Here I am again with another Meals of the Week post, this one for the first week of May. Temperatures were not overly warm this week, so I am still enjoying a bit of comfort food. A few days were absolutely frigid actually. That is what this time of year is like. Very transitional.
We will soon be complaining about the heat and eating nothing but salads, but in the meantime, I am enjoying some lovely comfort food and simple dishes that are not only simple to make, but inexpensive for the most part as well as being delicious.
I have challenged myself as a single person living on my own to eat as best as I can. I don't want to be that person who eats out of packets and cans. I want to eat good food, honest food, and food that isn't filled with salt and preservatives, so I want to cook my own meals from scratch, as long as I am competent and capable enough to do so!
Challenging myself to do so is inspiring to me and I hope it will be inspiring to you also! Maybe you will also want to cook good, economical, and tasty meals for yourself also.
This is only my suppers. I do also eat breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is usually toast or cereal, sometimes yogurt granola and fruit. Lunch is a sandwich most of the time, sometimes cheese and crackers and fruit, or sometimes a delicious salad. I do so enjoy my salads!
So here we go, my meals from the past week. Enjoy!
SUNDAY, April 30th - Pot Roast
Most Sundays I go to my sisters for Sunday Dinner. This week was no different. She had cooked a pot roast again. They have had beef roasts on special at the shops these last few weeks. Usually she does hers in the oven with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc. This photograph here is from Another Pot Roast recipe that I cooked at home in the UK a few years back.
For this I used a Rolled Beef Brisket, which I cooked with loads of onions to make a rich onion gravy. When it comes to pot roasting, you really don't get much better than a nice Brisket. On this occasion we enjoyed it with mashed potatoes, mashed swede (turnips) and carrots.
I had brought over some of Grandmother's Five Cup Salad for us to enjoy for dessert, and enjoy it we did!
MONDAY May 1st - Cranberry Baked Ham Steak
I had picked up a Ham Steak for a really good price at the shops, so I cut it down into four serving sized pieces and I froze three pieces. The fourth I cooked this way. Its a really simple thing to do. You just spread the steak with some mustard (I used Dijon), add a layer of cranberry sauce and bake it in the oven.
It turns out really delicious. Tender and juicy, with a bit of heat from the mustard and a bit of sweet from the cranberry sauce. I enjoyed this with some boiled potatoes and tender stem cauliflower. Delicious!
TUESDAY, May 2nd - Skillet Parmesan Chicken for two
This is one of my favorite skillet meals. This tasty Skillet Chicken Parmesan has all of the flavors and tastes of the original, but it is down sized to feed only two people and cooks all in one skillet. Yes, everything, including the pasta.
I think when pasta gets cooked in the rich tomato sauce like this does, it has even more flavor. Add to that tender pieces of chicken, cheese and crispy crumbs on top of the chicken and you are spelling, Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! No fuss, no muss, and all in one pan. Count me in!
All you need on the side is a nice mixed salad. If you are a hearty eater or your partner is, you might want to add a crusty roll or some garlic bread.
WEDNESDAY, May 3rd - Tomato & Rice Soup (small batch)
Normally on Wednesday nights I go out for supper with my father and his friends. This week they decided to go for a Chinese meal and I didn't want to drive all the way to the next town for that, plus I am a bit short this month having paid my taxes, and so I stayed home and made myself a delicious batch of Tomato & Rice Soup.
This is one of my favorite soups. I love tomato soup. Making it from scratch is a life changer, and when you add some rice and other bits to it, it really is delicious. I enjoyed this simply with some crackers and was a very happy camper. It is very hearty and very tasty. I froze the second serving for another time.
THURSDAY, May 4th - Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers is another quick and easy meal that is cooked all on one baking sheet and is perfectly sized for just two people. I love the smokiness from the sausage and the way the peppers and onions caramelize. Caramelized vegetables are one of my favorite things.
Sometimes I will have this with rice, and sometimes with potatoes, but on this occasion I served it simply spooned into a crusty roll. Kind of like a sausage and pepper sandwich. Need I say it, delicious! I ate the rest of my salad from the other day on the side.
FRIDAY, May 5th - Tuna Patties for Two
Fish for Friday. Old habits die hard. I have enjoyed fish on Fridays for years and years. In the UK it we used to treat ourselves to fish and chips on Fridays. Oh my but they were some good!! Fish bars all over the UK usually have lineups out into the streets with people wanting their fish and chips fix on Friday nights!
