Meal for one? Check. Less than 30 minutes? Check. Balanced, incorporates vegetables, and provides fulfilling energy? Major check.
Take a chance to brush up on your cooking skills. If you have never cooked before or are not very seasoned at it (get the joke?), this balanced, healthy, and easy to make meal is perfect for you. Depending on how young you are, you might want to ask a parent for help on this meal or ask them to help you use a stove top.
Often times, when we are left at home by ourselves, we tend to go for either pre-made or frozen food. Sometimes it’s not always the most balanced of meals and doesn’t leave us with long-lasting energy. Feel like a cook and try this meal below that is balanced in carbs, protein, and the nutrients needed from vegetables. Read more below the recipe to see why it’s a balanced meal.
Shrimp, Pasta, and Asparagus Meal for One
Perfect for: One person, lunch or dinner, for someone who has some time on their hands and wants to cook something healthy, easy, and delicious:)
Time: About 30 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients:
- 5 or 6 unshelled shrimp (uncooked and frozen is fine)
- 1 cup of whole grain pasta
- 4 asparagus (uncooked and unprepared is fine)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- Less than 1 Tbsp of butter
Steps: Start in Order
For Pasta:
- Boil water in a pot. Pour in pasta. Cook according to box directions (mine took about 12-15 minutes) *Make sure to check on pasta while cooking to ensure no accidents happen
For Shrimp:
- While pasta cooks, take shrimp out of container. If frozen, take hot or boiled water and pour into a small bowl. Put shrimp in the water and wait about 5 minutes. Then, take shrimp out of water and dry off with a paper towel.
- Once shrimp unfrozen or ready to use, place them on a cutting board and remove tail if not already taken off.
- Turn on stove top and place pan above heat. Take butter and melt on pan.
- Once butter melted, pour olive oil. Add cut garlic clove to pan.
- Add shrimp to pan. They might shrink and that is okay. Once shrimp on pan for about 2-3 minutes, flip them over to the other side.
- Turn off pan once finished and shrimp cooked enough. Shrimp are now done. Leave on pan until pasta and asparagus are finished, or place on plate.
For Asparagus:
- Take a pan and boil water.
- If asparagus need to be trimmed, do so before placing in pan. Once asparagus are ready to placed into the pan, do so.
- Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Will cook faster if lid is on pan. *Asparagus might shrink and that is okay.
- Once asparagus done, make sure to turn off stove and place on plate.
Once all things are cooked:
Place them on plate to eat. You can add some tomato sauce or pesto to accompany pasta if you would like.
Let me know how it went! If it turns out to look incredible (like I’m sure it will!) snap a photo and tag us @talkbyvictoria. Comment below how it went, if you have any questions, or just want to say hello:)