The semiSerious Foodies

Lunch

Today we finished the roast beef in a shared sandwich, and used another server of the Tuna and Rice in a wrap. The tuna and rice, even boosted with some capers, is still boring, and in a wrap, a little too carb heavy.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 18c per two slice shared sandwich (one slice per serve)
• The top sirloin was $5.99 per serve, but we used about 1/4 of a serve and shared it, or 75c a serve
• The garlic mustard aioli is $2.49 for the jar, and we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• Tabouli is $2.69 but we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• A wrap is 50c or 25c per serve
• A serve of the tuna and rice salad is $2.34 and we used half a serve, split or 59c per serve.

Lunch today was half good, half boring for $2.11 per serve.

Dinner

We seem on a quest to find as many ways to interpret an Australian hamburger, so tonight we re-interpreted the burger as a Cobb Salad, with beef substituting for chicken; pickled beetroot for avocado; and a cheddar with caramelized onion instead of blue cheese. If an Australian burger had cheese, it would be cheddar.

The steak component was a rib eye from our Prather Ranch, kicking the dish up a notch. The pickled beets – found in Trader Joe’s – were perfect. We served on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce, as that would be traditional for an Aussie burger (or salad).

• The rib eye was $19.74 or $9.87 per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c (only on special)
• The cheddar with caramelized onion was $4.41, and we used about 1/4 or 55c
• Bacon end pieces were $3.99 and we used less than 1/4 or 50c per serve
• Beets in vinaigrette were $1.69 and we used 1/3, or 28c per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, and we used two, or 39c per serve
• Add 20c for shredded iceberg.

Every element of dinner was perfect and the combination was very reminiscent of an Aussie burger, but the stand out was the cheddar with caramelized onion. We would normally steer clear of flavored cheeses – cheese is a flavor – but wanted to bring the grilled onion element of a burger to the plate. All up the meal cost $12.29 per serve, largely because of the quality of the protein.

Lunch

Another in our ongoing attempts to find interesting lunch sandwich ingredients. Today we used leftover “rissole” meatloaf with tomato chutney and kefir cheese on one, and shared that with a neufchâtel and ceviche onion sandwich.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice sandwich
• The sliced yoghurt cheese is $4.79 a pack of 12 slices, or 80c per slice or 40c per serve
•  The rissole meatloaf is $5.00 per serve, and we used just under half a serve, or $1.25 per serve
• The neufchâtel cheese is $1.49 for the pack, and we used less than half, or 38c per serve
• The tomato chutney was made by Philip’s brother in Australia
• The onion adds less than 5c per serve.

Lunch today was pretty good.  We felt the warm meatloaf, chutney and cheese was slightly ‘better’, but both were good for $2.47 per serve.

Dinner

Another new recipe for us, and a simple one: Italian Tuna and Rice. For us it made four serve: two for tonight and partial serve for wraps.

• Rice adds 22c per serve
• The yellowfin tuna in oil is $2.29 per can and we used two, or or $1.15 per serve
• Green olives cost 99c or 25c per serve
• The jar of sun dried tomatoes are $3.49 and we ultimately used half, or 44c per serve
• Olive oil, red wine vinegar and seasonings add 28c per serve
• Served on a bed of baby spinach, which was $1.99 per bag, or 35c per serve.

Dinner tonight cost  $2.69, but frankly was a little bland. Before we add it to the wraps we’ll add capers for a little more saltiness, and little bursts of briny goodness.

 

Lunch

Once again we shared two different sandwiches: Roast Beef with Tabouli and garlic mustard aioli; Cheddar and Branston pickles.

• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice sandwich
• The top sirloin was $5.99 per serve, but we used about 1/4 of a serve and shared it, or 75c a serve
• The garlic mustard aioli is $2.49 for the jar, and we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• Tabouli is $2.69 but we used 1/8 or 17c per serve
• The sliced yoghurt cheese is $4.79 a pack of 12 slices, or 80c per slice or 40c per serve
• Branston pickles add another 18c per serve.

Today’s sandwiches were both pretty good and cost $2.06 per serve.

Dinner

What could be more American than fried chicken! Served with a very American salad – Ranch BBQ – and bubbly, it was a perfect July 4 meal.

• 10 pieces of dark and spicy chicken is $15.25 or $3.81 a serve with tax, because Philip had three pieces.
• The BBQ Ranch salad kit was $3.49 or $1.75 per serve.

Tonight’s meal was tasty, although the salad was not the best we’ve had, for $5.56 per serve.

Lunch

Since Philip was on the way back from Studio City, a stop at Popeyes seemed like a good thing to do.

• 10 pieces of dark and spicy chicken is $15.25 or $3.81 a serve with tax, because Philip had three pieces.
• Half the Large Red Beans and Rice is $2.17 with tax, per serve.

Lunch today cost $5.98 per serve.

Dinner

Since we had remaining leftover meatloaf, which was made to a rissole recipe, we thought we might emulate an Australian style burger. Unlike the US an Australian burger always has grilled onion – never raw – and there is onion in the rissole recipe.

The other essential additions are pickled beetroot and an egg. Cheese has only appeared in Australian burgers (we think) since the introduction of an American cheeseburger, but we added cheddar anyway, because why not!

