$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #18:Reward Dinner Menu

As mentioned before, I am the winner of the $2.00/day food contest so George is cooking a meal of my choice. However, George gets to pick the cookbook. He decided on this one.

Here's my chosen menu:

Starter: Salsify Cappuccino (might become parsnip if salsify is too hard to find)

Main: Coffee-Roasted Duck Breasts accompanied by a Pear and Fingerling Potato Ragout

Dessert: Ginger Citrus Cookies

I deliberately picked recipes that seemed "fool-proof." However, this is kind of a cheffy cookbook so "fool-proof" is a relative term...we're not talking ham and cheese sandwiches here. I also tried to pick recipes where ingredient availability wouldn't be a problem. I think I've struck a good balance between things that I really want to eat and things that will turn out well.

George has a good shot at success.

What I Ate Today...

Since I'm going to continue on the $2.00/day diet, I should continue documenting what I eat.

Breakfast: The usual.
$0.25

Morning Snack:
$0.20 Coffee

Lunch:
$0.20 Rice
$0.40 Tofu/Lotus Root curry
$0.60 Total

Dinner: Hmm, how to price this...I wasn't counting on having to document it.
$0.25 Pita
$0.08 Romaine
$0.40 kibbe
$0.10 dressing
$0.83 Total

Total for the day: $1.88. Rolling over $0.12. $4.11 for tomorrow.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #17:I Iz the Winnar!!!!

Yes, yes, it's petty, I know but I had to rub it in.
And I call this one "The Beginning of the End." Chocolate cake appears to be George's kryptonite. Doesn't really look like he's enjoying himself though...Looks more like self-loathing. But here I am enjoying every second of it. Schadenfreude! Delectatio morosa...

My reward is forthcoming. George gets to pick the cookbook, I get to pick whatever I want and he cooks for me. Like a slave. My dream of owning a cooking robot is finally coming to fruition! yes, yes....

back to this damn paper....

If any of you are confused as to what is going on, click here.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #16:Day 8 Recap

I used to be a compulsive snacker. I was ALWAYS in the kitchen with my head stuck in the 'fridge looking for a tasty treat. However, given the limitations imposed by my current budget, I've managed to eliminate all non-essential snacks. I now snack only when I feel like I need a quick energy boost and not when I just feel like eating something. I feel like this is a healthier way to live.

My next step towards a healthier lifestyle will be to re-institute my regular running schedule. Since going on the $2/day diet, I've not gone running AT ALL. I'm afraid that running will expend too many calories but I feel like this is a baseless fear. I hope to start jogging again...maybe tomorrow?

Here's how I did today:

Breakfast:
$0.19 1-Cup oats
$0.04 2 tbps cranberry sauce
$0.02 milk
$0.25 Total

Lunch:
$0.25 ground pork
$0.25 pea shoots
$0.03 Garlic
$0.05 Spices
$0.20 Rice
$0.78 Total

Mid-afternoon cup of coffee
$0.20 Coffee beans
$0.05 Milk
$0.25 Total

Dinner-I liked lunch so much I made it again for dinner!
$0.25 ground pork
$0.25 pea shoots
$0.03 Garlic
$0.05 Spices
$0.20 Rice
$0.78 Total

Daily Total: $2.06...dipping into that rollover! It's worth it tho...I love those sauteed pea shoots. $3.99 for tomorrow's food.

edit: Another $0.17 for coffee/milk. I needed some caffeine to help me power through this damn paper. It's not helping that my landlord is having a Chinese karaoke party upstairs...pretty terrible stuff. $3.82 for tomorrow.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #14:Han's Braised Curried Tofu

Han took the time to read my "Things to Cook" list and wanted me to cook the braised curried tofu. This post is for him. Funny thing tho, when I talked to him about it on IM, he was all, "Add some chicken to it." Sorry Han, maybe you missed the point of the contest but chicken would put me over budget.

This is going to be a superficial, cursory treatment. Instead of writing for my blog, I SHOULD be writing a paper for school so this is going to be a quickie. This recipe is loosely adapted from something I found in this book.

