Something which I have started doing here in The English Kitchen over this past month is sharing my Meals of the Week with you at the beginning of every week. I share all of the main meals that I have cooked or shared with family over the previous week, along with links to recipes, etc.
For me, it is good to be able to look back and see how I have eaten, and maybe where I could do better. Having this as a goal at the end of each week also inspires me to want to cook better meals for myself so that I can share them with you.
I like to think that is also helps in your meal planning, whether you are a family or a single person living on your own. A bit of inspiration always goes a long way, especially when it comes to meal planning.
Sometimes when you are living on your own, such as I do, the temptation can be to want to open a can or heat up a tv dinner. Occasionally I will do just that, but most of the time I like to cook from scratch. Not only are my homemade meals much healthier, but they are more often than not much lower in salt, fat and sugar. Homemade is always best.
I do enjoy two meals out a week. I am very fortunate in that I live near family and so most Sundays I will share a Sunday dinner with my sister, her husband and my father, and on Wednesday nights my father and his friends like to get together at a local eatery for a meal. I usually tag along and sometimes I even get my sister to come with us!!
My breakfasts and lunch's are normally quite simple although I did treat myself to some homemade Copycat Waffle House Waffles one day this week. Most mornings I will enjoy some homemade granola along with some Greek yogurt, or toast.
Lunches will sometimes be leftovers from the night before if there are any, or a sandwich, or sometimes a frozen mini pizza, or even a salad. I love salad lunches!! They are my favorite things to eat for lunch!
Here is what I ate over the previous week for my main meals. I hope that you will be inspired to want to try some of the recipes perhaps, or at the very least to want to cook some good food for yourself! Just because you are on your own there is no need to think you aren't worth the effort.
You totally are!
SUNDAY APRIL 23rd - Roast Beef Dinner at my sisters
Most Sundays I enjoy a family dinner at my sister's home with my sister, her husband and my father. I really enjoy these family times that we get to spend with each other. Roast beef was on special last week and so my sister cooked a pot roast again.
My sister makes the best gravy. You can make great gravy from scratch, even if you don't have any drippings. You can find my recipe for that here.
We had roasted carrots, potatoes and roasted tender stem cauliflower with it, or caulilini as it is also called. It is so delicious. Its not something either of us had tried until this year and now we can't get enough of it!
We had lemon pie for dessert, leftover from my place on Saturday night. All of it was so yummy, but the best part of course was being together!!
MONDAY APRIL 24th - Loaded Baked Potato Casserole for two
I had some leftover baked potatoes that I had baked on Saturday night for the family dinner and so I used them to make a delicious smaller sized version of an old casserole that I really enjoy.
All of the flavors that you love to enjoy with a baked potato are included in this easy, all-in-one bake. Cubed potatoes, cheese, bacon, sour cream, spring onions. Its so delicious. I could make a meal of this and nothing else.
I had some leftover roast chicken in the freezer, so I just warmed some of that up along with some steamed green beans. This was a simple and tasty meal.
TUESDAY APRIL 25th - Steak & Eggs
I had gone to the store to pick up some buttermilk and spied a nice looking steak that was marked down because it was on its sell by date.
I snapped it up and made myself some tasty Steak & Eggs for my supper. It is a breakfast dish I know, but a pretty hearty one. I am a gal that enjoys having breakfast for my supper!
This was really really good. I added a cheeky baked hashbrown patty on the side, otherwise it would have been a totally low carb dinner for those who are low-carbing it!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 26th - Fish and Chips with my dad and his friends
On Wednesday nights I always go out for supper with my dad and his lady friends. We usually have fish and chips and this week was no different. We are a family that loves our fish and chips! Not that healthy for you, I know, but always delicious. I usually get the hand cut chips and of course there is tartar sauce. No mushy peas here in Canada however. I miss them.
I do have a lovely recipe for a Garlic Herbed Cod and Chips that you might enjoy. Perfectly cooked cod loins with a tasty garlic and herb coating, roasted in the oven along side some home cut oven chips with the skins on. No frying in this one.
