The semiSerious Foodies

Lunch

• Smokey Cheddar is 36c per serve
• Aldi 12 Grain Bread is 44c per serve
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we shared one, or 35c per serve
• Black Forest Ham is $3.29 per pack, or 35c per serve
• Egg Salad is $3.69 and we use about ¼ for each sandwich, or 46c per serve
• Sprouts add 30c per serve
• Garlic Spread adds 50c per serve.

Two tasty sandwiches for only $2.72 per serve.

Dinner

Almost every month we get a pack of Pork Sirloin Filets. They are a difficult ingredient to work with, because they are so thin, it’s almost impossible to get any sear without overcooking. Tonight we gave the Pork a quick sear, then kept it warm until service.

We chose Rao’s Roasted Garlic Sauce, but decided the Marinara is still their best.

• At $8.99 or $4.50 per serve, the sauce is not cheap, but it is good
• At 1.1 lb it was a very generous serve of pork cutlets costing $13.99 or $7.00 per serve
  
• The Cauliflower Gnocchi was $2.69 and we used half, or 67c per serve
  
• Add 30c per serve for Capers and Butter and Shredded Parmesan.

This time we didn’t overcook the Pork! A quick and tasty dish for $12.47 per serve.

Lunch

A slightly cooler day made Shin Noodle Bowls an attractive proposition. A pack of four was $3.69 or 93c per serve, which proved to be quite generous and a satisfying – if spicy hot – meal.

Dinner

A quite simple meal, because the Mussels were pre-cooked and the Sauce was in a jar. Served with pre cooked Naan and we had a very tasty (and good looking) meal.

• The Goan Simmer Sauce was $4.99 or $2.50 per serve
• The pre-cooked Mussels were $2.29 or $1.15 per serve
• The Garlic Naan was $3.99 for six, and we used four, or $1.33 per serve.

This came together very well and tasted great for $4.98 per serve.

Lunch

Because it was a little cooler we did toasted sandwiches for lunch: Ham, Smokey Cheddar & Kumato on one, and Smoked Tuna and Smokey Cheddar on the other.

• Smokey Cheddar is 36c per serve
• Aldi 12 Grain Bread is 44c per serve
• Smoked Tuna Pouch is 99c or 50c per serve
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we shared one, or 35c per serve
  
• Black Forest Ham is $3.29 per pack, or 35c per serve
• Garlic Spread adds 50c per serve.

Decent sandwiches for $2.50 per serve.

Dinner

We returned to the Hot and Sour Beef Salad. We pan seared the Top Sirloin, then sliced it and dumped tin the Marinade and served on a bed of Greens and Mint.

• The Top Sirloin from the Keller Crafted delivery was $12.36 or $6.18 per serve
• The Salad Greens mix was $1.99 but we shared half, or 50c per serve
• Limes were 49c for two but we shared one, or 13c per serve
• Mint was $2.49 and we used about 1/5th or 25c per serve
• Sugar Snap peas were $3.49 but we used ¼ or 44c per serve
• The Bell Pepper was 16c or 8c per serve
• Instead of a Chili we used some Sambal Ulec, which adds 20c per serve.

We really enjoyed this salad. The slight heat in the dressing lifted both steak and salad to another level. An excellent meal for $7.78 per serve.

Lunch

We tried Portuguese Sardines with high expectations, that were rather dashed in reality.

• The Avocado was 31c or 16c per serve
• Aldi 12 Grain Bread is 44c per serve
• The Sardines were $2.47 or $1.24 per serve
• Garlic Spread adds 50c per serve

An okay sandwich for $2.34 per serve.

Dinner

We picked up some Lamb Loin Chops from Aldi for a very good price and paired with a Salad of Foodie Greg’s invention: Raspberry, Feta, Radicchio and Mint.

The Lamb Loin Chops were a special buy at Aldi and ⅓ less than we normally pay at Trader Joe’s.

• The Lamb Loin Chops were $7.91 or $3.96 per serve
• Raspberries were $2.70 and we used ½ of the punnet, or 67c per serve
• The Radicchio was $3.49 and we used half, or 87c each
• Mint was $2.49 and we used about 1/5th or 25c per serve
• The French (Valbreso) Feta was $10.99 but we used 1/6 or 92c per serve
• Add 20c for Mixed Greens
• Add 15c for Dressing ingredients.

While it seemed like the Salad was “a lot” every ingredient contributed to the flavor. It paired very well with the Lamb Loin chops for $7.02 per serve.

Lunch

Today we picked up Sushi from within Whole Foods for $10.74 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we fried slices of the Spanish Style Meatloaf and fried them to reheat. We served with a Salad of Mixed Greens, Green Olives and Kumato.

• The Meatloaf is $4.46 per serve
• The olives come in a $4.49 jar, and we used half, or $1.25 per serve
• Five Kumato were $3.49 and we had two each, or $1.00 per serve
• Add 50c for Mixed Greens
• Add 50c for Olive Oil and Dressing ingredients.