Ingredients: (Not Pictured, fish sauce or a lemon)
One package of firm tofu, pressing the water out:
Acidulated water for the lotus root. I've read that, like apples, they will oxidize so it's necessary to give them a bit acid. I've never cooked with lotus root before so this is going to be a learning experience. Here's some water and lemon juice.
Lotus root. The local asian grocer had some for $0.58 per pound. I'm using two knobs worth.
Peeled, kinda looks like a potato:
Cross-section, pretty neat, eh?
I chopped the lotus root into slices and bathed them in the lemon water:
Small diced half an onion, minced a walnut sized knob of peeled ginger, 2 tablespoons of canned red curry paste, minced 3 cloves of garlic, 1.5 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoons of ground turmeric, one lemongrass knot and 2 sliced serrano chiles.
Prep area was a mess so I cleaned...Before:
After:
Heat up a pan, add oil and toss in the onions. Cook until somewhat soft.
Toss in the curry paste, ginger, garlic etc. mixture. Saute until fragrant.
Add 1 13 oz can of coconut milk and a cup of water. Submerge lotus root in this mixture and bring to a boil. Drop to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
When the lotus root is cooking, cube the tofu.
I also picked some Thai basil leaves. This picture represents the leaves from 1/2 pound of Thai basil stems.
Roughly cut the leaves.
Give the curry a taste. I bet it'll need salt and a little sugar. Season to taste. Add tofu cubes.
Uh oh. Not enough liquid? Add more water.
Simmer for another half hour.

Taste for seasoning. Add fish sauce (or salt) and a touch of sugar. Lemon or lime juice is also nice. Throw in the chopped Thai basil, stir and you're good to go! Serve with plenty of rice. This will also taste better after a day of rest so make it today and eat it tomorrow. Like I'm going to do.
$0.10 for a 50 gram serving. I know, it doesn't mean anything to me either. Interesting thing is that the lotus root remained very crisp even at the end of the cooking process. I don't know if I need to cook it longer but it's quite nice. Very toothsome.
Cooking time isn't much...just some chopping and what not..About 20 minutes of active work, 1 hour total.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #13: Day 7 Recap

Am eating dinner and it's...it's...it's something new! Yowza! I made a batch of lentil soup...recipe is pretty much identical to the one I made a few weeks back but I did not include butter. Instead, I used a bit of turkey fat to start the soup...George and I have decided that turkey fat doesn't have an associated cost which is one of the big reasons why I chose to include it. The other difference is that I included a can of tomato puree in this batch. Other than that, it's identical. On the side, some homemade pita crisps. Pita bread, split in half and those halves cut into wedges. Brushed each wedge with some homemade garlic oil. Sprinkle with ras-el-hanout and salt. Into a 350 degree oven for 7-10 minutes. Done! Ahhh, more goodies tomorrow...

One other thing...My new pictures are 16x12 instead of 10x7. I've noticed that, when you click on a picture, the browser now asks you to open or save and brings up an external application if you want to view the pic. This did not happen when I was using 10x7 pics. Does this annoy anyone? I can resize the new pictures to a lower resolution but if no one cares, I'll save myself the hassle and upload as is. Let me know.

Breakfast:
$0.19 1 cup oats
$0.04 2 tbps cranberries
$0.02 1/8th cup milk.
$0.25 Total

Lunch
$0.43 1 cup white beans and sausage
$0.10 rice
$0.05 miso broth
$0.58 Total

Afternoon snack
$0.20 2 slices of toast
$0.04 apple compote
$0.24 Total

Dinner
$0.36 2 Ladles of soup
$0.25 1 Pita bread...somewhat expensive, yes?
$0.61 Total

$1.68 Total...rolling over $0.32. $4.05 for tomorrow.

Here's how George did.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #12: Day 6 Recap

I am going to cook tomorrow! Yes! Here's a picture of my "Things to Cook List." I've been hard at work figuring out budget foods so it's got quite a lot on it. However, if you click on the picture and zoom in, right at the top, you'll notice "d=vt." Yep, I was trying to figure out a physics problem before I started putting together this list. As for what I will cook, I'm leaning towards kibbeh, lentil soup and some stir fried greens...mmm...greens. Just had a great idea...if any of you take the time to click the pic and read the list, leave a comment with what you'd like me to cook! This is my reward to you for being an actively engaged reader!
Here's what I ate...an expensive day!

