Here we are again with another Meals of the Week Post. Usually on Sundays I do a round up and share with you, my readers, all the delicious meals I cooked for myself over the past days. I didn't eat at home very day, but wherever possible I have provided a "like" substitute from my recipe archives to share with you.
With the summer months my eating gets a bit lighter and not so much "comfort food." There are a lot more salads, and cold coalitions. Quick and easy, as always is the order of the day, because, lets face it, who wants to be chained to their kitchen in the summer time!
I love doing these posts because they help me to take a realistic look back on how I have been eating and help me to plan my week ahead. I hope that they will do the same for you.
Nobody who lives on their own should be consigned to eating frozen ready meals or dinner from a tin! That's my goal anyways. I love to cook and I love to eat and I love simple uncomplicated food.
Food doesn't have to be fancy, fattening or complicated to taste good!
SUNDAY, July 2nd - Chicken and Ham Lasagne
Because we had had a family dinner at my sisters on the Saturday for Canada, we did not share a meal together on Sunday. Cindy fancied a day off and I don't blame her! We decided to have supper together on Monday instead. I had supper at home for myself. I heated up a portion of Chicken and Ham Lasagne that I had in the freezer.
The original recipe makes 4 - 6 portions and freezes beautifully in single sized portions. I tell you how to do this on the recipe page. It is filled with plenty of chicken and ham, spinach and has a lush rich creamy sauce. This is one of my favorite kinds of lasagne.
I enjoyed it along with a side salad and was a very happy camper.
MONDAY, July 3rd - Dinner at Cindys
We had our Sunday family dinner on Monday at my sister's. She cooked a pork tenderloin in the air fryer which she served along with some roasted potatoes, onions and carrots and she cooked these Presidents Choice Stampede Corn Ribs to go along with it. We had both been wanting to try those. She was the first person brave enough to take the step.
Prognosis, they were okay. Not as good a corn on the cob for real, but not bad either.
If you want to cook a delicious Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin Dinner, just click on the link. There are roasted pieces of pork tenderloin, squash and brussels sprouts, all roasted together on a sheet pan. The whole thing is done in about half an hour. Some fluffy mashed potatoes go well on the side.
TUESDAY, July 4th - Low Carb Turkey Burger
I played it safe on Monday and made myself a delicious low carb Turkey Burger. Every bit as delicious as a burger in the bun, this tasty burger is beautifully flavored with parsley, onion, salt, pepper, garlic and mayo. The may helps to keep it moist, as does the pat of butter sealed in the center.
A slice of cheese is melted on top and the burger is served atop a thick slice of ice berg lettuce that has been spread with a lush garlic aioli mayonnaise. I promise you won't miss the bun. This is fabulously tasty!
WEDNESDAY, July 5th - Dinner out with Dad
On Wednesday nights I always go out for dinner with my dad and his friend Hazel. This week my sister Cindy joined us. We both had the Haddie bits, which are broken bits of haddock deep fried and served with chips and coleslaw. Dad and Hazel both had the fish and chips.
I'll be honest. Haddie Bits are not my favorite thing. I should have just had fish and chips. But it was nice to be there with dad and everyone.
The recipe I am sharing for this night are these fabulous Cornmeal Crusted Cod Cheeks. Cod cheeks are a tasty little nugget of cod fish found, you guessed it, in the cheek area of the Cod. Very tender and juicy when cooked properly. They cook very quickly. You could do the same thing with cubes of cod fish. There is also a delicious coleslaw recipe on the same page
THURSDAY, July 6th - Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
My sister and I were supposed to go to Jonny's for lunch on Thursday as it was her Birthday, but when we got there the kitchen wasn't open, just the ice cream part. So we decided to do it next week.
Instead I went home and made myself an Air Fryer French Bread Pizza using a leftover ciabatta I had in the freezer. It is a fabulous recipe, sized perfectly for only two people and it cooks in the air fryer without heating up the kitchen! I had a simple salad on the side.
FRIDAY, June 7th - Spanish Cod
On Friday I had some Cod in the freezer which I wanted to use up and so I made myself a tasty dish of Spanish Cod that I served with some brown rice and steamed green beans.