No fish bars here in Canada. A fish bar is a fish and chips takeaway. You can't eat inside, but you can get fish and chips, wrapped in unprinted newspaper, to take home for your supper. They also have things like meat pies, sausages, Kebabs, etc.
For my fish this week I made my favorite Tuna Patties. This is a real store cupboard favorite with me. You can use tinned salmon if you prefer. Also very good. Crisp and buttery on the outside, tender inside, these went down a real treat with a dollop of Homemade Tartar Sauce on top. This week I served them with steamed brown rice and vegetables, but a favorite way I like to enjoy them is with mac and cheese.
SATURDAY, May 6th - Beans on Toast
After getting up super early Saturday morning to watch the Coronation of King Charles III, I didn't really feel like making a big deal out of supper. I was hungry however and so I fell back on an old favorite of mine, Beans on Toast. You can't get more British than good old Beans on Toast.
Beans on Toast was not something I had ever eaten prior to moving to the UK. Beans on Saturday night with hotdogs was quite common, but never on toast. I fell in love with the concept. Comfort food. Simple, easy and delicious.
Of course I make a cheeky cheese and spring onion toast to enjoy my beans on. Sometimes I will add a layer of grainy mustard beneath the cheese. Very tasty!
And those were my meals of the week, the sometimes cheeky, always tasty suppers that I enjoyed for the first week in May. Next week promises to be every bit as interesting and exciting as I try out a week of eating totally from my store cupboard.
Yes, you heard that right. I am challenging myself to eat totally from my store cupboard. I have fresh milk, eggs, butter in the fridge and I am challenging myself to not go to the shops all week and see if it can be done! Wish me luck! I do so love a good challenge!
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Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Lemon Sauced Salmon Patties
ingredients:
- 1 tall can of pink salmon, drained well, skin and bones removed & discarded and flaked
- 180ml milk (3/4 cup)
- 2 sliced white bread, made into soft crumbs
- 1 large free range egg, beaten 1 TBS minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp grated onion
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS plain flour
- 180ml milk
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- pinch salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
instructions:
How to cook Lemon Sauced Salmon Patties
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter 8 non-stick muffin cups really well. Set aside.
- Mash the salmon in a bowl really well, then add the breadcrumbs. Season lightly. Beat together the egg, milk, grated onion, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the salmon and bread crumb mixture. Mix all together well. Spoon into the muffin cups. (I tend not to pack them down. I like them a bit fluffy. You get more crispy bits that way.)
- Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until set and golden brown.
- While the patties are baking, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring to make a smooth paste. Slowly whisk in the flour, whisking constantly. Bring to the boil, and then cook for several minutes over low heat, stirring continuously until nicely thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
- Serve the patties hot, with the lemon sauce spooned over top.
I decided to make baguette pizzas, which is a great way to use bread that is not at it's freshest and makes even stale loaves taste freshly baked.
You pay a premium price for one of these tasty pizzas in all of the sandwich shops. They're very easy to make at home though, and are great ways of getting rid of little bits of whatever you have to hand, and leftovers you might have floating around your refrigerator that need using up.
Kids LOVE making and eating them too! They can choose their own toppings, customized to their own likes and tastes. They're a great slumber party snack for the teens, or perfect for game day as well!
I love to use chopped baby pickled sweet and sour hot cherry peppers and dry cured olives on mine. Oh so yummy! The pesto base makes a nice change from tomato sauce!
*Baguette Pizzas*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe
These can be whatever you want them to be. Dress them up or down. The choice is yours.
3 (12-inch) French Baguettes
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
green pesto (I use the fresh one from the chiller cabinet in the store or make my own)
Selected toppings: (Any or all)
grated cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, ham, pepperoni, parma ham, cooked bacon, salami, black and/or green olives,
sun dried tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion,tuna, roasted peppers, pickled hot peppers
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Slice each baguette in half lengthwise through the middle. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven until they are a bit crisp. Remove from the oven and while warm, rube each baguette half with the cut side of the garlic. Discard the spent garlic.
Spread each toasted half with some pesto and then top with a variety of toppings as desired. Pop back into the oven and roast for 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the toppings are heated through.
My Pampered Chef party went ever so well last evening. I think everyone had a fabulous time. We got to see some really quality products and to try them out first hand. We got to eat some really delicious food as well . . . "FAT Free" Yorkshire puddings, baked in the Pampered Chef stone ware muffin tin. They were enormous and crispy and oh so delicious. It was hard to believe that they were fat free, but it's true! Fat free Yorkies! I've been waiting all my life for these! There was a fabulous Hot Broccoli dip and some really tasty Rolo Tarts as well. If you were unable to attend and were wanting to order anything, you still have time to do so.
