Chicken Tagine with Roasted Vegetable Couscous
A no-fuss, oven-based tagine: chicken marinated in ras el hanout and preserved lemon, served over couscous with orange-roasted carrots, chickpeas and dates. Marinate ahead and it comes together easily.
Me, Myself, and a Good Meal
Eating solo means eating however you like and that includes licking the plate
Dining alone isn’t always a delight, but it can be. Sometimes it’s a little lonely but other times it can be liberating. There are evenings when I’m thrilled not to negotiate anyone else’s tastes or dietary quirks and I can lean fully into what I feel like. That might be cooking something indulgent just for me or not cooking at all. Some nights, I’ll simply grab a sentimental plate and artfully (or not-so-artfully) arrange the odds and ends from the fridge into something that feels like it can pass for a meal.
Often, I’m more than happy with a salad or a sandwich at the end of a long day. What you won’t find me eating is soup. Yes, I know it’s practical, nourishing, freezable, and a weeknight staple for many. But it’s just not for me. I’ve tried, truly. I’ll happily slurp the noodles from a steaming bowl of pho, dunk bread into velvety pumpkin soup, or even sneak the Gruyère-crusted croutons off slowly caramelised onions. I’ll down a shot of gazpacho when the weather hits 40 degrees but sitting down to a big bowl of soup for dinner is never going to happen. There, I’ve said it. And honestly, I feel all the better for my confession.
What you will find me consuming are dishes tailored to the pleasures of eating solo. They’re sized for one but flexible enough for two if someone happens to wander in. They lean into my own cravings—meals with colour, a decent wedge of cheese, or a cut of protein my partner avoids. The sort of things I might not make for company but absolutely make for myself.
The point is eating solo doesn’t mean compromising. It doesn’t mean toast-for-dinner every night (though some nights, that’s exactly right). It means pleasing yourself. Cooking for your own appetite, your own quirks, your own mood. Maybe that’s a plateful of something vibrant and nourishing. Maybe it’s a midnight omelette with far too much cheese. Maybe it’s eating from the pan and, yes, licking the plate clean because I can.
Dining solo is about reclaiming those meals for myself, without apology or compromise. Because whether you’re eating with company or dining alone, food should feel like a pleasure, not a chore.
These are some of the things I like to make when I’m solo dining:
- Baked Feta In Filo
- Halloumi Beetroot Stack
- Crispy Egg Net W/ Broccoli & Cashew
- Lazy Lamb Kofta
- Thick Cut BLT – you really don’t need a recipe for this
- Pea, Mint, Feta Salad
- Sardine Pita Pizza
- Kedgeree
- Hot Honey Halloumi Sweet Potato
- Cheesy Bean Dip
The Melbourne I Like to Eat
There are plenty of cities with good food and, while I might be a little biased, I think Melbourne has something a little more interesting: a food culture that feels like the city itself. Diverse, curious, somewhat scruffy around the edges and dotted with just enough genuinely passionate producers.
What a School Canteen Taught Me About Building a Village
People often say they want a village, but they’re not always ready to become an active participant in one. Being part of a community requires actually walking the walk.