Solo dining needn't be dull dining

People live alone for different reasons. Death, divorce, empty nests, lifestyle choice, whatever, but sad or glad, by choice or fate, everyone has to eat. And as the wise old woman said, "better to eat well and eat alone, than eat dull food with strangers".

There is no awkwardness now about eating alone in public. Breakfast is never a particularly sociable time, lunch is often eaten on the run, so a singleton at the morning/lunch table is becoming the norm.

It is as acceptable for a woman as a man to sit alone at a bar and order a drink, and eating dinner alone in a restaurant is no big deal either. A book or magazine is useful if you want to seem immersed in something other than the wine list and there is always your text messenger for non-vocal company.

But announce you are going home to eat alone and suddenly you are a lonely saddo. Mention your welcoming gin and tonic or the pleasures of the glass of wine while you prepare your simple repast and you can tell by the disapproving suck of breath you have just qualified as a drunken lonely saddo.

I am confident not too many solo diners rush home of an evening to fix themselves roasted duck breast with pomegranate sauce, but another meal of baked beans straight from the can? How sad is that.

Please, people, do your body, your taste buds, and your sense of gratification (all right, greed) a favour and make a proper meal.

I know recipe books can be a nuisance with all those tempting suggestions for four that don't actually work when made for one, but go for simplicity. One piece of chicken, one piece of fish, a scattering of herbs, a sprinkling of spices, a glug of oil, and heat. Not too many different flavours, not too many frills.

And yes there is mess: saucepan, frying pan, knives, forks, plates, splashes, spills. Get over it, think of it as exercise or meditation or something. Turning ingredients into dinner isn't about saving time and energy, it is about paying attention to what things taste like.

Do taste buds really hang out for something cold from a can? If a steak is suggested instead, which would you choose, all things being equal?

For those who "can't be bothered to cook the stuff that goes with meat", how about a steak sandwich. Big and beefy, marinated, panfried, sliced. A few mushrooms and a handful of spinach. But only half the steak. The rest is for tomorrow's pleasure, served as a rare beef and mustard salad.

Or why not roast too many potatoes, yams, parsnips and pumpkins and serve one bowlful tonight with couscous (no cooking needed add boiling water, cover, wait a few minutes); another tomorrow as a puree with a couple of good sausages; and the final bowl stirred into a curry sauce (out of a jar).

Then there's the poached-egg trick that morphs eggs on toast into a version of caesar salad in a lettuce cup. Eggs will likely be your dinner or form part of it on many an evening, so it might be timely to add a few new dishes to the repertoire.

Same for rice. There is more to this grain than plain, and mastering, say, a pilaf can lead to greater culinary heights.

One piece of chicken is many a solo cook's choice for a single-serve meal, but why not a meaty pork cutlet, or a sweet soft flaky fillet of fish baked in the oven so there's no smell, no fat to splatter.

For a roast, a lamb rack cut in half makes a natty mini-mini roast. The other half can be whacked into elegant cutlets and grilled another night.

A baked potato and a salad will be perfect company, though if anyone is in a fancy mood, Nigella Lawson's baked mushrooms with buttery garlic juices is a fine companion with plain grilled chops.

A cautionary word on leftovers: if you do make a stew, and feel obliged to eat same two or three nights in a row, the magic word here is topping. A pastry top turns stew into a pot pie, a topping of mash renders it a shepherd's pie.

Above all else, include a spoil-yourself element when you eat alone. Read a book; have the favourite music track playing as loud as you like; fix yourself a pudding if you have a sweet tooth; a thick slice of the best cheese you can afford if you prefer savoury tastes.

And with a nod in the direction of your critics, pour yourself a very good wine.

Let's do it.

Steak for one two ways

There are four steps involved but each is simple. Start with the mustard dressing which is also the marinade. Then the butter, to lift the sandwich into a culinary masterpiece. Cooking the steak takes only a matter of minutes. And for the second meal, all you need do is chop a salad.

Mustard marinade/dressing:

The marinade is not only the first step towards the grill, it also doubles as a dressing for the beef salad.

1 Tbsp readymade hot mustard

1 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

125ml olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil)Put all ingredients in a covered jar and shake until well mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Put aside until required.

Mustard garlic butter

Have everything ready for the moment when the juicy slightly charred meat hits the sandwich.

30 g soft butter

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tsp mild readymade mustard

Combine all ingredients, roll into a log, and slice as required. Refrigerate the remaining butter which is also good on lamb chops, fish, and should you be so lucky, grilled crayfish.

