Category: Daily recipe

Lunch

Today were were able to get to Jon’s and pick up a BBQ chicken and baguette. Instead of mayonnaise we used the garlic spread we’ve been enamored of lately. We also substituted the moon touched (semi-dried) tomatoes for more intense flavor.

• The chicken is $6.99 and we shared a breast, or 88c per serve
• The baguette is $2.79 and we shared half for lunch, or 70c per serve
• Tomatoes were $2.79 and we used ¼ today, or 35c per serve
• Add 30c for garlic spread.

The garlic spread really elevates this simple roll, for $2.23 per serve.

Dinner

Thursday night is traditionally our ‘steak night’ and tonight we followed tradition with NY Strip Steak, paired with a creamy blue cheese gnocchi. The  gnocchi was made from cauliflower, but you’d never know.

• The steak was $18.62 or $9.31 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
• Brown rice adds 33c per serve.

You would never know you were eating cauliflower, as the gnocchi and sauce were very tasty and balanced well with the steak. An expensive meal at $13.08 per serve, but mostly because of the excellent, dry aged beef we get from Prather Ranch (rebranding to Keller Crafted Meats).

Lunch

The Foodies were at an on-site software demonstration and the host invited us to lunch, so we ended up having some rather good sushi.

Dinner

We decided on a very simple meal of the Thai Vegetable Gyoza from Trader Joe’s done potsticker style. We served with a dip created from sweet chili sauce, lime juice and fish sauce.

• The gyoza were $3.99, or $2.00 per serve
• Add 30c for dip ingredients.

Dinner tonight was actually pretty good for $2.30 per serve.

Lunch

We had to repeat yesterday’s tomato and garlic spread, but today we added more garlic spread, and some shaved ham.

• Baked ham is 63c per serve and we shared half a serve, or 16c
• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• Five kumato were $3.49 and we used one, or 35c per serve
• The garlic spread is $2.99 for the container and we used about 1/10 or 15c per serve.

Two tasty sandwiches for 98c per serve.

Dinner

A return to a favorite meal: Seared Sea Scallops with an Avocado Mango salad.

Foodie Greg prepared the scallops by defrosting then salting and drying between two sheets of paper toweling to reduce moisture on the scallops, which helps the sear.

We had a different mango – a honey mango – that we preferred because this variety, while small, is less sweet than the more common Haden (from Mexico) that we get around here.

• Frozen wild caught seas scallops were $14.99 or $7.50 per serve
• Baby spinach was $2.50 and we used half, or 63c per serve
• Three honey mangos were 99c or 50c per serve
• The avocado was $2.99 for a bag of five or 60c per serve
• Add 20c for dressing.

The scallops were seared and translucent and the honey mangos in the salad elevated it. All in all a good meal for $9.43 per serve.

Lunch

We have discovered Trader Joe’s Garlic Spread/Dip and it goes very well with tomatoes in a toasted sandwich. Very well.

• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• Five kumato were $3.49 and we used one, or 35c per serve
• The garlic spread is $2.99 for the container and we used about 1/10 or 15c per serve.

Two tasty sandwiches for 82c per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we created another Cobb Salad variation using ham and moon kissed (semi-dried) tomatoes, along with avocado, egg and burrata on a bed of dress spinach.

• The bake ham is 63c per serve and we had 1/2 serve each, or 32c per serve.
• A pastured egg is 50c
• We substituted semi-dried tomatoes – about ⅓ each of the $2.79 of tomatoes we dehydrated, or 93c per serve
• Spinach is $1.99 and 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 two, or $2.50 per serve.

Tonight’s Cobb Salad was a good variation for $4.98 per serve.

Lunch

It’s been a while since we had the pita pockets from Skewers Halal, who’s servings are huge for $9.80 per serve, including tax., The chicken and beef were as good as they always have been.

Dinner

After such a large lunch we opted for something simpler and smaller for dinner, settling on tostadas smeared with avocado, onto which were piled Cuban style black beans, topped with a fried egg and garnished with salsa and cotija.

• The tostadas are 22 for $2.29 or 21c per serve
• Pastured eggs are 50c each, or $1.00 per serve
• The beans are $1.00 per can or 50c per serve
• The avocados are $2.99 for five, or 30c per serve
• Add 40c for salsa and a dusting of cotija cheese.

Dinner was very tasty and a lot more filling than you’d think. A good meal for $2.41 per serve.

Lunch

For the first time in months we didn’t toast our sandwich! Today’s ham, avocado and mustard sandwiches were enjoyed outside.

• Two slices of bread are 32c per serve
• The bake ham is 63c per serve and we had ⅛ serve each, or 8c per serve.
• The avocados are $2.99 for five, or 30c per serve
• Add 20c for mustard aioli.

Today’s sandwich needed a little crunch but was otherwise okay for 90c per serve.

Dinner

For dinner we returned to a favorite: black pepper beef with brown rice.

• Just over a pound of “beef for fajita” from our Prather Ranch delivery was $14.13 or $7.06 per serve
• The pack of bell peppers was $2.49 or $1.25 per serve
• Onion and garlic add 25c per serve
• Add 50c for the other ingredients
• Add 33c for brown rice.

Dinner tonight was very acceptable: tasty and filling without being amazing! Not bad for $9.39 per serve

Lunch

For lunch we finished the split pea soup from late last month. We cubed some ham and added that for texture and flavor variation.

• The split pea soup is 43c per serve
• The bake ham is 63c per serve and we had ⅛ serve each, or 8c per serve.

Lunch today was filling and tasty for 51c per serve.

Dinner

For dinner we sliced the red win and mushroom meatloaf, fried the slices  in butter and served with roast kabocha squash and asparagus. Mostly a repeat of elements from the last two night’s meals.

• The meatloaf is $6.77 per serve
• The organic asparagus was $4.07 and we served half, or $1.02 per serve.
• The kabocha squash was $1.49 and we served half or 38c per serve.

The meatloaf is definitely better fried off because of the additional Maillard reaction on the surface. We preferred the sugar snap peas to the asparagus but both are good. Overall, a very satisfying and tasty meal for $8.17 per serve.

Lunch

Our odd scheduling today had us eating at different time, and pretty much what we could grab. Foodie Greg had a crisp bread with Swiss and pickles, while Philip had the remainder of some Trader Joe’s Wine Country Chicken Salad.

• The salad is $3.99 for 11.5 oz, and there was 4.5 oz left, or $1.56 per serve.

Dinner

Before Easter we picked up one of Ralph’s ‘loss leader’ hams for 99c per pound and today we baked it.  The ham will cover at least 12 very generous serves.

Tonight we paired it with a mushroom brown rice pilaf, which was disappointing, and asparagus, which was not.

• The ham was $7.81 or 65c per serve
• The mushrooms were $2.49 or $1.25 per serve
• Brown rice adds 33c per serve
• The organic asparagus was $4.07 and we served half, or $1.02 per serve.

The ham remained moist and tasty while the asparagus worked well with it. The pilaf lacked flavor and was disappointing, but overall a good meal for $3.25 per serve.