Month: July 2017

Lunch

Since Philip’s day was re-organized part way through, a stop at Popeyes seemed like a good thing to do.

• 10 pieces of dark and spicy chicken is $15.25 or $3.81 a serve with tax, because Philip had three pieces.
• Half the Large Red Beans and Rice is $2.17 with tax, per serve.

Lunch today cost $5.98 per serve.

Dinner

Another hot day, so we took the remaining corn, black bean, red pepper and avocado salad, and added some cooked and chilled shrimp. It turned out very well.

• 1 lb of shrimp is $6.99 (on special), but we only used half, or $1.75 per serve
• The salad, as per yesterday’s report, is $1.28 per serve.

Tonight was an excellent meal, with perfectly cooked shrimp and a salad with great textural and flavor diversity for $3.03. It would be more if the shrimp were not on a regular special.

 

Lunch

We picked up a baguette, heirloom tomato and liverwurst from Jon’s over in Simi Valley, and made lunch out of that.

• The heirloom tomato – probably the most tomato tasting tomato we’ve had in years – was $1.79 and we pretty much finished it over lunch, or 90c per serve
• The liverwurst is $4.55 and we used about 1/3 for lunch, or 76c per serve
• The baguette was $2.69 and we used 5/8 for lunch or 84c per serve
• Add in 30c for mayo per serve.

Lunch today was $2.80 per serve.

Dinner

Our meat box once again had a Boston Butt included so pulled pork it is! The salad is a new one, built on mostly fresh ingredients, that made five serves.

• At $20.50 for just over 2 lbs it makes at least six good serves, or $3.41 per serve
• Onion and garlic for the pork adds 25c per serve
• Chicken stock adds 14c per serve
• For the corn we used Trader Joes Fire Roasted frozen corn to get grill flavor, which cost $2.49 for a pound, and we used half a packet for the five serves or 25c per serve
• The black beans were 79c or 16c per serve
• Two avocados went into the salad costing $2.58 or 52c per serve
• The bell pepper was $1.26 or 25c per serve.

Tonight’s pulled pork ended up with a more caramelized flavor than usual, due to some slight dehydration of the bed of onions, but that smokey overtone, offset a little with some apple cider vinegar that also added moisture, worked well with the pulled pork. The pulled pork was $3.80 per serve, the salad $1.28, making a very satisfying meal for $5.08 per serve.

Lunch

We were going to experiment with a cream cheese, chicken, bell pepper, spring onion wrap each, but came up with only one wrap left! So that became a sandwich to share and the chicken, hummus and tabouli wrap was halved.

• As usual, a chicken wrap with hummus and tabouli comes to $2.33 per serve, but we split it, or $1.67 per serve
• The chicken in the sandwich is 88c or 44c per serve
• Two slices of bread are 39c but shared 20c per serve
• The neufchâtel cheese is $1.49 for the pack, and we used less than half, or 19c per serve
• Bell pepper and spring onion add 15c per serve.

Lunch today was a nice variety and the sandwich worked well, for $2.64 per serve.

Dinner

We served the remaining roast chicken with a Vietnamese mint salad, which otherwise would be a Vietnamese chicken salad if we’d chopped the chicken! We made three serves of salad.

• The chicken thigh and drumstick was $1.75 per serve
• The shredded green cabbage was 42c for the pack, or 14c per serve
• The ingredients for the sauce add another 35c per serve
• Mint cost 50c and we used half, or 8c per serve
• The bunch of carrots was 89c but we used half in this dish, or 15c per serve
• The limes for the dressing were 19c each (bargain) and we used four, but only about half the juice was used, leaving the rest for a later Gin and Tonic – 13c per serve.

Dinner tonight was good, partly because of the better quality chicken from Jon’s and partly because the cabbage (also from Jon’s) was particularly tasty, all for $2.60 per serve.

Lunch

Returning to familiar territory, today we had a chicken wrap. The difference is that this roast chicken came from Jon’s in Simi Valley (just over the hill) and is a vastly superior product than slightly more expensive chicken from the local Ralph’s. It was juicy and not overcooked, or over seasoned.

• The wraps are 55c per serve
• The chicken was $6.99, and we shared a breast, or 88c 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 was $2.33 per serve, and definitely better than our regular chicken wrap.

Dinner

With the hot weather we’ve been having, it was a welcome return to a favorite: Nigel Lawson’s watermelon, feta and black olive salad. It’s a summer regular and very, very good.