Breakfast:
$0.19 1 cup of Oats
$0.04 2 Tbps Cranberry Sauce
$0.02 1/8th cup Milk
$0.25 Total

Lunch
$0.20 2 Pieces of Whole-Grain Toast
$0.43 1 Cup of White Beans with Sausage
$0.63 Total

Afternoon Snack
$0.20 2 Pieces of Whole-Grain Toast
$0.04 1 Tbps of Apple Compote
$0.20 Coffee Beans
$0.44 Total

Dinner
$0.22 1/2 Cup of White Beans with Sausage
$0.20 Rice
$0.40 Stewed Cabbage
$0.62 Total

Total for the day: $1.94...rolling over $0.06, $3.73 for tomorrow's meals.

Here's another bonus picture...tonight's "study area." I usually head to a local coffee shop but decided to stay at home...Pay attention to the flashlight on the bedside table...not quite sure why it's there...

Here's how George did.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #11: Day 5 Recap

Still no camera, still no matter because I've been eating nothing but leftovers. I'm starting to actively dread mealtimes due to the damned stewed cabbage. Could be worse tho, right? At least I have food to eat. Having said that, I can't wait until I can cook (and eat!) something new...definitely making smaller portions next time...

Breakfast:
$0.19 Oatmeal
$0.04 Cranberries
$0.02 Milk
$0.25 Total

Lunch:
$0.43 White Beans w/Sausage
$0.15 Rice
$0.05 Miso Broth
$0.63 Total

Dinner:
$0.40 Cabbage
$0.20 Rice
$0.60 Total

$1.48 Total, rolling over $0.52 so $3.82 for tomorrow's meals.

edit: had a little snack when i got home: $0.05 in rice, $0.05 in miso broth, $0.05 in sprouts...$3.67 for tomorrow's meals.

Here's how George did.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #10: Day 4 Recap

My mom loves to use parables as teaching tools. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of a particularly good one:

There was once an extremely rich Chinaman. Such was his wealth that his table was always set with a bounty of food. He would eat his fill, the rest of the food would be thrown away and the process would repeat with the next meal. Much food was wasted. Eventually, his wealth disappeared and he found himself living on the streets. An unsuccessful beggar, he was extremely hungry. Fortunately, he happened upon a fellow homeless man who seemed to have a surfeit of rice. The generous homeless man shared some of his rice and the formerly rich man exclaimed "This rice is magnificent! Wherever did you find it?" The other beggar said, "Why, this rice used to be yours! You wasted so much food that it has kept our bellies full for quite sometime!" Upon hearing this, the formerly rich man became extremely embarrassed at his lavish lifestyle and killed himself.

Great story, eh? I'm not quite sure what the lesson is but I relay it only to help explain why I REFUSE to throw away any stewed cabbage even though I'm really sick of eating it. I will power through the remaining portions so if I am ever a homeless San Franciscan, I won't feel obligated to kill myself after dining on my own leftovers.

Anyhow, here's how I did:

Breakfast:
1 cup of oatmeal- $0.19
2 tbps of cranberry sauce- $0.04
1/8th cup of milk- $0.02
Total- $0.25

Lunch:
$0.08 in Bean Sprouts
$0.20 Rice
$0.40 Stewed Cabbage
$0.04 Miso Broth
$0.72 Total

Mid-Afternoon Snack
$0.22 White Beans

Dinner
$0.20 Rice
$0.13 Sprouts
$0.20 Cabbage
$0.05 Miso Broth
$0.58 Total

Daily Total- $1.77. Rolling over $0.23. I have $3.30 for tomorrow's meals.
Here's how George did.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #9: Day 3 Recap

Day 3 come and gone. The issue I'm currently facing is that I've made too much cabbage and white beans...I am already looking forward to eating something different.

Still no camera so there are no new pics. However, this isn't necessarily bad because I haven't cooked anything new so you guys aren't missing out on anything exciting. Here's a small brag...I was able to get this camera for $147.00. I know, doesn't seem like much but consider that the $147 includes a 1 gig memory card, a protective carrying case, tax and 3 day shipping and you can see why I'm excited. That and I now own a camera...no more mooching off of other people!

A small wrinkle to the rules. Remember how George and I each had one exception? George was allowed protein shakes and I was allowed coffee shop coffee? Well, those exceptions didn't apply to the other person so when I learned that George drank some coffee shop coffee (cheater!), we revised the rules so he wouldn't exceed his daily limit and end the contest. We decided that we are both allowed dietary supplement shakes and coffee shop coffee.

