I can't believe that is is Sunday again as well as being the end of June! June has just whizzed by at the speed of light!
On Sundays I like to share with you, my readers, my Meals of the Week. All of the deliciousness which I have enjoyed eating for my main meals over the past seven days! There's a whole lot of tasty going on here and a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled!
As a person who lives all alone, I am responsible for cooking for myself. The temptation when you are living on your own, or even if you are an empty nester can be to want to just eat ready meals or cook out of cans, enjoy frozen dinners. Or even to eat out or enjoy a takeaway more often than not.
That is not me. I love to cook, and I love to eat and I will be honest with you, most of those tins, cans, frozen dinners, takeaways and restaurant meals are, more often than not, very disappointing! And so, I like to cook as much as possible for myself, and I like to take you along on the journey.
I almost always eat my main meal of the day at noon, unless I am out, or at someone else's house. I don't like to go to bed with a lot on my stomach and these days I am in bed most nights by nine PM. (I must be getting old!)
For breakfast these days I am enjoying a protein smoothie/shake. I really enjoy those and they help me to keep my cravings down and up my protein, not to mention my calcium and a whole lot of other stuff. Plus they are delicious. I usually sip on it all morning as I am working away. It helps to keep the cravings at bay and keeps me satisfied.
I will have my main meal about 1 to 2 pm. That will be a full dinner that I have prepared myself. Most of the time.
Supper will usually be some toast, or a sandwich, perhaps a bowl of cereal, or, more often than not, a salad. I love salad and they are usually filled with loads of greens, veggies, sometimes some protein (cheese, egg, chicken etc.) I always make my own dressing and if I am feeling especially indulgent I will add some croutons or seeds or nuts as a topper.
I try to keep everything within budget. I am living on a meager pension and whatever I make on here from the ads. (Thanks so much for visiting. You help to keep me afloat!) I also try to keep things fairly healthy. I also try to keep waste at a minimum.
Anyways, without too much more twaddle, here are my main meals for the past seven days! I hope you see something that will inspire you to want to cook it for yourself also! For the odd time that I have eaten out of house, I have provided a suitable alternative for you, plus I have also added suggestions for any sides that will go well with the mains.
SUNDAY, June 23rd. - Sunday Dinner at Cindy's
We had our usual Sunday Dinner at Cindy's. She cooked a pot roast. I love her pot roasts. Nobody complains. They are always juicy and tender. This week she kept it simple with just the roast, some roasted new potatoes, carrots and gravy. Sugar free jelly and whippy cream for dessert!
I am sharing my recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast in place of Cindy's roast. Cooking a pot roast in the instant pot takes an economical piece of beef and turns it into a melt in the mouth tender roast in a fraction of the time that it takes to cook it in the conventional way.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, might I recommend my Slow Cooker Pot Roast? This also turns out juicy and tender each and every time. I even have a recipe for a Classic Pot Roast for Two on this blog. Also delicious! (But then I would say that! 😉 It is true however.
A perfectly baked potato with a crisp skin and fluffy flesh, topped with some delicious hot chili con carne, and loads of cheddar cheese, melting over the top. I like to garnish it with some sour cream and chopped spring onions.
FRIDAY, June 28th - Skillet Caprese Chicken Bites
This was a recipe that I had seen on YouTube on a channel called Feeding the Byrds. She had adapted the recipe from my friend Kevin of A Closet Kitchen in which he used whole chicken breasts. Cutting the chicken into manageable sized bites which reduced the cook time by quite a lot.
I cut the recipe in half. Tender and juicy pieces of chicken breast with garlic, shallots and cherry tomatoes. Mozzarella pearls melted in amongst those delicious juices and drizzled with a sweet Balsamic glaze. A scattering of fresh basil is thrown over top.
This was quite simply fabulous served with some steamed Basmati rice. If you wanted to you could serve with crusty bread to mop up all of those tasty juices, but you really don't need anything else!
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- 2 (1/2 inch thick) slices of pound cake or madeira cake
- 1 medium sized firm ripe banana, peeled and sliced
- good quality vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate sauce
- chopped peanuts
- maraschino cherries
- whipped cream (optional)
Quick Banana Split Shortcakes
Ingredients
- 2 (1/2 inch thick) slices of pound cake or madeira cake
- 1 medium sized firm ripe banana, peeled and sliced
- good quality vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate sauce
- chopped peanuts
- maraschino cherries
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Place a slice of cake on each of two dessert plates.
- Slice the banana and divide between the two slices of cake, placing the sliced banana on top.
- Top the sliced banana with vanilla ice cream to cover.
- Drizzle with chocolate syrup, sprinkle with chopped peanuts, add a cherry on top and a squirt of whipped cream, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
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.
- 2 small chicken breasts or 1 large one (total of about six ounces),cut in 1-inch cubes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS butter, divided
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
- 15 cherry tomatoes, washed and then halved
- 1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 ounces (about 4-5) fresh mozzarella pearls
- Balsamic Glaze to drizzle
- about six large basil leaves, rolled up and cut chiffonade
Skillet Caprese Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 2 small chicken breasts or 1 large one (total of about six ounces),cut in 1-inch cubes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS butter, divided
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
- 15 cherry tomatoes, washed and then halved
- 1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 ounces (about 4-5) fresh mozzarella pearls
- Balsamic Glaze to drizzle
- about six large basil leaves, rolled up and cut chiffonade
Instructions
- Heat half of the butter and all of the oil in a medium sized oven-safe skillet, (8 inches across) over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. The juices should run clear.
- Scoop out to a bowl. Set aside and keep warm.
- Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the shallots. Cook until softened without browning. (2 to 3 minutes.)
- Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Cook until the tomatoes have started to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan.
- Add the mozzarella pearls, tucking them in amongst the tomatoes and chicken. (I tore them in half.)
- Turn off the heat and place a cover on top of the pan so that the cheese can melt. Alternately pop the pan underneath a hot grill to melt the cheese.
- Drizzle with some balsamic glaze and scatter the chopped basil over top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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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