One word: Lentils. My story began when I bought them pre-cooked in a nice big bag, which, conveniently, can sit on you fridge shelf for months until you are ready to eat them. Tonight, while looking into my fridge and trying to decide what to eat for dinner I saw the following things: broccoli, pre-sliced carrots, and lentils. So I decided to experiment and pulled them out, put the pot on the stove and put in the steamer rack (an unbelievably wonderful contraption for steaming veggies - an essential if you don't already have it!), and then put the sauce pan on the stove. I added the carrots with a smidge of olive oil, put the broccoli in the pot, and pulled some frozen peas and spinach out of the freezer. Finally, out of the pantry came a pre-made sauce called Trader Joes Punjab Spinach. After the carrots sizzled for a while, I added the peas. Allowing them a few moments to de-thaw, I then added the spinach. Once everything looked clearly un-frozen (make sure the spinach isn't in frozen lumps), I added about half the jar of punjab sauce. While giving the concoction a few moments to heat up, I attempted to open the bag of lentils (surprisingly difficult!) and then added half the bag. Once the lentils heated up, I was done! And what had I created? A delicious, healthy, quick entree or side dish. And, I'm happy to say, I had lots of leftovers, but the reality is you can make as much or little of this as you want. I ate my lentils with the steamed broccoli mixed in - but you could eat it on top of whatever you wanted. Yummmmmm!
The point I am trying to make is that, as a solo chef, I have the flexibility to experiment because the only poor soul who has to eat my potential disasters or masterpieces is me! So take the time to cook alone, and try mixing some ingredients you think might complement each other. Remember, if it doesn't work, don't worry about it (and don't be embarassed). You're alone, but that gives you an unprecedented chance to take risks, so go for it!
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