I love cod done this way. It is lightly dusted with flour and lightly pan fried til golden brown on both sides with a few sprigs of thyme, and then served on a bed of a lush Spanish Tomato sauce made with good tomatoes, onions and chopped peppers. This is truly a beautiful dish. Healthy as well!
SATURDAY, July 8th - Easy Chicken Gyros
Had the family over to celebrate my sister's 65th Birthday. We dined on the grilled chicken from my Easy Chicken Gyros, done on my Cuisinart grill. We did not do the flat breads. Instead we had Baked Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, a mixed green salad, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, and garlic bread.
For dessert we had a Traditional Victoria Sandwich Cake. Family times are the best of times!
So there you have it, my meals of the week. As you can see, once again, I ate really well. There was no waste and I got in a lovely variety of things. Some healthy and some not! Hopefully this will give you some ideas of how to plan some meals 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
Here I am with another Sunday Meals of the Week post. This is the day I generally share with you all of the main meals that I have cooked for myself in the previous week. A delicious recap of how I have been feeding myself.
I determined when I moved into my own place that I as not going to become one of those people who ate out of cans and boxes, not while I had the ability to cook for myself that is. I am a person who loves to cook and I think I would be rather bored eating ready-meals and frozen dinners. So as long as I can cook, I WILL cook!
I also hate waste so I always try to use up everything that I have as much as possible. Its very hard sometimes, so I tend to shop for myself every few days now rather than once a week. I find that the fresh ingredients like salad, etc. just don't last any longer than a few days. I would rather go a bit more often and throw out less.
If, along the way, I can inspire some of you with some of your menu planning, then that makes me very happy.
Here are my meals for the past week. If I have eaten out, I have endeavored in most cases to provide you with a recipe that you can make at home. I hope you enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed eating the meals and writing it up!
SUNDAY, May 21st - Most Sunday's I have Sunday Dinner at my sister's place. I love these Sunday dinners. It is something I missed when I was living over in the UK. There were no family dinners. I had no family there and my then husband's family lived far too far away from us to entertain such an idea. Needless to say I really appreciate these family times.
This week it was Air Fryer Roast Chicken with all the fixings.
For dessert she had a made a homemade Banana Cake with whipped cream. It was a simple and easy cake, no frosting, but it was really moist and delicious.
MONDAY, May 22nd - Amish Country Casserole
On Monday I made a half batch of this delicious Amish Country Casserole. The recipe posted is a small batch version, which makes four servings, but I cut it in half yet again as there is just me, which gave me some to enjoy on the day and some to pop into a freezer container for another time.
This is a fabulously tasty casserole. Those Amish really no how to cook. Cheap, cheerful and delicious. I enjoyed this with a salad on the side and some Easy Stuffed Cheesy Bread. It was a great meal!
TUESDAY, May 23rd - Macaroni and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole
I wanted to take something delicious over to my sister's for their supper. I knew she would not mind me removing a small serving for myself. This is a wonderful casserole that I got from a blog called Full Bellies Happy Kids.
This was simply wonderful! What you have is a base composed of BBQ glazed meatloaf. On top is a rich layer of macaroni and cheese. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this. I had a nice salad on the side.
WEDNESDAY, May 24th - Dinner out with Dad
On Wednesday nights I always have dinner out with my father and his friends. We go to a local eatery. I had the Hot Turkey Sandwich with potatoes and coleslaw. It was really delicious.
Slices of turkey meat in between two slices of bread slathered with gravy. Carrots (not peas) on the side. This week I did not have any dessert. The best part is having dinner with my dad.
THURSDAY, May 25th - Lunch out at Jonny's Cookhouse
My sister and I had to take my father into Kentville on Thursday morning to see his heart specialist. We decided to stop at Jonny's Cookhouse on the way back and treat us all to some fish and chips. Sorry I had already broken into my fish before I remembered to take a photograph! The pieces of fish were huge. We could not eat it all. There was also coleslaw and tartar sauce.