The party page for my party doesn't close until tomorrow and you can visit my party page and place an order online. Don't forget anyone who places an order online will be put into a draw for a five card selection of my own personally designed and handmade Greeting Cards (Your choice), a Pampered Chef Season's Best Cookbook and a Mini Measure All Cup.
You can't lose!
What you have to do:
First hop on over to Julie's page . . . HERE.
Once you are on Julie's Page click on the Shop Online link. Once there, it will tell you that there are two ways to shop, first if you've been invited to a show . . . (This is the one you want)
This is where you have to put my name in the host area:
Marie in the first bit, Rayner in the second bit (make sure you spell it right, with an er not an or or an ar . . . then click . . .
it will then list my show as a hyper link . . . click on the link and shop away. I've only had one online order thus far, so your chance of winning the prizes are quite good!
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 3 TBS molasses (in the UK, use 1 1/2 TBS golden syrup and 1 1/2 TBS dark treacle)
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 2 cups (280g) bread flour
- 1 cup (140g) whole wheat flour
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not chocolate drink mix)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp bread machine yeast
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
- Place all of the ingredients into the bread machine according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Bake on Basic bread, medium sized loaf, light crust.
- Remove from the pan as soon as it is baked, tipping it onto a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy!
.JPG "Steakhouse Brown Bread")
Steakhouse Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 3 TBS molasses (in the UK, use 1 1/2 TBS golden syrup and 1 1/2 TBS dark treacle)
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 1/2 TBS canola oil
- 2 cups (280g) bread flour
- 1 cup (140g) whole wheat flour
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not chocolate drink mix)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp bread machine yeast
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into the bread machine according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Bake on Basic bread, medium sized loaf, light crust.
- Remove from the pan as soon as it is baked, tipping it onto a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy!
I just love sandwiches . . . and I'm not alone in that either. The British all love sandwiches! They're a big business over here. They're sold in all the shops, convenience stores, grocery shops, coffee shops etc. Of course if you hadn't guessed already . . . Sarnie is another name for sandwich!
Makes it sound like something quite exotic doesn't it?
One of my favourite places to buy a ready made sarnie is in M&S. Their sandwiches are the best. The bread is always fresh and the filling generous, and spread to the edge . . . not like some of the cheaper places where you get a dollop of filling in the middle of two slices of dry bread . . . with more bread than filling! Ugh! Nasty.
I was quite suprised when I moved over here to the UK at the different varieties of sandwiches that were on offer as well. Cheese and onion . . . delicious! Cheese and tomato . . . likewise! There's salad sandwiches, sandwiches made with crab, or prawns or tuna. Tuna and Cucumber seems to be quite popular. As is Tuna and Sweetcorn.
Then there are Egg & Cress, Coronation Chicken, Corned Beef (made with tinned corned Beef, which is actually quite nice), and a host of others . . . too many to list here I think, but you get the idea, I'm sure!
Anyways, the point of all of this is that I made Todd and myself a couple of very tasty sandwiches for our lunch one day at the weekend. In my quest to cut back a bit, I made them open faced sandwiches, so only half the bread.
I added some sliced ham, sliced turkey, half fat swiss cheese, lettuce, a delicious homemade dressing . . . kind of tangy and yet at the same time a bit sweet . . . some sliced egg, tomato and . . . naughty but nice crisply cooked streaky bacon. (Really nice . . . dry cured and unsmoked is my choice!)
A gal can't be 100% good all of the time can she?? I thought not!!
*Dressed Club Salad Sarnie*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe
An open faced, knife and forker! Delicious! (Easily upped or downed to serve more or less people.)
2 slices sour dough bread
2 slices of baked deli ham
2 slices of Leerdammer cheese (Swiss type of cheese, I use the low fat one)
2 slices of deli turkey
1 cup of shredded cos lettuce (Romaine)
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 slices of streaky bacon, rind removed and cooked crisp
For the dressing:
1 heaped dessert spoon of low fat mayonnaise
1 tsp of tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp of chopped sweet pickle
1/2 tsp of finely grated onion
pinch of salt and black pepper
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Lay one slice of bread onto each of two plates. Top each with 1 slice of ham. Top the ham with the cheese. Top the cheese with the turkey. Divide the lettuce between the two and drizzle each with half of the dressing. Top each with half of the sliced egg, sliced tomato and two slices of bacon criss crossed. Serve immediately. Pass the knives and forks!
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