Meals of the Week, February 16th - 22nd, 2025

 

Hi everyone and welcome to my Meals of the Week post for this the second last week of February 2025!  How can we be staring the last week of February in the face already?  This month seems to have gone very quickly.

It has been a really wintery and snowy month, and this past week was particularly so. I was unable to get out to do a good grocery shop, so this week relied mainly on what I already had in my store cupboard and freezer! You can expect that in the Winter in Canada really. Not the whole season, but there are going to be some weeks when you are just about snowed in.  This past week we had a ton of snow, freezing rain and high winds, which made travel very bitty. It's a good thing I keep a healthy store cupboard!

I am not a person who liked to eat processed food. I am a person who pretty much likes to cook for myself.  I do live on my own and I recognize that the temptation is there to want to rely on ready meals, frozen dinners and tin cans. I do not ever want to be that person if I can help it. I like to cook my own meals. That way I can control the fat, sugar and salt that go into them.

I do eat out about twice a week. On Sundays I usually have a family meal at my sister's place for Sunday dinner. My sister is a beautiful cook and cooks quite healthy meals. This week because of the snow I did not get there, but no worries I rustled up a simple meal for myself here at home.

On Wednesdays I usually go out to supper with my dad. This week I invited him to come here to my place for his supper as my sister and I were going out for lunch with our cousin on Thursday. I didn't want to eat restaurant food two days in a row. Not that I have anything against Restaurant food, but again, it is usually high in fat, salt and sugar, so eating out once a week is more than enough.

What you see here is what I have enjoyed for my main meals each day.  In the event I have eaten elsewhere I have provided a similar recipe that you can make yourself.  This list does not include my breakfasts or suppers.  Most days I will eat my main meal, or dinner as I call it, in the early afternoon. 

I will have a light supper later in the day usually around 6 pm.  That will normally be something light like soup or a sandwich, maybe a salad, sometimes fruit and even at times a bowl of cereal or some toast.

Breakfasts are often protein shakes, or sometimes my homemade granola with yogurt and date syrup.  Sometimes I am really cheeky and will eat leftover pizza for breakfast. 

In any case, I like to share what I have eaten for my main meals over the past seven days every Sunday in hopes that I will inspire you to want to cook for yourself also!  Enjoy!

SUNDAY, February 16th - Fish Fingers Chips & Beans

Another snowed-in day. I did not get out to church or to my sister's place for supper. Instead, I drew on my store cupboard and rustled up a supper for myself that I always find enjoyable anytime. Fish Fingers, Chips and Beans. I could have taken something out of the freezer as I have a few single serving homecooked meals frozen, but I really fancied this.

I like the frozen cod fish fingers.  I did use some chunky frozen fries (oh to have a British Chippy nearby to pick up an order of chunky chips). I did do the bean recipe in the post.  Sticky and sweet. I love them. I sat in front of the television for this one and why not. I enjoyed an old film (Dirty Dancing, don't judge) and picked away at my supper, enjoying every mouthful while the wind and snow raged outside my windows.

MONDAY, February 17th -Beef Stew for Two with Quick Dumplings

Another snowy miserable day, but today was accompanied with really strong winds. You could hardly see across the roadway, the wind was blowing the snow that hard.  I had a single serving of this stew frozen in my freezer which I thawed out. I made dumplings from scratch.  I just cut the recipe in half yet again.  

I never freeze the dumplings with a stew as they never seem to come out that great. Edible but not great. I must prefer to make a dumpling or two from scratch. I did enjoy a cheeky pot of sugar free green Jello for dessert with some whippy cream on top and felt very sorry for myself as it was yet another day I could not get out to the shops.

TUESDAY, February 18th - Air Fryer Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

I had taken what I thought was two chicken breasts out of the freezer to cook, but it actually ended up being one chicken breast and a pack of chicken thighs (with three in the pack).  I had not taken the time to label them when I froze them thinking I would recognize what they were when I took them out. Well, I did recognize them as chicken, just not as breasts and thighs!  I need to do better!

