Month: May 2018

Lunch

We returned to the classic “baked beans and cheese” waffle, but with giant baked beans and Swiss cheese and a generous spread of the Garlic dip/spread we’ve been enjoying lately.

The garlic dip provided just the spicy edge this sandwich needs to elevate it.

• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• Trader Joes Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 17c per serve
• Add 45c for butter and garlic dip.

This was a great sandwich for $1.94 per serve.

Dinner

As we still had “meat for fajita” in the freezer we returned to a favorite: Stir-Fried Beef With Snap Peas and Oyster Sauce with brown rice.

• The ‘fajita’ beef cost $14.41 for a full pound of beef, or $7.21 per very generous serve
• Snow peas add $1.00 per serve
• Bok Choy added 46c per serve
• The various sauce and marinade ingredients add $1.00 per serve
• Brown rice is 33c per serve.

The stir fry is a good weeknight meal, for $10.00, mostly because we get all our beef aged from Prather Ranch, which is definitely more expensive than conventionally sourced beef.

Lunch

When we grilled the extra asparagus last week, we planned on using it in a frittata, which we finally did today, with a little feta on top.

• Two eggs per serve are $1.00
• The asparagus was $5.14 but we used the remaining half, or $1.30 per serve
• The feta is $6.49 for 10.5 oz and we shared 1/4 or 81c per serve
• Add 30c for cream.

Today’s frittata was very tasty for $3.41 per serve.

Dinner

We’ve definitely enjoyed our steak and satay sauce over recent months, so we decided to do a vegetarian version using eggplant instead of steak, but marinating it the same way and using the same satay sauce.

The eggplant took up a lot of the marinade, which gave it great flavor, although no smokiness as there is no fat to burn on the grill. The satay sauce was a perfect accompaniment, as usual.

• The eggplant cost $1.03 or 52c per serve
• The peanut butter was $3.99 and we used about 1/8,  or 25c a serve
• Other seasonings in the satay sauce add 35c per serve
• Add 50c for marinade ingredients
• The remainder of the organic green cabbage was  63c per serve
• Carrot adds 30c per serve
• Salad seasonings add 20c
• Mint came from our garden.

We enjoyed the eggplant version as much as the steak, especially as it’s a lot less expensive at $2.75 per serve, with the Vietnamese inspired salad.

Lunch

We decided to repeat yesterdays’ pastrami, garlic spread and tabouli, but make a pseudo Rueben with pastrami, creating our own sauce with a mix of mayo and shrimp sauce.

• The pastrami was $12.73 for .98 lb and we used 2 oz per sandwich, or $1.63 per serve
• Sprouted Rye bread is 32c per serve
• The Tabouli is $2.69 and we put about 2 oz on the sandwich, or 33c per serve
• Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 17c per serve
• Add 40c for garlic spread.

Two good pastrami sandwiches for $2.85 per serve.

Dinner

We decided to prepare the Smoked Trout Cobb Salad using the full fillets from Trader Joe’s rather than canned smoked trout. We also decided to drop the bacon from the meal.

• The rainbow trout fillets are $7.49 or $3.75 per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c
• We served half of the $2.79 of tomatoes we dehydrated, or 70c per serve
• Spinach is $1.99and we used 1/8 or 13c per serve
• The avocado was $2.99 for a bag of five or 60c per serve
• The burrata was $4.99 for four and we used only one each, or $1.25 per serve.

Tonight’s Cobb Salad was still the best Cobb variation we’ve had for $6.93 per serve.

Lunch

After discovering that the pastrami we liked on yesterday’s bagel was Boars Head, we picked up some from our local supermarket and made toasted sandwiches with the garlic spread, pastrami and tabouli.

• The pastrami was $12.73 for .98 lb and we used 2 oz per sandwich, or $1.63 per sandwich
• Sprouted Rye bread is 32c per serve
• The Tabouli is $2.69 and we put about 2 oz per sandwich, or 67c per serve
• Add 40c for garlic spread.

The garlic spread adds a tangy edge to the sandwich which enhanced the tabouli and melded well with the pastrami for $3.02 per serve

Dinner

A new recipe – Shrimp and Andouille Étouffée – build on a dark roux it wasn’t as flavorsome as we felt it should be.

• The andouille sausage was $7.98 or $3.99 per serve
• The shrimp was $7.99 for the pack, and we used half, or $2.00 per serve
• The yellow bell pepper was $1.19 or 60c per serve
• The orange bell pepper was $1.19 or 60c per serve
• Organic celery was $1.55 and we used half or 39c
• The butter is $3.99 per block, and we used about 1/4 for two serves, or 50c per serve
• Add 30c for flour and seasonings
• Add 33c for brown rice.