We made three serves from a small watermelon. This time we were able to get Valbreso French feta, which is definitely superior in flavor and texture than the lesser feta from more local sources.

• The watermelon was 99c, or 33c per serve
• The Valbreso (French) feta comes in a $9.99 tub and we used a quarter, or about $1.25 per serve
• Pitted olives come in $2.99 jars and one quarter was used, or 25c per serve
• The red onion is 52c or 17c per serve (there is left over onion)
• Mint cost 50c and we used half, or 13c per serve
• Olive oil and seasonings add another 20c per serve.

Dinner tonight cost $2.33 per serve. It’s an excellent dish and every time we serve it for someone, they want the recipe.

Lunch

Today we finished the roast beef in a shared sandwich, and used another server of the Tuna and Rice in a wrap. The tuna and rice, even boosted with some capers, is still boring, and in a wrap, a little too carb heavy.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 18c per two slice shared sandwich (one slice per serve)
• The top sirloin was $5.99 per serve, but we used about 1/4 of a serve and shared it, or 75c a serve
• The garlic mustard aioli is $2.49 for the jar, and we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• Tabouli is $2.69 but we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• A wrap is 50c or 25c per serve
• A serve of the tuna and rice salad is $2.34 and we used half a serve, split or 59c per serve.

Lunch today was half good, half boring for $2.11 per serve.

Dinner

We seem on a quest to find as many ways to interpret an Australian hamburger, so tonight we re-interpreted the burger as a Cobb Salad, with beef substituting for chicken; pickled beetroot for avocado; and a cheddar with caramelized onion instead of blue cheese. If an Australian burger had cheese, it would be cheddar.

The steak component was a rib eye from our Prather Ranch, kicking the dish up a notch. The pickled beets – found in Trader Joe’s – were perfect. We served on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce, as that would be traditional for an Aussie burger (or salad).

• The rib eye was $19.74 or $9.87 per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c (only on special)
• The cheddar with caramelized onion was $4.41, and we used about 1/4 or 55c
• Bacon end pieces were $3.99 and we used less than 1/4 or 50c per serve
• Beets in vinaigrette were $1.69 and we used 1/3, or 28c per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, and we used two, or 39c per serve
• Add 20c for shredded iceberg.

Every element of dinner was perfect and the combination was very reminiscent of an Aussie burger, but the stand out was the cheddar with caramelized onion. We would normally steer clear of flavored cheeses – cheese is a flavor – but wanted to bring the grilled onion element of a burger to the plate. All up the meal cost $12.29 per serve, largely because of the quality of the protein.

Lunch

Another in our ongoing attempts to find interesting lunch sandwich ingredients. Today we used leftover “rissole” meatloaf with tomato chutney and kefir cheese on one, and shared that with a neufchâtel and ceviche onion sandwich.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice sandwich
• The sliced yoghurt cheese is $4.79 a pack of 12 slices, or 80c per slice or 40c per serve
•  The rissole meatloaf is $5.00 per serve, and we used just under half a serve, or $1.25 per serve
• The neufchâtel cheese is $1.49 for the pack, and we used less than half, or 38c per serve
• The tomato chutney was made by Philip’s brother in Australia
• The onion adds less than 5c per serve.

Lunch today was pretty good.  We felt the warm meatloaf, chutney and cheese was slightly ‘better’, but both were good for $2.47 per serve.

Dinner

Another new recipe for us, and a simple one: Italian Tuna and Rice. For us it made four serve: two for tonight and partial serve for wraps.

• Rice adds 22c per serve
• The yellowfin tuna in oil is $2.29 per can and we used two, or or $1.15 per serve
• Green olives cost 99c or 25c per serve
• The jar of sun dried tomatoes are $3.49 and we ultimately used half, or 44c per serve
• Olive oil, red wine vinegar and seasonings add 28c per serve
• Served on a bed of baby spinach, which was $1.99 per bag, or 35c per serve.

Dinner tonight cost  $2.69, but frankly was a little bland. Before we add it to the wraps we’ll add capers for a little more saltiness, and little bursts of briny goodness.

 

Lunch

Once again we shared two different sandwiches: Roast Beef with Tabouli and garlic mustard aioli; Cheddar and Branston pickles.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice sandwich
• The top sirloin was $5.99 per serve, but we used about 1/4 of a serve and shared it, or 75c a serve
• The garlic mustard aioli is $2.49 for the jar, and we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• Tabouli is $2.69 but we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• The sliced yoghurt cheese is $4.79 a pack of 12 slices, or 80c per slice or 40c per serve
• Branston pickles add another 18c per serve.