THURSDAY APRIL 27th - Street Cart Chicken and Rice
This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken. I froze 3 servings of the chicken and the rice in individual servings for another time (minus the lettuce and tomatoes.) I also did not freeze the sauce. This might look like a lot of work, but it really isn't. I can promise you that it is worth every bit of effort and incredibly delicious.
You might not be able to freeze the sauce or the other bits, but things like this are great to have in the freezer. I just break it down into individual servings in small square freezer containers, ready to take out and heat up as and when. Its easy to add the fresh bits and the sauce on the day.
FRIDAY APRIL 28th - Macaroni Cheese & Tomato Bake
This is a recipe that I just love. I had not made it in a while because the original recipe serves four people. On this day I decided to cut the recipe in half and make just two servings.
Oh, how delicious it is. Macaroni is stirred together with a quick and easy tomato sauce and spread in the bottom of the baking dish. A lush layer of cheesy bechamel is spread over top and it is topped with buttery cracker crumbs prior to baking for a deliciously satisfying meal for two.
All you need on the side is some crusty bread and perhaps a salad. That is how I enjoyed it at any rate!
SATURDAY APRIL 29th - Skillet Beans and Weiners
This is one of those quick and easy suppers that I just love. I love hot dogs and beans anyways, and when they are combined together in a delicious and easy skillet supper like this one, I am one very happy camper. Its not something that I eat very often, but something that I really enjoy when I do.
We used to have beans and weiners a lot when I was a child on Saturday nights. Sometimes my mom would buy a huge can of tinned spaghetti and we would have weiners with that. Not only were these economical meals, but they were delicious as well. Maybe not the healthiest, but when you are watching the pennies, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!
A little bit of what you love to eat now and then never did anybody any harm.
I enjoyed with some crusty bread leftover from Friday night and some packaged scalloped potatoes. This was a real treat.
So here we are, right on the cusp of the lovely month of May. Temperatures are warming now and appetites are wanting lighter, fresher foods. Not so much comfort foods. I am looking forward to the warmer sunnier days, salads and such. How about you?
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
- 3 stale donuts (either cake or yeast) (cake will give you a softer finish)
- 1 large free range egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- pinch salt
- 3 tsp your favorite jam (today I used cherry)
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- few drops almond extract (goes wonderfully with fruit)
- 2 or 3 TBS flaked almonds
- sugar to sprinkle
- boiling water
Donut & Jam Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 stale donuts (either cake or yeast)
- 1 large free range egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- pinch salt
- 3 tsp your favorite jam (I used cherry)
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- few drops almond extract
- 2 or 3 TBS flaked almonds
- sugar to sprinkle
- boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. You will need a small casserole dish large enough to hold the doughnuts, halved snugly together, and a larger casserole dish large enough to hold the smaller dish. Butter the small one.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond together in a bowl.
- Warm the milk over medium heat in a small saucepan just until there are bubbles around the edges. (You can also do this in the microwave, about 1 1/2 minutes.)
- Slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg and sugar mixture until well amalgamated.
- Cut the donuts in half through the middle horizontally. Sandwich each donut back together with a tsp of jam in the middle and then cut into two crosswise. Place the donut arches into the smaller of the casserole dishes, fitting them in next to each other. Mine fit into my dish in two rows of three halves.
- Pour the egg custard over top. Place the filled casserole dish into the larger casserole dish and pour in boiling water making sure that it comes halfway up the side of the smaller dish.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds over top and then sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar.
- Pop the whole lot into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the custard is set. (A knife inserted near the center should come out clean.)
- Sprinkle with some icing sugar and serve warm.
Whisk together the cheese, 2 TBS of the honey and 2 tsp of the lemon zest. Spread about 1 rounded TBS onto each slice of bread. Place 3 berries on top of half of the slices of bread and cover with the remaining bread slices, cheese side down.
Beat the egg, milk, salt, vanilla and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Place the sandwiches in the bowl. Let soak for 5 minutes, then flip over and soak for a further 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. To each sandwich with the remaining raspberries, drizzle with the remaining honey and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest. Serve immediately.
My husband and I have been members of the National Trust for about 10 years now. We both just love visiting historical homes and gardens so it has always been worth it to us. A yearly membership works out a lot cheaper than having to pay entrance fees each time we visit one of the National Trust places.