Also, my impression is that I am taking this contest more seriously than George is. I'm counting/pricing every morsel and measuring everything that I put into my mouth whereas he seems to be more casual about things. When I told him how I am pricing everything that passes down my gullet, the expression on his face and his subsequent flippant comment told me everything I needed to know. I can honestly say that I have neither taken a single bite nor cooked with an ingredient that was not properly accounted for. I even text messaged him to find out if we were counting breath mints and gum! I am debating whether or not to continue on with my current rigor.

If I lose (I'm not going to, btw) I will at least have moral superiority on my side. Haha.

Here's what I had:
Breakfast:
1 cup of oatmeal- $0.19
2 tbps of cranberry sauce- $0.04 (This is much, MUCH better than the apples...the tartness of the berries really perks up the whole bowl. I am going to see if I can make some sort of ghetto fruit crumble with the apple compote.)
1/8th cup of milk- $0.01
Total- $0.24

Mid-Morning Snack
1 cup of miso broth, basically miso soup sans tofu- $0.10
1/8th cup of spicy, Korean soybean sprouts- $0.07
Rice- $0.10
Total- $0.27

Early Afternoon Snack
1 cup of white beans with sausage- $0.43

Dinner-
1 1 cup serving of cabbage- $0.40
1 serving of rice- $0.15
1 bite of flan- $0.05
Total- $0.60

Daily Total- $1.54 leaving me $0.46 to rollover.
Combined with yesterday's rollover, I have $3.10 ($3.07 when corrected for the milk) for tomorrow's food. At this rate, pork or chicken liver might be on the weekend menu...

Here's how George did...

We also have a correction to our milk cost. It is actually $0.16 per cup so I have reflected the rollover to accommodate the correct price.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #8: Day 2 Recap

Eating dinner right now...no digital camera so no pic.

Dinner consists of:
$0.10 worth of rice
$0.28 in miso soup...this is the last, I'll have to make more tomorrow.
$0.43 in white beans with sausage. Recipe isn't up, will be soon.
Total- $0.81

Lunch consisted of:
$0.28 in miso soup
$0.15 worth of rice
$0.20 in stewed cabbage.
Total- $0.63

Breakfast-
This has already been posted here.
$0.29

If everything holds, I will end the day at $1.73 or $0.27 below the limit. Add yesterday's rollover dollars and I have $2.69 available for tomorrow's meals.

Most of you are probably wondering, jeez, are you full? Are you getting enough to eat? Do you miss meat? Yes, yes, no. Yep, I feel full. In fact, after lunch, I was positively STUFFED. Am also pretty full right now...gotta love soup! Don't really miss meat. I get enough here and there to satisfy my urges and it doesn't hurt that I'm not the sort of guy who craves a big, bloody steak. Let's put it this way: I'd rather eat a well-prepared mostly vegetarian dish than a well-prepared meat-based dish any day of the week.

Anyhow, one last picture for the day, I was able to rescue it from the camera. Anyone wanna guess what I made as a side dish? Joo? James, get Joo to take a guess?
edit: bite of flan. -$0.05, $2.64 for tomorrow.

Here's how George did.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #7: Breakfast

I figured I should dedicate a post to breakfast as oatmeal is what I'm looking at for the next few weeks.

First of all, don't make this noobish mistake.
Yep, the Safeway oatmeal is $1.60/lb while the organic stuff from the local health food store is $0.99/lb. Arghhh, I should have realized that Safeway wasn't the best option but oh well. I can eat it after this food challenge is over.

So here's breakfast:
1 Cup of Oats- $0.19
1/4 Cup of Milk- $0.02
2 tbps of apple compote- $0.08
Total $0.29

Apple Compote

Oatmeal is pretty blah stuff so I thought about what I could do to jazz it up. Fruit jams, syrups and the like immediately came to mind and whenever I go shopping, I can't help but notice how cheap apples are so I settled on an apple compote. (I also have a bag of cranberries but that's for another post.)

This is ridiculously easy. Peel and core 8 apples. I used fuji's and granny smith apples. It's nice to use multiple varieties because they have different flavors and textures when cooked. Makes for a more interesting end result. Cut into chunks. I tried to use my roommate's apple peeler-corer thingy but results were unsatisfactory. Maybe I incorrectly set it up.
Still, a pretty neat tool.