I did Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs with the thighs.  I was really pleased with these. They were very simple to make.  You just make a spicy oil rub and then rub it all over the thighs, marinate them for about 15 minutes, and then pop them into the air fryer to cook. They are done in about 16 minutes depending on the size of your thighs.

I enjoyed them with some buttery mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli and considered it a win! I made Honey Lemon Chicken with the chicken breast and froze it to enjoy another time.

WEDNESDAY, February 19th - Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Normally on Wednesday nights I go out for supper with my father to the Big Scoop. The roads were not great, and I knew I was going to be going out to lunch with my sister and cousin on Thursday, so I convinced my father to come over to my place instead. I told him I would cook him supper. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to do so and for us to spend some quality time together which we don't get very often.  My sister gets to cook for him all the time, but it is a very rare treat for me to be able to do so.

Dad is a simple man with very simple tastes. He wanted a simple supper of soup and a grilled sandwich. I did my creamy tomato soup for two and made grilled cheese sandwiches. I added a slice of bologna to his, which is his favorite kind of sandwich. I can remember when I was a much younger woman, he would sometimes drop by for lunch and always wanted me to make him a grilled bologna and cheese sandwich.  Happy memories.  I just stuck with the cheese.

He did not want any dessert and so I didn't give him any. It was only going to be sugar free Jello anyways.  (He does love it but just wasn't hungry for dessert for some reason.)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH - Lunch out with the girls

On Thursday I had lunch out with my sister Cindy and cousin Sheri. We went to Angies, which is just around the corner from where I live.  Cindy and I both had the fish and chips and Sheri had the grilled haddock with rice. (This is a photo of the fish and chips that I had there previously. I did not take a photo on Thursday.)

We really enjoyed our meals, although both Cindy and I felt our fish was a bit greasy. Didn't stop us from eating it however! ha ha  In its place I am sharing my recipe for Beer Battered Cod and Twice Cooked Chips.  This is an excellent recipe and was once featured in the Canadian version of Hello Magazine.  I was very honored to be included. I had a whole spread of British food in the middle of the magazine. I forget which other recipes of mine they included now.

In any case the three of us really enjoyed our lunch together.  We talked nonstop as you do and have told each other we need to get together more often! Our mothers were sisters and the best of friends, and I am sure they were looking down on us with smiles on their faces, please that we also enjoy each other's company so much!

FRIDAY, February 21st - Curried Coconut Chicken & Rice Casserole

I really fancied a curry on Friday. I love, Love, LOVE curry! This version is an easy chicken casserole that cooks in the oven. Rice and everything. It is not overly spicy. I call it just right. Raw chicken pieces are tossed together with a flavor-filled curry spice and then stirred into rice which has been cooking in the oven, along with some peas and vegetables, and then popped back in to finish up. I am not explaining it very well, sorry about that. There is a lush yogurt sauce to drizzle over the top at the end as well as some chopped spring onions. It is simply delicious.

The recipe makes two generous servings and is something I always enjoy. I like to scatter toasted almonds on top when serving for a bit of crunch. True confession here, I like to have the leftovers for breakfast the next day. 

SATURDAY, February 22nd - Sheet Pan Omelet for Two

I had a very busy day on Saturday and so I made myself a sheet pan omelet. I also had some lovely fresh eggs that I had picked up on Friday at Pelton's Chicken Farm on the mountain. This omelet is sized perfectly for two people, or for one person with leftovers for the next day. (Makes an awesome sandwich!)  This has ham, peppers, onions and cheese in it.  I like to top it with slices of tomato and some more grated cheese.

It bakes simply and quickly in the oven in a small, lipped baking sheet.  A couple of pieces of toast on the side and I was quite happy.  Breakfast for supper. It's always a nice change. Quick, easy and delicious.

And there you have it, my meals of the week for the past seven days.  I hope that you saw something here that will inspire you to want to cook it for yourself! I do think I ate rather well. It was mostly a store cupboard week as the weather was so poor most days, I was unable to get to the shops! Its a good think I keep a healthy store cupboard of food!

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