Easy Cooking For Two

This lens is one in a series of 'Cooking For Two'.
Click the links to view other mini's for two or a few

Mini Crockpot ♦ Mini Food Processors ♦ Mini Deep Fryer ♦ Mini Blenders

I am a big bulk buyer and a coupon addict. Buying in larger quantities can save you money and you can still buy in bulk and cook for two.

I buy larger quantities of meat and break it into smaller portions and freeze the seperate smaller portions for individual meals, makes making meals so much easier when you are cooking for two.

So can still buy in bulk and cook for two and receive the savings as well.

Another option is to cook larger meals and use the leftovers for the next day. I make sure that I use the leftovers, I have this thing about throwing out food. When I cook Pork Chops for example, the next day you can have an easy meal with the leftover pork chops and make a stuffing casserole.

When buying food and cooking, keep in mind that you can cook one meal but eat it for the next day or two. If you plan your meals you can actually go for days, if not a week without "really" cooking. I always keep this in mind when I buy and cook, even though I am only cooking for the two of us it makes it easy.

This is a favorite of my husband's and we get to use the leftover Pork Chops. This is so easy to make for two. Pork Chops over stuffing, stuffing is not only for chicken but goes great with Pork Chops as well. I use left over cooked pork chops, I have found that if you use uncooked pork chops with this recipe it creates too much liquid in the stuffing.

Stuffing

* 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 stick butter
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup sausage
* 1 egg
* 4 cups stuffing cubes
* salt, pepper, celery salt and garlic powder seasoning to taste.

Heat chicken broth and butter to boil. Remove from heat and add stuffing cubes. In a small frying pan fry sausage, celery and onions until vegetable are tender and sausage is fully cooked. Mix sausage, celery and onions with stuffing cubes. Add in egg and seasonings and mix thoroughly.

Preparation

Spread stuffing mixture in a casserole dish.

Place leftover cooked pork chops on top.

Cover and cook for approximately 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

How easy is this for a meal for two!

I don't know where I got this from but I've been making it for years.

Cooking For Two
Tea for two. That's what it's all about, right? So how come every recipe you pick up says serves 4 to 6? Or more! What do you do when you want macaroni and cheese, but don't want to be reheating it for three nights? Or a couple of cookies, but don't want to be tempted by two dozen sitting on the counter all week?

Creative cookbook authors and cooks Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough have all the answers in Cooking for Two

For a sweet twist on pork chops, the Taste of Home Test Kitchen added apple cider to this skillet entree. You'll love these chops and their glossy onion gravy and it is just enough for two.

Ingredients

* 2 bone-in pork loin chops (6 ounces each and 1/2 inch thick)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 4 teaspoons butter
* 1 small onion, thinly sliced and seperated into rings
* 1/2 cup apple cider or juice
* 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
* 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1-1/2 teaspoons cold water
* 1/4 teaspoon browning sauce, optional

Directions

* Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chops in butter on both sides. Remove and keep warm.
* In the same skillet, saute onion for 5 minutes. Stir in cider and rosemary; top with pork chops. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until meat juices run clear. Remove pork chops to a serving platter.
* Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in browning sauce if desired. Serve with pork chops.

Recipe courtesy of Taste Of Home

This is another one of my husband's favorites. I use the leftover chicken from making broiled chicken which I tend to make more of knowing I will make this in the next day or two.

Ingredients

* cooked chicken
* 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, you can use Fire Roasted or Seasoned for an extra kick
* 1 chopped onion
* 1 chopped pepper
* 1 jar of mushrooms
* 1 can of peas
* salt, pepper, celery salt and garlic powder seasoning to taste

Preparation

In a frying pan cook onion and pepper in small amount of oil until tender. Add in diced tomatoes, mushrooms, peas and chicken, season to taste and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with rolls or garlic bread.

A tenderloin is the ideal dinner for two: easy, fast and simple. And while this marinated tenderloin would be great as is with some grilled asparagus and corn on the cob, you can also transform it with the recipes that follow.

Ingredients

* 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, (see Ingredient Note)
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 8 ounces pork tenderloin, (see Kitchen Tip), trimmed of fat

Preparation

1. Combine chipotle and sauce, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor; blend or process until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork and seal, squeezing out any excess air from the bag. Turn to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat grill to high or heat a large indoor grill pan over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade (discard marinade). Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the meat registers 145° F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Notes

* Make Ahead Tip: Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

* Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapenos packed in a flavorful sauce. Find them with Mexican foods in large supermarkets.
* Kitchen Tip: One pork tenderloin typically weighs about 1 pound, enough for 4 servings. You can marinate a whole pound in the same amount of marinade used to marinate the 8 ounces in this recipe and have enough cooked tenderloin for 2 dinners (for 2 people). Or freeze half for up to 3 months.

Recipe courtesy of Eating Well

Cooking for Two 2009:

Our editors spent a full year developing 195 foolproof recipes specifically designed for just 2 servings.

In Cooking for Two, the test kitchen's goal was to take traditional recipes and cut them down to size-to serve just two-with tailored cooking techniques and smart shopping tips that will cut down on wasted food and wasted money. Great lasagna starts to lose its luster when you're eating the leftovers for the fourth day in a row. While it may seem obvious that a recipe for four can simply be halved to work, our testing has proved that this is not always the case; cooking with smaller amounts of ingredients often requires different preparation techniques, cooking time, temperature, and the proportion of ingredients. This was especially true as we worked on scaled-down desserts; baking is an unforgiving science in which any changes in recipe amounts often called for changes in baking times and temperatures.

Just because you're cooking for two doesn't mean that dinner can't be fresh, flavorful, and exciting. We've provided a wide range of meals from simple skillet suppers, pasta dishes roasts, and soups to special occasion dinners with more complex flavors like Pan-Roasted Duck Breasts with Dried Cherry Sauce and Roasted Rack of Lamb with Whisky Sauce. You'll also find entire chapters on outdoor grilling and barbecuing, and lighter meals with included nutritional information.

This lens is one in my series of 'Cooking For Two'.
Click the links to view other mini's for two or a few

Mini Crockpot ♦ Mini Food Processors ♦ Mini Deep Fryer ♦ Mini Blenders

The Two Of Us . . . And Friends


The Two of Us...and Friends introduces young couples to cooking and entertaining, while providing fun and inexpensive ways to have all the extras like flowers, candles, and invitations. There are no styrofoam balls to roll in glitter, only useful, elegant, and playful ways to entertain with ease and style.

Organized with the 2-4-6-8 principle, each section contains four full menus, plus cooking, decorating, and entertaining tips taken from real life experiences. The "2" chapter, for The Two of You, deals with the couple's care and feeding, emphasizing the need for alone time. The "4" chapter for a Party of Four includes easy but sophisticated menus with a seasonal bent. "6" celebrates The Joy of Six with lunches and dinners, sometimes in unusual places, and Eight and Up changes the formula slightly to provide not only a swanky dinner party for eight, but for sixteen, twenty-four, and thirty-two.

All Recipes Easy Cooking for Two

Taste of Home Cooking For Two

Healthy Cooking For Two

Cooking For Two At Recipe Goldmine

Light Cooking For Two