Perfect meal alone

[Squishedpickle]

Hello!

Please tell me what your perfect meal would be if you were eating on your own (that you cook yourself)?

I very seldomly get to eat alone, so I want it to be delicious!

Thanks

hmm depends on how much I can be arsed

I love a good homemade lasagna but that can take some real effort
A nice spag bol with garlic bread
Chicken in a mushroom/white wine sauce
Chilli with nachos

Or, because I prefer being lazy when I'm on my own I'd get a M&S dine in for £12 (it says it's for 2 but who cares when your treating yourself)

Mussels, prawns in the shell, lobster, crab - not necessarily all together, but with lovely crusty bread. (That's something that's almost impossible to find around here!) And a nicely chilled white wine.
Or fillet steak and dauphinois potatoes if you can be bothered.
Actually, I really like calves' liver and bacon - but I managed to overcook it last time and was soooo disappointed.
(Mentally running through what's in the fridge for tonight and sadly, it looks like pasta bake. I need to start treating myself better!)
Could I have tarte tatin for after?

Baked camembert (idea stolen from atleastthreedrinks and I've now added one to my online shop!) with crusty bread, celery and peppers to dip.

Steak, homemade chips & a big green salad

Chocolate fondant (discovered last night that these can be made in 20 minutes from start to being ready to eat - dangerous discovery!)

Nice red wine

My current favourite is a proper nicois with fresh tuna steak and perfectly cooked egg. (No potatoes, they have no place in my beautiful salad.)

Cheddar, stilton, salted butter, crackers, crusty bread, chutney, wine. Flipz milk chocolate pretzels after

Crab linguine. A massive chunk of that ready made garlic Lurpak, white wine, lemon zest, capers, chives, chilli flakes, black pepper and fresh white crab meat. Lots of Parmesan and the rest of the wine in the bottle to drink.

A toasted cheese sandwich.

I'm a really good cook and cater well for my family. However several members of it are coeliac (not me) therefore bread isn't really something we do.

If I only have to worry about myself and I've got to cook it then a toasted cheese sandwich with made with bog standard white sliced, tons of cheese and butter. Minimum effort and cleaning up for maximum tasty reward.

A real treat for me would be going and eating in a restaurant by myself, I would get a bottle of wine, two starters then a cheeseboard for dessert.

Steak and skinny chips and salad. Perfect!

Alone I just make an omelette or baked potato. No point just for one.

Loads of cherry tomatoes in pan with olive oil, lots of garlic and a few anchovies. Cook over a low heat until the tomatoes are soft and the anchovies have melted into the oil. Serve with spaghetti, and loads of fresh basil and black pepper. It’s stupidly easy but amazing - tastes like holiday!

@Artesia

Loads of cherry tomatoes in pan with olive oil, lots of garlic and a few anchovies. Cook over a low heat until the tomatoes are soft and the anchovies have melted into the oil. Serve with spaghetti, and loads of fresh basil and black pepper. It’s stupidly easy but amazing - tastes like holiday!

I do that too but instead of the black pepper I toss a few chilli flakes in with the tomatoes.

Served with lashings of freshly grated Parmesan.

A real treat for me would be going and eating in a restaurant by myself, I would get a bottle of wine, two starters then a cheeseboard for dessert.

That sounds like a perfect meal. Can I come? I’ll be quiet I promise😂

I’ve never understood eating 3 courses, it’s sooooo much food. Two starters and cheese would be perfect.

I went through a phase of feeling unappreciated so I made a point of making myself a proper bastarding gourmet late lunch for several days - things like steak au poivre, snow peas, potato dauphenoise, big glass of red wine... Then cleared up every bit of evidence before DH got home.

So he walks in to the wafts of michelin scran but there's nothing to eat.
He could smell it. But he couldn't see it. I denied all accusations of cooking. "Must be coming through from next door."

Evil

I'd make a huge grazing board with charcuterie, nice breads, real salty butter, selection cheeses, posh crisps and nuts. Bottle of wine, good book, great music. Eat and read and drink. Maybe something light and lemony for dessert.

A massive mac n cheese with crispy smoked bacon in it. And loads of cheese on the top.

I’m literally never alone but in the days before Covid when DH worked away, DS an I always had fish pie with tons of salmon and prawns 🥰.

Risotto made with white wine in the stock, king prawns, shallots, chorizo, roast butternut squash and cambozola. Served with a large glass or two or white wine

Something that doesn't require much effort, my favourites include:
Fillet steak,
Rack of lamb,
Chicken Caesar salad
Salade Niçoise
Mussels in white wine sauce
Prawn cocktail with tomatoes or avocado
Smoked salmon open sandwich with capers (I'm having this tonight)

When my DH used to do nights, a whole camembert featured heavily when they fell on a weekend.

But I also like to do myself a 'fish platter' so bought in prawn cocktail, crab sticks, roll mops, smoked salmon etc, with sides or pre bought pasta, cous cous and crusty buttered bread.

I work it so that there is enough leftovers for the next day

This thread reminds me of when DH worked away during the week and I cooked for myself

A huge bowl of cheese, mushroom and onion pasta.

Curry, bombay potatoes, saag paneer, rice.

Roasted salmon with homemade roast potatoes.

A huge portion of 'real' , buttery, mustardy mash with sausages and fried onion.

This may sound random but I like to get a tin of refried beans and cook them with onion, garlic and loads of fresh chillies, cook it down and then add cheese. Then I eat it all with tortilla chips. While drinking a bottle of wine.

This used to be my monthly treat when OH went to the pub quiz night. Oh please can they start that up again?!

When my partner is next away, I plan to cook myself the following: A baked brie with a lovely crusty tiger roll, followed by a very rare fillet steak and lovely buttery broccoli, washed down with a bottle of champagne. Simple to cook, maximum pleasure!