Cooking for One? You Still Deserve a Proper Meal

An easy Mexi Vince burrito bowl or wrap for nights when a sachet cup o'soup just won’t cut it.

When you are cooking for one, it is easy to lower the bar.

A cup of soup sachet. A slice of toast. A few crackers and cheese. Something quick eaten in front of the television.

It fills a gap, but it does not always feel like a proper meal.

Many women spend years cooking for partners, children and families. Then, when they are suddenly preparing dinner for themselves, making a full meal can feel like far too much effort.

But cooking for one does not mean you should stop eating well.

You still deserve something warm, colourful, satisfying and full of flavour, even when there is only one plate on the table.

Easy Does Not Have to Mean Barely a Meal

The problem is not wanting an easy dinner. Easy dinners are essential.

The problem is when “easy” becomes so small or basic that you are hungry again an hour later.

A good meal for one does not need to involve peeling vegetables, chopping onions, opening six different packets and covering the kitchen in dishes.

Sometimes it simply needs a good shortcut.

Mexican Vince already contains the vegetables, herbs and spices that create the flavour base of the meal. Add boiling water, stir through some black beans and you have the beginnings of a proper dinner in minutes.

An Easy Vince Burrito for One

Serve your Mexi Vince and black beans over rice for a generous burrito bowl, or wrap everything inside a soft tortilla.

Add crisp lettuce, capsicum salsa and a spoonful of avocado lime cream. It feels fresh and colourful, without turning dinner into a major production.

Ingredients

Serves one generously

For the Mexi Vince filling

•  ¼ packet Mexican Vince Meal Base

• 80ml boiling water

• 2 Tblsp black beans, drained and rinsed

For the capsicum salsa

• ¼ red capsicum, finely diced

• ½ tomato, finely diced

• 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion

For the avocado lime cream

• ½ ripe avocado

• Squeeze of lime juice

• ½ tablespoon greek yoghurt or Aioli

• Pinch of salt

• Small splash of water, if needed

To serve

Choose either:

• 1 serving of warm cooked rice, or

• 1 large soft tortilla wrap

Then add:

• Shredded lettuce

• Grated cheese or sour cream, optional

Method

1. Make the capsicum salsa

Combine the capsicum, tomato, red onion and lime juice.

Season with a pinch of salt and add coriander if using.

2. Make the avocado lime cream

If possible use a stick blender (although mashing with a fork is fine) and blend the avocado with the lime juice, yoghurt and salt.

Add a small splash of water if you would like it smoother and easier to spoon over the meal.

3. Prepare the Mexi Vince

Place the Mexican Vince Meal Base in a bowl and pour over the boiling water.

Stir well, cover and leave for approximately four minutes coevred, or until the vegetables have softened and absorbed the water.

Stir through the black beans.

4. Serve it your way

For a burrito bowl

Spoon warm rice into a bowl.

Top with the Mexi Vince and black bean mixture, shredded lettuce, capsicum salsa and avocado lime cream.

For a burrito wrap

Warm the tortilla, then add the Mexi Vince mixture, lettuce, salsa and avocado lime cream.

Fold in the sides, roll it up and enjoy.

Make One Meal Without Creating Waste

Cooking for one can feel wasteful when recipes call for whole vegetables, large tins and family-sized portions.

The good news is that the remaining ingredients can become tomorrow’s lunch.

Store the leftover Vince and black bean filling in the fridge and serve it over rice, in another wrap or on top of corn chips. The remaining avocado and salsa can be added just before serving.

One small amount of preparation can give you two easy meals without eating exactly the same dinner for days.

You Are Still Worth Cooking For

A simple dinner does not need to be elaborate, but it should leave you feeling properly fed.

There will always be nights when toast or a cup of soup is exactly what you want. But it should be a choice, not the only option that feels manageable.

With a shortcut like Vince, you can make a colourful, satisfying dinner for one without spending your evening chopping, cooking and cleaning.

Because one person is still worth making dinner for.