Month: February 2017

Feb 26: Quesadilla with Fried Egg; Cottage Pie

Lunch

Wanting something warm for lunch we repeated  our version of a quesadilla made with flatbread, and one (or two) fired eggs on top.

  • One flatbread (half of two) costs 50c a serve
  • Half a can of refried beans, shared across two halves: 26c
  • Eggs are 50c each, or $1.00 per serve (although Greg had only one)
  • 2 oz of cheddar split between two is 50c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.26 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we went to a classic English dish: cottage pie, which is shepherd’s pie but made with beef, not lamb. Instead of the traditional mashed potato topping, we substitute pureed cauliflower that has been pressure cooked and allowed to cool slightly (until steam has stopped rising, otherwise the mash is too loose).

The recipe makes four serves.

  • The ground, dry aged beef came from our Prather Ranch pack and cost $8.95 or $2.24 per serve
  • Organic celery was 59c or 15c per serve
  • Organic carrots were 26c, or 7c per serve
  • Onion adds 10c per serve
  • The cauliflower was $3.64 or 91c per serve
  • Add 20c for oil and spices.

Dinner tonight was tasty and cost $3.67 per serve.

Feb 24: Chicken Wrap; Shrimp (Salmon) and Corn Chowder

Lunch

Back to our routine chicken wrap.

  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • The roast chicken is $9.99 for the bird, but we used half of one breast, or 63c per serve
  • We served 1/4 of the tabouli salad or 67c per serve.
  • Hummus is $3.99 per container and we used about 1/6 or 33c per serve
  • We added half a kumato each or 29c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.42 per serve.

Dinner

We’re still eating our way through the Shrimp and Corn Chowder. The estimate that it would make six generous serves, and six serves later, there are still at least four more serves in the pot!

Tonight we added a can of salmon to the mix and served with a par baked sourdough roll.

  • Frozen corn cost $4.98 for two 16oz packs or 49c per serve
  • Russet potatoes cost $1.43 or 14c per serve
  • Carrots cost 24c or 3c per serve
  • Six onions cost $2.49, we used two or 9c per serve
  • Coconut milk cost $1.69 for a can, or 17c per serve
  • Chicken broth cost $1.99 for a quart, or 20c per serve
  • Thick cut bacon is $7.99 for 12 strips, or 26c per serve
  • The can of salmon was $5.99 but it will contribute to at least six serves, or $1.00 per serve
  • Par-baked roll is 63c.

Dinner tonight cost $3.01 per serve.

Feb 23:HPA Retreat; NY Strip Steak with Crash Hot Potatoes

Lunch

Foodie Philip was presenting on a panel at the Hollywood Professional Alliance Retreat (on Artificial Intelligence, Learning Machines and Production if you’re interested) so they provided lunch.

Dinner

A last minute decision to revert to steak night, as Philip arrived back earlier than planned for. We experimented with leaves from the California Mustard growing on our property, but it was terrible. We think that only the leaves from the stalks are edible, not those from the ground plant.

  • The Prather Ranch New York Strip steak was $20.22 or $10.11 per serve
  • Potatoes run around 30c per serve.

Dinner tonight – other than the mustard greens – was $10.41 per serve.

Feb 22:Popey’s Fried Chicken; Smoked Salmon Bagel

Lunch

For lunch we had the remaining fried chicken, with Trader Joe’s Giant Baked Beans and some brown rice.

  • Each 2 piece special is $1.79 and we had one each
  • Trader Joes Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
  • Basmati rice $1.69 and we used half tonight, or 43c per serve.

Lunch today cost $3.22.

Dinner

Instead of staying at LACPUG for pizza we headed home after the break as Philip had a very early start next morning. We planned on salmon chowder but it would have taken too long to warm up, so we had smoked salmon bagels instead.

Philip had two bagels, which are averaged out below.

  • Smoked salmon $5.99 for the 4oz pack or $3.00 a serve
  • The pack of six onion bagels is $1.99 or 50c per serve
  • Instead of cream cheese we substituted a kefir dip with shallot that is $5.49 for the 8 oz pack. We used about 1/6 or 46c per serve
  • Add 5c for capers.

Dinner tonight was quick and tasty. The kefir dip with shallot is definitely tastier than cream cheese. The meal cost $4.01.

Feb 21:Popeye’s Fried Chicken; Ricotta Gnocchi With Asparagus and Prosciutto

Lunch

Because of the public holiday Monday, Philip was back in Burbank today, quite near a Popeye’s! Even better, being a Tuesday there’s a drumstick/thigh special!

  • Each 2 piece special is $1.79 and we had one each
  • The large red beans and rice were $3.99 or $2.00 per serve.

Lunch today was $3.79 per serve.

