I found this chili rub recipe on a little index card at the grocery store, which I think is quite a good idea. They’ve started putting out these cards at stores such as Wal-Mart and Target, and most of the time they actually turn out pretty well, at least this one was pretty tasty.Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15-25 minutes Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2-2 pounds salmon fillet
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp salt

Steps

1. Drizzle oil over salmon. Stir together chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, and salt. Rub into the fillet.
2. Coat grill (either outdoor or George Foreman) with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place fish on grill. For outdoor grill, cook for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. For the George Foreman grill (or indoor grill), cook for approximately 7 to 10 minutes total. You can also bake the fillet in oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness. Meat is done when it flakes by a fork.
4. Cut into fur steaks and serve with a healthy side, such as asparagus or a side salad.

I was eating alone and figured I’d eat some leftovers. I scanned the fridge to find some leftover pizza, a hamburger, and a half empty jar of Alfredo sauce. I was thinking I could use the Alfredo sauce for something, but since I was eating alone I didn’t want to make such a big hoopla.

Oh well, I pulled out the sauce, grabbed a thawed piece of chicken, and made some Cajun spices. My end product was Cajun blackened chicken Alfredo fettuccine with asparagus, whew. Okay, this dish was so delicious, it was definitely worth the hoopla!

In the end, I decided that even though I was only cooking for one, food should always taste great (or at least, when it’s in your power to make it so), regardless of who you’re serving. Just because I wasn’t making dinner for others doesn’t mean I can’t treat myself to a little delish dish of my own.

Prep: >5 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. white pepper
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 1 tbsp. ground oregano
• 1 tbsp. ground thyme
• 1 tbsp. table salt

Steps

1. Cajun rub is so versatile and tastes great on many different kinds of meat (salmon, steak, chicken, shrimp, etc.).
2. Just rub the meat with a little oil or butter and sprinkle the Cajun spice according to how spicy you want it.
3. Put it on the grill, in a skillet, or in the stove, and voila, yummy deliciousness!