[teckeygirl]

anyone out there cook for two without tons of leftovers?

I normally like leftovers, but right now I'm afraid of having too much and being too tempted to snack on them. I'm trying to get back into the swing of my plan. I normally cook for myself, my two kids, and my bf. But for the next 3 weeks.. its just me and him. I'm sort of at a loss as to what to cook!

To give you an idea - he's a very WEIRD eater. He eats one main meal a day and maybe a couple snacks. He rarely eats breakfast or a real lunch.. and the times when he has taken leftovers to work he isnt hungry for dinner. (He's also become more of a meat 'n potatoes guy after 8 years of veganism.. lol) Feeding him is a pain and I let him know this all the time. Asking him what he would like for dinner or what he would like me to make this week will get the answer "I dont know" everytime.

So I'm on my own.. he really doesn't like spinach or squash, but other than that.. I'm not sure what else to do. I can usually get away with making some "bad" things like ribs or burgers because I make enough for the kids and for him and there's none for me, so I eat something else but I cant do that with only the two of us!!!

I'm going to put in another thread about ground beef in a second.. but any ideas or websites would be great

[Kelster2]

Tec, it's just my DD and me and we do alot of chicken. It's easy to control the portion sizes (especially if using breasts) and there's so many ways to cook them and stay OP.

[byugrad]

I think the easiest way to cook for 1 or 2 is to stick with whole foods -- fish or meats (grilled on george foreman grill), steamed veggies, tossed salad, and fruit. It's easy to cook only what you will eat for a meal. If you eat starchier carbs, throw a baked potato or two in the oven.

If you have access to a good butcher or meat market, they usually have different semi-prepared meats that you just grill, broil or stir-fry. I buy things like bacon-wrapped turkey kebobs, chicken cordon-bleu, souvlaki kebobs, fajitas, lemon-marinated chicken, etc. I get a good variety without doing the extra prepration to vary how the meats are prepared. And you can buy just what you need for a meal -- large or small.

[teckeygirl]

I have to admit it was easier when I made steak a few weeks back when the same situation hit me.. only having to worry about 2 people helped portion control considerably with that.. so I might stick to grilling foods like that per your suggestion.

I think my biggest problem is that we get in a rut with food especially with the kids. I've gotten so used to planning food for everyone else and having something seperate for myself...that now that I'm cooking for smaller dinners that I should take part in, I'm not sure what to do.

When I can afford to go grocery shopping again next week I'll see about getting some chicken or something to grill.. lets hope they have some meat sales from 4th of july leftovers!

[Kelster2]

Hey Tec, does the BF like salads? We do a salad night once a week where I put out all the fixings for chef salads (including eggs, green peppers, etc) and the kid and I get to make huge salads the way WE like them. I also buy one of those Pillsbury French Bread loaves in the dairy section and bake it while I'm setting up the salad stuff. So big salads and hot fresh bread right out of the oven. (makes your house smell soooo goood while it's cooking )

[teckeygirl]

I think he does.. and there ARE times when he craves them.

There's a salad he wanted to try that he saw on TV once that I might try to make next week when I can afford to go back to the store. I'm also thinking that the salad idea would be a great idea for using leftover grilled chicken.

I have to be a little careful with bread cause we usually have biscuits and without the kids to gobble some of them up.. its dangerous for me! But the french bread is a great idea.. I can turn that into yummy french toast and croutons

Thanks for the ideas!

[WaterRat]

When I put things in the freezer I do them individually - like one chicken breast or 1/2 lb of hamburger per package. That's enough for the 2 of us, and if I'm feeding more I can just take out two packages. I don't mind enough leftovers for a lunch or two, or another dinner for one of us if the other isn't home, but I don't want to eat the same things for days. If I find a new recipe that's for more servings, I either cut it in half before preparing, or if it's appropriate, freeze the extra for another day. I always make extra spaghetti sauce, soup and chile and pop it in the freezer for those times I don't want to cook.