How can it already be Sunday again!  This week has just flown past, and here I am once again sharing a Meals of the Week Post with you!

This is something I decided to start doing about a month or so ago now.  Not only does it help me to keep track of everything I have eaten over the past week, but it helps me to plan my meals for the next week, so that I don't end up repeating myself too much!

I had a pretty busy week, but it was a very rainy week off and on, so a bit of comfort food still figured here and there.  I also took a meal over to my daughter and her husband as a bit of a treat for them. My daughter has had an earache this week so was not feeling too well.

Even on a day when I was not feeling entirely well myself (rain and arthritis = a very bad combo) I managed to make myself something pretty decent to eat for my tea. Simple but filling and delicious.

Having found myself living on my own after having cooked for a whole crew and others for over 50 years, I am determined I am not going to be that person who eats out of tins or who fills up on ready meals.  That is okay every now and then, but so long as I am capable of doing so, I want to cook proper meals for myself.

I hope you don't mind me taking you along. Perhaps I can inspire you as well and give you a few ideas on what you can cook as well. I promise you nothing is extremely complicated and it is all delicious! I did eat a lot of chicken this week, so must take care to get in a bit more variety next week!

SUNDAY June 11th - Chicken Cordon Bleu

I had my usual Sunday Dinner at my sisters.  This week instead of a roast dinner she did Chicken Cordon Bleu which we enjoyed with  wild and white steamed rice, roasted asparagus and roasted  broccoli. It was those frozen cordon bleu things that you can buy ready made from Prime, but I found a really lovely looking recipe that you could use to make your own on Carlsbad Cravings. I am going to give that a try sometime and downsize it for two people. The photo above is one I made on The English Kitchen about  7 years ago now. Also very good and linked above next to the date.

MONDAY, June 12th - Croissant Turkey Club Sandwich

My arthritis was playing up really bad on Monday so I took the simple route.  Supper was a cup of soup and a Croissant Turkey Club Sandwich.  I love club sandwiches, with thinly sliced deli turkey, crisp smoky bacon, sliced tomato and crunchy shredded lettuce.  You could also add a slice of cheese if you wanted to. Harvarti is awfully nice with this.  I loved the Harvarti we used to get in Germany. 

This sandwich reminded me of the cold meats, cheeses, fresh  brochen, etc. that we used to get at the breakfast buffet in Germany when we travelled there. Yes, I am a sandwich for breakfast kind of a girl. 

On this night I enjoyed this sandwich with a few cheeky potato chips, a rare treat.  I buy my potato chips in these large bundles of small single serve bags. That way I don't have to worry about them going stale before I can finish eating them, plus it keeps me in check and I eat a more reasonable amount!

TUESDAY,  June 13th - Mini Quiche for Two

I had not had quiche for dinner for a very long time. Mostly because I don't want to have to deal with a whole quiche. I downsized my favorite recipe and made a small six inch deep mini one, and then took half over to my next door neighbor Sheila who declared it totally delicious when she returned my container the next day.  I used my Butter/Lard pastry recipe for the crust.  I think homemade pastry is so much nicer than anything you can buy ready made.  

Now that I am living on my own, I still make the full recipe for a two crust pie, but I divide it into four small flat discs, wrapping each one really well and then I freeze the discs in an airtight container.  Homemade ready made pastry at my fingertips. It only takes about half an hour to thaw, and will keep in the freezer properly wrapped for up to six  months.  And it is enough for four mini single crust pies, or two mini double crust pies.

WEDNESDAY, June 14th - Dinner out with Dad

On Wednesday nights I always have dinner out with my dad and his friend Hazel. Sometimes my sister comes with us. This week was no different.  I enjoy these meals out with dad. It was something I could only dream about doing when I was living in the UK.  This week I had my usual small eaters Turkey dinner  with coleslaw instead of a roll. Hazel had a one piece fish and chips.  I was treating dad for Father's Day so he had a burger and chips.  He couldn't finish it. 

He would have been better off with this Pub Cheese Open Faced Burger! Not too much bread, lovely grilled and caramelized onions, melted cheddar spread and a tomato and lettuce on the side.  This with a few oven chips would make a really great midweek supper!