This is a photograph I took of my father enjoying his fish and chips. Everyone in my family enjoys fish and chips. Most of the time when we go out it is what we all order. Jonny's fish and chips was really good. All of their food is really good. Usually my sister and I order the True Newf Poutine when we are there, but this time we fancied a change. You can find my Copy Cat recipe for the True Newf here. Its fabulous!
FRIDAY, May 26th - Sausage, Beans and Boursin Stuffed Jacket Potatoes
After eating out for two days in a row, it was nice to enjoy a meal at home. I had some chipolata (breakfast) sausages which I cooked, along with some tinned beans and baked these delicious stuffed jacket potatoes to enjoy on the side. Home cooked meals are always the best.
There was one time back in the late 1970's that my ex husband and I were moving with our family from Northern Alberta to Southern Alberta. While we were waiting for our furniture to arrive, believe it or not, I spend 21 days living in a motel room with two toddlers, a new born baby and a cat. I was never so happy to move into my own place and eat anything but restaurant food in my life! You do get tired of it!
SATURDAY, May 27th - Crispy Chicken Salad
After all of the heavy eating and eating out this week, I fancied something light and so I made myself one of my favorite Chicken salads. It was also a lovely and warm summery day, so a tasty salad was more than welcome.
This one boasts a lovely mixed leaf base with some carrots, cucumber and tomatoes. The chicken itself is lightly coated in a Parmesan Bread crumb, and briefly fried until crispy, finishing it off in the oven A delicious creamy Parmesan and Lemon dressing is drizzled over top. Yep, tis salad season for sure!
And there you have it, my meals of the week for the past week. I wonder what the next week will bring??? Its exciting to think about! (Or is that just me!)
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 have long said that my favourite potato is the humble potato. That seems kind of fitting I suppose, seeing as I was born on Prince Edward Island, which is the potato capital of Canada! They grow a lot of potatoes on PEI!
Brown Bread Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (70g) all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (70g) whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup (85g) yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 6 TBS molasses
- 2 TBS cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (75g) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter 9 muffin cups well. Set aside.
- Whisk both flours, cornmeal, soda and salt together in a bowl.
- Whisk the milk, molasses, vinegar and butter together in another bowl. Add all at once to the dry ingredients, and quickly mix to combine. Stir in the raisins. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling them 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm. These can also be frozen.
I love potatoes. I could not live without them. A day without a potato is not a good day for me. In fact you could take away my chocolate, and I might protest a bit . . . but if you tried to take away my potatoes, I would be really upset. They are an important part of my life and have been since I was a child. Happily the Toddster is of the same school of thought.
I used to think a potato was a potato was a potato. I came to learn later in life and after much experience that all potatoes are not the same and that certain potatoes are better for certain preparations than others. With some 4000 different varieties of potatoes available worldwide at any given time, it's easy to see where someone could be quite confused when it comes to potatoes and their uses.
There are basically only two main category of potatoes, with only a few exceptions . . . floury potatoes, and waxy potatoes.
Floury potatoes (also called mealy potatoes) are high in starch with a low water content. These tend to be older and larger and become almost fluffy when cooked. Therse are the best for roasting, baking, mashing and chipping. They tend to break up easily when boiled, so aren't really suitable to prepare just as boiled potatoes.
Waxy potatoes are lower in starch and have a higher water content. They are firm in texture and normally have a shiny skin. They tend to keep their shape when cooked, which makes them an excellent choice for boiling, making salads, sauteing or using in gratins.
Potatoes are also classified s being new and old. You will find most new potatoes are best in salads and he like, but old potatoes are much better for mashing
I can remember one Thanksgiving when I had a whole house full of people, peeling tons of potatoes for mash, only to learn that they were new potatoes and I ended up with glue instead of fluff. Lesson learnt.
Potatoes don't like light or cold, so are best stored in a cool dark place, but not in the refrigerator. I store mine in a basket in the closet beneath the stairs.
