Over the years of singleness though, cooking for one simply became a necessity. It was either cook for myself or be subjected to pre-packaged, processed food or take out. And since I had neither the budget nor the metabolic rate to eat out all the time, cooking for one it had to be.
Cooking for one has its benefits - there are no finicky eaters to appease, no critical palates to impress. Weekly menu planning centers around you, and only you. It's one of the many joys of singleness - that absolute freedom to cook what you want, when you want, how you want.
But with no family to feed, and recipes that serve at least four people at a time, Singleton cooking usually means buying more ingredients than you'll use and lots of leftovers.
Then, there's also the reality that cooking just takes time. There's the prep, the actual cooking, and then all the clean-up. Cooking for one means shopping by yourself, hauling those groceries up the stairs by yourself and cleaning up, all by your lonesome.
In Los Angeles, where my work days are long, a five-mile commute can inexplicably take forty minutes, and the down time between the next activity is fleeting, cooking for myself on a regular basis is a challenge.
Los Angeles encourages the pre-made meal. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's offer shelf after shelf of relatively healthy salad and sandwich options. Otherwise there's vegan, organic, and farm-to-table eateries galore. Here, eating out isn't merely pizza or Chinese. Or if does happen to be pizza or Chinese, it's artisan or locally grown. So many and delicious are my food options that I wonder - wouldn't it be such a time saver if I just picked something up on the way home?
Even as the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want, is a joy of my singleness, it is also a challenge. In this place where I'm not particularly obliged to care for another, it's easy to forget to care about myself. Why bother to make a meal if the only person that'll enjoy it is me? It's such a waste of time, for, well... no one.
Except, I am someone.
This is a lesson I've had to learn over and over again as a Singleton: being one is just that, one. Not zero. Not "just one." Not "even one." One. No negation necessary. And it is just as important to care for one - me - as it is to care for the multitude of others.
It may be the more practical option, with my full life and over-flowing schedule, not to cook, but cooking for myself is about self-care. Caring for my body because my cooking is likely more healthy than dining out. Caring for my wallet because eating out and frozen dinners add up. Caring for my sanity because cooking exercises my creativity and calms my soul.
For me, cooking is enjoyment, pleasure and rest. Hours in the kitchen, by myself, once terrifying in my twenties, is now my zen. A good meal is restorative after a day battling this city that is Los Angeles. To lose such a gift in the name of saving time is tragic.
It's impractical for me to cook every day, so I've come to an approximate cooking schedule that works for me. I cook one major meal on the weekend, with leftovers to last me until the middle of the week, and then I cook again sometime mid-week, with enough leftovers to last me until the weekend. This way, I get a happy break in the middle of the work week to play around with some fun recipes.
When the Splendid Table's Cumin Lemon Lamb Grill in Lettuce Rolls with Grilled Vegetables recipe landed in my email In Box, it made my mouth water. Until I saw that it was a recipe with multiple steps and a long prep time. It was definitely not a recipe I could easily make on a weeknight evening.
But the marinade was something that could be done in 10 minutes, especially since bottled minced garlic is a staple in my refrigerator. The only catch with this recipe is that it's probably best if you let the chicken marinate for about 40 minutes. I used that time to soak the bamboo skewers and cleaned my kitchen - I barely noticed the wait time.
The recipe makes enough for about two to three meals, depending on how hungry you are. Paired with lemon rice, it makes for a meal that has protein, veggies and carbs. If you're into the low carb/no carb thing, then these skewers make for a good meal on their own.
Chicken Kabobs with Lemon Cumin Marinade
Makes approximately 4-5 skewers
Ingredients
For the marinade:
3 to 4 large garlic cloves
Pulp of 1 large lemon (cut away all zest and white pith), seeded
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of water (optional)
For the kabobs:
2 to 2.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 red peppers
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
3. Blend ingredients for the marinade in a food processor until smooth.
4. Pour marinade over the chicken pieces and mix thouroughly. (I like to use my hands here.). Allow to marinade for approximately 40 minutes.
5. While waiting for the chicken to marinate, slice the red peppers into bite sizes pieces and soak the skewers in warm water.
6. Alternate placing the chicken pieces and red pepper slices on the skewer.
7. Place the skewers on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
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