Friends are great, but it is hard to find long-lasting friendships, especially as we grow up and move around. I’m fortunate to have a few friends in Denmark, Ireland, and the UK who still stay in touch after decades of living on different continents.
Most of all, my friends from Denmark still play an essential role in my life, and I value the time we spend together when we meet. It might only be for a few hours or days, but those moments are magical.
The magic happens when we meet and instantly start laughing, chatting, and catching up on recent life events.
Yesterday, I had the great opportunity to meet one of my old (in age and friendship) from Denmark, as he visited NYC with his son. We met in the City, had lunch, caught up on lives, and walked around taking in the sights. It is lovely speaking Danish and hanging out with close friends.
Weekend Dinners
Before discussing the upcoming week’s meals, let me share some excellent food I cooked during the past weekend. Most weekends are sporadic with dinner options, as we may attend kids’ activities, go to the cinema and concerts, or meet up with friends (knucklehead gang).
The weather also plays an important role when deciding what to cook during the weekend, as I might be tempted to cook over the fire if it is not raining or too windy.
I’m a massive fan of Picanha steaks, which I usually grill at high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. But what is the Picanha cut?
The picanha cut of beef comes from an area on the rump of the cow above a fat cap. In the US, the picanha cut is known as a rump cap or sirloin cap.
Texas de Brazil
Coulotte and Pichanha are the same, but Coulotte might be more widely used in Europe. Picanha is the Portuguese word or name for this cut.
It comes with a thick fat cap, which you can trim off and gently sprinkle with olive oil, pepper, and perhaps some garlic granules.
I serve Picanha with grilled asparagus, potatoes, or a simple salad. It is an excellent piece of meat. Super tender.
Sunday, I made a simple whole chicken on a throne. Some use a beer can, but I fill this little ceramic throne with beer and then place the chicken on top. It was served with mashed potatoes, roasted parsnip and carrots, and homemade gravy.
Tales of Two Dishes
Sometimes, you need to make a massive batch of stew, especially when the weather is getting cooler and dark earlier. I only prepared two dishes for family dinners this week, but two large pots of stews: spicy meat gumbo and my “famous” Viking Lentil stew.
Plenty of food for two nights per pot; hence, we only have two dishes this week.
The kids will be spoiled for lunch this week as I’m preparing some homemade Mac and Cheese, and then I picked up a bag of fresh bagels that I froze and will use for lunches.
I’m grilling a few chicken thighs for the fried noodles lunch and will fry some onions for the roast beef sandwich.
Home Alone
I’ll be traveling on business this weekend, starting Thursday morning, so that the family will be alone. However, I have already prepared several meals they can defrost while I’m away, but something tells me they might buy a large pizza Friday evening.
They have food for Thursday night, and I’m hopeful they can make some food independently without buying takeout for every meal.
Wish them luck!
Meal Plan
| Lunch | Dinner | |
| Monday | Mozzarella and Pesto on a bagel | Gumbo Time – part I |
| Tuesday | Fried Noodles with Grilled Chicken | Gumbo Time – part II |
| Wednesday | Homemade Mac n Cheese | Viking Lentils – part I |
| Thursday | Bagel with Roastbeef, Fried Onions and Melted Cheese | Viking Lentils – part II |
| Friday | Fast Friday Pizza | Take out or not!? |
One day, I might get so organized that I will link the meals below to my recipes. We can only live in hope!
Have a fantastic week, my friends. I hope you enjoy these meal plans. It is much easier to make food in advance, although you must invest several hours preparing meals during the weekend.
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The Viking Heart Within 