One of my favourite ways of cooking potatoes is baking them. (Surprise surprise!) You can bake just about any kind of potatoes. I happen to love little baby potatoes washed and dried and then tossed unpeeled in some oil and herbs and then roasted until they are crispy, but my favourite of all is the large floury baked potatoe. Scrub your potatoes clean under cold running water and then dry them really well with kitchen paper toweling or a clean tea towel. Prick them all over with a fork and then place them into a hot oven which has been preheated to 200*C/400*F gas mark 6. I place mine right on the oven rack. The air is able to circulate all around them and you end up with a lovely crisp skin. I happen to think the skin is the best part! If you want crisp skins, don't rub them with butter or oil of any kind and don't wrap them up in foil. They will only steam. Just cook them on the rack until they are tender. Medium to large potatoes will take approximately an hour to be perfectly done.
Once tender (and I don't recommend pricking them with a fork to find out, unless you want an oven full of burst potato. Just gently squeeze with a pot holder and if they give, they're done!) you can take them out and they are ready to eat. I ascribe to the Nigel Slater method of presentation in that you give em a quick light bash with the side of your open hand to burst them open and fluffy them up. Not too hard, or too slow . . . fabulous served with lashings of cold butter and salt and pepper, but also pretty wonderful with some sour cream, chives, cheese . . . you name it. A baked potato is the perfect canvas for all sorts of toppings. If you have a baked potato, you have a meal. Coleslaw, baked beans, grated cheddar, chili con carne, meat and gravy. All good. (but not all at once, although cheese sprinkled over all of those things on top of a baked spud is really scrummy to say the least.
Small boiled potatoes, tossed in some butter and parsley make a lovely side dish for many meals. To prepare this dish for 4 people you will want 3 1/2 pounds of waxy potatoes (A charlotte, or pink fir, or baby new potato all work well) Peel and slice the potatoes into smaller pieces if they are on the large side. Put them ito a pan of lightly salted water. Bring them to the boil and then cook, just until tender. This will take 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size, and possibly even less if they are very small. I would fork test them after 8 to 9 minutes. You only want a little give. You won't want the potato to break apart. They should be JUST tender. Once they are cooked, drain them immediately. Melt 6 ounces of butter (about 3/4 cup) in a large frying pan and add the potatoes. Stir them well to coat with the butter and toss with 6 TBS of finely chopped parsley and a bit of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
This is where you will want old potatoes or a nice mealy/floury potato, such as a Maris Piper, King Edward or a Russet, or Yukon Gold. For four people peel about 5 1/2 pounds of the floury potatoes. Cut them into evenly sized chunks. Place them into a saucepan of lightly salted water and bring them to the boil. Cook, until just tender. A fork should enter easily. Drain at once. Return the drained potatoes to the pan and shake them a bit over the residual heat of the burner and leave to dry, shaking them every 30 seconds or so. Put them through a potato ricer if you have one, or mash well with a potato masher. Have ready 180ml of hot whole milk into which you have melted a good knob of butter (3/4 cup milk). Continue to mash the potatoes adding the milk slowly until you have the consistency you want. Season to taste with some salt, white pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. If your mash is too stiff, you can stir in a bit more warm milk.
This is a good basic recipe for mash. You can really switch this up very easily by adding some grated cheese and a bit of finely grated onion, some mashed roasted garlic, some sour cream or even a bit of mild blue cheese. Just be careful not to add too much.
Once you have mastered Mashed Potatoes it is very easy to make Duchess Potatoes, which are a fancier richer version of Mash, which is grilled in a hot oven until lightly browned.
For four people you will need 5 1/2 pounds of floury potatoes. Peel and slice the potatoes into small pieces. Put them into a saucepan of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil. Cook until just tender and then drain at once. Return to the pot and place over the residual heat of the burner, shaking the pan lightly to dry the potatoes out. Put the potatoes through a food milk or potato rices, then add a knob of butter and 3 egg yolks, whisking them in carefully and thoroughly. Season with fine salt, fine pepper and nutmeg. Place into a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe small mounds onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Place under a heated gril and grill until they are nicely coloured.
