Celebrity Chef, Terry Miller, shares his advice and recipes with our readers on simple, easy cooking for one. Here is his recipe for Grilled Tomato Pizza. It is often frustrating to attempt to plan meals that are designed for one.

Divorce and the death of spouses or grown children leaving for college are all reasons that someone who's been cooking for more than one would suddenly need to learn how to cook for one. "Cooking for one is a lot harder than one might think," say's Terry, offering encouragement and support for the single person facing the prospect of assembling a meal alone.

"The preparation and chores alone take almost as much work to cook for one as it does cooking for 10", he explains. "In turn," Terry says, "people can feel overwhelmed. They needn't be, because a little planning and chores like chopping, slicing and dicing can go a long way". "Marinate the foods you need. Plan a week ahead. Do things once, like chopping a whole onion, using what you need, storing the rest."

Here is a simple recipe for one person.

GRILLED TOMATO PIZZA

This light, fresh-tasting pizza has a crisp crust and a topping of luscious ripe Ontario tomatoes. Serve it for lunch or cut it into small pieces for a tasty starter. For individual pizzas, use small pitas or naan bread. Recipe makes two or three servings, takes 45 minutes to prepare and cooks in 10 minutes.

1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh basil, chopped

Pinch each of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (approx)

1, 12-inch (30 cm) purchased, store-bought pizza crust

1 cup (250 mL) shredded sharp cheeses (Asiago, old Cheddar or mixture of Italian cheeses)

2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced

1/4 cup (50 mL) parmesan cheese, shaved

1 tbsp (15 mL) each fresh basil, parsley and chives, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, and basil. Stir in salt, pepper and cayenne. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend flavours.

Brush pizza crust with some of the oil mixture. Grill over high heat, oiled-side-down, until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce barbecue setting to medium heat. Brush grilled side lightly with more of the oil mixture. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese evenly on crust. Arrange tomato slices on cheese. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with remaining shredded cheese and parmesan.

Carefully place pizza on grill; close lid and grill just until cheese melts and bottom of crust is light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, parsley and chives; drizzle with remaining oil. Cut into slices.