I've recently moved into an apartment where I'll be living by myself for the first time. I enjoy cooking, but I'm sadly a "must have a recipe" kind of girl. I'm a healthy eater, and on a bit of a budget. If anyone could help me out with some simple recipes that are delicious, healthy, and not too expensive please pass them on. I would love to get some that are easy to prepare for one, but I eat leftovers all the time, so if it makes more, bring it on!

Thanks!:)

I totally understand the need for a recipe. When I was growing up there had to be one. As an adult, I became a professional cook and now only use a recipe for cake ('cause I forget) and for things I've never made before.

What type of things can you make? What do you like?

Well... I guess my favorite thing is Broiled Tilapia Parmesan. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com. After I made it twice I made some adjustments to the recipe, but to start I definitely am going to need one. I love fish, and chicken. I'm trying to stay away from pork and limit my beef.
One of the biggest problems I have is putting a meal together. What sides go good with what entres, etc.

You can actually find some really simple recipes on the weightwatchers website. I think I found them by typing "weight watchers recipes" in Google. There's some good stir fry and salads that I've tried.

Here is something simple I learned from a West African friend in college. He made it much tastier...

Peanut Butter Soup
(African Groundnut Stew)


One whole chicken or whatever pieces you like

Heat up a big pot (non-stick is good) with a little oil in the bottom
Brown the chicken really brown
Take the chicken out and put it on a plate

Add to the big pot:
1 teaspoon thyme
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of salt

Add more oil to make it float a bit and let the seasonings cook a minute.

Add one whole onion chopped small

(non-traditional but good is 3 pressed cloves of garlic too)

When onion is translucent add:

2-28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 little can (6oz) of tomato paste
The chicken you browned

In a small pan mix 1/3 cup of oil and ½ cup of peanut butter. They will blend together on medium heat while you stir. When this is blended, pour it into the big pot.


At this point the soup is done but cooking it another ½ hour or even longer makes it spicier and tastier.

Serve with rice and a salad


There is a lot of fat but it is filling and can be made with an oil that's good for you.

Go find a slow cooker recipe website - Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, they always yield plenty, and you can make some amazing things... like curries, and stews, and soups, and countless things!!

Oh yeah, and they are easy peasy... just throw some stuff into the pot, and leave it for a few hours, and without doing much, you have a healthy, delicious dinner, ready for you when you get home from work even. I love using the slow cooker.

I like to experiment a lot when I fix meals. Have come up with some pretty good combinations of things with mixing certain vegetables with certain kinds of meat, poultry or pork.

One of my favorites is steaming fresh spinach really well and at the same time, frying in lots of butter, part of an onion that's been cut into small pieces with either meat, poultry or pork, that has also been cut into small pieces, and then mixing it all together with the steamed spinach.

I have no idea what it might be called, but I find it to be delicious!

One of my favorite meals is scrambled eggs with cut up pieces of ham and cheese in it. I have this for supper whenever I'm bored with cooking. Quick, easy.

I would definitely say find one pot meals. You said your trying to limit your beef so this is only an example not a suggestion but hamburger helper. Very easy and it's a whole meal. Rachel Ray has a lot of one pot meals so try foodnetwork.com and her show you might already know is entittled 30 min meals so they can be assembled in 30 minutes or less.

I strongly suggest investing in a crock pot. You put everything in it in the morning and by dinner time, everything is ready (from stews, to meats, to cakes). Slow cooker recipes usually make enough for at least 2-3 people, but whatever you don't eat you can freeze and save for a day you don't feel like cooking.

One of my favorite "quick to make" meats is chicken breast cooked in a low-fat, low-calorie salad dressing. I use frozen boneless skinless chicken breast and an inexpensive bottle of salad dressing (low fat zesty italian is my favorite for this).

Put the meat in a small skillet and pour dressing over it until the meat is half submerged then cover and simmer on low heat. I turn mine over once during the cooking process.

If you're into using spices and you don't have a boutique spice store near you check out Penzey's and get their catalog. Their prices are great and their quality is amazing. I like to get the half cup jars because they come with labels that explain how to use each spice.

Their website also has some really good recipes.
Ber