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Grilled chicken & zucchini

Things that cook quickly and are no non-sense. My most frequently dish recently has been a recipe from Heidi at 101cookbooks.com. It is brown rice that is accompanied by chickpeas, asparagus and onion. I like to throw in some rosemary to make it more fragrant (and as a result tastier!) dish.

When eating alone I usually enjoy going out. My favorite thing is to go to a local authentic Mexican join, in North Jersey, and have some chips, salsa, grapefruit Jarrito, dos (head meat) tacos and uno lengua (tongue) taco. The tacos are made with flour tortilla and cilantro and raw diced onion.

Crispy cheese. It's terrible and delicious, most often eaten at 2:00 a.m. on "those nights". I got the idea from my mother, who in the great Southern tradition of fatty sins, would slice cheddar cheese, place it in a cast-iron skillet, and bake it in the oven till it was half-crispy/half-gooey. Then we'd eat it over biscuits - or just by itself. Yum...

Makes for an excellent preemptive strike on hangovers - hence it's unholy-o'clock in the morning popularity back home.

That one is easy! I always tend to go with roast chicken with roasted carrots and potatoes. simple, good and tasty.

i make cold soba noodles, dipped in soba sauce and wasabi, accompanied by whatever i have on hand: grated cucumber, pieces of nori, chopped scallions, pickled ginger.

Solo dining; what a world this opens up!
My dad always goes out to get his fill, but I can't stand the idea of going to a restaurant alone. Especially not when I can cook something just as tasty without the loneliness (embarassment) of looking like I just got ditched on a date.
I'm known to be a fan of bread. There are days when I just go out, buy a head of sourdough, and toast and butter the whole thing for supper. Most of the time though, I ditch healthiness and go buy some wonderful hot and cold dessert-brownies with ice cream rings a bell, as does drumstick cheesecake drizzled with hot caramel, melted peanut butter, and toasted walnuts.

usually a basic pasta dish with whatever veggies are lying around and whatever herbs are in the fridge. nothing too exciting but it always hits the spot.

Always eggs... my favorite is to stir fry an egg or two with some brown rice and (frozen) broccoli, with a dash of tamari and sesame oil, and sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds. Simple, delicious, nourishing and made from things that are always in my freezer/fridge/pantry.

I eat almost every meal alone so I have to say "my entire repertoire."

My go-to dish when eating alone at home is spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, topped with parmesan cheese. I'll make a big batch of it and eat it all by myself. It's incredibly simple and satisfying.

Being a student and on a very low budget, it tends most often to be either soup or cereal. Ah the variety...(insert sarcasm here)

I'm a student, so I do a lot of meals alone, especially since my significant other graduated recently. My go-to meal, at any time of day, is eggs. I usually have some kind of bread/biscuits/etc that I made/froze over some break, so I cook up some eggs (with cheese, good cheese...) and have some bread and sliced up raw veggies. Reasonably healthy--specially since I use more white than yolk, affordable, and incredibly comforting.

Sometimes I opt for quick grilled cheese and chips. Others I treat myself to a great grilled steak, all depends on the time and the mood!

I usually resort to childhood comfort foods when alone - red devil (thickened tomato soup over crushed crackers), dumpling soup, grilled peanut butter sandwich. And then mint chocolate chip ice cream. Hmmm, how can I get my husband and children out of the house?

Sandwiches, wraps, pasta, and soup...all things quick. I save real cooking for the weekend when I'm not alone.

Being home alone gives me reason to make indulgent noodles: egg noodles with parmigiano reggiano, butter, scallions and basil.

(I'm longing to read this book, inspired I'm sure by the Laurie Colwin essay, and have been hoping my library would purchase it.)

Typically I'll make up an easy pasta dish and crack open a bottle of wine.
On more adventurous days I'll try out new recipes so there's no one to disappoint but myself.

I love sauteeing up some garlic and cherry tomatoes in olive oil. Add some black pepper and nutmeg. When the tomatoes begin to release their juices I add eggs and cook them just until the yolks are on the edge of runny. Put that on some toast with parmesan.