We recently visited Erddig, which is near Wrexham in Wales. "Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.
We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this great historical home. We found it quite astonishing that the orignal owner of the Estate was simply a "Mr" and not a person of noble birth. Judging by everything that was on this property, he was one very wealthy individual, and one could tell by all of the photographs and paintings that, although they had lots of money and servants, their servants were very much cared for and well treated.
We spent a wonderful day there exploring all the nooks and crannies and the beautiful gardens. So much so, that we plan on going back again soon. There was so much still left to explore, and one visit just didn't do it enough justice.
One of the things we both look forward to when we are visiting these places is having a light lunch in the cafes that are, in most cases, right on the grounds. Lovely little places where you can get everything from soup to nuts . . . always very tasty stuff!
We shared a delicious cheese and onion sandwich and some hot cocoa the day we were there, but right next to the cash register in the cafe was a little leaflet for sale,, containing some of the recipes from Erddig House, dating back to the 1700's.
It was only a pound, so how could I resist!! Of course I had to pick it up!
That night I made us the carrot soup for our tea from the leaflet, and let me tell you . . . it was the MOST delicious carrot soup I have ever, ever eaten! It should have served at least 4 people but Todd and I polished it off between the two of us. NOT A PROBLEM! It was rich and creamy and had the most wonderful flavour. Carrots, potatoes, celery, turnips, onions and lettuce . . . a delicious combination of simple garden fresh ingredients!
This is now our 'alltime' favourite soup.
*Erddig Carrot Soup*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Taken from a 'Receipt Book 1765', the second oldest Erddig cookery book.
2 ounces butter
2 large onions
2 large potatoes
2 pounds carrots
1/2 pound turnips
1/2 head celery
1/4 lettuce
3 1/2 pints (about 7 cups) vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Peel and chop all of the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the potatoes and stir well. Add the remainder of the vegetables and the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Liquidise. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
I also baked up some very delicious Cheese Scones to have with the soup. They went down a real treat!! You can find the recipe HERE.
Finally I have been blessed with a small room that we call the larder here at Oak Cottage . . . a tiny room with shelves along it's walls which lays just off our back entrance, tucked away behind a sliding wooden door. My shelves are lined with all sorts of food stuffs and I pride myself on being able to go inside and produce a tasty meal out of the goodies on it's shelves without much problem at all.
Here are some of the items I would never be without and that I think all kitchens should have in their storecupboards and larders. My favourites list and things I always have at hand here at Oak Cottage.
Good Quality chocolate, for baking and for eating. Although Todd doesn't really like chocolate cakes or the like, I do like to keep a good quantity of nice chocolate on hand to bake brownies and the occasional chocolate cake. Something with at least a 70% cocoa content. I also like to keep a variety of cocoa powders, both natural and Dutch process.
A good quality Balsamic Vinegar, along with an assortment of other vinegars. Sherry, White and Red wine, Apple Cider, Malt, and Rice Wine. You really do get what you pay for here. I also make my own tarragon and other flavoured vinegars, using a good white wine vinegar.
An assortment of mustards, including a good Dijon, grainy, English, and Dry mustard powder. I use them in vinaigrettes, marinades and you just can't beat a nice ham sandwich on a rustic loaf and adorned with a good slather of a tasty mustard.
Capers. I keep several varieties on hand, salt preserved, regular, those exquisite little non pareil capers and delicious caper berries. They are fabulous in sauces and dressings and salads. A Nicoise salad would not be the same without the adornment of caper berries.
Dried mushrooms, an assortment . . . all woodsey and earthy and just waiting to be steeped and made into a delicious soup or tucked into a tasty stew.
Dried pasta. Of course it is nice if you have the time and energy to make your own pasta, but one cannot overlook the blessing of having good quality dried pasta to hand. I like to keep a variety in my larder, some short kinds such as macaroni, and then the longer ones like Spaghetti, linguine, some noodles of various widths, farfelle, lasagna, and of course fusilli and other twisty types. I prefer Italian brands myself.
French Cornichons. Great with cold cuts and cheeses and an indispensable ingredient for making tartar sauce and certain salsa verdes. I also keep several other pickles and chutneys . . . pickled cipoline onions, mango chutney, Branstons and a good quality piccalili.
