Author: Philip

Lunch

We wondered whether Sharkey’s Fiesta Burrito was a true “gringo” burrito like those we first had in Woodland Hills where our office was right next to, what turned out to be, one of the best Mexican food outlets we’ve found. Certainly none better since we moved office to Burbank.

Sharkey’s Steak Fiesta Burrito is pretty close and a very generous serve. We enjoyed it for $15.58 per serve with tax and tip, which is a lot for a burrito.

Dinner

After 24 hours in the Souse Vidé bath our Brisket was ready to be seared in a pan, and carved. With it we served Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Parsley and will get two meals – four serves – out of both.

• The brisket was $18.48 or $4.62 per serve
• The Gnocchi was $1.69 or 43c per serve
• Sliced Crimini Mushrooms were $2.49 or 63c per serve
• Add 35c for Parsley and seasoning.

The Brisket was, once again, transformed into something more like Prime Rib: tender and full of beefy flavor. The Gnocchi dish made a great side for an excellent Sunday night “roast” for $6.03 per serve.

Lunch

Since it was so good we repeated the BLT and paired it with an Egg Salad and Sprouts sandwich.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 66c per serve
• The egg salad is $3.69 for 10 oz and we used 2 oz per serve, or 46c per serve
  
• The sprouts cost $1.99 and we shared about 1/8 or 6c per serve
• Bacon is $7.99 for eight pieces and we used two, or $1.00 per serve
  
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we shared one, or 18c per serve
  
• Add 20c for Garlic Spread and Lettuce.

Cooking the bacon in the panini press keeps it flat, which is perfect for a sandwich. Good sandwiches from simple ingredients for $2.56 per serve.

Dinner

A return of a favorite: Jambalaya.

• 1 lb of shrimp is $9.99,  or $2.50 per serve
• Real pork andouille sausage from our local Ralph’s supermarket is $6.99 or $1.75 per serve
• Canned fire roasted tomatoes cost $1.69 or 43c per serve
• Bell pepper was 69c or 18c per serve
• Scallions, onion, garlic  and herbs adds 35c per serve
• Tomato paste adds 12c per serve
• Rice adds 33c per serve.

Enjoyable as always for $5.66 per serve and quite warming for a cool summer evening.

Lunch

While out shopping Foodie Greg picked up lunch from Skewers Halal. We both had a Naan-based pocket with salad and white sauce. Foodie Greg’s had the Falafel while Foodie Philip had the Kobide for $10.30 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we fulfilled Fishy Friday with Wild Caught Salmon on Black Rice with a Piccata Sauce, served with Steamed Broccolini. Simple, but with good ingredients.

• The salmon fillets were $8.99 for two or $4.50 per serve
• The Broccoli was $2.79 or $1.40 per serve
• Lemons were 59c or 30c per serve
• Black Rice adds 44c per serve
• Add 25c per serve for other sauce ingredients.

This meal came together well for $6.89 per serve.

Lunch

Today’s sandwiches include a repeat of yesterday’s Cheddar & Apple (before the Apple goes off), along with a Tuna, Avocado & Capers.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 66c per serve
• The Old Crock cheddar was $5.45 or 68c per serve
• The Apple was 86c and we shared half, or 22c per serve
• The Tuna Pouch is $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• An Avocado is $1.20 or 60c per serve
• Add 35c for for Garlic Spread, Capers & Mustard.

We amped up the mustard a little today and got a better balance. While the Garlic Spread on the Tuna, Avocado & Caper sandwich was an accident, it worked particularly well and we’ll repeat it. Two great sandwiches for $3.51 per serve.

Dinner

We had Top Sirloin in our Keller Crafted meat box, which in Australia is known as Rump Steak, and it was a favorite of Foodie Philip growing up. As a cut of beef it’s a good balance of flavor and texture.

These dry aged steaks were mostly fat free and trimmed of any silverskin or connective tissue, which made them perfect for a Steak Sandwich. An Aussie style Steak Sandwich to be precise, with lots of grilled onion.

• The top sirloin from the Keller Crafted delivery was $12.36 or $6.18 per serve
• The Roasted Tomato Focaccia was $3.99 or $2.00 per serve
• Sweet Brown Onions were $2.49 and we used about ⅓ or 42c per generous serve
• The Lettuce mix adds 40c per serve
• Pickled beets in vinaigrette are $1.69, of which we used about ⅓ or 28c per serve
• Add 20c for Mustard Aioli.

The Focaccia wasn’t the best choice for bread as it fell apart, which did add an authenticity as every Aussie Steak Sandwich is served on White Bread, which inevitably falls apart during the eating.

Aside from the bread choice, this was a great sandwich. The steak was grilled perfectly during the latter part of the the onion fry off on a griddle in the BBQ Grill. Again, that’s authentically Australian.

Overall, it’s an expensive sandwich, at $9.48. but it was good.

Lunch

Today’s lunch sandwiches were a revisit to the Apple, Cheddar & Mustard sandwich we’ve had before, and a BLT, with Butter Lettuce. We cooked the bacon in the Panini Press.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 66c per serve
• Bacon is $7.99 for eight pieces and we used two, or $1.00 per serve
• The Old Crock cheddar was $5.45 or 68c per serve
• The Apple was 86c and we shared half, or 22c per serve
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we shared one, or 18c per serve
  
• Add 20c for Garlic Spread and Lettuce.

Both are excellent sandwiches for $2.94 per serve.

Dinner

These Ground Beef Tostadas are essentially Tacos on a Tostada. Start with a seasoned Ground Beef and some refried beans, then pile on as many toppings as the tostada can carry. We will get four serves from the meat mixture. We used two serves on four Tostadas.

