Here I am with another Meals of the week post, this one from the 26th of March to the 1st of April.  I think I will be making this a regular thing. I have always been interested in what other people are eating on a daily basis and I think other people will be interested in the things that I eat on a daily basis, at least for my main meals anyways.

If nothing else this could serve as inspiration for people who are finding themselves in a bit of rut when it comes to meal planning and the like.  I am a senior citizen who lives on my own. Just myself and my two cats.

When a person lives on their own there can be a tendency to get into a bit of a rut cooking-wise, or even to maybe get a bit lazy, wanting just to open tins or have frozen dinners. I have even found myself doing that from time to time.

I thought this would be a way to keep myself more focused on planning, cooking and eating better meals. Convenience foods are often loads with salt and are not really all that good for you, so this is probably a healthier way of eating.

I do eat out every Wednesday with my father and his friends, but I will always try to give you a recipe that you can make in the place of that eat out meal, or even to prepare that eat out meal for yourself. (This week it was fish and chips.)

I have supper at my sister's most Sundays, but I will also provide a recipe whereby you can replicate what we have eaten there as well.

Food and eating really doesn't have to be complicated and its entirely possible to prepare for yourself healthy and delicious meals that don't cost the moon without having to resort to frozen dinners and tin cans.  Well, most of the time anyways! 

 

You can add sliced hotdogs to this, or ham or whatever, or just leave it plain. I added sliced hotdogs.  I served a simple salad on the side, of lettuce, peas, cheese, and red onions in a simple homemade mayo vinaigrette dressing. This was simple,  easy on the budget and incredibly delicious.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27TH - Pineapple Glazed Ham Steaks

Ham steaks, browned and covered in a sweet brown sugar, Dijon mustard and pineapple juice and crushed pineapple mixture and simmered in a skillet until the ham is tender and sweetly glazed.  Lightly spiced with a pinch of cloves, a few maraschino cherries are added near the end to pretty it up. 

Tender, juicy and delicious, this is the perfect holiday dinner option for the smaller family or anyone who doesn't want to cook a full ham. You can be enjoying it in about half an hour's time which isn't bad for a meal like this! 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29TH - Fish and Chips

On Wednesday nights I always go out for supper with my father and two of his lady friends. We go to a local eatery. This weeks special was a haddock burger and potato skins, which really did not appeal so I fell back on my favorite fish and chips.  

I also had a baby dish of soft ice cream to finish, a rare treat. If you would like to make your own fish and chips you can check out my recipe for a Beer Battered Fish here.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30th - Pierogi Stuffed Shells 

Although I had cooked these on the Wednesday I did not eat them until Thursday.  Happy to say they sheltered very well overnight and reheated well. Rich and delicious.  Everything you love in a pierogi but stuffed into a tender large pasta shell. Delicious served with sour cream and additional fried onions.

Even the leftovers were delicious. I had some for breakfast (don't judge me!) a few mornings in a row, lightly heated up in the microwave. Still delicious!

FRIDAY MARCH 31ST - Fish Cakes and Beans

I actually went out to lunch with two of my close friends on Friday. We went to a place in Kingston called The Green Elephant Cafe. I had the pork smash burger which was a thin pork patty with sauerkraut, fried onions, fried mushrooms, cheese and a garlic mayonnaise. There was also sliced tomatoes on it. It was really good.

I wasn't really all that hungry come supper time, so I heated myself up some baked beans and had them with a couple of small frozen fish cakes that my sister had given me one time. It was hearty and satisfying, although the fish cakes were not near as good as my own homemade ones. You can find the recipe for those here.  These are the fish cakes I always used to make for the family I worked for at the Manor. They are excellent.

SATURDAY APRIL 1ST - Fried Chicken Tacos

It was our church's Spring General conference so I knew I wouldn't have time to cook a really big meal for  myself. I settled on these delicious tacos. This time I used some leftover chicken that I had in my freezer which worked out beautifully. They went together in no time and were delicious.  I had the usual taco toppings on them. Lettuce, chopped peppers,  spring onions, some sour cream, and a bit of salsa as I didn't have any fresh tomatoes in the house.

This was quick, easy, filling and delicious. Plus it enabled me to use up some of the things languishing in my freezer and vegetable drawer! 

