Cooking for two requires a good sense of shop for groceries and manage them once you get home since so much is sold in larger quantities. Always keep staples such as onions, potatoes, rice, tomato sauce, pasta and spices in your pantry. These ingredients will always be useful. Also look for ingredients from the Asian and Hispanic foods aisles, because cooking healthy and hearty is simple when preparing ethnic meals.
Chicken
Chicken often is sold in packages containing four breasts. This package can yield four healthy meals with proper planning. You can freeze three breasts and use one or prepare them all for separate meals.
First, take one breast, season it and broil it. Let it cool, and store it in the refrigerator. This breast can then be cut into small pieces for salads, such as chicken Caesar salad. The second breast can be cooked in a pan with a small can of spicy tomato sauce or green chili sauce. Cook in the sauce, then cool and store. This breast can then be shredded and made into burritos with black beans and cheese. Use the third for chicken curry. Select a curry paste and follow its directions. Usually potatoes and peas are added to a curry, which is then serve over rice. Finally, take the fourth breast and cook it in chicken broth. Add butter and cream or evaporated milk. Add Parmesan cheese, and let the mixture cook down until creamy. Serve this easy chicken alfredo over cooked pasta.
Meat
Ground beef (use the lowest fat percentage available, usually 3 percent) is a great way to make several meals for two. A pound of ground beef cooked and seasoned in a frying pan will make at least eight tacos. Add cheese, lettuce, green onions and sour cream. Look for beef that has been cut up for stew meat. Trim away any excess fat on the pieces, and cook it in oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add in some store-bought stir fry sauce, or any other Asian sauce that sounds good to you. Then add onions, broccoli, mushroom and any other vegetables you might like in a stir fry. Serve over rice. And while a roast can seem to be too large for two people, select a beef or pork loin roast and season and bake with potatoes, carrots and onions. After you have enjoyed the roast meal, take the leftover meat and shred or cut it into pieces. This roast can now be made into fajitas or soft tacos. Just flash cook the meat in a frying pan with oil and seasonings. Serve in tortillas with salsa and sour cream and/or guacamole.
Fish
There is a wide variety of fish available in stores, particularly white fish that is sold in fillets. Fish tends to be sold in smaller quantities than meat or chicken. Select two fillets and bake them in a lemon, caper and white wine sauce. Serve over pasta. Fish cakes also can be made without any breading. Just mix fish such as crab or haddock and add some spices, lemon juice and 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise. Lightly fry the cakes in a small amount of canola oil and serve with a salad.
Tags: breast then, cool store, made into, over rice, sour cream