Easter is just a few weeks away and I wanted to come up with a viable option for the smaller family to enjoy for Easter Dinner.
When I was growing up and for all of the years I was raising my family we always enjoyed Ham at Easter. When mom cooked it, it was always cooked the day before and served cold and sliced, whereas in my own family we always enjoyed it hot.
- 1/2 half of a bone in full slice of ham (about 1/2 inch thick) (freeze the other half for another time.)
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) of soft light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup (52g) of chopped pineapple
- 5 maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
Pineapple Glazed Ham Steak
Ingredients
- 1/2 half of a bone in full slice of ham (about 1/2 inch thick) (freeze the other half for another time.)
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) of soft light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup (52g) of chopped pineapple
- 5 maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Cut the ham in half yet again to make two servings. Brown them in the hot butter.
- Whisk the sugar, pineapple, pineapple juice, mustard and cloves together. Spoon this sauce over top of the ham slices.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer the ham steaks in the sauce for 20 to 25 minutes, until the ham is cooked through and glazed, turning them several times.
- Add the maraschino cherries and heat through.
- Serve hot with some of the sauce spooned over top and a few cherries on each serving.
Did you make this recipe?
- 1TBS light olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 14 oz (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch sugar
- few dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 1/2 ounces (scant cup/100g) rigatoni or other tubular pasta shape
- 1/2 cup (50g) cheddar or gruyere cheese, grated
- a hunk of baguette or a slice of bread, coarsely grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 frankfurters/hotdogs, sliced
Easy Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1TBS light olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 14 oz (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch sugar
- few dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 1/2 ounces (scant cup/100g) rigatoni or other tubular pasta shape
- 1/2 cup (50g) cheddar or gruyere cheese, grated
- a hunk of baguette or a slice of bread, coarsely grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 frankfurters/hotdogs, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute longer.
- Add the undrained tomatoes and the sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse and drain again.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce to the tomato sauce and season to taste. If you are using the frankfurters, add them to the sauce now. Pour this mixture into a heat-proof dish.
- Mix the bread crumbs and cheese together. Scatter the cheesy crumbs over top of the pasta in the dish.
- Preheat the grill/broiler to high.
- Pop the cheese crumb coated dish under the grill and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, until bubbling hot and golden. Serve hot with a salad on the side.
Did you make this recipe?
I thought it would be fun to share with you all of the meals that I have enjoyed eating over this past week. When you are a person that lives on their own there can be a tendency to eat out of tins, or to eat frozen meals. I don't want that to be my life and if I can inspire one person to also want to cook for themselves, then I think that's a great thing.
My late mother lived all on her own from the age of 54 to 81 when my sister and her partner Dan moved in with mom. By that point mom needed someone to take care of her as she had dementia and was no longer to really care for herself.
While my mother was able to she always cooked for herself. Every day she had a meal that she prepared and that she enjoyed. The odd time it might have been a tv dinner or something from the freezer. She loved Big Macs and when they put them on offer, she would buy four or five, have one for her tea and then freeze the other four to have as a treat on another occasion.
She did love to shop at M&M meats and would pick up boxes of chicken breasts and fish from there. She might have a chicken breast for her supper but she always cooked potatoes or rice to go with it and a vegetable.
I am a little bit more adventurous myself, but them I cooked for a living for years and am quite used to cooking for a larger family. Food excites me. I love to cook. Mom ate to live whereas I live to eat! That does make a difference in what you choose to eat.
Anyways, I thought I would share with you the main meals that I enjoyed over this past week. Usually on Sundays I have supper at my sisters with the family and every Wednesday night I go out to dinner with my father and his friends at a local eatery. Other than that, I cook everything myself. Food doesn't have to be complicated to taste good. I like to eat a wide variety of things, although looking at the photographs for this week, I did have a very "red" week!
Oh well, some weeks are bound to be like that! Wherever possible I have given links to the recipes!
SUNDAY MARCH 19TH - Supper at my sisters
Cindy had prepared Roasted Spareribs in the Instant Pot, her Stovetop Mac and Cheese, Homemade Baked Beans and oven roasted tender stem broccoli. Everything was fabulously delicious. I love being included in these Sunday Suppers with my family.
MONDAY, MARCH 20TH - Lamb Chops with Honey, Lemon & Thyme, served with pan fried potatoes and oven roasted tender stem cauliflower. I had the opportunity to pick up some fresh Nova Scotia lamb and cooked it simply, not wanting to detract from its delicate flavor. This made a beautiful supper for the first day of spring.
TUESDAY, MARCH 21ST - Small Batch Spaghetti and Meatballs
This gave me enough to enjoy on the day and some to pop into the freezer for another time.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22ND - On Wednesday nights I always go out to supper with my father and his friends to a local eatery called The Big Scoop. The food is always hit and miss. I go for the company and to please my father. This weeks special was a Hot Turkey Poutine. I decided to have that. It was so/so. My own version is a lot tastier. Hot Turkey Poutine. Hot chips, covered in chunks of cooked turkey, turkey gravy, stuffing and cheese with a side of cranberry sauce.
THURSDAY MARCH 23RD - Herbed Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes
Crispy buttery garlic potatoes are shingled on a sheet pan and cooked alongside a fillet of breaded herbed cod fish. The cod is transferred to the potatoes at the end and the whole thing is popped under a grill and crisped up. I served it with a grilled half a tomato and some green beans.
FRIDAY MARCH 24TH - Stone Soup
I found it really chilly on Friday and so thought a bowl of soup would go down well. This is one of my favorites because it uses a bit of this and a bit of that. Its a delicious way to make your budget stretch and fill your tummy up with something hearty and warming at the same time. Chopped cabbage, onions, tomatoes, rice, stock, and a few seasonings combined together in a most delicious way! I enjoyed a lovely bowl of this along with some crackers on the side and a sprinkle of cheese on top.
And just in case you are wondering, here is my recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. It is gorgeous in strawberry season, but in the winter time its a great way to use some of those mediocre strawberries they put out at the shops at a decent price that are often disappointing when you eat them raw. Cooking them helps to bring out their flavor. Combine that with rhubarb and you have a dessert made in heaven!
And those were my meals of the week for March 19th to 25th! Let me know in the comments section below if you enjoyed this post or not. I may make it a regular thing if you do!
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
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (61g) Greek yogurt
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 TBS butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TBS rainbow sprinkles
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 2 cups (260g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- extra sprinkles for topping
Baked Funfetti Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (61g) Greek yogurt
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 TBS butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TBS rainbow sprinkles
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 2 cups (260g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- extra sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Spray a baking donut pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, sugar and nutmeg together in a bowl.
- Whisk the milk, yogurt egg and vanilla together. Whisk in the melted butter to combine thoroughly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together just to combine. The batter will be quite stiff. Fold in the sprinkles.
- Put the batter into a piping bag or a zip lock baggie. Clip off the corner and pipe into the donut pan filling it no more than 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk together until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Dunk the donuts topside into the glaze and place onto a wire rack, glaze side up. When you have dunked them all if you have any glaze left you can dunk them again. Sprinkle with additional sprinkles to decorate.
- Any leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.







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