KkinionEveryday home cooking
Plan Just Three Dinners: Start with One Block of Tofu
Cooking for yourself? Start with three dinners instead of planning a whole week. Use one block of tofu to compare pan-fried tofu, soup, and tomato dishes. This is a planning example, not a nutritional prescription.
Before cooking for one
Start with an ingredient you already have, then check the recipe's full ingredient list, quantities and equipment before choosing your meal. For a solo meal, use its one-serving quantities.
Consider tomato tofu cooked in one pan, zucchini and tofu doenjang stew, and soy-sauce tofu rice bowls as options. First, check whether you have the ingredients you need, such as tomatoes, doenjang, and soy sauce. Using the same tofu does not mean the other ingredients for all three dishes are the same. Decide how many portions you will actually make, then gather and compare the ingredient lists, separating out seasonings you already have from the shopping list.
Choose the days you’ll eat at home before choosing the dishes
A day when you get home late can be different from a day when you have time to cook slowly. First, mark the days this week when you’ll have dinner at home. For busy days, choose dishes that use familiar ingredients and equipment; for days with more time, try a new dish. Filling every dinner slot with a new recipe can make planning itself feel like a burden.
If your schedule is still uncertain, you can save options without assigning them to specific dates, such as “a simple meal,” “a warm meal,” or “something new.” Check your fridge and schedule on the day, then decide the order.
Find different dishes that use one main ingredient
For example, if you want to use tofu, look for both a salad served cold and a dish cooked in a pan. Even with the same ingredient, changing how it’s cut, how it’s cooked, and what it’s served with can make for a different meal. Rather than repeating the same dish with a different sauce, compare options with different cooking steps.
However, don’t assume that leftovers can be stored until the next day just because they use the same ingredient. Check the product’s storage instructions and use-by date, and store it appropriately for its condition. This post does not specify how many days food can be stored.
Gather ingredients you’re missing after choosing three dishes
If you fill your shopping cart every time you look at a recipe, you may buy similar ingredients more than once. Save your options first, then compare their ingredient lists. Sort ingredients into what you already have, what you need to buy, and what you won’t need if you choose a different dish. Check that you actually have seasonings you assume are always on hand, such as soy sauce or oil.
On Kkinion, you can select your ingredients and check which ones are missing from a recommended recipe card. “It showed up as a recommendation” and “I have all the ingredients right now” do not mean the same thing. Also see How to turn leftover ingredients into a meal.
If plans change, swap just one dish
If plans come up or you feel like eating something different, you don’t need to redo your whole meal plan. Keep one option you haven’t made yet, and change only the dish you need for today. Next time, start again based on what you actually cooked and what ingredients are left. The goal isn’t to stick to a perfect plan, but to spend a little less time starting from scratch to decide what to have for dinner.
Choosing dishes and storage duration are separate matters
This example shows one way to plan three meals; it does not mean you can open a pack of tofu and store it for a set number of days. Check the product’s storage instructions, use-by date, and whether it has been opened. If your schedule changes, check the condition of your remaining ingredients and start by changing one dish.
Continue to the full recipe
Zucchini and tofu doenjang stew: add the tofu after the vegetables have cooked to see the ingredient amounts and cooking steps.
Cook it yourself with a Kkinion recipe
Below are the full ingredients and cooking steps for “Zucchini and tofu doenjang stew.” First choose the amount for the number of portions you’re making, then follow the preparation and cooking instructions in each step.
Recipe ingredients
Zucchini and tofu doenjang stew · Estimated time: 20 minutes · Equipment: pot
Choose one of the two amounts below to suit the number of people you’re cooking for.
- Tofu: 1 serving: 0.25 block (300 g per whole block) / 2 servings: 0.5 block (300 g per whole block)
- Zucchini: 1 serving: 0.25 / 2 servings: 0.5
- Onion: 1 serving: 0.25 / 2 servings: 0.5
- Doenjang: 1 serving: 1 household eating spoon / 2 servings: 2 household eating spoons
- Water: 1 serving: 2 paper cups (180 mL each) / 2 servings: 4 paper cups (180 mL each)
- Garlic: 1 serving: 1 clove / 2 servings: 2 cloves
Full cooking instructions
1 step. Wash the zucchini, cut it lengthwise into 4 pieces, then slice it into pieces 1 cm thick. Cut the onion and tofu into 2 cm pieces, and finely mince the garlic.
Check: For 1 serving, the tofu is 300 g, or 1/4 of a block. Use 1 pieces each of the zucchini and onion, after cutting one medium-sized piece of each into 4 pieces.
2 step. Pour the water into a pot and dissolve the doenjang by pressing it against the side with the back of a spoon. Add the zucchini and onion, then set the pot over medium heat.
Check: For 1 serving, the water is 180 mL, or 2 paper cups. Use 1 level household eating spoon of doenjang. If your homemade doenjang is salty, start by dissolving only half, then adjust the seasoning with the rest at the end.
3 step. When the broth starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 minutes. Press the zucchini with the tip of a spoon to check whether it breaks apart easily.
Check: Start the timer once the broth begins to boil. Keep the lid slightly open to prevent it from boiling over. Use a pot of at least 3 L for 3–4 servings.
4 step. Add the tofu and minced garlic, then simmer for another 3 minutes. Once the tofu is hot through, turn off the heat, let a spoonful cool, and taste it.
Check: Stir gently so the tofu doesn’t break apart. If it tastes too salty, add 2 household eating spoons of water per 1 serving, then bring it to a boil again.
Check the ingredients and cooking steps for zucchini and tofu doenjang stew
The images in the post are newly generated AI images based on the Kkinion recipe linked here. The featured image is also an AI-generated example. These are not photographs of actual cooking or tasting, and the amounts or finished appearance may differ.