Cajun Tuna Salad.

The pizza on a pita meal is amazingly easy and can be thrown together in a few minutes while you rummage through the fridge for anything you can throw on. I start with a small pita, brush some olive oil on it and add a thin layer of tomatoes (or you can use tomato sauce). On top of the tomatoes, I usually layer whatever cheese I have, usually cheddar (jalapeno, if you like it spicy!), or mozzarella, or even American slices. If I have any, I will add some green peppers on top and slices of pepperoni. If I have any left over chicken, I cut it up and throw it on. To top off, I sprinkle oregano all over to bring all the tastes together. I always use the toaster oven for this (let it preheat while you are prepping). Not only is this a small portion, but it will also give you at least 2 kinds of vegetables, some goodness and calcium from the cheese and way less calories than picking up a slice from the corner pizza place on your way home.

My next favorite is the mushrooms with tomatoes and rosemary dish. Use as many mushrooms as you want for this (the white button kind), but keep in mind that mushrooms lose a lot of water when cooked so they become much, much smaller. Start by wiping all the mushrooms with a moist paper towel. You never want to wash mushrooms in water because they will absorb the water like a sponge and this will cause them to lose a lot of flavor once cooked. After you clean each mushroom, quickly slice them up. Chop one small onion into little cubes. In a saucepan, add 1 or 2 tbs of salted butter (you can use unsalted if you prefer) and drop in a sprig of fresh rosemary or some flakes of dried rosemary. Again, you can drop in as many or as little as you want. If you try this dish a few times, you will find out your personal tolerance for rosemary in mushrooms. Take a second to breathe in the amazing smell of the butter and rosemary cooking; then, throw in the mushrooms and the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they start to look like they're done but be careful not to overcook. Things will probably start to look a little watery but don't worry! At this point, add a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese (I have also used Parmesan before). The cream cheese will absorb some of the liquid and make it a bit creamy. While the mushrooms are cooking (this will only take a few minutes), chop a firm tomato into cubes - don't use juicy tomatoes. When it looks like the mushrooms are cooked, throw in the tomatoes. Stir once and remove from heat. Transfer everything into an ovenproof dish - something narrow, with high edges preferably, and throw in the oven or the toaster oven for 10 minutes. When it is ready, you can eat this dish the way it is or accompanied with some toast. Depending on how hungry I am and what my fridge contains, I will sometimes add in small slices of dry sopresata or genoa salami. Remember, mushrooms are good for your skin and contain lots of protein!

This last recipe is the easiest and fastest of them all, not to mention, super versatile! For the bell pepper and Cajun tuna salad, combine all of the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1 can tuna in water, 1 tbs mayo (try the organic Trader Joe's brand), green and red bell peppers in small cubes, cubes of celery, cajun spice mix and salt to taste. This is filling enough as is or you can pair it with some toast, crackers or turn it into a tuna melt. You can also make a small salad of greens to go with it.