• I used supermarket sourdough white bread. We love the flavor of it. Any good sturdy bread will do.
• I used salted butter. That is all I keep in the house, make sure you use garlic powder and NOT garlic salt.
• I used Kraft sliced Swiss Cheese.
• I used French's Honey Dijon mustard and Kewpie Mayonnaise.
• I used Maple Leaf deli sliced ham and turkey.

1. Whisk the melted butter with the garlic powder and parsley flakes. Brush on the outer sides of each slice of bread. (I use a pastry brush for this and try to coat the whole surface.)
2. Place one slice of bread, butter side down, in the basket of the air fryer. Spread the cut side of the bread with honey mustard to your taste. (You can be as generous with the honey mustard as you like.)
3. Top with 1 slice of Swiss cheese and the two slices of ham. (I fold the ham up a bit to make it seem like a thicker layer.)
4. Top with 1 more slice of Swiss cheese and the two slices of turkey. (Again fold the turkey up a bit for some texture.)
5. Top with the final slice of Swiss cheese.
6. Spread the cut side of the remaining piece of buttered bread with mayonnaise to taste. Place mayonnaise side down and butter side up on top of the sandwich. Sprinkle with 1 TBS of the Parmesan cheese. (Make sure the mayo side is inside the sandwich.)
7. Preheat the air fryer to 400*F/200*C.
8. Air fry the sandwich for 4 minutes.
9. Remove from the air fryer. Carefully flip over so that the other buttered side is on top. Sprinkle with the remaining TBS of Parmesan cheese.
10. Air fry the sandwich for a further 4 minutes at 400*F/200*C. It should now be heated through, the cheese should be melted and the sandwich should be golden brown. (If you think it needs a few more minutes, then do so. But watch carefully so that it doesn't burn.)
11. Leave to sit for a few minutes before cutting in half and serving.

• Use good quality ingredients. You are what you eat and quality speaks for itself.
• Use a good and sturdy white bread. I used a sour dough. You want your bread to be sturdy enough to be able to handle the weight of your ingredients.
• Less is more. Don't be tempted to overstuff your sandwich.
• You only need a light brushing of the garlic butter, if you use too much you will have a greasy sandwich.

 

Whether you are a singleton, or a couple empty nesters, or even a couple who just live on their own, its always nice to have some idea of what other people in the same situation do when it comes to preparing meals.

My mother was on her own for about 30 years prior to my sister moving in with her and my mother cooked herself a supper every day. They might have been simple things, but they were always nutritious and balanced.  

I am not entirely on my own at the moment as my oldest daughter is staying with me temporarily while she looks for a place of her own. I quite enjoy having someone else to enjoy my meals with and I think she is enjoying me cooking for her and revisiting some of her old favorites.

Except for the occasional meal out I do cook for myself every day.  I will sometimes cook a bit extra and freeze that in single serve portions ready to enjoy on a day when I can't be asked to cook, or I am in a rush and don't have time to cook.

In any case here is what I cooked for us and that we enjoyed over this past week. This is only a reflection of what I had for my main meals of the day. Lunches (my evening meal) and breakfasts are a lot simpler and usually don't require much effort. I usually eat my main meal (if I am eating at home) at lunch time.  

For my breakfast I will have a muffin, or a bowl of cereal, maybe some toast, and occasionally I will enjoy some cold pizza from the night before. In the evenings I will enjoy a sandwich, or a salad, or a bowl of soup.  Sometimes another bowl of cereal. It all depends on if I am hungry or not and how hungry I am.

And without further adieu, here we go!

• two thick individual sized ham steaks (see notes)
• 1 tsp finely grated lime zest (plus additional to garnish)
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 TBS liquid honey
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• Crushed chili flakes (optional)

• Thick ham steaks were not really available when I went to the shops to get some so I just bought a small dinner ham which I cut into two 1/2 inch thick steaks. I will use the remainder of the ham to make sandwiches or a casserole.
• Use fresh limes. I actually ended up buying limes twice. I had bought some earlier in the week but when I got home I couldn't find them, so I must have left them in the store.  I ended up having to go back and get more.
• I used the organic bottled minced garlic, about half a teaspoon.
• I used local Nova Scotia organic liquid clover honey.
• I chose not to use the chili flakes.

1. Whisk the honey, lime zest, lime juice, oil and garlic together in a bowl to combine well together. Set aside. (If you wish you can gently heat this mixture for about 30 seconds in the microwave. I did not find this necessary.)
2. Take your ham steaks and, using a sharp knife, score them in a diamond pattern on both sides, making very shallow cuts. (No more than 1/4 inch deep at half inch intervals.) 
3. Brush the ham steaks generously on both sides with the glaze mixture, making sure you get it into the cuts. Place them in the basket of the air fryer. (I lined the bottom of my air fryer with some foil to make clean up a bit easier. I didn't want honey sticking on and burning.)
4. Air fry at 375*F/190*C for 5 minutes. Brush with the glaze and flip over. Brush the other side with the glaze.  (Really work the glaze into the cuts both times.)
5. Air fryer at 375*F/190*C for a further 5 minutes. Brush with the remainder of the glaze.
6. Leave to rest for two minutes. Sprinkle some additional lime zest over top and some crushed chili flakes if desired. (I did not use the chili flakes.)
7. Serve immediately with your favorite sides. (See below for serving suggestions.)

1. Make sure that the ham steaks you purchase are at least 1/2 inch thick and that they are labeled as being cooked already, or ready to eat. If they are not you will need additional time to cook them through to an interior temperature of 140*F/60*C.
2. Scoring the surface of the ham steaks in a cross/hatch diamond pattern helps the flavors of the glaze to penetrate the meat better. No need to go really deep. Shallow cuts are best.
3. Glaze your ham steaks in stages. This helps to ensure that the honey caramelizes perfectly and will give you a lovely golden finish. 

• Use a high temperature and relatively short cook time. (In this case, 375*F/190*C for only 5-minutes per side for ham steaks that are 1/2 inch thick.)
• Use a glaze as a protective barrier. This will help to seal in the juices of the ham as it works to glaze the ham.
• Use your meat thermometer and test the ham to see that the interior temperature is 140*F/60*C.  As soon as your ham reaches that temperature remove it from the air fryer.
• Allow the ham steaks to have a resting period as you would any cut of meat. This gives the juices some time to be reabsorbed into the meat prior to serving.