Dinner

After searching around for options – we had asparagus to use – Greg settled on Ricotta Gnocchi With Asparagus and Prosciutto. This is quick to cook and really delicious. It almost took more time to separate the prosciutto from its layer separating papers because the prosciutto is so thin.

  • The asparagus was on special for $3.49 and we used half of it, or 88c per serve
  • The gnocchi was$1.69 for the pack or 85c per serve
  • Prosciutto was $3.99 or $2.00 per serve
  • Half a pint of whipping cream cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
  • Shaved parmesan to top the dish was $2.99 and we used about 1/3 or 50c per serve
  • Lemons cost 79c or 40c per serve
  • Add 15c for seasoning and garlic.

Tonights rather delicious meal cost $5.78 per serve. The addition of lemon zest and lemon juice elevates this dish.

Feb 20:Asparagus and Cheese Frittata; Pot Roast with Winter Vegetables

Lunch

Another chilly (for LA) day so a warming lunch was in the oven when Philip arrived back from a short Burbank Monday.

  • Two eggs per person or $1.00 per serve
  • The asparagus was on special for $3.49 and we steamed half of it before adding the eggs, or 88c per serve
  • Some grated cheddar rounded out the meal, at 50c per serve.

Lunch today was warming, delicious and cost $2.38 per serve. Today’s image is of lunch.

Dinner

Two more serves of Bruce Aidells’ Pot-Roasted Grass-Fed Beef Chuck with Winter Root Vegetables with cross rib roast was an easy choice for tonight. Served in a bowl to get the maximum amount of the luscious liquid, and a bread roll to soak it up made a delicious meal.

The pot roast was $6.44 per serve and the par baked rustic bread roll was 63c or $7.07 per serve.

Feb 19: Chicken Wrap; Pot Roast with Winter Vegetables

Lunch

Back to our routine chicken wrap.

  • The flatbread is 50c per serve
  • The roast chicken is $9.99 for the bird, but we used half of one breast, or 63c per serve
  • We served 1/4 of the tabouli salad or 67c per serve.
  • Hummus is $3.99 per container and we used about 1/6 or 33c per serve

Lunch today cost $2.13 per serve.

Dinner

With a friend coming over for dinner, and unpleasantly cold weather, another pot roast seemed good, but for variety we cooked Bruce Aidells’ Pot-Roasted Grass-Fed Beef Chuck with Winter Root Vegetables with cross rib roast.

We found it made five very generous serves, with some vegetables and broth left over. It’s now our favorite pot roast recipe.

  • The Beef Cross Rib Roast cost $21.37 or $4.25 per serve
  • The herbs for the rub add 20c (approximately) per serve
  • The thick sliced, uncured bacon cost $7.99 and we used 1/3 in the recipe, or 45c per serve
  • Onion $2.49 for a bag of 8, and we used two, or 13c per serve
  • Carrots were $1.02 or 21c per serve
  • The rutabagas was $1.06 or 18c per serve
  • Parsnips were $2.75 or 46c per serve
  • Two cups of red wine (2/3 of a bottle) or 30c per serve
  • A four cup carton of stock is $2.39 and we only needed 1/2 cup or 6c per serve
  • Garlic and other seasonings add 20c per serve.

Dinner tonight was our favorite pot roast recipe so far, and delicious served with friends. Our meal tonight cost $6.44 per serve.

Feb 18: Quesadilla with Fried Eggs; Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Lunch

While we didn’t have rain, it was still a cold day, and we needed something warm for lunch, so we did our version of a quesadilla made with flatbread, and one (or two) fired eggs on top.

  • One flatbread (half of two) costs 50c a serve
  • Half a can of refried beans, shared across two halves: 26c
  • Eggs are 50c each, or $1.00 per serve (although Greg had only one)
  • 2 oz of cheddar split between two is 50c per serve.

Lunch today cost $2.26 per serve.

Dinner

We returned to the Shrimp and Corn Chowder with some changes. We added the juice of two limes to balance the sweetness, and four teaspoons of fish sauce, which perfectly balanced the sweetness and made the dish much more interesting. With the use of coconut milk the dish went toward Thai flavors, so we could probably lose the potato!

We served with a par baked sourdough roll.

  • Frozen corn cost $4.98 for two 16oz packs or 49c per serve
  • Russet potatoes cost $1.43 or 14c per serve
  • Carrots cost 24c or 3c per serve
  • Six onions cost $2.49, we used two or 9c per serve
  • Coconut milk cost $1.69 for a can, or 17c per serve
  • Chicken broth cost $1.99 for a quart, or 20c per serve
  • Thick cut bacon is $7.99 for 12 strips, or 26c per serve
  • 16oz of shrimp cost $6.99 but we used half for this meal or $1.75 per serve
  • Lime and fish sauce add another 35c per serve
  • Par-baked roll is 63c.

Dinner tonight cost $4.11 per serve and, with the rebalancing of flavors tasted less sweet.