#foodstampchallenge Saturday Summary & Thoughts

Saturday started out great. We made a couple nice omelets with 4 eggs, some of the ham and a few sliced of sweet pepper and diced onion. Total cost about $1.25. Then we went crazy and drove out to Atlantic City. Not exactly a food stamp friendly move, eh? (I did hit my first ever royal flush on video poker at Revel so maybe it was meant to be.)

If we had stayed home, we would have eaten the last two servings of leftovers, the frittata and eggplant pasta, for lunch and a potato curry with rice for dinner. So now we'll have the last of the leftovers for Sunday "late lunch" and depending on how hungry we are the potato curry for a late supper. Because we skipped Saturday's food stamp lunch, we still have two apples one of which might turn into some sort of chutney for the curry.

This has been quite a process and we made quite a few mistakes. What I thought was good planning carried an unconscious assumption that I could run out and buy whatever I happened to need if I forgot something. Including a variety of foods, especially protein, was far more difficult than I imagined and although I though I'd done pretty well at that the leftovers did indeed prove boring.

Shopping at our two local supermarkets was a mixed blessing. I was able work the sale brochures pretty well but the lack of bulk options for things like legumes meant my main protein sources were repeated doses of chicken and eggs. In addition I should have exercised the Fair Food Farmstand double dollars deal for it's full value. They have, for example, a locally sourced beef bologna that, while relatively expensive, could have been "free" with their $10 in matching food. That would have provided a savory boost to weekday lunches that the relatively bland ham did not.

Interestingly, we have quite a bit of food left. There are a few mushrooms, some potatoes, 2 chicken leg quarters, a whole loaf of bread, a little ham, half a pound of rice, two apples, scallions, and most of a celery. That could probably stretch to two more dinners (for two) and a lunch.

#foodstampchallenge Sunday Brunch

After running off the rails on Saturday, it's time to finish up the challenge with a little style. So we slept in and made brunch with the rest of our eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, the last of the peppers and half an onion: Mushroom Omelet and Sauteed Vegetables.

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 sweet green pepper, diced
Handful mushrooms, sliced
3 eggs
Milk
Salt, pepper to taste

Method

Prepare the vegetables as shown

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat and add the potatoes. Redce the heat to medium and cook covered until the potatoes begin to brown. Turn the potatoes over and continue to cook covered until they are nicely browned and begin to soften.

Meanwhile, fry the mushroom slices in a little butter until they soften and give up their water.

Transfer the potatoes to a plate and dump all  the remaining vegetables into the pan. Add a little more oil if necessary. Saute the vegetables until the begin to soften and the onions start to color a little. Return the potatoes to the pan, mix well, cover and remove from heat.

Whisk the eggs with a couple tablespoons of milk. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a 9" non-stick pan until the foam subsides. Pour in the eggs and shake the pan in a circular motion, tipping from side to side until the omelet begins to form. When the eggs are almost done scatter the mushrooms ove the top third of the omelet and fold over. Flip the omelet over and allow to settle off heat for a few minutes.

Divide the vegetables and omelet and serve.

Cost:

Potatoes - $1.00
Onion - $0.80
Peppers $1.00
Mushrooms - $0.00
Eggs: $0.51
Total: $3.31/$1.66 per serving

#foodstampchallenge Friday Dinner

Friday dinner was chicken vegetable soup. The chicken broth came, of course, from the All Purpose Poached Chicken we made on Sunday night.

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lb potatoes diced
1/2 lb carrots diced
1/2 large onion cut in larger dice
1/2 lb mushrooms rinsed and halved or quartered depending on size

Method

Prepare the vegetables as described.

Place chicken broth in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the carrots and let simmer until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook another 10 minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until all the vegetables are done.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can add whatever else you have to this soup and it will only get better. One of the best additions would be any type of dried beans (soaked the night before) as they pack a huge nutritional wallop.

Cost:

Potatoes - $1.50
Carrots - $0.50
Onion - $0.80
Mushrooms - $0.00
Broth - $0.00
Total $2.80 - $1.40/serving

#foodstampchallenge Thursday Wrapup

Bill                             Beth                    

Breakfast 
2 Toast & Butter      $0.38      Cereal & Milk      $0.34
Milk                  $0.23

Lunch
Office Meeting                   Eggplant Pasta     $1.25
                                 Banana             $0.33

Dinner
Tuna Curry        $1.39          Chicken Frittata   $1.39

Total             $2.00                             $3.31          

Today we had a team lunch meeting that couldn't be dodged so that threw things off a bit. Beth is now officially tired of leftovers although I did point out that I bought the ham specifically to break up the leftover parade.

Tonight we'll use some of that chicken broth from Sunday's poached chicken and make soup with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and pasta.