And those were the meals I enjoyed this week.  Did you enjoy anything that you might want to share with us.  I really want to know!  Lets share with each other!

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 

I thought it would be fun to share with you all of the meals that I have enjoyed eating over this past week.  When you are a person that lives on their own there can be a tendency to eat out of tins, or to eat frozen meals.  I don't want that to be my life and if I can inspire one person to also want to cook for themselves, then I think that's a great thing.

My late mother lived all on her own from the age of 54 to 81 when my sister and her partner Dan moved in with mom. By that point mom needed someone to take care of her as she had dementia and was no longer to really care for herself. 

While my mother was able to she always cooked for herself.  Every day she had a meal that she prepared and that she enjoyed. The odd time it might have been a tv dinner or something from the freezer. She loved Big Macs and when they put them on offer, she would buy four or five, have one for her tea and then freeze the other four to have as a treat on another occasion.

She did love to shop at M&M meats and would pick up boxes of chicken breasts and fish from there.  She might have a chicken breast for her supper but she always cooked potatoes or rice to go with it and a vegetable. 

I am a little bit more adventurous myself, but them I cooked for a living for years and am quite used to cooking for a larger family.  Food excites me.  I love to cook. Mom ate to live whereas I live to eat!  That does make a difference in what you choose to eat.

Anyways, I thought I would share with you the main meals that I enjoyed over this past week.  Usually on Sundays I have supper at my sisters with the family and every Wednesday night I go out to dinner with my father and his friends at a local eatery.  Other than that, I cook everything myself.  Food doesn't have to be complicated to taste good. I like to eat a wide variety of things, although looking at the photographs for this week, I did have a very "red" week!

Oh well, some weeks are bound to be like that! Wherever possible I have given links to the recipes!

SUNDAY MARCH 19TH - Supper at  my sisters

Cindy had prepared Roasted Spareribs in the Instant Pot, her Stovetop Mac and Cheese, Homemade Baked Beans and oven roasted tender stem broccoli. Everything was fabulously delicious.  I love being included in these Sunday Suppers with my family.

MONDAY, MARCH 20TH - Lamb Chops with Honey, Lemon & Thyme, served with pan fried potatoes and oven roasted tender stem cauliflower.  I had the opportunity to pick up some fresh Nova Scotia lamb and cooked it simply, not wanting to detract from its delicate flavor. This made a beautiful supper for the first day of spring. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 21ST - Small Batch Spaghetti and Meatballs

This gave me enough to enjoy on the day and some to pop into the freezer for another time.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22ND -  On Wednesday nights I always go out to supper with my father and his friends to a local eatery called The Big Scoop.  The food is always hit and miss. I go for the company and to please my father.  This weeks special was a Hot Turkey Poutine. I decided to have that. It was so/so. My own version is a lot tastier. Hot Turkey Poutine.  Hot chips, covered in chunks of cooked turkey, turkey gravy, stuffing and cheese with a side of cranberry sauce. 

THURSDAY MARCH 23RD - Herbed Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Crispy buttery garlic potatoes are shingled on a sheet pan and cooked alongside  a fillet of breaded herbed cod fish. The cod is transferred to the potatoes at the end and the whole thing is popped under a grill and crisped up. I served it with a grilled half a tomato and some green beans.

FRIDAY MARCH 24TH - Stone Soup

I found it really chilly on Friday and so thought a bowl of soup would go down well. This is one of my favorites because it uses a bit of this and a bit of that. Its a delicious way to make your budget stretch and fill your tummy up with something hearty and warming at the same time.  Chopped cabbage, onions,  tomatoes, rice, stock, and a few seasonings combined together in a most delicious way!  I enjoyed a lovely bowl of this along with some crackers on the side and a sprinkle of cheese on top.

 

And just in case you are wondering, here is my recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  It is gorgeous in strawberry season, but in the winter time its a great way to use some of those mediocre strawberries they put out at the shops at a decent price that are often disappointing when you eat them raw. Cooking them helps to bring out their flavor. Combine that with rhubarb and you have a dessert made in heaven!

And those were my meals of the week for March 19th to 25th!  Let me know in the comments section below if you enjoyed this post or not. I may make it a regular thing if you do!

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com