Author: Philip

Lunch

We reheated a chicken breast each – despite requesting dark meat only – and served with a simple slaw.

• A 9 piece special was $12.99 and we had one piece each, or $1.44 per serve
• A Nappa Cabbage was $2.39 but we split half between lunch and dinner, or 30c per serve
• Add 15c for carrot and other ingredients.

A tasty lunch for $1.89 per serve.

Dinner

For dinner we finished the Caramelized pork on black rice with some more of the Cabbage Slaw.

• The ground pork was $8.35 and we’ll got four serves from that, or $2.09 per serve
• A Nappa Cabbage was $2.39 but we split half between lunch and dinner, or 30c per serve
• Add 35c for carrot and dressing ingredients
• Add 44c for black rice.

The caramelized pork is really good, despite cutting the sugar dramatically. It went well with the slaw and black rice for $3.18 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we took a wholemeal wrap and stuffed it with Egg Salad and grilled Asparagus.

• The wraps were $3.99 for six, or 67c per serve
• The egg salad is $3.69 for 10 oz and we used 2 oz per serve, or 92c per serve
• The asparagus was $2.59 but we used ⅓, or 43c per serve.

The wrap worked well and tasted fine for $2.02 per serve.

Dinner

Being “Fishy Friday” we chose a Coconut-Curry recipe and served with pre-cooked Mussels.

• The mussels were $2.99 or $1.50 per serve
• The bell pepper was $1.02 or 51c per serve
• Coconut milk was $1.89 or 95c per serve
• The shallots was 78c and we shared one, or 39c per serve
• Add 55c per serve for fish sauce, garlic, ginger and seasoning
• A rustic panini roll was 63c.

The curry is full of flavor and, while the mussels are tasty, they were the least interesting part of the curry. Overall, a good meal for $4.53 per serve.

Lunch

Since it’s been almost a month, and Foodie Philip was driving nearby, so we decided to have Popeye’s Fried Chicken.

• A 9 piece special was $12.99 and we had two piece each, or $2.89 per serve
• The red beans and rice is $3.99 or $2.00 per serve.

An enjoyable lunch for $4.89 per serve.

Dinner

We ordered some Flat Iron steak as an extra in our meat box this month. We sous vidé them before searing to give color. We served with slow cooked broccolini, which was a departure from broccoli.

• Two were $24.30 but at 9oz were too small to split, so we had one each for $12.15 per serve
• The broccolini was $2.75 or $1.38 per serve
• The shallot was 18c or 9c per serve
• The feta was $6.49 but we used ¼ or 82c per serve.

While we have enjoyed long cooked broccoli in the past, the broccolini went tough and became inedible. The steak had a very strong “beefy” taste that we enjoyed and it was reasonably tender. A good meal for $14.44 per serve.

Lunch

Wholemeal wraps are back, so we fried some bacon, sliced the Kumato and spread on the Watercress for a really good wrap.

• The wraps were $3.99 for six, or 67c per serve
• Bacon was $4.99 for 16 slices and we had two each, or 63c per serve
• Five kumato were $3.49 and we shared one or 35c per serve
• Add 25c for Watercress
• Add 20c for garlic spread.

A good lunch for $2.10 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we returned to the Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Bowls. We will get four serves from the pork, and two from the salad.

• The ground pork was $8.35 and we’ll get four serves from that, or $2.09 per serve
  
• Add 40c for ginger, onion, garlic and chili, etc
  
• Add 10c for grated carrot
• The Nappa cabbage was $2.39 but we used half, or 60c per serve.

It’s probably better with bean sprouts, but tonight’s version was still very good for $3.19 per serve.

Lunch

Today two toasted sandwiches: Thai style Tuna, which turned out to be not as good as the Sweet & Spicy Tuna we normally get, with Avocado, and a Roast Turkey Breast and Avocado. No cheese in today’s sandwiches!

• The Rye bread is 32c per serve
• The Thai style Tuna is $1.00 per serve
• The turkey is $3.49 and we shared ⅓ or 58c per serve
• The Avocado was $1.50 or 75c per serve
• Add 30c for butter.

Both decent sandwiches for $2.95 per serve.

Dinner

Foodie Greg has been looking for a reason to test a Tempeh recipe for a while and decided on Peanutty Noodles with Temeh Crumbles. Although nominally for four, we finished most of the recipe.

• The peanut butter was $1.99 and we used about 1/2,  or 50c a serve
• The three grain Tempeh was $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Soba noodles add 40c per serve
• Add 50c for oil and seasoning.

While the peanut sauce had a different flavor profile than the one we enjoy with steak or eggplant, it was still very tasty but without the funkiness that Fish Sauce brings. The Tempeh had a good nutty flavor and a texture that added a meaty toothiness to the dish, which went well with the peanut sauces. A good dish for $2.40 per serve.

Lunch

Because it’s Sunday we took a little more time with lunch and had Trader Joe’s Giant Baked Beans, Spinach and Feta Sausages and a Fried Egg.

• An egg per serve costs 51c
• The bread is 16c
• Add 10c for butter to cook the eggs
• The baked beans work out at $1.00 per serve
• The sausages were $5.00 for the pack or $2.50 per serve.

A hearty lunch for $4.27 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we tried Nigella Lawson’s Mustard Pork Chops although we didn’t pound our chops thin, but adjusted cook time to get a perfect medium rare. We substituted a Apple Cider Vinegar with sweetener instead of hard cider, which provided an enjoyable ‘tart’ edge to the mustard sauce

• The pork chops are $10.30 or $5.15 per serve
• The gnocchi was $2.69 or $1.35 per serve
• Add 30c for mustard
• Add 25c for cider vinegar
• Add 30c for heavy cream.

The gnocchi and mustardy cream sauce worked well together and paired with perfectly cooked pork it was a great meal for $7.35 per serve.

Lunch

After the trip back from San Diego we picked up a Bahn Mi from our favorite local Vietnamese restaurant for $8.27 per serve with tax.

Dinner

Having missed “Fishy Friday” yesterday, we substituted tonight with Trader Joe’s Japanese Style Fried Rice and some frozen shrimp that we stir-fried and placed on top of the fried rice.

• The Japanese Style Fried Rice was $2.95 or $1.48 per serve
• The shrimp were $7.99 but we shared half or $2.00 per serve.

A simple, but very tasty meal for $3.48 per serve. The Japanese Style Fried Rice was pretty good, but could use a little flavor boost.

Lunch

The Foodies finally finished NAB by traveling to San Diego to return some gear used on the OWC Radio stand to our friend Cirina, who had a fresh baguette, an array of salamis, Brussel Sprout salad, and a cheesy past a salad, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Dinner

That evening Cirina cooked up a chuck roast in her Instapot and it was ready to pull apart in just over an hour. Potatoes were cooked separately for better flavor. Overall it was a very tasty and successful pot roast.

Lunch

For lunch we had the remaining pieces of the Asparagus and Ham Frittata cold for $2.25 a serve.

Dinner

Thursday night “Steak Night” tonight featured a grilled Rib Eye with Farro Tabbouleh.

• At 10 oz the rib eye is $8.10 per serve
• The farro was $1.79 for the pack, but we shared ⅓ or 10c per serve
  
• Tomatoes were $3.49 for five but we shared one, or 35c per serve
  
• Parsley was $1.89 for the bunch and we used half or 47c per serve
  
• Mint came from our garden.

The steak was perfectly cooked and the salad provided a very good complement for $9.02 per serve.