Category: Daily recipe

Lunch

On our way back from a hardware store trip, we stopped in at The Country Deli. Foodie Philip had the marinated skirt steak with eggs and home fries, while Greg had the Pastrami on Rye with fries, although half the sandwich was retained for dinner.

Lunch cost an average of $21.52 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

Because of the meat heavy lunch, we chose a “breakfast for dinner” evening meal: giant baked beans in tomato sauce with a fried egg and fried tomato.

• Eggs are 55c each and we had an average of 1.5 eggs each or 83c per serve
• The bread is $2.79 for the loaf of 18 slices, and we had an average of 1.5 slices each, or 23c per serve
• Trader Joes Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, or 29c per serve.

Dinner tonight was satisfying and cost $2.35 per serve

Lunch

No heirloom tomato but a kumato and mayo is a good substitute, while the corned beef pairs surprisingly well with a spicy labné we get from Jon’s.

• The bread is $2.79 for the loaf of 18 slices, or 31c per serve
• The corned beef was $14.99 for 1.2 lb, and we used about 4 oz in this sandwich, or $1.58 per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, or 29c per serve
• Add 25c for mayo and spicy labné.

Lunch today used up the last of our rye bread and was pretty good for $2.43 per serve.

Dinner

We purchased a can of Rogan Josh curry mix and decided to mix it with ground lamb. It was very disappointing, as it was pretty bland, so Greg amped it up with some heat. Served with rice and naan.

The meat sauce serves four.

• The ground lamb was $7.99 or $2.00 per serve
• The rogan josh was $3.99 or $1.00 per serve
• A can of beans is 99c or 25c per serve
• Add 45c per serve for spices and other ingredients
• Rice adds 33c per serve
• The naan was $1.99 and we served half, or 50c per serve.

Dinner tonight was okay, and cost $4.53 per serve.

 

Lunch

Another Burbank Monday with Foodie Philip ending up at In and Out Burger for a Double Double Animal Style, for $4.26 per serve.

Dinner

Time to use up the remaining chicken legs, served with a coconut rice pilaf (also chosen to use up the last half of a can of coconut milk). The chicken was steamed on top of the rice.

• The chicken cost $6.99 or $1.75 per serve
• Coconut milk was $1.69 or 43c per serve
• Rice adds 35c per serve
• Add 75c for the other pilaf ingredients.

The coconut in the rice pilaf is a nice surprise and the chicken reheated well. Overall, a very satisfactory meal for $3.28 per serve.

Lunch

We took a par baked roast garlic bread and finished it, while preparing chicken breast, the remainder of the heirloom tomato, some cucumber and olives on a smear of garlic hummus. Yum.

• The BBQ chicken is $6.99 and we shared a breast, or 88c per serve
• The heirloom tomato was $1.22 but we’ve accounted for all of it in previous meals, although not all was eaten
• The roast garlic bread was $3.49 or $1.75 per serve.
• The cucumber was 27c or 14c per serve
• Add 30c for hummus and olives per serve.

Lunch today cost $3.07 per serve.

Dinner

We revisited the leftovers of the Pork, Shiitake and Edamame in Coconut Cream Sauce and reinvent it as Tom Kha Moo by adding lime juice and fish sauce.

If you’re going to serve coconut milk in a dish, add lime juice!

• 1 lb of pork stir fry is $5.75 or $1.44 per serve
• Coconut milk was $1.69 or 43c per serve
• Shelled edamame was $1.29 or 33c per serve
• Shitake mushrooms are $2.99 or 75c per serve
• Add 25c for garlic, shallot and seasonings
• Add 50c for limes
• Add 30c for rice.

For $4.00 a serve, the addition of the lime and fish sauce really elevated the dish.

Lunch

More mixed sandwiches. The heirloom tomato and mayo is a perfect combination, while the corned beef pairs surprisingly well with a spicy labné we get from Jon’s.

• The bread is $2.79 for the loaf of 18 slices, or 31c per serve
• The corned beef was $14.99 for 1.2 lb, and we used about 4 oz in this sandwich, or $1.58 per serve
• The heirloom tomato was $1.22 and we shared half, or 31c per serve
• Add 25c for mayo and spicy labné.

Lunch today used up the last of our rye bread and was pretty good for $2.45 per serve.

Dinner

Pair a rib eye from our Prather Ranch delivery with the remaining kohlrabi ‘salad’ and serve on grilled peppers and you’ve got yourself a meal! Greg sautéed the salad from the night before, with a little garlic, to make it easier to eat. The peppers were cleaned and sliced to serve as a mat for the steak.

• The rib eye was $18.99 or $9.50 per serve
• The peppers were a gift from a friend
• The salad mix was $1.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve.

