When I was 15, my brother left home and my dad died within a couple of months of each other, so mum was in a similar situation. It took her a while to adjust, and there was the phase where extra just got put on my plate (that got stopped as soon as I realised what was going on). We also had the situation where leftovers just would go off in the fridge as both mum and I were used to dad or my brother eating them, so we had never touched them. In the end, mum went for much more simple dishes and chose better cuts of meat for a steak. We also got out the cook books and tried out things that appealed but weren't suitable for family cooking. We had fondues, salads, home made pates, and quite a few stirfries.
Now I live alone, I make big pots of my favourite soups, bolognaise sauce, and savoury mince and freeze into smaller portions. With the mince and the sauce, I can then use them as they are over toast or pasta or as part of a Mexican meal, or even over a baked potato in its jacket. A roast is super simple but instead of using a leg of lamb, etc, I use steaks and chops as the roast. Portion control is much easier. When I buy raw meat, I also freeze it in individual portions. I have a lot of seafood in my diet as well which is easy to prepare, very quick to cook and can be served with rice or a salad for a hearty meal. If I am entertaining, I might get fancy (ish!) and perhaps wrap a veal steak or thin chicken breast around some asparagus, which in turn would have proscuittio around it. Or top a steak with some blue cheese after the initial turn, so it is just melting when served.
Cooking in small amounts allows you to get a bit more playful in your cooking without necessarily spending a lot of time doing it. And of course, if something doesn't work out that well, you aren't eating for the next month!!
