Hello everyone and welcome to my Sunday Meals of the Week post!  On Sundays I like to share with you my readers, all of the deliciousness that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days! To all intents and purposes, you also seem to enjoy what I share!  That makes me happy as this is why I do this, the sharing of food and recipes.  A joy shared is a joy multiplied, and this food blog brings me plenty of joy!

This week started off with Easter Dinner. I was hosting the dinner this year. We had been going to have it on Saturday, but I had a bit of a health scare on Friday night and so it was put off until Sunday. (Anxiety is no fun to deal with!)

I did not cook the traditional ham this year, I kept it really simple by roasting a chicken, which also gave me some leftovers to work with during the next few days.  I hate waste and try to use up everything and I did a great job of that this week.

Nothing I cook is really super complicated. I had plenty of complicated when I worked as a personal chef. Enough to last a lifetime. I enjoyed that job, but in my personal life I do like to keep things simple as much as possible. Simple ingredients put together in a delicious way. I don't want to spend all of my time in the kitchen and I am sure you don't want to either.

This collection of recipes counts only as the main meals I have cooked and enjoyed. I have not included my breakfasts or light suppers. (I eat my main meal at noon or in the early afternoon most days, unless I am eating out or with friends.)

I try to keep things healthy, balanced and affordable. As a senior on a fixed budget and with the escalating costs of food this is really important to me.  I am sure it is just as important to you!

I have included my menu suggestions for anything that might also be enjoyed on the side and in the cases where I might have eaten out (not this week) I will always include a similar recipe to what I have eaten so that you can enjoy it at home.

I won't waffle on any further about things, so here you go. My meals of the week for the third week of April, 2025. That's a whole lot of tasty that I think/hope that you will want to also cook for yourself!

SUNDAY, April 20th - Easter Dinner

I hosted Easter Dinner this year and because I had not been well, we kept it pretty simple. I simply spatchcocked a chicken and roasted it in the oven. I rubbed some light olive oil and butter into it first and sprinkled it with lots of organic Kinders Buttery Garlic and Herb Seasoning. It turned out fabulous. (Contrary to the photo which was taken in the worst light.)  We enjoyed this with some frozen scalloped potatoes (PC brand) boxed stuffing, canned green beans and steamed carrots. I served it with my  Cornmeal Muffins and an assortment of pickles and relishes.

You know what? It was a fabulous meal and very low effort.  I had enough to feed the four of us, plus send a meal over to my next door neighbor and make myself and her two more meals during the week. All for an organic free-range chicken that I had bought several months back on the sell-by date for 50% off and thrown into the freezer! I think the chicken cost me $15.

MONDAY, April 21st - Butterbean Soup

I had a really busy day on Monday and so I just made a hearty pot of soup.  Butterbean Soup.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.  A can of butterbeans, you can use any kind of bean you wish, but I like butterbeans as they have a mild velvety texture and flavor. They melt in the mouth. Carrots, onions, celery, stock and some seasonings. That's all it takes, and you have a really delicious soup.

I enjoyed this with some sliced and buttered sourdough bread. I was in heaven.

TUESDAY, April 22nd - Hot Chicken Sandwich

I used up some of the leftover chicken and made hot chicken sandwiches with some oven roasted baby potatoes and steamed carrots and broad beans.  I made gravy from scratch as I did not have any leftover, but you can use a packet gravy as well if you wish. 

Is there anything on earth that tastes as delicious as bread and gravy?  I think not!  This is one of my favorite things.  Simple to make and oh-so-tasty!  I really enjoyed this!

WEDNESDAY, April 23rd - Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

I used the last of the chicken to make a delicious casserole for two. Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole. An old-fashioned favorite with noodles, chicken and peas in a simple creamy sauce, topped with buttered cracker crumbs.

This is goodness.  Simple. Uncomplicated. I enjoyed with a simple salad on the side. The chicken is all gone now, except for the bones, which are in the freezer waiting to make a soup sometime.

THURSDAY, April 24th - Lasagna Roll Ups

I cooked a small batch of Lasagna Roll Ups. The recipe makes four roll ups, which was enough to enjoy on the day for myself and then another serving to freeze.  The recipe feeds two people generously.  

They were rich and delicious, and I loved how it didn't slide all over the plate. Everything was compact in a nice neat little package.  I enjoyed with some crusty bread and a salad on the side.  This was fabulous.

FRIDAY, April 25th - Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken

I know, chicken again. Some weeks are like that.  I had not planned on having so much left over from my chicken dinner and I had some chicken breasts which needed using up.  This was such a delicious and simple way to prepare them that I did not mind having chicken again one little bit!

Chicken cut into cutlets, seasoned, dusted with flour and browned in butter and oil.  Then a simple sauce is created using honey, Dijon mustard and cream.  Altogether very delicious and such a quick and easy make!

I enjoyed this with some steamed rice and broccoli and sent half next door to Sheila. She didn't mind eating chicken again either!  The reason I send her over meals when I can is because I have noticed that she doesn't cook for herself. Her bin bags are filled with empty packets of ready meals.  So unhealthy. I like to help out if I can. If I am going to be cooking anyways, I might as well make a tiny bit extra for her when I can.

