Recipe: Mustard-Rosemary Chicken (serves 2) (Article: Cooking Well for One or Two)

COOKING WELL FOR ONE OR TWO
Source: the American Institute for Cancer Research

May is Older Americans Month, and for many older people, eating well is particularly challenging because they are cooking for just one or two. If you're used to cooking for a full family, it's often hard to adjust. You may find yourself eating what's at hand rather than preparing three nutritious meals a day.

One way to overcome this is to prepare food in quantity, eating one or two portions and freezing the remainder, but such a strategy may limit the variety of your meals and may not be practical if you have a small freezer. Instead, look for recipes and cookbooks designed for those who are cooking for only one or two people. They often include tips and shortcuts to make smaller meals that are nutritious, tasty and easy to prepare.

Single servings purchased from the supermarket usually cost more than the large economy size. You can take advantage of the larger, lower cost packages by buying them and repackaging them at home. The nutrition label tells you the number and size of servings in a package, so divide the contents into serving units. Use small plastic bags to store one or two portions of foods like pasta, cereal, crackers or raisins. If you purchase frozen vegetables in large bags rather than boxes, it's easy to pour out the amount needed, then reseal the bag.

Freeze sliced bread and take out only the number of slices needed. Look for supermarkets that sell unpackaged dry food in bulk; these are less expensive and can be purchased in any quantity.

Many supermarkets now have their own salad bars, which are life-savers when you're cooking for one or two. No more wilted or moldy produce -- you can buy small portions of fresh vegetables and fruits and avoid the waste that comes from throwing away half a head of lettuce or other produce that has gone bad.

Use salad bars to provide vegetables for small stir-fry dishes, salads, soups, stews and casseroles.

Other simple, inexpensive ways to boost nutrition and flavor in smaller meals include: adding diced vegetables to canned soup during cooking; spreading lowfat Italian dressing on a skinless chicken breast or lowfat ranch dressing on fish before baking or broiling; marinating single servings of vegetables overnight in a lowfat vinaigrette dressing; or boiling vegetables or pasta in low-sodium bouillon instead of water.

Almost any recipe can be altered to suit your taste and your portion requirements. Mustard-Rosemary Chicken is designed to serve just two.

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MUSTARD-ROSEMARY CHICKEN

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 chicken breast halves, skin removed

Combine all ingredients except chicken in flat baking dish. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat well with the mixture. Cover and marinate at least one hour or overnight in refrigerator.

Chicken can be cooked in oven, microwave, or on a grill. To check for doneness, pierce thickest part with fork. If the juice is clear, chicken is done.

TO BAKE:
Cover and cook at 375 degrees F for approximately 40 minutes.

TO MICROWAVE:
cover with wax paper and cook on high 10-13 minutes, rotating dish halfway through; let stand 2-3 minutes before serving.

TO GRILL:
Shake off extra marinade and cook over medium-high flame for about 15-20 minutes.

Each of the two servings contains 153 calories and 3 grams of fat.