6 personal recipes

Food for the Gods: a Filipino-style date and walnut pudding baked in a water bath with whipped egg whites for a light, souffled texture. Served cold with whipped cream.

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

Classic beef stroganoff scaled for one person with tender chuck steak, mushrooms, and a silky sour cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, served over noodles or rice.

Thin spaghetti tossed in a buttery cream sauce with scallions and lemon zest, topped with golden whitefish caviar. A luxurious two-person pasta ready in 20 minutes.

Microwave taco salad with hot Italian sausage, green chilies, and Monterey Jack over crisp lettuce and tomatoes. Single-person dinner ready in 20 minutes start to finish.

Individual tuna pizza on a crispy flour tortilla with pizza sauce, mushrooms, tomato, green pepper, and mozzarella. A quick, high-protein personal pizza ready in 20 minutes.