• Dry aged 85/15 ground beef $8.57 or $2.14 per serve
• The tostadas are 22 for $2.29 or 21c per serve
• Refried beans are 25c per serve
• Add 30c for Butter Lettuce
• Add 30c for the Sour Cream dressing
• Add 40c for salsa and a dusting of cotija cheese.

These were both tasty and filling for $3.60 per serve. Foodie Greg didn’t quite finish his second Tostadas.

Lunch

Since we have avocados ripening in the fridge, we used one on a sandwich with Sardines and Sprouts. We also shared an Egg Salad Sandwich.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 66c per serve
• An Avocado is $1.20 or 60c per serve
• The sprouts cost $1.99 and we shared about 1/8 or 6c per serve
• Skinless, boneless sardines in water are $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
  
• The egg salad is $3.69 for 10 oz and we used 3 oz, or 55c per serve
• Add 20c for Garlic Spread.

Both were quite enjoyable for $3.07 per serve.

Dinner

Our postponed Meatless Monday is a bit of a cheat! We took half the packet of Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions and cooked them in a frying pan.

We then added four beaten eggs and set it as a frittata. An easy, meatless meal.

• The Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions is $2.99 for the pack, but we used half, or 75c per serve
• Pastured Eggs are 51c each or $1.02 per serve.

The Frozen Potatoes come subtly spiced and we amped up the Spanish Tortilla aspect with additional Smokey Paprika. We ate two quarters each, it was that good, for $1.77 per serve.

Lunch

The Kumato & Cheddar sandwich is a regular at the moment, and a Tuna and Sprouts complements with variety.

• Dave’s Killer Bread is 66c per serve
• The Smoked Tuna is on special for $1.00 or 50c per serve
• The sprouts cost $1.99 and we shared about 1/8 or 6c per serve
• The Old Crock cheddar was $5.45 or 68c per serve
  
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we each had one, or 35c per serve
• Add 20c for Garlic Spread.

Two good sandwiches for $2.45 per serve.

Dinner

We had originally planned the Tom Kha Moo for Sunday night, but it was too hot for soup, so we substituted the Rissole Rolls instead. The meat was defrosted so our Meatless Monday is postponed to Tuesday while tonight we enjoy the Tom Kah Moo.

We did not serve with rice, so only got two serves from the recipe, although we had a lot of the flavorsome liquid left over.

• The pork shoulder is $8.25, or $4.12 per serve
• A can of coconut milk is $1.89 or 95c per serve
• Mushrooms were $3.99 each, or $2.00  per serve
• Chicken bone broth is $3.49 or $1.75 per serve
• Lemon grass was 12c or 9c per serve
• Limes were 49c or 25c per serve
• Add 25c for seasonings.

The pork was very tender and the broth flavorsome for $7.66 per serve.

Lunch

While Foodie Greg shopped, Foodie Philip picked up Heuvos Rancheros from Viva La Fiesta for $10.00 per serve with tax and tip. It’s good.

Dinner

A favorite for almost every Australian is a Rissole Roll, which is exactly what it sounds like: a rissole with some cheese and BBQ Sauce in a roll. In our case, a hot Panini Roll with Sriracha BBQ Sauce.

• The roll is 63c
• A rissole is $1.41 per serve
• Swiss slices are 12 for $3.99 or 33c per serve
• Add 30c for Sriracha BBQ Sauce.

Foodie Greg had one roll; Foodie Philip two for an average of 1.5 rolls or $4.00 per serve.

Lunch

We still had a little of the Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry of a couple of nights ago, so we reheated it and stuffed it into a hot Panini Roll and topped with Sprouts.

• The Panini Roll is 63c
• A serve of the Beef and Mushroom is $4.05, or $2.03 per serve
• The sprouts cost $1.99 and we shared about 1/8 or 6c per serve.

The Sprouts added an essential crunch to a pretty good sandwich for $2.72 per serve.

Dinner

For dinner we decide to experiment with a rissole recipe. If rissoles are “individual meatloaf” serves that are fried instead of being baked, then what would happen if we took a meatloaf recipe and made rissoles?

We chose the Turkey, Bacon and Chipotle recipe and made it into individual patties, dusted them with flour and rested in the fridge before being grilled on a hotplate outside.

• Ground turkey cost $6.99 or $1.94 per serve
• Bacon adds 55c per serve
• A can of chipotle is $1.50 and we used half, or 38c per serve
• Add 65c for onion, breadcrumbs and seasonings
• An Avocado is $1.20 or 60c per serve
• Organic Spinach was $1.99 and we used about ¼ or 25c per serve
• Pomegranate Seeds are $4.49 and we used half, or $1.13 per serve
• Add 30c for Balsamic Glaze.

The Turkey Bacon Chipotle Rissoles were a success! They had great flavor and the texture from frying is like having the outside bit of the meatloaf (or the Maillard Reaction from frying slices) all over. A good meal for $5.80 per serve. We had 5/9 of the rissoles tonight.

Lunch

A trip to Home Depot had us near New York Chicken and Gyro so we stopped in for another excellent Lamb Gyro for $8.00 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

For our “Fishy Friday” this week we revisited our Smoked Trout Salad loosely based on a traditional Cobb Salad. Our variation drops the bacon as we already have smokey overtones from the Trout and our cheese is Burrata not Blue!

• The smoked trout is $3.49 per can and we used one can per serve
• The Burrata was $4.99 or $2.50 per serve
• Pastured Eggs are 51c per serve
• Organic Spinach was $1.99 and we used about ¼ or 25c per serve
• A bag of five Avocados was $5.99 and we shared one, or 60c per serve
• The Grape tomatoes cost $2.49 or 63c per serve
• Add 40c for Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze.

This is an excellent salad with a good balance of smoke, acid and salt for $7.87 per serve.