This week for my Meals of the Week, I challenged myself to forgo going to the shops and eat entirely from out of my store-cupboard, freezer and refrigerator.  I am lucky in that I have a pretty healthy store-cupboard!  So much so that if I don't really start to using some of it, then some might not be at its optimum. Hence the challenge for myself.

I can be rather lazy sometimes and I will forget to take some protein out of the freezer to cook and I end up picking up more at the shops.  I need to train myself to use what I have before I buy more, especially in these modern times when the cost of food is escalating with every day that Passes.

These meals are just what I had for my suppers and I can promise you that everything I used was things I already had in house!  I made good use of frozen vegetables and meats, tinned beans, dried fruit, and even stale bread.

For lunches I had salads or a sandwich and for breakfast toast or granola/cereal.  As you can see I ate rather well.  I do eat out one night a week with my father and his friends, but for that day I shared a delicious salad that I had for my lunch with a lush blue cheese dressing.

I share these meals because perhaps some of you, like myself, struggle from time to time to find inspiration for your meal times.  As a person on my own, the temptation can be to just eat a frozen dinner or to pop open a can.  I do not want to be that person.

Instead I want to prepare for myself delicious, well balanced meals that I enjoy, both in the cooking and in the eating!  Streamlined for the smaller family for the most part.  I hope some of you find this useful as well!

 

MONDAY, MAY 8th - Cheesy Chili Pork and Rice

I used some of the leftover roast pork and combined it with a few store cupboard ingredients to make a delicious casserole.  Cooked rice, canned chopped chilis, sour cream, cheddar cheese.  

Simple to make and quite delicious. You can adapt this tasty casserole to any kind of leftover cooked protein. Quick and easy, I served this along with some sliced ripe tomatoes and steamed string beans.

TUESDAY MAY 9th - Teriyaki Steak Stir Fry

I used a piece of steak that I had in the freezer that as  not overly large to create a delicious stir fry sized just for two people. You can very easily double it.  The steak is marinated in some soy sauce and black pepper while you prepare your vegetables. You can use any vegetables that you have, even frozen.

The star of this dish is that delicious homemade Teriyaki Sauce.  Sweet and spicy and salty, this sauce would go with just about any protein or vegetable. This was a delicious meal that I served with some brown rice. A tasty way to use up some of the veggies in the veggie in in my refrigerator.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th - Tossed Salad with Martha's Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

I normally go out for supper on Wednesday nights with my father and a few friends. This week was no different.  I made myself a delicious salad for my lunch however as I wanted to use up some of the salad fixings in the veggie drawer.

To go with them I made a lovely Blue Cheese Salad Dressing. I had seen Martha prepping this on YouTube a few weeks ago and mentally bookmarked it to make at a later date. It went down a real treat.  I love this simple dressing. Rich and creamy with just the right amount of blue cheese.

THURSDAY, MAY 11th - Amish Chicken & Stuffing

This has to be one of my all time favorite meals. I love stuffing of any kind, but mix it with some cooked chicken and turn it into a main dish and I am in paradise.  

This is a simple and easy recipe, that is a great way to use up stale bread or rolls. You can also use leftover cooked chicken in it, but generally I will poach chicken specifically to use in this,  which is what I did today, using two chicken breasts from my freezer. 

Delicious with some boiled potatoes and cooked frozen broccoli and cauliflower. You can also make a simple gravy to ladle over top.  Tastes just like Thanksgiving.

FRIDAY, MAY 12th - Pub Cheese Open Faced Burger 

Day six of my store cupboard challenge saw me enjoying a tasty  homemade open-faced burger.  A ground steak burger, sitting on top of a Parmesan Cheese toasted slice of sour dough bread.  Topped with some moreish strong cheddar cheese spread, also known as pub cheese and grilled onions, this went down a real treat!  

I enjoyed some lettuce and tomato on the side.

SATURDAY, May 13th - Frankly Chili

I had my father over for supper on Saturday night. My father likes really simple food. Two of his favorites are hot dogs and beans. I decided to combine the two and serve him a hearty bowl of my Frankly Chili.  He loves chili too, so I thought I would kill three birds with one stone by serving him this delicious bowl of red.  He loved it. 

This is an old prize winning recipe from a contest put out by Maple Leaf Weiners back in the 1970's.  Its simple and its delicious. I baked some cheddar corn muffins to go along side and for dessert he had a piece of banana cake with some squirty cream on top. 

He was one very happy camper!

So there you have it.  My meals for this past week. As you can see I was not deprived in the least and ate very well indeed!!!  Hopefully you will be inspired to want to do the same! 

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 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!

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 

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