If I am at home alone, nothing beats Lime & Chile Tostitos and Marzetti's Southerwestern Ranch Veggie Dip (full fat). If I am by myself, I do not have to share and noone tells me to stop!! I also favor Kraft Mac & Cheese or Lipton Noodles & Sauce, both favorites from my student days that my husband disdains.

If I am eating out alone, I generally choose something comforting, often in the breakfast category. My favorite breakfast "counter" features "Hot Hash & Holly" -- crispy potatoes o'brien, topped with two eggs, cheese and hollandaise (extra on the side, thanks!) and accompanied by an English muffin. Yum!

Mushrooms! My girlfriend and many of my friends with whom I cook can't stand them, so they tend to make their way into whatever dish I'm making when I'm alone.

usually something egg-related, frittata, omelette, quiche . . .

Without question, I make different versions of fried rice. It's easy and it tastes good. I usually go with a simple vegetarian fried recipe I have from a Vietnamese cookbook but sometimes, I add Japanese flavors. And occasionally, shrimp, though personally, I like my friend rice veg-heavy and little else.

grilled cheese sandwich made with kraft singles, perhaps with tomato soup if i'm feeling ambitious.

I like to make hummus with so much garlic that my mouth burns and I usually slather it on crusty bread rather than pita bread. Sometimes, if I want to be nice to myself, I'll buy a wedge of a really strong blue cheese, bread, and some nice grapes and call that dinner. Basically, I like to eat things that would normally make people want to run away from me after I eat them!

when there isn't much in the fridge, i just end up scrambling 4-5 eggs and mixing in whatever's around (cheese, meats, veggies). my friends tell me it's kind of gross and probably bad for me, but i really like it!

Salad.

Odds and ends out of the fridge/freezer, or something involving a giant blob of peanut butter. And as few dirty dishes as possible.

My favorite is ham and cheese on rye with some chips. Or I usually look for leftovers that need to be eaten.

Ramen with an egg on top.

In summer: grilled hummus, arugula, cheese, and tomato sandwich. In fall, buttery mashed sweet potatoes and/or butternut squash. In winter: kale stir-fried with peanuts, garlic and ginger. In spring: berries and toasted almonds with yogurt and honey.

Eggs, in some shape or form

Baked chicken, rice, and some sort of steamed or roasted green veggie. It's a lot simpler than it sounds!

Baked eggs, in piperade or spinach or something. Nobody else I know likes baked eggs as much as I do.

Honestly, when I eat alone, I eat a lot of nibbley things instead of a real meal. Chips and salsa when I get home from work. A salad of sorts for 'dinner'. Maybe some popcorn later on. Toast before bed. Oh, and a bite or two of chocolate for 'dessert' when the mood strikes. Mmm...sounds mighty fine to me!

Salad and cheesy tortilla (usually mozzarella on a flour tortilla). Ice cream for dessert. Yum.

Sauteed greens with a piece of whatever fish looks good at the store, it's easy, fast, and you can do it in one pan. Plus you can put whatever kind of spices so it can be Indianish, Lebanese-ish, French, or whatever.

Haruki Murakami talks about food often in his cooking. He seems to be an accomplished cook and lover of fine foods, as well as, interestingly enough, a runner of many marathons. I guess that helps keep the figure slim.

takeout or I go to dinner in the neighborhood. Probably sushi.

When left in the house alone, my sweetie will end up with coffee and a pastry, because in a house with a fridge full of food she just can't decide. By myself, I often end up with a make-shift pizzaoid object if I don't want to go out or do something elaborate. Sliced bread, bottled sauce, sliced swiss or provolone (and a little ham or salami if it's available) all goes into the toaster oven. If I have more notice, I'll get a nice fresh super burrito from the local Taco Del Mar or other neighborhood joint, or pick up fresh rotisserie chicken and salad from the market on the way home.

ideally: pasta with creme fraiche, lemon, arugula, salt, and grains of paradise

but realistically...how often am i eating alone AND in possession of all of those things? so more often: toast with cheese under the broiler...topped with some sliced apples if i've got them.

yum.

The last 'dining alone' meal I had was a bacon-egg-and-rice stir fry bowl. It was delicious and delightfully bad for me. Next time I get the chance, I'll make it again for a night alone.

a nice, healthful salad with a slice of fresh bread. or panini. or, if i'm really lazy, a nice peanut butter sandwich.

