Cooking

30 Healthy Recipes for One, Because You Don't Need Anyone Else

Who says cooking has to be for other people?
Image may contain Food Creme Ice Cream Cream Dessert Breakfast and Plant
Photo by Alex Lau

Maybe you're throwing a dinner party or looking to impress a certain someone. It seems we're always making food for other people, but sometimes it feels so good to make a meal that's only for you. So next time you have the evening to yourself, ditch the frozen pizza and the delivery brochures, avoid your local deli guy's judgment at an 11 p.m. ice cream purchase, and make one of these easily individualized recipes. Call it self-care or whatever you want, sometimes there's nothing quite like spending time on yourself.

  • Image may contain Food Seasoning Sesame Meal Plant and Dish
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    1/30

    Crispy Tofu With Maple-Soy Glaze

    Whenever you’re cooking tofu, here’s one of our no-fail techniques: Draining the tofu, then squeezing out as much water as possible (without smashing it), is the key to the crispiest cubes.

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  • Corn Chickpea Bowl with MisoJalapeño Tahini recipe
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props by Meilen Ceramics
    2/30

    Corn & Chickpea Bowl With Miso-Jalapeño Tahini

    A quick sear gives corn kernels caramelized edges and concentrated flavor. Here, they're cooked with crisp chickpeas, then tossed with za'atar and dressed with a mixture of ginger, jalapeños, miso, and tahini. 

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Dish Meal Produce and Seasoning
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    3/30

    Lamb Chops with Tomato Salad

    You want that lamb fat to render out gently; it’ll eventually become part of the sauce that will tie the whole dish together.

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  • This image may contain Food Dish Meal Platter Plant Lunch Animal Seafood Lobster and Sea Life
    Photo by Alex Lau
    4/30

    Spiced Baby Eggplants

    The farmers’ market in high summer is the best bet for finding the small, inky-purple, round eggplants used in this recipe.

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  • Scallion ramen noodle bowl
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani
    9/30

    Ginger Scallion Ramen Noodles

    The noodles are just a vessel for this savory, gingery, simple weeknight sauce. Double the batch, and you’ll always have a way to brighten up simple grilled or pan-roasted chops, roasted veggies, or grain bowls.

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  • Image may contain Dish Food Meal Bowl and Plant
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    10/30

    Confetti Rice with Chicken in Spicy Garlic Broth

    We took a page from chef and author David Tanis and added a bunch of seedy, pickley things to our sushi rice.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce and Vegetable
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    11/30

    Eggplant and Cabbage Dinner Frittata

    We love the just-set creamy texture of a stovetop frittata, but it does make it a little scary to handle. if you aren’t sure about inverting it to get it out of the pan, we have your back. Instead of flipping, transfer it to a 350° oven to finish cooking through.

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  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
    Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    12/30

    Grilled Scallops With Lemony Salsa Verde

    Choose scallops that are “dry” (not stored in liquid preservatives). Larger is better; small ones could overcook before browning. Make sure to coat them thoroughly in oil before grilling so they don’t stick to the grate.

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