Slightly over a year ago when I started living alone, I struggled to think of quick and tasty meals to make for one.
I have always enjoyed cooking and I believe cooking for me is therapeutic. However, when you are coming from cooking for about five people to just yourself, it becomes a bit too much. Keep in mind that I didn’t (still don’t) have a fridge or microwave. You know what that means, right?
With that, I had to think of food I could easily make just for one. And because I am working from home, I have had to be a little creative with my meals while not being too extravagant because Lord knows, living alone comes with its expenses.
A year later, I can confidently say I found what works for me while trying to establish somewhat healthier habits.
So, when I don’t feel like experimenting, I stick to these staples that take under 20 minutes to make.
Here are some of my easy recipes that you could add to your meal plan.
Rice + Egg Curry
My dad made the best egg curry growing up. Every time I make this, I try to recreate his, but it’s just never the same. Don’t get me wrong, mine is still bomb and until I can figure out his egg curry recipe, I’ll stick to mine. 🙂
Ingredients
A cup of rice
2 Eggs, boiled.
1 carrot, grated
2 tomatoes
1tbspn tomato paste
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Coriander to garnish
Fry your onions until golden brown. Add the garlic and fry until well browned. Add the grated carrots, let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add your tomatoes and let this simmer for another 5 minutes. Put in your spices of choice and let this simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add in a quarter a cup of water, bring to boil, and then add your eggs. After about 5 minutes, garnish with coriander. Serve with your rice.
Ugali + Beef + Kales
Now, this is the perfect balanced diet. I try to ensure that all my meals include carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins, although I don’t always succeed.
You will need
Maize flour, for the ugali
Beef, boiled
Kales
2 Onions
A tomato
Spices of choice (I go with black pepper, garlic powder, and cardamom)
Coriander to garnish
After your meat has boiled (I prefer boiling mine with the spices), add in a little cooking oil and fry for about 2 minutes. Then add in your onions and let this cook until the onions are browned. Add in your tomatoes and cover to cook for a few minutes. Add a little water (quarter a cup) to this and let this boil for 5-7 minutes. After this is done, you can garnish with coriander.
Rice + Beans
This has to be one of the easiest meals for me to prepare. The good thing with this is that it requires very few ingredients which you can easily find.
Ingredients
Half a cup of beans, boiled
Rice, cooked
1 Onion, chopped
1 Tomato, grated
Spices of your choice (I use black pepper, garam masala, turmeric powder, and garlic powder)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
Fry the onions until golden brown, add in your spices, and fry for 2 minutes. Then add your tomatoes and let cook for another 2 minutes. Add your soy sauce and tomato sauce and let it boil for an additional two minutes. Add in your beans, mix well and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Next, add in a little water (slightly less than half a cup of water) and salt, and bring to boil for 5-7 minutes. You can then garnish with coriander and enjoy!
Ugali + Kales + Nile Perch Fillet (Mbuta)
I have fallen in love with this kind of fish that has bigger and lesser bones, as opposed to the normal tilapia fish. This has made life so much easier for me.
You Will Need
Maize flour, for the ugali
Kales, finely chopped
Nile Perch Fillet, fried
1 tomato
1 Onion
Spices of your choice (I use black pepper, garlic powder, and turmeric)
1tspn Peanut Butter
I’ll talk about the fish because the ugali and kales, you can make your way. For the fish, start with frying the onion until golden brown. As this is going on, sprinkle your spices of choice over the fish. Then add the tomatoes to your onions and let cook for 2 minutes. Add a quarter cup of water to the mixture and bring this to a boil. Add your peanut butter and let this mix for about 2 minutes. Then add in your fish and add salt to taste. Let this boil on low heat for 5-7 minutes (because the fish is already cooked, we don’t need to re-cook it until the flesh falls off the bone). When this is done, serve with your ugali and kales.
Fries
All you need are potatoes, and you can chop them into think slices and fry them to your liking. You could also buy ready-made fries if you like. I, however, find home fries cheaper and tastier🙂 .
