Meals of the Week, March 22nd to 28th, 2026

 

Hi everyone and welcome to my Sunday Meals of the Week post.  Every Sunday I like to do a recap of all of the meals that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days, and from the feedback that I get from all of you, this is something that you also enjoy seeing!

I like to cook, and I like to eat, and I don't ever want any of it to be boring.  Now, in my golden years, I find myself having had to go from cooking for a large family down to cooking for just myself.  I also find myself having to live on a limited budget, so meal planning is something which really works for me.

When you live on your own, the temptation can be strong to want to eat only ready meals, or frozen dinners, or from cans.  It can sometimes seem like too much effort to cook for only yourself.  But, I am here to tell you, YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!  You really are.

Even if you are a smaller family, or a couple of empty nesters, cooking for yourself is so much healthier and cheaper.  All of those processed foods are always high in salt, sugar and fat. Cooking for yourself helps you to control that and to eat much healthier and actually, cooking from scratch, you get a lot more bang for your buck as well!

Why waste time and money on highly processed foods when, with only a tiny bit of effort and a lot less dosh, we can cook simple, nutritious and healthy meals for ourselves. That is my goal.  And in that process my goal is to also share them with you in an effort to inspire you to want to do the same!  

Whether you cook for yourself, or a small family, or a large family.  There are plenty of things here to tempt your tastebuds.  And all of them are quite adaptable to cook for a large family or a small family or a singleton.  Got questions about that?  Just ask and I am only too happy to help!

As I have my daughter living with me at the moment, that is making things a bit more exciting. I have someone in the house to spoil besides myself and she enjoys helping me out where she can. Its also a great training for her for when she gets her own place.  I am teaching her as much as I can about budgeting and yet still eating well. She has been prone to buying herself those really cheap cheap frozen dinners in the past as she lives on a very limited budget, but it really doesn't need to be that way.

Usually I will eat my main meal at noon.  For breakfasts, I normally have a protein shake or some overnight oats, sometimes a bowl of oatmeal. My suppers are usually something light, such as a sandwich, or a salad, sometimes toast and occasionally a bowl of cereal.

Here are the main meals that we enjoyed over the past seven days. I truly hope that you will find something here to tempt your tastebuds to want to cook for yourself also!

 

SUNDAY, March 22nd - Family Dinner at Cindy's

On Sundays, most weeks, we will go to my sister's for a family dinner. This week was no different. We went to Cindy's and had a delicious Lasagna that she had made. She makes a lovely lasagna.  We had garlic bread with it and salad and then for dessert lemon meringue pie.

I am sharing my recipe for a Traditional Lasagna.  And this is a really, really REALLY good homemade Lasagna. A lot of people are afraid to make a lasagna. They think its really complicated and it really isn't. How to make lasagna is not a great mystery. Its just a combination of a really good meaty tomato sauce, some pasta, cheese, and in this particularly tasty version, a lush ricotta filling. I also have taken to adding a rich Béchamel sauce for on top in the European manner. I had never experienced this prior to going to Europe. It really adds a delicious touch. You can find a small batch recipe for the same thing here. 

MONDAY, March 23rd - Oven Burgers 

On Monday I made us Oven Burgers.  This was a recipe I had seen online and that I wanted to try.  They looked fabulous and I have to say we were not disappointed. They were juicy, flavorful and wonderfully easy to make. A bit messy to eat, I would call them a fork and knife burger.

We enjoyed with some cucumber spears and potato chips on the side.  Tender, juicy and moist, these burgers were such a simple make. If you’re craving a reliable, family‑friendly meal that always hits the spot, these Oven Burgers are exactly what you need.   

TUESDAY, March 24th - Sheet Pan Parmesan Turkey Tenders & Asparagus 

I had picked up some early Asparagus at the shops and I had some Turkey tenderloin fillets in the freezer that I wanted to use up. I decided to make an easy sheet pan supper with them. I cut the tenderloin fillets into thick strips and coated them in a delicious Parmesan Crumb, roasting them for a short time on a baking sheet, flipping them over and then adding the asparagus to the tray. I also scattered them with some spring onions before roasting and then again as a garnish when they were done.

They were simple and fresh. The kind of dinner that makes eating well feel effortless. The turkey stays juicy, the coating gets beautifully crisp, and the asparagus roasts to perfection right alongside it. Add a squeeze of lemon and you’ve got a meal that’s light, flavorful, and ready in no time. We enjoyed this along with some steamed rice and were two very happy campers.

WEDNESDAY, March 25th - Dinner out with Eileen

Usually on Wednesday nights we go out to dinner with my father and sister and my father's friend Hazel.  Dad had a bad cold so he decided to stay home.  Cindy wasn't going either as she had to stay home to feed dad. I would have stayed home as well, but didn't like to see Hazel being there all by herself, so Eileen and I went. 

Eileen was keen to try the Chicken Alfredo Pasta. It came with garlic bread, and looked pretty good (However over-priced I have to say at $18.99 with an additional cost of $6.99 for a side salad.) Hazel had the grilled Haddock Dinner which she usually has and I had a chicken burger. Eileen really enjoyed her pasta, no matter the cost.

In it's place I am sharing my recipe for One Pan Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta. I am a huge fan of one dish suppers. One pan meals. Main dishes that you can cook all in one pan without having to cook things separately.  This Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta Recipe is one such supper.

Its incredibly easy to make. Almost everything just gets stirred together in a skillet and cooked, with the broccoli being added at the last so as not to overcook it.  All you need on the side is perhaps a small salad and some garlic bread if you so wished.

THURSDAY, March 26th - Maple Baked Butterbeans 

This is a simple store-cupboard meal that goes together very easily.   Chopped tinned tomatoes, tinned butterbeans (lime beans), pancetta, maple syrup and a few other bits.  It is a simple make and oh so delicious. I whipped up some Cheese Slaw to enjoy with it, along with a nice thick slice of homemade bread from yesterday, buttered.

Then, because we were feeling rather indulgent, we treated ourselves to some jelly with whippy cream on top for dessert.  Dinner doesn't need to be complicated to be delicious.

FRIDAY, March 27th - Salmon & Broccoli Cakes

I will put my hand up right now and admit to all and sundry that I am not fond of Nova Scotia Fish Cakes. They use salt cod to make them, or chicken haddie and it is not my favorite thing at all.  If I am going to enjoy a fish cake I prefer to make my own and these Salmon & Broccoli Fish Cakes are a real favorite of mine. They are a delicious fish cake made from poached salmon, broccoli and potato, with dill and lemon. You can also use tinned salmon to make them in a pinch. (Which I did on Friday.)

They are lovely served with a wedge of lemon for squeezing. I also enjoyed some salad on the side. You know salmon and broccoli are beautiful flavor partners, and they pair beautifully in these delicious fish cakes.

SATURDAY, March 28th - Air Fryer Hot Dogs 

Every once in a while, I get a real hankering for a hot dog. These days I like to cook them in my air fryer.  It does a really great job! With all of my favorite hot dog fixings, mustard, relish and topped with some cheese and crispy onions.

Normally I would make some mac and cheese to enjoy with my hot dog. They go so well together, but this week I did air fryer chips.  Not such a healthy meal I guess, but at least none of it was fried in the conventional way!

Eileen and I both enjoyed this meal very much!

And there you have it, these were my Meals of the Week for the past week. I think I ate pretty well.  What do you think? None of it was very complicated at all, and I think it was pretty healthy for the most part.  It was also quite well within my budget.   I hope that you will be inspired to want to cook at least a few of these things for yourself!

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