Dried Spanish Chorizo sausages. These are fantastic additions to omelets, sauteed potatoes, salads, stews, the possibilities are endless. I wouldn't be without them.
Italian tinned plum tomatoes, whole, chopped and pureed. A tin of them and you always have a ready soup to hand, or a tasty pasta sauce . . . the uses are endless.
I love French Mayonnaise. Rich and glossy and in a class of it's own.
Extra Virgin Olive oil, in a variety of guises. I like a nice mild one for cooking and a stronger more full flavoured one for use in salads. I prefer Greek.
A variety of olives, black and green. I love Greek Kalamata, the tiny nicoise olives of France, spanish black and green. I adore oil cured and dried black and green olives and always have several packets of them to hand, ready to be tossed into salads, baked into loaves or pizzas, and to be used as tasty hors d'ouevres and tapas, or eaten out of hand . . . just because . . . 
A variety of flours, organic and stone ground, French, plain, self raising, strong (both white and brown) whole wheat, malt, spelt. They all have their uses, but, please, only keep what you are going to use within a few weeks to hand on the shelves. Store the rest in the freezer as it can go rancid very quickly.
I like to keep quite a few different sugars . . . light and dark soft brown, caster and granulated white, golden caster, icing sugar, dark and light muscovado, demerara, lump sugar. They all have their uses. I also keep a variety of syrups such as Golden, Dark Treacle, Molasses and Maple.
I love Maldon Sea Salt and French fleur de sel. I use them in almost all my cooking. I do keep a large tin of household salt as well, along with a variety of pepper corns . . . green, pink, black and a lovely mixture of the three.
Garlic both regular and smoked, and shallots and onions, both brown cooking and red. These are a must for me, and used often.
A variety of good quality dried herbs and spices. I have quite a few different ones and I use them all frequently. I do love fresh herbs, but the uses of a good quality bottled herb cannot be underestimated.
One thing that I absolutely love and adore is unearthed barrel aged feta cheese. I know this is kept in the fridge but I just couldn't not mention it. It's wonderfully delicious and worth every penny. I also keep a good Parmesan Reggiano that I grate myself and a variety of different strengths of cheddars.
I also have a weakness for Danish butter. It's very good, and I always have several pounds of it in the fridge and freezer, sweet and salted, not to mention some good vegetable shortening.
This is by no means an extensive list of all the things that one should have in their larders, but just a few of my favourite things. It goes without saying that one should keep a variety of tinned fishes as well as fresh fruits and vegetables amongst other things, and I do. I just thought it would be fun to talk about some of my most beloved ingredients.
One thing that you are never short of if you keep bananas, eggs and milk around is a tasty bowl of bananas and custard, my Todd's dessert of choice. Old fashioned yes, delicious yes, satisfyingly comforting, yes . . .
*Bananas and Custard*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
You can call it many names . . . creme de la vanille, creme anglaise . . . it matters not. It's all vanilla custard and it is wonderfully delicious when properly made and homemade. Why anyone would ever bother with the powdered version when they can make it so easily from scratch is beyond my comprehension!
1 pint whole milk (2 cups)
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
1 TBS caster sugar
4 medium bananas
Put the milk in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds into the milk with a sharp knife. Drop the split pod into the milk as well. Heat the milk over a medium heat, just until you see bubbles forming around the edges. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla pod. (Just rinse it off and dry it and you can then stick it into your sugar bin where it will give your sugar a lovely flavour and fragrance . . . no worries and no waste.)
Beat together the egg yolks and the sugar. Pour the hot milk over top of it very slowly, whisking constantly. Strain the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Place over the top of the bottom of the double boiler over simmering water and cook ove rvery low heat, stirring all the time. When it thickens to the consistency of double cream (it should coat the back of your spoon), remove it from the heat and pour it straight into a bowl to reduce the heat. Let cool to warm, before proceeding.
The secret to successful custard is to not be in a hurry. If the worse happens and it starts to separate, whizz it in the blender. You can of course, pre-empt this problem by adding a small teaspoon of cornstarch to the egg yolks before adding the milk.
Peel and slice the bananas into four dessert dishes. Spoon the warm custard over top of them and serve.
Social Icons