I don't know anyone that doesn't love Potato Croquettes. You can buy frozen versions but they are largely disappointing. The best ones (as with everything) are the ones you make yourself. For four servings you will need 1 recipe of the Duchesse Potatoes. (See above.) You will also want a shallow bowl of plain flour, a shallow bowl filled with 4 egg whites into which you have beaten a spash of oil, a shallow bowl of fine dry bread crumbs and some hot oil for cooking. These are best made ahead and chilled before frying. Place the duchesse potatoes into a piping bag you have fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe the potatoes out into long strips on lightly greased or waxed baking paper. Cut into 2 inch lengths. Roll each piece in the flour. Season the egg white mixture with some salt and pepper. Roll the floured pieces in the egg whites and then drop them into the bread crumbs, rolling them to coat them well. Place onto a lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator. When you are ready to cook them heat some cooking oil to 180*C/350*F. Carefully lower the crouquettes into the hot oil and brown on all sides. Serve hot.
You can't get a nicer type of potato to serve with a nicely roasted joint of beef or lamb than Potatoes Dauphinoise. Tender slices of potato baked in a seasoned mixture of milk and cream, which has been flavoured with garlic, nutmeg and cheese. For four people you will need 3 1/2 pounds of floury potatoes. Grease a large oven proof shallow glass baking dish with some butter. Place 950ml of whole milk (4 cups) and 950ml of double (heavy) cream (2 cups) into a saucepan along with one peeled clove of garlic which you have bruised. Heat gently just to the boiling point, then remove and set aside to infuse for several minutes. Season to taste with some salt, black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. Place them into the prepared baking dish. Strain the milk/cream mixture over top of the potatoes to cover. Sprinkle with 3 ounces of grated cheddar cheese and dot with some butter. Cover with a layer of buttered foil and bake in an oven you have preheated to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 for one hour. Check to see if the potatoes are tender. If they are not bake for about 15 minutes longer. Once they are tender you can uncover the potatoes and place then under a heated grill and grill until the cheese is golden brown.
They call fries "Chips" over here in the UK, and no matter what you call them, I can think of nobody that doesn't love a good "chip!" For great chips you will want a nice floury potato. To serve 4 people you will want 4 very large floury potatoes. Peel the potatoes and rise them under cold water. Dry them with some kitchen paper and then cut them into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long. Dry them again. Half fill a deep fat fryer or a deep, heavy based pan with sunflower oil or lard. Heat it to 150*C/300*F. Fry the potatoes in batches for 5 to 8 minutes until they are soft, but still very pale. This is called oil blanching. Lift them out and drain them. (You can prepare the chips up to this stage several hours in advance.) When you are ready to serve the chips, raise the oil temperature to 200*C/400*F. Return the chips, again in batched and fry them for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper toweling and then sprinkle generously with some coarse sea salt and malt vinegar if desired. Serve hot.
If you are interested in more potato recipes you can click here and it will open up all of my recipes which contain potatoes, including this recipe for fail proof perfect Classic Roasted Potatoes. There is literally something there to please most tastes and appetites.
Enjoy!
A Basic Stew
ingredients:
- 1 pound of stewing meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
- (trim of any fat and gristle and discard)
- salt and black pepper
- flour to roll the meat in
- a knob of butter
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, trimmed and chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into coins
- 1/2 a small rutabaga (swede) peeled and cut into cubes
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- hot water to cover
- beef stock cube
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
instructions:
- Season your meat and roll it in flour to coat. Melt the knob of butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the meat and brown it well on all sides working in batches. Don't over crowd your pan or your meat won't brown well. Browning it well is the secret to a nicely coloured gravy. Remove the meat to a bowl as it browns and repeat until all the meat has been browned. Add the onions and celery to the pan. Saute until softened. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Add enough hot water to barely cover the meat along with the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, stock cube, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, tightly covered at a slow simmer for about an hour. Add the carrot, parsnip and rutabaga. Cover and cook for about half an hour longer. Add the potato cubes and cover again. Cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the meat is falling apart. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve hot with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up all the juices.
- Note - if you wish a thick gravy you can shake a tablespoon of flour in a jar with about 110ml or 1/2 cup of cold water until smooth. Stir this into the stew and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook for several minutes to cook out the flavour of the flour.
Butter Lard Pastry
ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (280g)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter (76g)
- 1/3 cup lard (or white vegetable shortening) (74g)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water
- (note: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.)
instructions:
- Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard, until you have pieces of fat in the flour about the size of peas. Add ice water, one TBS at a time, tossing it in with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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