Melt half a stick of butter in a pan and add a few tablespoons of brown sugar. I am using Indonesian palm sugar because it's what we had on hand. I could've used white, refined sugar but palm sugar has a more interesting flavor. Allow the butter and sugar to melt together. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil and reduce down a bit...is should slightly thicken. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Add in the apples, a few pinches of salt and your choice of brown spices. I used nutmeg, five spice powder and cinnamon. Season to taste.


Bring back to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the apples are extremely tender. I actually used a potato masher to hammer some of mine down. In about 20 minutes, it should be close to done. Allow to cool and store.

Lots of things you can do with this. Top pancakes or waffles with it, pork chops, spread on toast...use it like applesauce. Eat it plain. Eat it with plain, unflavored yogurt or cottage cheese.

The whole pot ended up costing $2.73 or $0.04 per tablespoon.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #6: Day 1 Recap

Okay, here's what I'm eating for dinner:
1 1-cup serving of stewed napa cabbage (hope to have the recipe up sometime tomorrow) $0.40
A serving of rice $0.15
Bowl of miso soup. $0.35
Total cost: $0.90

Didn't really eat lunch...had a 5 cent serving of rice and a 1/2 cup serving of stewed cabbage
Total cost-$0.25

Afternoon snack-
1 slice of toast- $0.10
1 tablespoon of homemade apple compote- $0.04
Total- $0.14

Daily total? $1.29

Since I didn't start this morning, I am going to add in what my breakfast would've cost:
Bowl of Oatmeal- $0.19 (I need to double check this figure, it might be a little high)
Tablespoon of apple compote- $0.04
1/8th of a cup of milk- $0.01
Total- $0.24

$1.29 + $0.24= $1.53. I am rolling over $0.47.

Feeling great right now. Am fully sated and looking forward to cooking more cheap eats tomorrow.

If anyone wants more details on food cost, do ask. I have everything in front of me but don't want to type it all up...seems a bit excessive.
Needless to say, I ain't fibbing on the numbers. Pretty much everything hit the kitchen scale at some point so my numbers are accurate.

edit: had a bite of flan. say, I brought home a third of the flan cut into two pieces so each wedge was 1/6th of the entire flan. my bite was about 1/10th of a wedge so 1/60th of $3.00 is 5 cents. I am rolling over 42 cents.

here's how George did...click.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #4

Just a note to let you know that the food challenge commences not today but tomorrow. We've delayed it one day because we're having guests today.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #3

I have been giving this food challenge much thought. Here are some of the things I've come up with.

Breakfast: Originally, I'd planned on the usual cereal, milk and coffee. However, I realized that the less processed the product is, the cheaper it should be per serving. Thus, I decided that oatmeal would be cheaper than traditional boxed cereal. Now, oatmeal can be pretty bland stuff so I usually use maple syrup and butter to jazz it up but maple syrup is expensive. Apples are inexpensive so I will be making some caramelized apples (butter, brown sugar and apples) to help improve the flavor of my breakfast. Coffee is a no brainer...must have coffee.

Lunches and Dinners: Beans, rice, lentils, bulgur wheat...I will be building my meals around these substances. I will also be eating as many veggies as possible. The asian market has got TONS of different vegetables for around a dollar a pound. In addition, I will keep a supply of caramelized onions on hand. I will also make a roasted garlic puree as it is delicious and can complement a variety of foods.

More thoughts when I actually start. I really need to start jotting my ideas down b/c I'm inevitably going to forget a few.

$2.00/day Food Challenge Post #2

An anonymous poster stated that the elimination of animal proteins was unhealthy. I decided to do some research into the matter.

I Googled "Dietary Guidelines" and was directed to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' website. From there, I clicked on Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. I headed straight to the USDA Food Guide. Do you know what I discovered? Lean meat and beans are in the SAME food group! It gets better. I'm just going to do a direct quote: "Meat and beans - The following each count as 1 ounce-equivalent: 1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg; ¼ cup cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 Tbsp peanut butter; ½ ounce nuts or seeds."

Very interesting. It would appear that I have many, many options when it comes to replacing the nutrients found in meat. However, I'd like to hear what the rest of you have to say. Are there any nutritionists or dietitians lurking amongst my cyber-readers? Please speak up!