Sundays seem to roll around really quickly don't they! On Sundays I usually like to share my Meals of the Week with my readers. Everything that I have enjoyed over the past seven days for my Main Meals. All of the recipes and menu suggestions. That's a whole lot of tasty going on.
As a person who lives on her own, I have challenged myself to eat proper meals every night and to cook for myself whenever possible. I do tend to eat out once a week, with my father and sister, and most Sundays I have Sunday dinner at my sister's with the family. Other than that however, I try to cook for myself as much as possible.
I also try to make my meals interesting and as economical as possible. I hate food waste and will use or freeze any leftovers so that nothing goes in the bin if I can possibly help it! Like everyone, I am feeling the pinch when it comes to the cost of food and I can't afford to throw anything away.
This week I actually hosted my family for Sunday Dinner at mine, so I have shared everything that we enjoyed on that occasion. I also enjoyed my Wednesday Dinner out with my dad, but have shared a like recipe for what I enjoyed that night as well.
I had been trying to eat more Vegan meals but have more or less given up on that. I do Vegetarian when I can, but I live in such a small area with such limited resources that I found it very hard for me to do on a regular basis.
As a newbie, I found it getting harder and harder. The produce that is available locally is appalling. I know these smaller grocery stores are feeling the pinch as well, but I refuse to pay my hard earned dollars for food that is just this side of being rotten, and I cannot afford to jump in my car every day and drive to the shops. I also refuse to eat processed foods as much as possible and I just couldn't make it work. I hope you will forgive me.
Challenging myself to eat well and responsibly is inspiring to me and I hope it will be inspiring to you also! Maybe you will also want to cook good, economical, and tasty meals for yourself also.
This is only my suppers. I do also eat breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is usually toast or cereal, sometimes yogurt granola and fruit. Lunch is a sandwich most of the time, sometimes cheese and crackers and fruit, or sometimes a delicious salad. I do so enjoy my salads!
So here we go, my meals from the past week. Enjoy!
SUNDAY, April 28th - Sunday Dinner at Mine
Most Sundays I go to my sister's for dinner. I wanted to give her a day off for a change and so I made supper for everyone at my place. I did my Mediterranean-Style Marinated Chicken which everyone always loves. It is such an easy make. You just marinate the chicken and then grill. I use my electric grill. It always turns out tender and juicy. I did some scalloped potatoes and green beans on the side and then I made Cindy's Pasta Salad and Deviled Eggs. They always go down a real treat.
We also had garlic bread and Copycat Kozy Shack Rice Pudding for dessert. I don't know why but I always overcook when I have people over for a meal. I guess I am just afraid that people will go away hungry and I never want that to happen! Anyways, everyone seemed to enjoy it all and that made me happy!
MONDAY, April 29th - CRISPY PORK CUTLETS AND CABBAGE
I had some pork tenderloin in the freezer and I took a couple of pieces of that out. I will buy the whole tenderloin and then cut it into 2 inch thick slices, wrap each individually and then freeze them in a double zip lock baggie. (Not wanting anything to get freezer burnt.) I took two out and once thawed I pounded them thin, breaded them and baked them.
They were delicious with a fabulously zingy cabbage slaw that I dressed with a lime vinaigrette! The two together, the pork and the slaw, were really delicious!
TUESDAY, April 30th - CHICKEN FRIED RICE
I had a few pieces of chicken leftover from the other night and I used them to make myself some chicken fried rice. This is one of my favorite things to do with leftover chicken. Its very easy to do and goes together in a flash once you have all of your ingredients assembled.
I enjoyed this with a couple of vegetable spring rolls and some plum sauce. I buy the SUMM! Spring Rolls. The vegetable ones. I have never had any of the other kinds. These are always really good. I love them!
WEDNESDAY, May 1st - Dinner out with Dad, Cindy and Hazel
On Wednesday I went out for my usual dinner out with my father, his friend Hazel and my sister Cindy. I was really wanting a burger this week and The Big Scoop makes fantastic burgers. I had the single Bacon Cheese Burger along with a side order of Frings (mix of fries and onion rings, very naughty I know!). I really enjoyed it, so much so that here on Saturday I am still thinking about it!
In it's place I am sharing my PUB CHEESE OPEN FACED BURGERS. What you have here is a parmesan toasted slice of buttery sour dough bread, topped with an all beef patty, which has been topped with Pub Cheese and sauteed onions. This is a fork and knife burger. One of my favorite kinds of burgers. I confess I don't like eating messy burgers and am much happier eating them with a fork and a knife.
THURSDAY, May 2nd. - OPEN FACED ASPARAGUS MELTS
It's Asparagus Season and I took advantage of that and made myself a delicious open faced Asparagus Melt Sandwich, which I served with some Crispy Air Fryer Chips. Potato chips or a salad are also very nice with this delicious fork and knife sandwich.
It doesn't take a lot of fancy ingredients either. Sized for just two people, with this recipe you toast half a ciabatta bun, top with a pesto mayo, slice of ham, some poached asparagus, sliced tomato and three kinds of cheese. Popped under the grill until the cheese melts and everything gets crispy golden brown. Delicious! (I cut the recipe in half for myself.)
FRIDAY, May 3rd. - EASY LEMON GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN
I did myself another easy chicken dinner for Friday in the way of this delicious marinated chicken. I cook it in the air fryer, but you can also cook it in an oven Sized for two people (but easily doubled) this was the BEST marinated chicken I have ever eaten.
The flavors were amazing. The chicken was tender and juicy. It almost melted in the mouth. I served this with some rice from a ready cooked rice packet, the Pilaf flavor, and frozen peas/carrots. This was a lovely dinner which I really enjoyed!
SATURDAY, May 4th - GRILLED CHEESE DOG
I didn't want anything to fancy on Saturday. To be honest I was craving a hotdog more than anything and so I made myself a Grilled Cheese Dog, which I enjoyed with a cup of hot tomato soup. (from a packet on this occasion!)
A once in a blue moon treat, all beef weiners, split almost all the way through and grilled until crispy brown on both sides. Cheese is melted on top and then the grilled, cheese covered weiners are tucked into a buttery toasted soft side hot dog bun. Soooo delicious! I could eat a dozen of these, but I limit myself to one! A rare treat that I really enjoy!
And there you have it, my main meals of the week for the past 7 days! I really enjoyed every single thing. Everything was fairly economical and tasted great. Most of all I enjoyed the meals I got to share with others!
I hope that there was something here to whet your own appetite!
I couldn't go vegan either, although that is more a planning issue for me. I don't have any local shops selling produce, so I go to the supermarket once a week and find that much of the produce lasts that length of time. Leafy greens, no, but certainly carrots, celery, beets, cucumbers, grape tomatoes etc. I certainly wouldn't need to go every day. Canned tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, some frozen veg are all good. As you love salad, you might like the chopped salad with chickpeas, olives and feta from the eatingwell.com website. It keeps well and makes an excellent vegetarian lunch.
ReplyDeleteI will be sure to check the salad out! My local supermarkets and even the farm market behind my house really sell substandard produce. I am not sure what the problem is. I feel like we are at the end of the food chain here. It is seriously appalling. I need to drive at least one town over and even then not a lot is available. Its quite sad really. I will check out your salad suggestion however. It sounds lush! xo
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