This is a genuine works burger from last December’s Australian trip. We know it’s authentic because the proprietor was Greek!

• A full server of the meatloaf was $5.10 but we used 1/3 serve per burger, or $1.36 per burger. Since Philip had two after working up an appetite in the yard, the average was $2.04 per serve
• The sprouted wholemeal is $3.49 a loaf with 18 slices, or 39c per two slice burger/sandwich, or an average of 57c per serve
• The cheese is $5.99 for an 8oz block, and we used 1oz per burger, or $1.13 per serve on average
• The beets were 69c for a small can, of which we used about half, or 35c per serve
• The kumatos (black tomato) are $3.49 for six, and we used two, or 39c per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c or 75c per serve average
• Add 10c for the lettuce.

While not an authentic burger this was a very satisfying sandwich, evoking the flavor profile of an Australian burger for an average of $5.33 per serve. Each sandwich was $3.55 and, truthfully, one would have bene enough, even after some heavy yard work.

Lunch

Time to finish off last Sunday’s pulled pork. We finished baking some rustic par baked rolls and stuffed them with reheated pork and some ceviche onion.

• Par-baked roll is 63c
• We shared one serve of the pulled pork, or $1.68 per serve
• Add 5c for ceviche onion.

Lunch today, as it always is with this combination, was delicious for $2.36 per serve.

Dinner

We had a top sirloin roast from our Prather Ranch meat delivery, and were having a guest for dinner, so it was the right time to roast it, using the prime rib method of a slow cook to internal temperature, then a quick, hard heat to brown the outside. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare without gray rings.

The roast garlic butter mushrooms used to be a regular dish in our rotation but we haven’t had it for quite a while, apparently not since we started keeping this record!

• The top sirloin was $29.94 but we’ll get at least five serves, or $5.99 per serve
• One pound of mushrooms were $4.49 or $1.50
• The butter is $3.99 per block, and we used about 1/5 for three serves, or 27c per serve
• Garlic adds 5c per serve.

Tonight’s excellent steak and mushroom dinner was $7.81, or a fraction of the cost of the same meal

Lunch

Because we were at Whole Foods anyway, we picked up some sushi for $9.19 per serve.

Dinner

As we had a lot of ground beef in the freezer from our Prather Ranch delivery, we decided to make meatloaf, but in the style of an Australian rissole. Even though the cooking method is completely different, the smell of the meatloaf cooking was the smell of rissoles cooking.

The double recipe make four very generous serves, although we’ll probably use the half remaining for sandwiches.

We paired it with a butternut squash and quinoa salad from Whole Foods, which turned out to be one of the most boring salads we’ve ever had. So much unrealized potential, but bland as heck.

• Dry aged 85/15 ground beef $8.69 and $8.86 or $4.38 per serve
• 16 oz Panko breadcrumbs are $2.99, or $1.00 per serve
• A pastured egg is 50c and two were required for the double batch or 25c per serve
• The onion is 6c per serve
• The boring salad was $6.48 or $3.24.

Tonight’s dinner cost $8.34 per serve. The meatloaf was delicious and served with my brother’s home made tomato relish, which made the perfect accompaniment to the rissole meatloaf.

Lunch

As we still have pulled pork left over, we finished baking some rustic par baked rolls and stuffed them with reheated pork and some ceviche onion.

• Par-baked roll is 63c
• We shared one serve of the pulled pork, or $1.68 per serve
• Add 5c for ceviche onion.

Lunch today, as it always is with this combination, was delicious for $2.36 per serve.

Dinner

Muffaletta Pasta Salad, a.k.a. meat salad, has been a regular for a couple of years, from the days we went to the Hollywood Bowl somewhat regularly. In the purest form it has multiple meats, but we simplify to salami alone.

Tonight we served with cheese tortellini from Trader Joe’s, which was probably one of the most boring tortellini we’ve ever had. We’ll be using another past next time.

The recipe as we prepared it serve three, as neither of us finished more than half our serve.

• The tortellini was $2.29 or 76c per serve
• The salami was $4.49 but we only used half, or 75c per serve
• A bell pepper is 99c or 34c per serve
• Pitted olives come in $2.99 jars and one quarter was used, or 25c per serve
• Add 55c for the sauce ingredients.

Dinner tonight was more than we could eat and, despite the boring tortellini, was tasty for $2.65 per serve.

Lunch

The return trip from Chicago also involved airport food, and the breakfast English muffin sandwich was probably the worst airport food I’ve ever had. Muffin not toasted and dry, an overcooked egg, spare overcooked bacon and boring cheese does not make for a satisfying meal for $6.53 with tax.

Dinner

Home again and back to real food, with a pork scallopini piccata based on a chicken version served with buttered spinach and white rice (to soak up all that delicious piccata sauce).

• The pork scallopini was $11.19 or $5.60 per serve
• Baby spinach was $2.69 but we used half, or 68c per serve
• Rice adds 33c per serve
• A bag of Meyer lemons out $3.99 and we used half, or $1.00 per serve
• Chicken stock adds 14c per serve
• Add 10c for capers and parsley
• Cultured salted butter is $2.99 per 8oz block, and six tablespoons is half the block or 75c per serve.

Tonight’s dinner was very tasty, particularly because of the piccata sauce, and cost $8.60 per serve.