Dinner tonight was okay, but for the effort really should have had more flavor. Overall, slight disappointing for $8.71 per serve.

Lunch

As we were out, we decided to try a Western Bagel, something we haven’t had since we lived in West Hills. We share a tuna salad on pumpernickel and a pastrami on pumpernickel for $7.50 each. They were both good sandwiches.

Dinner

Our meat delivery – now Keller Crafted after a name change – included some pork filets that make great stir fry. Combine with red curry paste, bell pepper and sugar snap peas and we have a great meal.

• The pork was $15.11 or $7.56 per serve
• The organic yellow bell pepper was $1.72 or 86c per serve
• The sugar snap peas were $2.49 or $1.25 per serve
• Add 25c for seasoning
• Add 33c for rice.

A filling and tasty meal for $10.25 per serve.

Lunch

Today we toasted two identical sandwiches stuffed with “buffalo” chicken breast, moon touched tomatoes and Swiss cheese. With a little smear of the garlic spread it made a really tasty sandwich.

• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• Tomatoes  add 40c per serve
• The chicken breast is $5.99 for 8 oz and we shared 4 oz or $1.50 per serve
• Add 45c for butter and garlic dip.

A tasty toasty for $2.67 per serve.

Dinner

For dinner we picked a New York Strip Steak from our meat delivery and paired it with grilled asparagus and crash hot potatoes.

• The steak was $19.97 or $9.99 per serve
• The asparagus was $5.14 but we used just under half, or $1.25 per serve
• The purple potatoes were $2.99 or $1.50 per serve.

A great steak, perfect potatoes and exceptionally good asparagus for $12.74 per serve!

Lunch

Take on avocado and one can of sardines in water and make them into a toasted sandwich. Without the toasting of the bread this would have a very dull texture, but out of the panini press it’s pretty good.

• Three avocado were $2.97 and we used one, or 49c per serve
• Skinless, boneless sardines in water are $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• Add 25c for butter.

Today’s $2.06 sandwich is definitely improved by toasting.

Dinner

It’s time to use some of our meat delivery as we’ve been away and it’s building up. Prather Ranch have transitioned to becoming Keller Crafted (Meats) but otherwise the quality remains unchanged.

Tonight’s thin cut pork chops were paired with Bok Choy in a Mushroom Sauce, although we dropped the sugar.

• The pork chops were $10.64 or $5.32 per serve
• Mushrooms were $2.99 or $1.50 per serve
• Bok Choy was $1.78 or 89c per serve
• Add 55c for other ingredients.

Dinner tonight was tasty and well balanced. The saltiness of the oyster and soy sauces balanced the pork. A good meal for $8.26 per serve.

 

Lunch

Once you open an avocado you’re committed to two avocado-centric sandwiches. Today we paired with a pouch of Lemon Pepper Salmon, and Smoked Turkey Breast.

• The turkey breast is $5.99 for 8 oz and we shared 3 oz or $1.13 per serve
• Three avocado were $2.97 and we used one, or 49c per serve
• The salmon was $2.79 or $1.40 per serve
• Add 20c for butter.

Lunch cost $3.22 and we both strongly preferred the Lemon Pepper Salmon and Avocado sandwich to the rather boring Smoked Turkey Breast. We felt that sandwich needed some acid or spice.

Dinner

Not being in much of a cooking mood we fell back to our go-to instant meal: Vegetable Gyoza in Miso Ginger Broth, with a poached egg for protein.

• The Miso Ginger broth was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• The gyoza were $3.99, or $2.00 per serve
• Add 20c for seasonings.
• A pastured egg is 50c.

Tonight’s meal was excellent. Really tasty and full of Thai flavors for $3.70 per serve, and on the table in about 20 minutes.

Lunch

Sunday lunch  usually involves some extra effort, and eggs. Today Foodie Greg scrambled eggs and served with Giant Baked Beans and “Fry” Toast (a slice of bread done in the panini press).

• Trader Joes Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Two eggs per serve add $1.00
• The bread is 16c per slice
• Add 10c for butter & cream.

Lunch today was very satisfying for $2.26 per serve.

Dinner

Since we missed “Thursday night steak night” we jumped right in to grilling a NY Strip steak, and serving that with Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi in a Blue Cheese Sauce.

• The NY Strip Steak was $19.97 or $9.98 per serve
• The gnocchi was $2.69 or $1.35 per serve
• Blue cheese crumbles were $3.49 and we used half or 87c per serve
• Heavy cream is $3.29 per pint, but we used only ¼ or 42c per serve
• Organic frozen peas were $1.99 per pack or 50c per serve
• Add 30c for other ingredients.

A very satisfying meal for $13.42 per serve.