Simple Recipes for Meals for 1 From Eleanor Wilkinson’s ‘One Pot One Portion’ Cookbook

Finding the motivation to cook for just yourself can be challenging, especially when you’re also the only one who will be doing dishes. It’s a struggle cookbook author Eleanor Wilkinson knows well.

“With recipes almost always for four or more, those of us who cook for just ourselves must either fill our freezers, feed our friends or be forced to endure reheated spaghetti bolognese for the next three days,” she says.

That’s why she wrote One Pot One Portion, a cookbook filled with impressive and delicious suppers that only serve one and come together in just one pan.

“Whether you live alone or simply find yourself cooking for one from time to time, this book is from me to you,” Wilkinson adds. Try it tonight!

Tarragon Chicken With Leeks: Serves 1

6 oz. baby potatoes, cut in half or into quarters
1⁄2 leek, sliced into 3 ⁄8” rings
1 skin-on chicken breast
1⁄4 cup fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. white wine 3 tbsp. heavy cream
1⁄2 cup frozen peas

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Add the potatoes to a small ovenproof frying pan or baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil and roast 15 minutes.
2. Add the sliced leek to the pan or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, then place
the chicken breast on top, skin-side facing up. Season this with salt and pepper too.
3. Sprinkle the fresh tarragon all over the dish. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan or baking dish, then spoon the cream over everything, including the chicken skin.
4. Roast in the oven 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the peas, sprinkling them evenly around the pan or baking dish, then roast a final 10 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are
fully cooked and the chicken skin is golden.

Sausage, Fennel and Chili Pasta: Serves 1

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 pork sausages
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 oz. fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 oz. short pasta (e.g., rigatoni or penne)
1/2 cup pecorino, grated, plus extra for serving
1/2 to 1 red chile, finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Remove skin from sausages and break into pieces, then add to hot oil. Fry 4 to 5 minutes. until golden brown. Add garlic and fennel; cook 3 minutes.
2. Stir in broth and pasta; turn heat down slightly to a gentle boil. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed so that most of the liquid is absorbed by the time the pasta has cooked.
3. Add grated pecorino and mix to emulsify with the remaining liquid. Season with pepper; taste, and add salt as necessary (the cheese, broth, and sausage are all salty, so make sure to taste first).
4. Plate up and finish with finely chopped fresh chile and another sprinkling of pecorino.

Chili Con Carne Con Rice: Serves 1

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 1⁄2 oz. ground beef
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1⁄2 tsp. cumin
1⁄2 tsp. coriander
1⁄2 to 1 tsp. chili powder
1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 cup basmati rice
1⁄4 can kidney beans
7 oz. canned tomatoes
1 cup water
1⁄2 beef bouillon cube
Juice of 1 ⁄2 lime
Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add ground beef; cook until browned.
2. Add next 5 ingredients and a crack of pepper. Cook 4 minutes. 3. Rinse rice; add to pan with next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes, until rice is cooked.
4. Slice off a wedge of lime, then squeeze the rest into the chili. Add most of the cilantro.
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, rest of cilantro, lime wedge and tortilla chips.