Today’s sandwiches were both pretty good and cost $2.06 per serve.

Dinner

What could be more American than fried chicken! Served with a very American salad – Ranch BBQ – and bubbly, it was a perfect July 4 meal.

• 10 pieces of dark and spicy chicken is $15.25 or $3.81 a serve with tax, because Philip had three pieces.
• The BBQ Ranch salad kit was $3.49 or $1.75 per serve.

Tonight’s meal was tasty, although the salad was not the best we’ve had, for $5.56 per serve.

Lunch

Since Philip was on the way back from Studio City, a stop at Popeyes seemed like a good thing to do.

• 10 pieces of dark and spicy chicken is $15.25 or $3.81 a serve with tax, because Philip had three pieces.
• Half the Large Red Beans and Rice is $2.17 with tax, per serve.

Lunch today cost $5.98 per serve.

Dinner

Since we had remaining leftover meatloaf, which was made to a rissole recipe, we thought we might emulate an Australian style burger. Unlike the US an Australian burger always has grilled onion – never raw – and there is onion in the rissole recipe.

The other essential additions are pickled beetroot and an egg. Cheese has only appeared in Australian burgers (we think) since the introduction of an American cheeseburger, but we added cheddar anyway, because why not!

This is a genuine works burger from last December’s Australian trip. We know it’s authentic because the proprietor was Greek!

• A full server of the meatloaf was $5.10 but we used 1/3 serve per burger, or $1.36 per burger. Since Philip had two after working up an appetite in the yard, the average was $2.04 per serve
• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice burger/sandwich, or an average of 57c per serve
• The cheese is $5.99 for an 8oz block, and we used 1oz per burger, or $1.13 per serve on average
• The beets were 69c for a small can, of which we used about half, or 35c per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, and we used two, or 39c per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c or 75c per serve average
• Add 10c for the lettuce.

While not an authentic burger this was a very satisfying sandwich, evoking the flavor profile of an Australian burger for an average of $5.33 per serve. Each sandwich was $3.55 and, truthfully, one would have bene enough, even after some heavy yard work.

Lunch

Time to finish off last Sunday’s pulled pork. We finished baking some rustic par baked rolls and stuffed them with reheated pork and some ceviche onion.

• Par-baked roll is 63c
• We shared one serve of the pulled pork, or $1.68 per serve
• Add 5c for ceviche onion.

Lunch today, as it always is with this combination, was delicious for $2.36 per serve.

Dinner

We had a top sirloin roast from our Prather Ranch meat delivery, and were having a guest for dinner, so it was the right time to roast it, using the prime rib method of a slow cook to internal temperature, then a quick, hard heat to brown the outside. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare without gray rings.

The roast garlic butter mushrooms used to be a regular dish in our rotation but we haven’t had it for quite a while, apparently not since we started keeping this record!

• The top sirloin was $29.94 but we’ll get at least five serves, or $5.99 per serve
• One pound of mushrooms were $4.49 or $1.50
• The butter is $3.99 per block, and we used about 1/5 for three serves, or 27c per serve
• Garlic adds 5c per serve.

Tonight’s excellent steak and mushroom dinner was $7.81, or a fraction of the cost of the same meal

Lunch

Because we were at Whole Foods anyway, we picked up some sushi for $9.19 per serve.

Dinner

As we had a lot of ground beef in the freezer from our Prather Ranch delivery, we decided to make meatloaf, but in the style of an Australian rissole. Even though the cooking method is completely different, the smell of the meatloaf cooking was the smell of rissoles cooking.

The double recipe make four very generous serves, although we’ll probably use the half remaining for sandwiches.

We paired it with a butternut squash and quinoa salad from Whole Foods, which turned out to be one of the most boring salads we’ve ever had. So much unrealized potential, but bland as heck.

• Dry aged 85/15 ground beef $8.69 and $8.86 or $4.38 per serve
• 16 oz Panko breadcrumbs are $2.99, or $1.00 per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c and two were required for the double batch or 25c per serve
• The onion is 6c per serve
• The boring salad was $6.48 or $3.24.

Tonight’s dinner cost $8.34 per serve. The meatloaf was delicious and served with my brother’s home made tomato relish, which made the perfect accompaniment to the rissole meatloaf.