My family deserted me )-: Naw. Not really. But, Mom and Harry are off on a trip to Wyoming, my older son is working two hours away in a college town, and the youngest was home a day and a half and then went off to Boy Scout camp as a counselor.
No. I did not put away the grills. It's in my blood, but also I know that grilling is a healthy way to cook. Most of the fat cooks off, and I do not char my grilled food (except on rare occasions when I am very distracted).
It may seem like a lot of work to grill for one, but it really is no harder than cooking inside for one if you think about it and plan. And, it is worth it too, since you have a good meal and leftovers.
Above you see the smoked ribs I had tonight. I did them on the Traeger for around an hour. That was really easy. I just turned on the pellet grill and turned the ribs once plus sauced them with Stubbs barbecue sauce about 15 minutes before I pulled them off.
These are not traditional ribs. They are called country style ribs around here and cook faster than rib racks. They are an odd cut below the ribs and some have bones and some do not. They are lean and taste a lot like pork chops and are meaty and can be eaten with a fork and knife or with your fingers like ribs.
With a salad and roll, this was a great grilled meal for one, and I have a smoked rib left for lunch tomorrow which will be great with some garden tomatoes and cumcumbers.
The night before last I grilled chicken and potatoes. I had a new bottle of Bob Evans Wildfire barbecue sauce and wanted to give that a try. I put on a couple of large chicken breasts on sale at the IGA and made the Garlic Greek Grilled Potatoes that I mentioned earlier on the blog. Those are really yummy.
Earlier in the week, I had grilled meatballs and potatoes rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with seasonings. I just put them on an offset charcaol grill (charcoals to one end) in the grill wok and had my main dishes ready in 45 minutes while I puttered around doing stuff in the house.
Either of my boys could polish off this many grilled meatballs and potatoes, but my metabolism is not at teen speed now. I ate around half of my grilled meal and had a nice lunch the next day with what I didn't eat the night prior.
If you wonder why I'd grill when home alone, then this warm up dinner tells the tale. I had a hankering for lasagna and bought a microwave meal. It wasn't as bad as it looks, but it sure wasn't a grilled meal.
Yes. The lasagna in the microwave was quicker, but it sure wasn't great. It did not fill me up, and there sure were not any leftovers.
After that heat-and-eat meal, I fired up the grills again. I may be home alone, but I do not have to eat yucky food. I've been going with old favorites on the grill (and working around a bag of potatoes that are going begging with the boys gone). The grill recipes I'm using are low impact (just put them on and check now and then), and I am grilling or smoking with an eye on enough to make two meals - dinner and then lunch or a dinner the next day.
For even quicker meals, I'm also firing up the Char-Broil Patio Bistro. That is an electric model where I can grill burgers, hot dogs, or grilled boneless chicken breasts faster than I could get to town and back with carry out.
Cooking food for just one is like cooking for the whole family. The preparation procedures are just the same but true there are lots of leftovers. And eating alone is lonely too... If I’m alone at home I'd rather eat out with friends.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, I am glad I came across. I am temporarily away from my family for an extended job assignment and have been looking for ideas for adapting my tried and true grilling recipes to just one person.
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