SATURDAY, April 26th - Flat Meatballs and Gravy

This is one of my favorite meals, and it is a very simple make. I did cut the recipe in half from the usual, so it was a good way to use the soup up that I had frozen earlier in the week to make the chicken casserole. (NO waste here!)  

What you have here are flattish meatballs, more like small patties, beautifully flavored, browned and then cooked to perfection in the oven in a delicious sauce/gravy. With mashed potatoes and carrots, this was a real comfort meal that I really enjoyed very much. I also had some coleslaw on the side, which I also really enjoyed!  

With it being Spring now and the temperatures warming, we can look forward to lighter meals and more salads!

And there you have it, my main meals for the past seven days! I really hope that you found something here to inspire you to want to cook it for yourself!

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 had two overripe bananas which needed using up the other day. I am not a person who really likes eating bananas, raw, really. There is something about the feel of them in my mouth. They have an almost astringent texture/taste to them.  Overripe however, I love LOVE to cook/bake with them!

I had seen this recipe for a Banana Crumb Cake on a page called Practically Homemade.  It looked really delicious with a dense banana cake on the bottom topped with a brown sugar crumb baked right into the cake.

This was somewhat different than the usual crumb cakes that I bake which always required that you make a crumb mixture and then use half of it with some eggs, milk added to make the base and then the remainder of the crumbs sprinkled on top.  The crumb mixture for this was for the topping only!  Very streusel like as well!

The original recipe made a 9 by 13-inch cake, however. Far too much cake for me, and I had only two medium sized bananas, not three. I decided to cut the recipe in half and make a snack sized cake in an 8-inch square baking tin.

This worked perfectly!  This made a cake that was just the right size, giving me just enough to enjoy myself and then share some with my next-door neighbor. She is always telling me she doesn't bake any more.  I hate to think of her only eating over-processed baked goods and so I often share a bit of my baking with her.  Works well for me. I get to enjoy baking and eating new things and she gets to enjoy a bit of baking without all the chemicals and preservatives of processed foods.

We both win!  And you will win too if you bake this cake. It's quite simply fabulous! (I apologize for the poor lighting in the photos. It is a really dark and dreary overcast day.)

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BANANA CRUMB CAKE

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONE BANANA BANANA BREAD - Ever find yourself with just ONE overripe banana? Sure you could freeze it, but you could also bake this delicious banana bread which uses only one banana! Quick and easy it bakes up moist and delicious with a lush cinnamon sugar crust.

BANANA NUT BREAD - This is a recipe from my old Purity Cook Book. This is a cookbook I have had since the late 1970's. This is the bar by which I just all other banana bread recipes. Its perfection. Simple to make. Delicious. I like to enjoy it cut into thin slices and spread with softened butter.

Yield: 6 pieces

Author: Marie Rayner

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Banana Crumb Cake

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This is a lovely banana cake. Moist and dense, and topped with an incredibly tasty brown sugar crumble, which bakes into the top of the cake. I recommend waiting 24 hours before cutting it.

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

• 1/4 cup (57g) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 medium bananas mashed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS sour cream
• 3/4 cup (94g) plain, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the crumb topping:

• 1/4 cup (57g) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (63g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line the bottom with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to lift the finished cake out with.
2. To make the crumble topping mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl with a fork until you have a crumbly mixture. Do not mash together or you will end up with a paste. You want a crumb.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, mashed banana, sour cream and vanilla, mixing well to combine.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, mixing only to combine. Do not over mix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over top of the batter.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If you don't think it is done, you can bake it for a few more minutes until it is.
8. Leave to cool in the pan before lifting out. Serve warm, or cool. Cover tightly to store.
9. The leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it.

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I had picked up a small package of chicken breasts the other day. I froze one breast and was looking for a way to cook the one I didn't freeze. I found this recipe on Salt & Lavender.   It looked really simple and easy to make, and I already had everything in the house that I needed to make it.

I don't like to cook the same things all the time. Variety is the spice of life.  I also like to share new things with you. I do all of the testing of these recipes so that you don't have to!  You can rest assured that when I share a recipe with you it is 100% perfect!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

I know you must get tired of me saying this, but really simple ingredients. I can cook complicated if I want or need to. I just don't want to cook complicated food on a daily basis. I save that for special occasions. Simple, quality ingredients, put together in the most delicious and yet simple way is what I like.

• 1 large chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 2 TBS flour, for dredging
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS butter, divided
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TBS honey
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy/whipping cream

 

 

 

 

Yield: 2 Servings

Author: Marie Rayner

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Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Melt in the mouth tender pieces of chicken breast with a rich and silky honey Dijon Sauce. What's not to love! Recipe can easily be doubled. This goes together very quickly and can be on the table in less than half an hour.

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
• 2 TBS flour, for dredging
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS butter, divided
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
• 1 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TBS honey
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy/whipping cream

Instructions

1. Prepare your chicken, cutting it in half lengthwise so that you have two cutlets. Season the cutlets on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge with flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil and 1/2 TBS of butter in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the chicken pieces.
3. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flip over and cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. They should be golden brown. Remove to a clean plate.
4. Add the stock, remaining butter, mustard and honey. Whisk together to amalgamate.
5. Whisk in the cream. Heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Add the chicken back to the pan, presentation side up.
6. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or so until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and your sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking.
7. Serve hot with rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta.

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