Steak sandwich

Which cut of beef produces the best grilled steak? Rib-eye, says one. Hanger, says another, and those who pride themselves on grill-skills insist it should be rump. Your choice. Serves 1.

A 250g-300g piece of steak

2 Tbsp mustard marinade

4 swiss brown mushrooms

1 Tbsp baby spinach leaves

½ Tbsp onion marmalade (C2)

1 Tbsp mustard garlic butter

½ a ciabatta

To marinate the steak, spread out a sheet of food wrap, paint it with 1 1 Tbsp marinade, lay down the steak, paint it with the remaining Tbsp of marinade, then fold wrapping to enclose steak. Use a bottle of wine or something similar and whack the steak to an even thickness if it is not already. Leave for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200deg.

Peel and slice the mushrooms and fry gently in a little olive oil until soft, then add the spinach, and onion marmalade, remove from heat, cover and keep warm. Heat your heaviest frying pan it will need to have a fireproof handle as it will be going into the oven for a few minutes. Get the pan hot, remove the steak from the food wrap, season with ground black pepper and slap it into the pan.

Cook 2 minutes each side, then put pan and steak into the oven for 4 minutes (turn the pan's handle to the back so you won't inadvertently reach for it when you remove the pan).

Remove, using a thick oven glove. Let steak stand for 4 minutes, then divide the meat in two. Slice one half into very thin slices, put in a bowl and add sufficient dressing to moisten only; don't drown. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Meanwhile toast the ciabatta in the hot oven, split and spread with the mustard butter. Slice the remaining steak into thicker slices, sprinkle with salt. Fill the ciabatta with mushrooms etc and steak, and slap the halves together. The hot meat will melt the the mustardy butter.

Steak salad

Remove the thinly sliced beef in its dressing from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. In another bowl, assemble as much or as little as you like, of the following:

Iceberg lettuce, chopped

Cucumber peeled and chopped

Avocado, peeled and sliced

Pear, peeled, halved, chopped

Rocket

Radishes, chopped

Lift the slices of beef from the dressing and add to the vegetables. Add more dressing to taste, toss all ingredients to combine. Serve with a slice or two of toasted sourdough bread or eat and enjoy as is.

Speedy fish bake

Serves 1.

1-2 fillets of firm white fish terakihi, gurnard, monkfish, ling ...

1-2 Tbsp cream, or milk, or creme fraiche

Topping:

½ preserved lemon, diced, OR ½ large tomato, seeded and flesh diced, OR 4 cooked, shelled and chopped prawns

Salt & pepper to taste

Breadcrumbs:

1-2 thick slices bread

1-2 tsp lemon zest

1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Olive oil

Heat oven to 180deg. Place fish in a shallow oven dish not much larger than the fillets. Pour over the cream or milk. Sprinkle with the topping of choice, add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the bread, mix with zest and herbs.

Spread the topping over the fish. Add a glug of olive oil in zigzags over the crumbs. Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Thicker fish fillets will require the longer cooking time. You could cook a handful of oven chips at the same time and have a fish and chip night.

Solo caesar

Dressing:

This a cheat's version of the classic. More authentic versions are readily available in recipe books. The dressing will be fine in the fridge for 3-4 days.

¼ cup Best Food mayonnaise

¼ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt

4 anchovy fillets, drained

2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp mild mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary.

Salad

1-2 eggs

1 slice white bread

2 rashers prosciutto

2-3 lettuce leaves

Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft. Drain and set aside. Cut bread into cubes and toss in an oiled frying pan until crispy, then set aside and keep warm. Arrange lettuce leaves in a cup shape.

If you like your prosciutto cooked, cook in pan for a minute or two, otherwise arrange the rashers inside the lettuce cups. Add eggs and croutons, swish a little dressing over the lot, and eat. Serves 1.

Good gracious beans

For baked bean devotees who might like to make a meal of it. Serves 1.

1 standard can of baked beans in tomato sauce

2 rashers bacon, de-rinded and roughly chopped

1 Tbsp sweet chill sauce

Grated cheese

1-2 slices of sourdough, toasted

Use a deep frying pan and over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Add the baked beans and bring to a simmer scraping up any crusty bacon bits.

Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Toast the bread, spread with butter, keep warm. Add the chilli sauce to the beans. Remove and spoon beans, bacon, and sauce onto the toasted bread. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, pushing at least half into the beanish liquid. Serve immediately.

- © Fairfax NZ News