Meals of the Week, May 7th - May 13th

 

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!

 

SUNDAY, MAY 7th -  Stuffed Loin of Pork with Butter Roasted Potatoes

I had a nice bone in Pork Loin roast in the freezer.  This is a delicious way to prepare it.  A slit is made in the center of the roast with a sharp knife.  The resulting cavity is stuffed with dried prunes. The roast is rubbed with ginger, salt and pepper and then roasted, along with potatoes that have been rolled in butter and paprika.  

Such a delicious meal and so simple to do. Tender succulent perfectly cooked pork, crispy edged golden potatoes. A delicious gravy is included. All you need on the side is a cooked vegetable.

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! 

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