For lunch we picked up Enchiladas from Viva La Fiesta. Foodie Greg had the Chicken while Foodie Philip had the Green Pork Enchilada. They were both excellent again for $15.28 each with tax and tip.
Dinner
With the weather closing in, it felt like our last opportunity to grill Lamb Loin Chops while it was still warm. We served with a Ruby Grapefruit, Feta and Mint Salad, which provides a nice contrast to the Lamb
As we had everything we needed, we made Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches.
Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
Uncured Bacon was $5.99 for 10 slices, and we shared three, or 75c per serve
Butter Lettuce adds 25c per serve
Tomato adds 40c per serve.
A pretty good sandwich for $2.14 per serve.
Dinner
Growing up in Australia our curries were very mild, so Curried Scallops was very common. Foodie Philip had a Curried Scallop Pie in Tasmania on the last trip, so we decided to try a Curried Scallops with Spinach recipe.
Jumbo Scallops are now $13.99 or $7.00 per serve
Chicken Bone Broth adds 50c per serve
Add 35c for Butter
Add 10c for Onion
Grass fed Half & Half is $3.79 per pint and we used ¼, or 48c per serve
Add 30c for other ingredients.
The curry was definitely subtle, but matched the subtle Scallop flavor well. A tasty, but expensive, meal at $8.79 per serve.
Grass fed Half & Half is $3.79 per pint and we used ¼, or 24c per serve
Add 20c for other soup ingredients
Italian Bread adds 22c per serve
Butter adds 35c per serve.
The Whole Foods Smoked Trout was nearly double the price of that from Trader Joe’s, but it was noticeably more moist and had more flavor. We broke with the recipe and added the Trout early in the cooking so the flavor permeated the soup. A very good meal with some toasted and buttered Italian Bread, for $5.63 per serve.
A cool gray day called for something warming, so we did the Shin Ramen, but added some peanut butter to a little of the broth, to give it a hint of Peanut Sauce.
A pack of four Shin Noodle Bowl was $3.69 or 93c per serve
Coleslaw Mix adds 30c per serve
Peanut Butter adds 40c per serve.
We felt it needed more Peanut Butter, but we’ll definitely try this again for $1.63 per serve.
Dinner
We had an impromptu meatup with a friends, who bought frozen pizzas with them. A pleasant evening was had by all.
We created a Reuben-style sandwich with Smoked Turkey and a very tasty dressing made from Sugarless Ketchup and Garlic Spread.
The Dave’s Killer Bread is 74c per serve
Gouda is 36c per serve
The Artisanal Kraut was $3.29 or 42c per serve
The smoked turkey was $2.99 for 7oz and we used about half or 75c per serve
Add 65c for Garlic Spread & Ketchup for the dressing.
The Dressing was intense but balanced well across the sandwich. A good lunch for $2.82 per serve.
Dinner
Tonight it was time to hack The Country Deli’s Steak Dinner for one, into a meal for two. One serve gets the Home Fries, half the Steak and three Eggs fried at home, while the other gets the remaining Steak, Mixed Vegetables.
With the addition of three Eggs, a meal for one becomes a generous meal for two, for only $18.88 per serve.
We decided to make Netherlands style Pannenkoek, which largely means cooking your “topping” in the pan before layering on the Pancake Mix. We chose a high Protein Pancake Mix. We topped with Fried Eggs, which is not traditional.
Pancake Mix was $2.99 and we shared half, or 75c per serve
Uncured Bacon was $5.99 for 10 slices, and we had two each, or $1.20 per serve
Eggs average 72c per serve.
We know to make the mix a little looser next time, and the slight sweetness of the Pancake mix wasn’t the perfect match, but it was a good first attempt that we will improve on, for $2.67 per serve.
Dinner
As we were able to get a Pomegranate we revisited the Shredded Lamb Salad, squeezed in the Pomegranate Juice, topped with the Arils, and served with Dolmas, Caramelized Onion Hummus and a Salad of Lettuce, semi-dried Tomatoes, Feta and Preserved Lemon.
The butterflied Leg of Lamb from Aldi was $23.28 and we will get eight serves, or $2.91 per serve
Mint and Preserved Lemon were free
Add 30c for Onion and seasoning
We used semi-dried Cherry Tomatoes for 30c per serve
The Mixed Greens were $1.49 and we used half, or 38c each
The Feta adds 48c per serve
Add 15c for Dressing ingredients
Dolmas from Whole Foods were $3.41 (on special) or $1.13 per serve
Add 46c for Hummus.
Having experimented with alternatives, our consensus is that a fresh Pomegranate is essential for this dish. If you don’t have one, don’t do the Salad! An excellent meal for $6.41 per serve.
We revisited out new regular order at Pho Saigon 1: a shared serve of Egg Rolls and a shared Bahn Mi for $12.92 per serve with tax and tip. Unfortunately it took twice as long to be ready as their estimate.
Dinner
By modifying the rendering of fat and crisping the Duck Skin from high and fast to medium heat and longer, we get a better render and a crisper skin. Served Asian style with Bok Choy and Yaksoba Noodles.
The Duck was $17.24 or $8.62
The Noodles are $3.19 for the pack, or $1.60 per serve
The Baby Bok Choy was $1.99 and we used about half or $1.00 per serve.
As always a very tasty meal, but the Duck tonight was exceptionally good for $11.22 per serve.
A simple lunch of Delice de Bourgogne & Apple Slices on Rye Crispbread eaten at the picnic table.
The Delice de Bourgogne was $5.38 and we shared ½, or $1.35 per serve
The Rye Crispbread was $3.29 for a pack of 20, or 33c per serve
Apple adds 20c per serve.
A very tasty lunch for $1.88 per serve.
Dinner
It was a perfect night for grilling a Smoked Salmon Pizza out on the terrace and eating under the stars, so that’s what we did. This time we used Trader Joe’s Herb Dough.
Sockeye Smoked Salmon pieces were $5.49 or $2.75 per serve
The Herb Pizza Dough was $1.49, or 75c per serve
We used semi-dried Cherry Tomatoes for 60c per serve
About two ounces of Neufchatel went on each Pizza, or 25c per serve
Pickled Onion adds 5c per serve
Pickled Beets adds 15c per serve.
The Herb Dough wasn’t a great match for the Smoked Salmon, Capers, etc, but not enough to interfere with our enjoyment of this rather luxurious Pizza for $4.56 per serve.