THURSDAY, June 15th - No Fuss Chicken Dinner

On Thursday I cooked something to take over to my daughter. I did enjoy one serving of it myself.  This No fuss Chicken Dinner cooks nicely in the crock pot all day. It is a perfect midweek dinner, especially for those days when you know you are not going to have a lot of time to cook. It tastes a lot like a chicken pot pie without the crust. Pop everything into the crock pot in the morning and just get on with your day.

I sprinkled some crispy fried onions on top for a bit of crunch when I served it. It had potatoes, carrots and a flavorful gravy along with the tender and juicy chicken. I cooked some peas and corn on the side for Eileen and Tim.

FRIDAY - June 16th - TikTok Feta Baked Pasta for two

I had been intrigued with this viral TikTok recipe for a while. I am not one to go with trends, but it really did look good and sounded dead simple. I decided to try it, but downsized it for just two servings. This was AMAZING!  I couldn't believe how simple and easy it was to make. I channeled two separate recipes and created one by using bits of both.

I thought it would be ultra salty with the feta cheese, but it wasn't salty at all. The sauce was rich and creamy with lots of bits of tomato.  I actually am still thinking about how delicious it really was!!  You really need to try this.  I enjoyed it with some crusty bread and a bit of salad on the side.

SATURDAY, June 17th - Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken & Potatoes

I was inspired by a new cookery book I had just gotten and adapted this Roast Chicken recipe for a father's day celebration. The cookbook was called The Prairie Kitchen Cookbook, by Kayla Lobermeier of Under a Tin Roof. I switched out the flavors a bit. Hers was a Buffalo Roasted Chicken. I am not overly fond of the spice of Buffalo chicken so I created a delicious BBQ rub to use on mine in it's place.

The chicken is butterflied open and rubbed with a tasty rub both under and on top of the skin and then placed on a bed of baby new potatoes, onion, and garlic in a cast iron skillet.  Roasted to perfection and basted with butter at 20 minute intervals, the end result is a delicious moist and flavor filled chicken. Those potatoes get all sticky and filled with lovely chicken juice flavors as well.  Altogether very delicious. I served with some baby peas and carrots on the side.

And there you have it, my meals for the past week. I ate something delicious and yet simple every day.  It was a really tasty week!  I also now have some roasted chicken to use in sandwiches, etc. over the coming week and some bones in the freezer to make soup at a later date!

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 

Are you looking for quick and easy meals to feed your family?  We all lead very busy lives. All too often the temptation is there to want to pick up a ready meal or a takeaway.  

Having to prepare something fresh and delicious for our families every day can also sometimes seem a bit of a chore. Maybe you find yourself in a bit of a mealtime rut, cooking the same things day in and day out.

Today I am sharing some weeknight dinners that are not only delicious, but quick and easy to make as well. They are also very family friendly and budget friendly.

Some tasty ideas and recipes that are sure to add a bit excitement and interest to your family dinner table, because, lets face it, we all can use a bit of help every now and then!

CHICKEN

Like as not, I often turn to chicken for my choice of protein.  Its much healthier than red meats and is so adaptable to a wide variety of recipes and flavors. Here are some of my favorites.

SIMPLE LEMON & HERB CHICKEN - Chicken thighs flavored with lemon and herbs, baked on a baking sheet with potato wedges and asparagus.  It doesn't get much easier or tastier, and if you line the baking sheet with aluminum foil, clean-up is minimal!  A salad on the side goes wonderfully. The recipe is for two, but can easily be doubled or tripled.

LEMONY CHICKEN AND RICE -This is a smaller batch slow cooker recipe for two, but can easily be doubled to feed more and cooked in a larger crockpot. Tender lemony chicken with lemon, oregano, feta cheese, spinach and cream. What's not to like?  The fact that there is only one pot to clean up afterwards is also a huge bonus!

GROUND BEEF

PORK 

FISH

OTHER OPTIONS

Can you guess what day this is?  You are right!  It is Meals of the Week Day!  The day when I gather together and share with you all the meals that I have cooked or eaten over the past week. 

You have all said that you enjoy these posts, and I actually find this very helpful myself, for a few reasons. One if helps me to look back on how I have been eating and perhaps make some changes in future weeks, and two, it helps me to plan my meals for the week ahead.