The Meatloaf needed a little Olive Oil drizzled as it was a little dry, but still tasted great. All up a good meal for $7.71 per serve.

Lunch

For lunch we picked up Heuvos Rancheros for $10.00 per serve with tax and tip.

Dinner

A new recipe in our Meatless Monday quest: Tempe Satay with Peanut
Sauce.

• The three grain tempeh is $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• Limes (for juice and zest) were 33c or 16c per serve
• The peanut butter was $1.99 and we used about 1/2,  or 50c a serve
• Add 50c for Marinade and Sauce ingredients
• The cabbage was 38c, or 13c per serve
• Add 5c for carrot.

The Tempe was best where it was a little charred, so we’ll likely cook it more in the future. Overall, this was the best Tempe dish we’ve attempted and cost only $2.38 per serve.

During May we continue in isolation due to the epidemic, so there was no eating out.

We have narrowed our range of take-out meals to those that travel well enough to not be compromised.

The averages for this month:

• Lunch prepared at home $2.44 ($2.69 in April)
• Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $9.87 ($8.11)
• Dinner eaten at home: $5.14 ($6.21)
• Dinner eaten out: none, but for comparison $10.00, which would otherwise be our minimum “meal out” spend.

Our lunches at home average in a fairly narrow band and this month’s average is almost exactly the same as last month.

We ate 10 lunches of 64 meals in the month that were prepared outside the home.

We had our most expensive meal of the month twice, because we repeated the Rib Eye with Steak Fries and Garden Salad twice for $9.71 each time. Our evening meal average cost at the low end of the expected range.

This month, lunches at home cost 25% of the cost of eating lunches prepared outside the home. Dinners at home nominally cost 52% of those prepared outside the home.

Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $305.97 per person in January. We actually spent $60.94 for lunches at home plus $59.21 for lunches purchased or eaten out:  $120.15 in total.

Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $300 per person. We actually spent $159.28 for dinners at home and $0 for dinners out, or $159.28 in total.

This month’s savings from preparing most of our food at home is $326.54 and we had a lot more control over what we eat.

Over the month we prepared 24 different recipes for evening meals.

Lunch

For lunch we repeated the Rissole & Smoked Cheddar Panini using the last of the Rissoles.

• The Panini Roll is 63c
• Rissole is $1.02 per serve
• Smokey Cheddar is 36c per serve
• Tomato adds 65c per serve
• Add 30c for Garlic Spread.

An enjoyable Roll for $2.31 per serve.

Dinner

A return to our Spanish Style Meatloaf, but using Baby Bell Peppers and some Purple Potatoes.

• The pork came from our Keller Crafted meat delivery – 1 lb of ground pork cost $8.31 or $2.08 per serve
• The Ground Turkey was $5.99 or $1.50 per serve
• The Medley of Potatoes was $3.69 and we shared ¼, or 23c per serve
  
• The Baby Bell peppers was 48c or 12c per serve
• Instead of white bread we used Panko breadcrumbs at $2.99 for 16oz and we used 8oz or 37c per serve
• A Free Range Egg is 25 or 6c per serve
• Add 30c per serve for paprika, onion, garlic, thyme and seasoning
• The Spiced Beans add 50c per serve.

A decent Meatloaf for $5.16 per serve.

Lunch

Today we experimented with an Aldi 12 Grain Bread around an Avocado and Smoked Trout Sandwich.

• The Avocado was 31c or 16c per serve
• We shared a $3.49 can of Smoked Trout, or $1.75 per serve
• Aldi 12 Grain Bread is 22c per slice
• Garlic Spread adds 50c per serve.

Unfortunately the Aldi Bread was pretty boring, but the 31c Avocado from there was good! A decent sandwich for $2.63c per serve.

Dinner

Tonight we experimented with a new recipe: Easy Stir-Fried Pork With String Beans, although we substituted Green Beans.

• The Green Beans were $2.99 or $1.50 per serve
• The pork was $8.99 or $4.50 per serve
• Add 35c for other ingredients
• Add 33c for Brown Rice.

This was rather a disappointing recipe as it lacked flavor and seasoning, for $6.68.

Lunch

While apparently not truly an “English Breakfast” we grew up thinking Bacon, Baked Beans and Eggs on Toast was British in origin.

• Bacon was $4.99 and we used four of 10 slices, or 50c per serve
• Aldi 12 Grain Bread is 22c per slice
• Trader Joes Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce cost $1.99 or $1.00 per serve
• A Free Range Large Egg is 21c per serve.

While the Free Range Egg isn’t similar to our preferred Pastured Eggs, it was still a good meal for $1.92 per serve.

Dinner

Tonight’s simple Fishy Friday meal was a Salmon Filet on Soyccotash, which is Succotash with Edamame.

• The Salmon Fillets were $7.80 for two or $3.90 per serve
• The Soyccotash was $2.29 and we used half, or 58c per serve.

This is a very simple, quick and tasty meal for $4.48 per serve.