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Baked sweet potato -

You can bake a potato while watching TV. So why not catch up on your favorite Netflix episode while cooking up baked sweet potato with cream cheese, butter, and parsley?

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One-pot chicken Parmesan -

This tasty dish can be put together in 30 minutes. Delicious, filling, and easy to make, the best recipes use mozzarella as well as Parmesan cheese for an extra rich and creamy hit.

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Oven-roasted salmon -

Comfort can mean calories, so here's how to stay healthy while solo. A simple salmon dish is a great source of protein and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Smother with butter, add a dash of garlic, and sprinkle with parsley.

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Root beer float with vanilla ice-cream -

How's this for thirst-quenching liquid comfort? If you want to, use Guinness as a boozy bonus. But go easy on the refills.

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Cheeseburger -

Add bread crumbs to fresh ground beef, add egg, salt and pepper, and you have the mix for a burger that shoves restaurant fast food into the bus lane. Use a good quality melting cheese, garnish and season to taste, and savor with splendor.

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Chicken with honey salad -

This is all about the marinade—honey, mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper—that's poured over the chicken and chopped bacon before frying. Greet the meat with a salad of romaine, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.

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Vanilla ice-cream on soft cookie -

The thing about being on your own is that the imagination tends to wander, outrageously so on occasion, like heating up chocolate chip cookies in a pan and then topping the lot with melting vanilla ice-cream. Make it a reality!

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One-pot lasagna -

An Italian classic, serve hot and sizzling, and don't skimp on the wine even though you're dining alone. Quality counts!

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Blueberry muffin mug cake -

Was it by a quirk of nature or divine intervention that your average cup just happens to be the same size as a blueberry muffin? Serve up a mug with fresh berries and maple syrup.

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Peanut butter cup cake -

Equally fortuitous are the dimensions of the household mug, which can accommodate a peanut butter and chocolate chip cake with alarming ease.

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One-pot beef stroganoff -

This is a lovely weeknight meal option. Tasty and comforting, a stroganoff is basically beef and mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce. And while the wine is breathing, stir in the egg noodles.

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Hot chocolate with marshmallows -

Lonely? Down in the dumps? Fix yourself up with this delectable concoction and wait for the angels to sing.

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Ramen bowl -

A little more effort is required to make this ramen bowl, basically an Asian noodle soup of spinach, mushrooms, green onions, and egg. Add chicken if you wish, or tofu. An optional dab of chili paste helps liven things up.

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French toast with apple caramelized with cinnamon -

A favorite Gallic snack, this is essentially a breakfast treat. The heavenly soft caramelized apple and cinnamon topping is spread over hot crispy toast to be devoured with vigor.

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Candied bacon with pecan and brown sugar -

This irresistible snack is so easy to prepare. Just combine the brown sugar and pecans in a food processor and process the mix until finely ground. Sprinkle on the bacon and bake in the oven.

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Mug Mac 'n Cheese -

A mug of ultra-creamy macaroni cheese—all that melted Cheddar—is why waist belts have notches. So, eat a bowl in your dressing gown!

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Oatmeal porridge -

This is another healthy breakfast pick-me-up that should banish any comfort food guilty streak you may be harboring. Enjoy with blueberries, banana, and chia seeds.

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Pancakes -

Use a small pan for individually sized pancakes... and then fire up half a dozen or so for those reflective moments by the window. Let fresh fruit and maple syrup be your soul mates.

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Grilled cheese arepas with bacon -

A typical snack from Colombia and Venezuela, maize-based arepa pairs up with cheese and bacon big time. Go on, live the vida louca!

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Chocolate chip cookies -

If nothing works and all else fails, throw caution to the wind and confiscate a bag of chocolate chip cookies in double-quick time.

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Chicken enchiladas -

This takes a bit of time to rustle up but hey, what else are going to do? Oozing sauce and cream, this is not the healthiest of foods. But the feel-good sensation is priceless.

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Bruschetta -

Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. The crowning ingredient? Finely chopped fresh tomatoes.

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Apple crumble dessert -

Sweet treats are made of this, a cupcake's worth of crispy apple crumble. Well, an apple a day, so they say.

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Chili soup cup -

Still bored? Going stir-crazy? Then get hot 'n' bothered with a chili soup cup, all chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, and beans.

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Baked pumpkin chips -

Savory pumpkin chips? You bet! Bake up a batch until the edges begin to curl. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Serve with lime wedges for added zest.

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Soup -

Soup is a great leveler. A bowl of broth can be enjoyed anywhere at anytime. And how easy is it to prepare? Try a parsnip soup, with a topping of lightly fried parsnip crisps.

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Cacio e Pepe -

Even the laziest and most demotivated of us can get to grips with this standby dish. The ingredients are very simple: black pepper, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and spaghetti.

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Gnocchi soup -

Rich and hearty, this really gets your spirits up. Use sausages and lots of tomato, and add spinach or other vegetables, something like zucchini or bell peppers, for taste and texture.

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Paella -

Here's a great "surf & turf" suggestion—chicken with shrimp and smoked Spanish-style chorizo, cooked with the usual suspects: garlic, olive oil, and tomato. For a dash of extra color, add a pinch of saffron strands.

See also: Foods that help combat stress, anxiety, and depression. 

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