Tonight’s steak, grilled on the outside grill, had a lot more flavor than when we did it on a griddle inside. It paired well with the salad and peppers, which were especially good grilled, and all for $10.00 a serve.

Lunch

A trip to Jon’s produced a baguette, freshly roasted chicken, and a heirloom tomato, which goes together very well!

• The baguette is $2.79 and we shared half in this meal, or 70c per serve
• The BBQ chicken is $6.99 and we shared a breast, or 88c per serve
• The heirloom tomato was $1.22 and we shared half, or 31c per serve
• Add 10c for mayo.

Lunch today was $1.99 per serve and pretty damned good.

Dinner

Time to slice and fry off the rest of the meatloaf, and serve it with a kohlrabi blend salad from Trader Joe’s. We served with the

• Meatloaf is $6.29 per serve
• The salad mix was $1.99 and we used half, or 50c per serve
• Add 25c for the red pepper relish.

Dinner tonight was tasty and cost $7.04 per serve.

Lunch

Today we repeated the sandwiches from two days ago: Cheddar and Apple with mustard aioli on one, and corned beef top round (a.k.a. silverside) with mustard.

• The cheddar is $3.99 a block and we used 1/3 or 67c per serve
• The bread is $2.79 for the loaf of 18 slices, or 31c per serve
• The corned beef was $14.99 for 1.2 lb, and we used about 4 oz in this sandwich, or $1.58 per serve
• The apple was 96c and we used 2/3, or 32c per serve
• Add 25c for mustard and mustard aioli.

Lunch today cost $3.13 per serve and both were very good.

Dinner

We decided to use some pork from the freezer and revisit the Pork, Shiitake and Edamame in Coconut Cream Sauce.   With more mushrooms than the recipe called for, this makes four generous serves when served with rice.

• 1 lb of pork stir fry is $5.75 or $1.44 per serve
• Coconut milk was $1.69 or 43c per serve
• Shelled edamame was $1.29 or 33c per serve
• Shitake mushrooms are $2.99 or 75c per serve
• Add 25c for garlic, shallot and seasonings
• Add 30c for rice.

For $3.50 a serve, it’s hard to work out how it could be better. And yes, this is both another “pork and beans” recipe and beans and rice!

 

Lunch

On the way back from a hardware store trip we stopped in at the local Vietnamese restaurant and took two Bahn Mi home for lunch. As last time, these are an excellent example of a Bahn Mi. The bread was perfect, the pork well cooked, an appropriate layer of paté, with just the right amount of heat.

Lunch today cost $8.25 per serve.

Dinner

Now that we have a grill, we gave the roasted eggplant with a red pepper relish another try. The eggplant was buttery smooth inside, and the relish added a piquant and flavorful note to the meal. This version looks different because we used a yellow pepper and brown tomato, but the flavor was still amazing.

• The eggplant and bell pepper were given to us, so no cost
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, and we used two, or 39c per serve
• Add 25c for chia, onion and red wine vinegar.

It’s hard to beat a 64c meal, but this is an excellent choice if you have eggplant and bell pepper!

Lunch

Another experiment in interesting sandwiches. Today we used a rye bread loaf as the base, and created two sandwiches: Cheddar and Apple with mustard aioli on one, and corned beef top round (a.k.a. silverside) with mustard.

The apple provides a perfect amount of crunch and a little sweet wetness that offsets the slightly dry cheddar perfectly.

• The cheddar is $3.99 a block and we used 1/3 or 67c per serve
• The bread is $2.79 for the loaf of 18 slices, or 31c per serve
• The corned beef was $14.99 for 1.2 lb, and we used about 4 oz in this sandwich, or $1.58 per serve
• The apple was 96c and we used 2/3, or 32c per serve
• Add 25c for mustard and mustard aioli.

Lunch today cost $3.13 per serve and both were very good.

Dinner

Time to make a mushroom and red wine meatloaf with two pounds of ground beef from Prather Ranch. This is a great meatloaf that requires no gravy or sauce for flavor.

The recipe makes four very generous serves. The mashed sweet potato and sugar snap peas provide textural and flavor contrast.

• The meat cost $4.59 per serve
• Pre sliced crimini mushrooms were $2.29, but needed to be sliced finer for the meatloaf, or 58c per serve
• Add 50c of red wine, or 13c per serve
• Swiss gruyere was $4.99 for the pack, and we used about half, or 63c per serve
• Other ingredients add 35c per serve
• The sugar snap peas were $3.,49 but we only used half or 87c per serve
• The sweet potato was $1.81, but the mash makes four serves, or 45c per serve.

Tonight’s meatloaf cost $6.29 per generous serve, while the whole meal cost $7.61.