Stocking a single person's pantry: Meal ideas for one

One of the hardest things about being single is not having to cop the entire cost of a hotel room or Airbnb. It's not dodging the inevitable "When are you going to find a nice boy/girl?" or "When can I expect grandchildren?" at family gatherings.

No, one of the hardest things about being single is cooking for one. It can be expensive, it can be joyless, and it can be something that seems like way too much effort when a good meal is just an Uber-ride away.

But it doesn't have to be.

Many boutique butchers, fishmongers and grocers, such as Melbourne's Meatsmith and Ocean Made, or Sydney's Victor Churchill, are looking out for the single and time-poor by making this easier than ever before.

"We make a real effort to stock ingredients and produce perfect for singles or busy couples," says Troy Wheeler from Meatsmith, "they make up so much of our community. We sell things that are pre-prepared, like confit duck legs and other pre-cooked items that are for busy people, plus cuts of perfectly-portioned fresh meat.

"You don't have to resort to having shitty take away all the time."

But while pre-prepared or even fresh meat or fish is a great place to start, that's not all the solo chef should be restricted to – there are lots of meals you can make that are easy, enjoyable and rewarding.

All you need is an appropriately-stocked pantry. Here's how to do it.

Stocking your pantry

The following items should be in every person's pantry, coupled or not, but they're especially essential for the single guy or gal as each one is packed full of flavour. Buy the best quality you can afford – the higher the quality, the more flavoursome, and the less of it you'll need to use. Quality ingredients can also be a meal in themselves – think beautiful fresh sourdough bread with perfect olive oil and ripe tomatoes.

Non-perishables: Salt flakes, quality olive oil, vinegars (a balsamic and a red wine vinegar), rice (brown, jasmine and arborio or other risotto rice), pasta and noodles, lentils, organic stock cubes, olives (unpitted), capers, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, beans (cannellini, kidney), coconut milk or cream, tuna and anchovies, dried porcini mushrooms, flour, castor sugar, dried yeast, miso paste, nuts, whole spices, dried bay leaves and chilli flakes, chilli sauces (sriracha, Tabasco), mustards.

Perishables: Eggs, natural yoghurt, lemons, eschallots, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, sourdough bread, cheese (parmesan and feta or goat's cheese), Kewpie mayonnaise, seasonal vegetables, protein, cask wine (great for cooking as it'll stay fresher for longer than it would in an opened bottle).

Freezer: Stock it with meat, fish, bread, stocks and broths, streaky bacon, peas and other frozen vegetables, pizza bases, herb stalks, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, leftovers, pre-made pastry (shortcrust or filo).

What can you make with these ingredients?

These ingredients are the building blocks to an almost infinite number of dishes. Take eggs, for example. A simple omelette (two to three eggs whisked together with a pinch of salt and cooked in a hot pan until just set) with some finely chopped chives or other fines herbes is not only healthy and so-very-French, but will take you less than five minutes (including prep time). Pair it with a glass of wine and a side salad, and you have a fast, well-rounded meal. You can also use eggs to make quiche, frittata (also an excellent way to use up leftovers), Spanish tortilla or carbonara (use that streaky bacon). And that's just from one key ingredient.

Here are some other suggestions:

• Dried porcini mushrooms + arborio rice + parmesan + butter + wine = mushroom risotto
• Anchovies + garlic + olive oil + pasta + lemon + chilli (optional) = pasta with anchovy sauce
• Anchovies + garlic + olive oil + olives + capers + canned tomatoes + chilli + pasta + parmesan + tinned tuna (optional) = puttanesca sauce
• Tinned tomatoes + butter + onion + pasta = napoli sauce. Simmer a can of tomatoes with half a peeled (but not chopped) onion and a tablespoon or two of butter until it becomes lovely and rich, then stir through some fresh basil. It's how the Italians do it, and it's so simple and lovely.
• Frozen pizza base + tomato paste + anything you have to hand = quick pizza
• Rice + spices + coconut milk or cream + vegetables + protein = curry
• Flour + salt + olive oil + dried yeast = quick flatbread (alongside curry, but also as pizza base)

Things to remember

Don't be afraid to make too much: A really easy way to eat well when you're cooking for one is to make a big batch of whatever you're cooking, and repurpose it for other meals. For example – roast some vegetables for a salad on a Monday night. Turn those leftover vegetables into a curry on Tuesday. Or roast a whole chicken, and use the carcass to make chicken stock. The meat and stock can both be turned into meals for at least a week – use the stock in risottos and pasta sauces or soups; the meat can be served alongside roasted vegetables; shredded and used in a Vietnamese-style salad; used in enchiladas; or wrapped in pita like a gyros.

Don't over shop: If you know you're going to be out for more than two or three nights that week, stick to cooking meals from what you have in the pantry, or just pick up one or two fresh things (such as a beautiful steak or piece of fish) to go with what you already have. Don't buy things you don't have a specific plan to use.

Use your freezer: Fill it with meat and fish, portioned leftovers, stocks, pizza bases, even hard herbs like rosemary or the stalks of soft herbs like parsley. If you open an anchovy tin and don't use them all, freeze it and just snap one out when you need to use it. Buy a loaf of fresh bread, slice it and freeze it, and just use it slice by slice.