Meals of the Week, December 1st - 7th, 2024

 

Hello everyone and welcome to my Meals of the Week post, for this the first week of December 2024.  Every week on a Sunday I like to share with you, my sweet readers, all of the deliciousness that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days.

That's seven days of tasty recipes and menu suggestions.  I try to keep everything realistic in my cooking, affordable and as nutritious as I can, although to be sure I do sometimes eat something not so healthy like a pizza or what not.

As an older person on a fixed income who lives by themselves, cooking and eating can be a bit of a challenge at times.  It can often be very difficult to get in all of the fruits and veggies that we should be eating. I do my best but I know I could do better!

I do make a real effort to cook everything for myself wherever possible and from scratch. I am not a person who is very fond of ready-meals or frozen dinners, as easy as it can be to pop one of those into the microwave. They are usually loaded with fat, sugar and salt.  I prefer to cook my own meals.

Nothing I cook is really complicated. I like to keep it fairly simple most of the time.  I also like to keep it affordable.  I often pare down the sizes of my recipes to make only one or two servings and in the instances where I can't, I will freeze the excess in single serving amounts, ready to take out and enjoy on a day when I am pressed for time and won't be able to cook much from scratch.

I normally eat my main meal around early to mid-afternoon. Breakfast is usually a protein shake.  I will have a very light meal later in the day and by that, I mean usually a salad, or some toast, maybe some fruit and sometimes even a bowl of cereal. (My favorite is rice crispies with bananas, or granola with yogurt and a squirt of date syrup.)

I do like to keep my food varied as well. I don't like being bored, so I try to make my meals as interesting as possible.  And with all that having been said, here are the main meals I enjoyed over the past seven days. I hope you will be inspired to want to cook a few of them for yourself as well!

SUNDAY, December 1st - Dinner at Cindy's

I had a delicious family dinner at my sister's place on Sunday. Roast chicken with stuffing and roasted veggies.  She did not make gravy this time she had a Swiss Chalet Style dipping sauce.  It was all very delicious.  In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Another Roast Chicken.  Can you ever have too many roast chicken recipes?  I think not!  This one is spatchcocked and roasted on a bed of veggies.

I am also including my homemade recipe for the Swiss Chalet Dipping Sauce. This tastes just like the real deal.  I developed it when I was living in the U.K. and could not get the dipping sauce packets there.  This is fabulously tasty.

MONDAY, December 2nd -MONGOLIAN BEEF & BROCCOLI WITH NOODLES 

This is a real favorite with me. It is the perfect combination of savory, sweet, tangy, and garlicky, with sauce smothered tender strips of beef and perfectly cooked broccoli. This tasty dish together in under 30 minutes plus easy clean-up!   

Its an incredibly tasty way to get in your protein, plus one of your five a day all in one dish.  No need to cook anything on the side either as it's an all-in-one dish that never fails to please!

TUESDAY, December 3rd - EASY CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE SOUP

It was a cold and blustery day on Tuesday. I wanted something quick and easy that would warm me up quickly. I also had a cauliflower that needed using up.  Cue in a delicious soup.  Cauliflower and Cheese Soup, one of my favorites! Ultra creamy with very simple ingredients.

There really isn't anything out of the ordinary here. I love recipes like this that take ordinary ingredients and turn them into something out of this world delicious, and without a lot of effort! I enjoyed a nice bowl of this with more cheese crumbled over top and some crisp crackers on the side.  It was most satisfying!

WEDNESDAY, December 4th - Dinner at the Big Scoop with Dad

Even though it was cold and nasty out, Dad insisted he was going to the Big Scoop for his supper anyways. We did not want him driving there on his own so we went with him.  We all had different things. My sister had their Haddock Burger with Onions Rings.  Dad had BBQ Chicken.  I had the Cheese Burger with pickles and onions. I was really naughty and had a side order of F'rings as well, which is a combination of onion rings and fries.  Everyone was really happy with their meals. There were no real complaints.

In its place I am sharing my recipe for Smash Burgers.  This is a takeout style burger you can replicate in the comfort of your own home. If anything, they are better than the restaurant one. Simple to make as well as delicious. You cannot go wrong. I don't know any meat lover who wouldn't enjoy one of these!!

THURSDAY,  December 5th - School Cafeteria Pizza

My sister and I went on a bit of a road trip up country on Thursday to pick up some things at the Cambridge Convenience store. We were late leaving to go and we went to a few other places as well, so it was pretty late when we got home and I was downright exhausted.  I had picked up some frozen Pizza at the store.  A Costco brand Detroit Deep Dish Double Pepperoni Pizza. Not the healthiest meal admittedly, but it filled the gap beautifully. I enjoyed with some salad and a nice dollop of Fermented Kraut.  So not an entirely unhealthy meal either.

In it's place I am sharing my recipe for School Cafeteria Pizza. This is one of my favorite pizza recipes and I always make it when my grandchildren come over for a visit.  They love it too.  The crust is simple to make and you can top it with whatever toppings you enjoy. Plus it freezes very well.

FRIDAY, December 6th - Mediterranean Style Marinated Grilled Chicken

After that super-indulgent pizza of the day before I thought I better eat something healthier on Friday.  I had some chicken thighs, and I marinated them and grilled them in my countertop grill. This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. Everyone always loves it. The chicken always comes out tender and flavor-filled, moist and delicious.

I enjoyed on this occasion with some leftover salad from the day before, green peas and a small baked potato. It was the perfect meal.

Did you know you can freeze marinated chicken before cooking it, ready to take out, thaw and grill another time?  You can. That is what I did with the extra chicken. I froze it in the marinate so I can cook it another time.

SATURDAY, December 7th - Pork Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I don't eat red meat very often and when I do it is usually pork, as beef is quite expensive at the moment. You can get these Pork Minute Steaks at our local Sobey's grocery store, and I really like them. They cook up really quickly and always come out tender and juicy.

This is one of my favorite ways to cook them. Flash fried and served with a lush mushroom pan gravy.  I enjoyed this with some canned wax beans (a real favorite of mine) and some mashed potatoes.  I was very happy with this meal. Oh, and I also enjoyed some more of that raw kraut on the side. (It's a great way to restore the balance of pro-biotics in your digestive system, or so I am told.)

And there you have it. My meals of the week for this the first week in December 2024.  I think I ate rather well and healthy for the most part, except for the Pizza on Thursday. I know you will forgive me for that!  I hope this has inspired you to also want to cook some delicious meals for yourself and your family!

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