Welcome to Cooking for One week! I am thrilled to be teaming up with some very inspiring and talented fellow whole food bloggers to bring you this series. You can see in the daily line-up below the recipe that over the next 7 days we will be arming you with an arsenal of easy and approachable whole, plant-based recipes ideal for those dinners for one.

But you may be asking….Cooking for one, is it really worth it?

Of course it is. Now let me convince you. Whether you usually cook just for yourself or for others, we all find ourselves needing to cook for one from time to time, right? But I think there is a misconception when it comes to what it really takes to make a quality whole foods meal just for one. Friends with busy careers who live alone have told me it's not worth the effort and is just as easy to eat out or buy something ready-made. I get the time and effort argument, as I also often face this same dilemma when my husband is away. Even I have less motivation to dirty the kitchen and make an effort just for myself, especially during the work week at the end of a busy day.

But I have found ways to make good food that I look forward to eating and can spend minimal time in the kitchen preparing. In fact, the more I do small things like this for myself, the better I feel physically and emotionally. I've come to realize that with just a little planning and minimal effort, the pay off to feeling replenished and nourished is huge. And remember, treating others well starts with treating ourselves well.

“Cooking for one requires a mindset shift. It is a shift in the way we think about optimizing our efforts and minimizing our time in the kitchen.”

So, it's really a mindset shift. It is a shift in the way we think about optimizing our efforts and minimizing our time in the kitchen. And to help you with this mindset shift, in addition to a week's worth of recipes, my friends and I will also be sharing our personal favorite top tips for successfully cooking for one.

My Top Tips for Cooking for One

Plan ahead + Embrace leftovers: Cook big batch items like soups, stews, or pasta sauces, roast veggies, and cook a pot of grains when you have the time and energy on the weekend. These often taste even better the second or third day anyways, plus they are usually freezer-friendly. Try portioning out soups and pasta sauces in single-serving containers to freeze.
Proactively stock your kitchen: Don't wait until you're hungry to scan your kitchen to decide what you should cook. Keep a diverse set of your favorite fridge and pantry staples stocked so they can be easily combined last minute to make a quick entree salad or soup
Adjust expectations: Solo meals don't need to be elaborate to nourish. But they should still be approached with the intention to satisfy. When I'm alone for dinner I often look forward to big salads, leftover soup, or roasted veggies with eggs or leftover grains. I don't expect anything more than simple, but I make sure the ingredients are quality and mealtime is enjoyable.

My belief is that the more we are mentally and emotionally open to enjoying the meal, the easier the food will be digested and the nutrients assimilated in our body. This is backed by science, in fact. One of the main divisions of our nervous system is in our gut, and the energy of thoughts and emotions we take into and throughout mealtime affects the motility of our digestive tract.

Needless to say, no matter how simple my solo dinners are, I get as much pleasure from them as any other dining experience because I take time to have food on hand that I enjoy and I know that eating a homemade meal in a quiet, relaxed environment with some much deserved "me time" is special in itself and nourishing on so many levels.

Green Quinoa Bowl
Serves 2-3

Notes: I am more likely to cook for myself when there is minimal chopping and everything can be prepared in one pot for little cleanup. Here the broccoli steams directly on top of the quinoa in the last 8 minutes of cooking time. And while the quinoa cooks, I chop avocado and olives and make a quick lemon-balsamic dressing in a glass jar to store in the fridge. This quinoa bowl has a few fun surprises - it was inspired by the flavors of Morocco.

1 cup (190 g) white quinoa
1 3/4 cup (420 ml) water
1/4 tsp. salt
4 unsulphured dried apricots, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice (divided)
1 small head broccoli (~3 cups/230 g chopped)
Handful green olives
1/3-1/2 avocado
Lemon-Balsamic Dressing (recipe below)

Rinse quinoa in a sieve until water runs clear. Add to a medium pot with water, salt, and chopped apricots. Cover, bring to a bowl, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, chop broccoli florets and tender stems into small bite size pieces (err on the smaller side so they cook thoroughly). With 10 minutes cooking time remaining, remove lid and quickly zest lemon directly over quinoa, then distribute chopped broccoli evenly on top. Cover again, finish cooking, then remove pot from heat, keep covered and let steam for 5 minutes. Once steamed remove most of broccoli, squeeze 1/2 lemon over quinoa and fluff with fork.
While quinoa finishes cooking, chop enough olives and avocado for that night's serving and make the dressing. To serve, layer quinoa in a bowl with broccoli, avocado, and olives on top and drizzle with dressing.

Lemon-Balsamic Dressing

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Juice 1/2 lemon (remaining from recipe above)
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard (or Dijon - this is stronger, so you may need less)
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch salt + freshly ground pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a glass jar with a lid. Screw on lid and shake to combine. Store extra in jar in the fridge to use with leftovers the next night.

Follow this daily line-up for Cooking for One inspiration all week. Hopefully you enjoy this series as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

Cooking for One Week! ~ Green Quinoa Bowl