The temptation when one lives by themselves is to not cook, or to eat out of cans, bottles and boxes.  Frozen dinners, ready meals, etc. I don't want to be that person.  Already prepared food is quite expensive for one thing, and it is usually filled with salt, fat, sugar and a lot of other things I don't really want to be eating.

When I lived in the UK, eating small was a lot easier actually.  The UK is the King of the Ready Meal!  They have it down to an art and some of them are really quite good.  Marks and Spencer is the best at it. I used to love LOVE shopping there. Their ready meals were fabulous and did I live in the UK, I would probably eat more of them. 

I discovered this American couple on YouTube this week. The Magic Geekdom.  They had a whole video dedicated to shopping in M&S.  Do check it out if you are interested. They were huge fans. they made me feel quite homesick, and they were in the Chester M&S also, the one I used to shop at.

In any case, ready meals here in Canada cannot compare to M&S. I cook for myself all the time.  I might cheat every now and then and buy a rotisserie chicken, but who doesn't!

In any case these are the meals that I cooked for myself, or was treated to over the past week. I ate out twice and had dinner at my sister's on my Brother in Law's birthday, so not everything was cooked at home. I have provided recipes for those alternatives in the place of the restaurant food that are equal to or better then most of the restaurant food I had.

SUNDAY May 28th, Grilled BBQ Chicken

Usually on Sundays I go to my sister's for Sunday dinner. This week I had everyone here so that my sister could have the treat of going out golfing with her husband Dan.  Because I had church in the morning, I kept it really simple with some Grilled BBQ Chicken.

I also made a  Herbed Potato Salad. I had some baby potatoes that we had bought at Costco the other week that I wanted to use up and had everything in house ready to do it.  Its a very simple salad I think. Must easier than the mayonnaise type. It has a vinaigrette and herb dressing that you toss the warm potatoes into.  They soak up all the lovely flavors.  Light and delicious.

We also enjoyed a mixed salad and some garlic bread sticks from the store. (DON'T!  Essentially they were hotdog buns coated in garlic butter. Not that great.  Very bready.)  For dessert my sister had brought over a Sugar Free Apple pie.  Yummy!

 

 

TUESDAY, May 30th - Ham and Cheese Bow Ties

I decided to make myself a delicious casserole using some cooked ham that I had in my freezer, leftover from Easter. I had cubed it and froze it in one cup sized packages. Just the right size for the smaller family to use in casseroles like this one.

Cooked bow tie pasta is tossed together with the cooked ham in a rich and creamy, cheesy, garlicky sauce. Its delicious served with some steamed vegetables on the side.

WEDNESDAY, May 31st -  Dinner out with Dad and his friends

THURSDAY, June 1st. - True Newf Poutine, copycat

On Thursday my sister and I took my daughter and her husband out to lunch. We went to Jonny's Cookhouse in Berwick. Eileen and Tim had never been there so it was a real treat for them. My sister and I had been craving the True Newf Poutine for a while, so that is what we had. Hot chips topped with cheese curds, gravy and Newfoundland stuffing. Its delicious and this copycat recipe is even more so! I could eat that stuffing with a spoon.

 

 

FRIDAY, June 2nd - Pizza at my sister's

Friday was my brother in law Dan's birthday so my sister had us all over for homemade Pizza, salad and cake.  My sister makes a great homemade pizza.  The cake was a double chocolate that she makes which has pureed dates in the batter and a chocolate cream cheese frosting. Very yummy.

I have taken the liberty here of linking to my homemade School Cafeteria Pizza. This is one of the best pizzas to make at home. The crust is a pourable crust. Easy peasy.  I like to use my homemade pizza sauce which took me years to hone to perfection. We enjoy it topped with pepperoni, bacon, peppers, sausage, olives, etc.  Delicious!!

Of course the best part was being together as a family to celebrate a special occasion!

SATURDAY, June 3rd - Easy Chili Mac & Cheese

We are coming into BBQ Grilling season now. I don't know about you, but I love food cooked outdoors on the grill.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken.  I love it all.

A lot of people can a bit afraid to cook chicken on the BBQ.  I think the fear of not cooking it through all the way is the biggest fear people face. 

 

 

 

 

• 4 pounds (scant 2 kg) bone in, skin on, chicken pieces (I tend to buy a while chicken and cut it up.)
• fine sea salt
• light olive oil or canola oil
• BBQ sauce, store bought or homemade

 

 

 

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