#foodstampchallenge Wednesday Wrapup

Wednesday was tough. I got up too late to put together breakfast, then the darn TastyCake people were handing out free mini-donuts... So I drank a lot of water and by lunch things were back on track. We ate:

Bill                         Beth                  

Breakfast 
 ------                       Cereal & Milk    $0.34
Lunch
Ham Sandwich      $1.22       Chicken Salad    $1.03
Banana            $0.33       Banana           $0.33

Dinner
Chicken Frittata  $1.39       Chicken Frittata $1.39

Total             $2.94                        $3.09                                    

So we made it another day.

Thoughts:

I though the ham sandwich was going to be a good way to break up the monotony of leftovers for lunch. It turned out to be incredibly boring. After a morning in the office 'fridge it's texture had become completely uniform and there was no real differentiation of flavors. In retrospect I shouldl have warmed it up in the microwave.

That's it. On to Thursday!

#foodstampchallenge Wednesday Dinner

Day three is almost over. Tonight we used up the chicken meat we didn't use for chicken salad in a big frittata. It makes 4 servings, so we're good to go with leftovers for lunch for the rest of the challenge.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
6-8 oz. diced chicken
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs grated cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and turn on the broiler.

Heat a large frying pan over high heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom. Carefully add in the potatoes and shake the pan to distribute them evenly. Reduce the heat to medium low cover the pan and cook for about 5  minutes. Carefully remove the cover and flip the potatoes. You want to start seeing some color on 'em.

Repeat the process until the potatoes are mostly nice and brown. Season with salt a pepper to taste.

Add the onions and mix thoroughly, cover and let cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened.

Add the peppers and repeat the onion process. If the bottom seems to be getting dry add a little more oil. Watch the heat as well - regulate as needed to keep things from burning.

Add the garlic and mix well, let the mixture cook for a few minutes.

Combine the eggs, milk and parsley and whip with a fork until the eggs are a uniform color.

Off the heat pour the egg mixture over the potato mixture in the pan and tip the pan to distribute it evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the frittata and place it under the broiler.

Broil the frittata until the top is golden brown and slightly puffed up

Divide into 4 sections and serve.

Total Cost $5.56/$1.39 per serving

#foodstampchallenge - Monday: Penne w/Eggplant

Adapted from @mariobatali this is one of the most expensive recipes I'll make during the challenge. But it makes eight servings with about 490 calories and 7 grams of fiber each. The official Mario version can be found at Penne al Forno con Melanzane. I've reduced the amount of olive oil used by baking the eggplant rather than frying it (as suggested in the corresponding TV episode) and used plain bottled tomato sauce instead of making Mario's Basic Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients

2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (about 2 medium eggplant)
4 Tbs (approx.) Olive oil
1 pound penne
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated caciocavallo or pecorino fresco (not the hard dry kind)
4 or 5 sprigs fresh Basil
Salt & Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and stack them in a colander. Top with a plate and weight it down with a brick or a big can of tomatoes. Let them sit for at least an hour, then rinse and pat dry. Brush the slices on both sides lightly with olive oil, distribute in one layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned.

Cook the penne according to package directions but cut the cooking time in half, about 5 minutes. Drain and  toss with 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce.

So It Doesn't Stick

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan with olive oil and pour in just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with half the bread crumbs and a little salt and pepper. (The pan in the pictures is actually 10x15 so things are a little spread out.)

Half Way There

Spread half the pasta on the breadcrumbs and top with half of the eggplant. Cover with half the remaining tomato sauce and half of the cheese and half the basil.

Repeat with the remaining pasta and eggplant then spread on the remaining tomato sauce, cheese, breadcrumbs and torn Basil leaves. Drizzle 2 Tbs olive oil over the top and bake for 1 hour.

30 Minutes to Go!

Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Incidentally, those keeping score at home may recall that my shopping list didn't have eggplant or tomato sauce on it but it did have $6.98 of budget remaining. On the way home this evening I stopped at Superfresh and bought:

1.95 lbs eggplant                    $2.91

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce             $2.00

1 lb rice                            $1.55

                                     =====

                                     $6.46

So now we're done - whatever food we have has to last through Sunday.

#foodstampchallenge - Monday Lunch

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Chicken Salad In the Buff

So... remember that chicken I poached? Half of it is going into Chicken Salad for Monday lunch. Here's how:

Ingredients:

Half of the poached chicken, diced
1 Celery Stalk diced
2 Scallions sliced into thin rounds
1 Apple peeled, cored and diced (Grapes work well also)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. mustard
2 sprigs Fresh Parsley chopped
2 sprigs Basil or other fresh herb such as tarragon chopped
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Squirt of lemon juice

Method:

Dice the chicken into 1/4" or so dice. You know, the right size for chicken salad... Do the same with the apple and the celery. Slice the scallions (white and half the green parts). Toss the apple with a squirt of lemon juice (bottled or fresh - it doesn't matter).