- Leftovers or a salad.

Lentils with curried veggies in garlic (onions, carrots, peas) and a dollop of sour cream

We have 6 laying hens, so there's always fresh eggs around to whip up a personal cast iron pan leftovers frittata. For example, yesterday I grabbed the leftover wild king salmon that we grilled the night before and mixed that with some green onions and eggs and voila, no big mess, and leftovers for when the others come home.

It's silly and girly, but popcorn and (cheap) champagne is a favorite combo on solo-nights.

I very often find myself craving a simple egg when eating alone - it seems, based on the above responses, that this is mysteriously common. Since I tend to prefer the unadulterated flavor of things, I'll just do a sparsely salted egg over toast and butter, and then whatever vegetables are on hand.

Leftovers, of course. But I love eating alone in the morning before the day really gets started, when I usually make oatmeal with flax, honey, and cinnamon. Sometimes pomegranate molasses and walnuts. It's the nicest way to start the day.

When alone, I tend to snack, eating odd combinations that my partner would totally disapprove of: a couple slices of cheese, some leftover veggies, peanut butter on apple -- you get the idea!

sushi and good tv after a long day makes me really happy

What I'd like to say: something delicious, homemade, locally sourced, organic, and healthful.

What is true (on those rare occasions that I cook for myself): something hideous and processed like Hamburger Helper - lasagna flavor, natch. Or a frozen pizza. Or ramen noodles scrambled into eggs.

Definitely eggs. My husband doesn't eat eggs, so when I'm alone I'll often make an omellete - goat cheese, greens, and tomato is a favorite, along with some buttered toast. mmmm.

If I'm on my way home and I know I'll be eating alone, then a slice of NY-style pizza (plain, of course). It is one of the most satisfying, easy, quick and cheap things that you can't go wrong with. If I'm already home, then I like to do crackers, different types of cheeses (we usually have at least a Pecorino, a blue cheese, and soft cheeses in the fridge), olives, cherry tomatoes and salami slices. Cheese and crackers with a little fig jam is quite satisfying. And we always have at least 5 pints of ice cream in our freezer to finish off with. If all else fails, I'm pretty happy with steamed and salted edamame.

Left-overs, cereal, pasta, soup, deli sandwich, steamed veggies.

noodles.

When I'm alone, I make & eat all those things that my wife won't go near, she being a particularly finicky eater: anchovies, olives, and capers (puttanesca sauce, say), and mayonnaise (chicken salad, for example.)

Problem is, I don't eat alone very often, so I don't get to eat these things much.

For someone who loves cooking for friends and family, I'm supremely lazy when it comes to my own meals. Take for example my dinner tonight - some lonely looking crackers rattling around a nearly empty box, the tail end of some cheese, and a still-hard-yet -deliciously-tart nectarine. It's a change from my usual bowl of cereal.

I only know how to cook in mob-sized amounts; I can't seem to get the hang of cooking in small enough batches (with just enough for some leftovers to toss in the freezer.)

A few year's back, I tried Crescent Dragonwagon's recipe for Garlic Spaghetti. It's perfect for eating alone with a small salad or sliced tomato.
you don't really need a recipe, just fine-chopped garlic in butter and noodles with lots of cracked pepper

Thanks to her articles in Gourmet, I often make gingerbread, recipe courtesy of Laurie Colwin. It's delicious topped with lemon curd and I can usually find a chunk of it in the freezer, if it's not on the kitchen counter.

when it's in season, a steamed artichoke! With melted butter for dipping. it's the perfect "food for one."

I eat leftovers or something with cheese. My boyfriend has a cheese-phobia so when I'm alone it's always a good time for me to divulge my senses in all that is cheesy goodness =)

i make big pots of food that'll last me a few days. during the winter, its chicken and rice soup. yesterday it was beef stir-fry. basically anything that will feed me for a few days on 11 or 12 dollars.

If I'm being a good girl, chicken or beef w/ stir fry veggies & Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce with basmati rice... if I'm eating whatever I want, it could be cereal, grits and eggs, cheese toast w/ some kind of soup or just ice cream. Yummy yum!