Dump everything into a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Feel free to add a dash of hot sauce.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

After breakfast divide the chicken salad and make several big sandwiches. Pack an apple and some carrot sticks or maybe a banana and you're good until dinner. And drink water - lots of it - at least a liter every day.

Note: I keep a variety of herbs growing all year. Use about a quarter the listed amount of dried herbs and be sure to rub them between your fingers to release their flavors as you add them.

Update: Total cost for what looks like it will actually be 4 servings is $3.21 - $0.81/ serving

#foodstampchallenge - All Purpose Poached Chicken

This is a super simple recipe that will generate a nice pile of shredded chicken and several quarts of rich chicken broth.

The Ingredients - Ready for the Pot

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Leg Quarters - about 3 pounds - or other meaty, on the bone chicken parts
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 bay leaf
1/2 medium onion
A few sprigs of parsley and thyme
A few black peppercorns

Method:

Rinse the chicken and trim off excess fat. Cut the carrot and celery stalk in half. If you have some cheesecloth, make a little bundle of the herbs and peppercorns.

Put everything into a large pot and cover with about 3-4 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

After about 30 minutes, skim the broth, removing as much scum as possible. Don't worry about the fat at this point.

Continue to cook at a simmer for another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Strain the broth into a clean bowl and let cool. Discard the vegetables and herbs.

When the broth is cool, cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Separate the chicken from the bones and skin, shredding it coarsely. Place the cooled chicken in a food safe container, cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

The next day, skim any congealed fat* from the broth, pour the broth into a clean container, and refrigerate, covered until ready to use.

*Those in training to become a [your ethnic group here] Grand Mother will save the rendered fat in the 'fridge for later use.

Edit: 4:15 PM - my batch yielded just under a pound of shredded chicken and 3 quarts of broth.

#foodstampchallenge - Fair Food Farmstand

A quick planning note to my fellow GPFSC participants:

Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market provides SNAP recipients with double dollars up to $10 per week when they pay with their SNAP card. Challengers can spend up to $20 at F.F.F. and only take a $10 hit on their budget for the week.

Philadelphia Food Stamp Challenge - What Does Food Cost?

While thinking about the GPFSC I realized that I don't know what most of the stuff I buy at the grocery store costs. On the tape from this morning's grocery run:

• 1% Milk - $3.56/gallon ($0.028/oz)
• Store Brand long grain white rice - $3.19/2 pounds
• Whole Wheat Bread - $3.59/1.5 pound loaf -18 slices + 1 end.
• Dry pasta all shapes - $1.59/1 pound box
• Large Eggs - $1.99/dozen ($0.17 each)
• Peeled Italian style Tomatoes - $1.50/28 oz can
• Store Brand Italian style sausage - $3.99/1 lb. package of 5 links
• Sorrento Brand "fresh" Mozzarella - $3.99/8 oz ball.
• Store Brand unsalted butter - $2.99/pound ($0.19/oz)

So from this run I can see breakfast as something like:

• 2 eggs - $0.34 (180 calories/12.6 grams protein)
• 0.5 oz (1 Tbs.) butter to cook the eggs -  $0.095 (50 calories)
• 1 slice toast + 0.5 oz butter - $0.20 + $0.095 (90 + 50 calories, 4 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber)
• 8 oz Milk - $0.23 (110 calories, 8 g. protein)
• Total: $0.96

Not bad on cost at less than a dollar. There are 480 calories there, 24.6 grams protein, and 2 grams dietary fiber. That's roughly a third of the day's protein for a 200 lb. person but less than 6% of daily fiber need (about 35 grams per day is recommended). And a lot of those calories are from fat.

You can make a baked pasta dish from that list using a pound of pasta, 1 can of tomatoes, the mozzarella and the sausage for a total of $11.07. It makes eight large servings at $1.39 each. (I've rounded up the unit costs in all of the examples.) I'm not sure what eggplant costs right now, but you could substitute an eggplant for the sausage for a rather healthier version.

Of course at this point there's no fruit, the only vegetables are tomatoes, and there's about 4 grams of fiber in the bread and pasta (6 grams if eggplant replaces the sausage).

Edit: Eggplant is $1.69 a pound. So a medium sized eggplant would be about $2.50, saving $1.49 and a boatload of fat and calories and adding about 16 grams of fiber.

Philadelphia Food Stamp Challenge 2012

Beth and I have talked about doing this in the past and this year we're going to go for it. The rules are pretty simple: $64.40 for 2 people for a week not including spices and condiments. Our goals (in addition meeting the basic rules) are a little more complicated:

• Make nutritionally sensible meals
• Make interesting meals with as much variety as possible
• Come in under $64.40 for the week

Most of our fellow Philadelphians eat meals that are far too high in fats and far too low in fiber with large servings of animal protein and virtually no vegetables. So we're going to be going for high fiber, relatively low fat (and much of that from olive oil), vegetables, fruit, rational size servings of protein, and all the spices we can work in.

We've got two weeks to plan...