Bulk meat buying at Meat City.

I promised here a little while back that I would post our bulk meat shop from Meat City. We venture down the highway for the 50km drive because of the consistently low prices and great quality.
We do a big stock up once every 3 or 4 months.  If you are reasonably local, do have a look at Meat City's website and sign up to receive their weekly specials.  (I am in no way affiliated with Meat City other than being a regular customer)

This trip's buy produced the following. All of which goes straight in the freezer.
We will not go back until we have eaten all this batch.

The number of a meals is a minimum estimate. I have estimated a minimum of 4-6 serves from each lamb roast ( not including leftover sandwich meat). There is also 500g of "lamb scraps"in the freezer which will be turned into curries.
The chicken wings have been made into 20 serves of soup/stew for lunches.
We buy whole loins and have the butcher cut them into chops.  One of the loins had a really thick layer of fat, so we got the butcher to cut the skin off and score it ready to be made into delicious crackling  (YUMMMM)  As you can see, we paid $7.99/kg. I was in Woolworth's recently and they had pork loin chops on "sale" for $15.99 kg
The T-Bones are quite big, so we only need one between the 2 of us.
Mince gets frozen in 250g portions.
The Eye Fillet was a "buy one - get one free" so averaged out at ~$18.00/kg and has yielded 8 meals.
The beef cheeks are also being made into soup/stew lunches
The price of supermarket meat has been the biggest surprise to me while doing this challenge.  The cheapest red meat I can find in Woolies is mince at $8 or $9 a kilo.  

	price	kg	meals
Lamb
Half Side	$            27.17	3.022	10
Half Side	$            29.06	3.232
Whole Leg	$            33.27	4.164	6
Chicken
Drumsticks	$              6.75	2.258	13
Drumsticks	$              7.58	2.536
Wings	$              3.46	1.740	20
Wings	$              2.47	1.240
Pork
Pickled Pork	$            10.65	2.668	6
Loin Chops	$            21.17	2.650	10
Loin Chops	$            20.31	2.542
Leg Chops	$              8.12	1.628	4
Beef
Mince	$              9.92	1.988	12
Mince	$            10.09	2.022
T-Bone	$            46.75	3.342	8
Eye Fillet	$            34.99	1.984	8
Beef Cheek	$              7.59	0.584	10
Total	$ 279.35	37.600	107
Average price per kilo
=$279.35/37.6kg		$       7.43
Average price per meal ( 2 people)
=$279.35/107		$       2.61

$50 Fortnight Week 2 Days - 1&2

Two days menus here in this post.

I am getting through the food basket I have put aside for these challenges.  I am more than confident that there is plenty of food to last the week.

I am working on the next fortnight's shopping list and menu plan as well.  I am hoping to get these posted in the next day or so.

So, on the last couple of days meals.

Day 1
Breakfast.
Scrambled eggs today.  ( You know I love my eggs )

Lunch
Pasta with Bacon, Tinned Tomato and the last remnants of the packet of mixed vege.

Dinner
Potato Frittata.
I always think that "Frittata" is such a fancy name for what is basically eggy potato bake :)
Most traditional recipes make frittata in a pan and then finish under a hot grill.  While I have made them this way, I invariably end up breaking the frittata trying to turn it out.  I prefer to make the dish in a small casserole dish an oven.

Slice a large potato as finely as possible.
In a jug or bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk and 1 cup of grated cheese.
Butter the bottom of a small oven proof dish and place a layer of potato.
Pour over a little of the egg/cheese mixture. Add another layer of potato.
Repeat.  Make the layers thin, you want lots of layers with a little egg/cheese mix between each layer.
When you have used up all your ingredients ( try to finish with a potato layer.) Dab over a bit of butter and place in a 180 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool a it before running a knife around the edge of the dish and turn out onto a plate.

Day 2

Breakfast
Baked Beans on Toast

Lunch
Leftover Frittata

Dinner
A new recipe that I found online here and adapted to what I had. 
I made this for both the Man of the House and myself and allowed enough left over for a lunch the next day as well.

This is my Roasted Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry on Rice. (serves 2-3)
Cut pumpkin into approximately 2cm cubes ( you want about 3 cups of pumpkin cubes) and place into a hot oven for about 15 minutes or until tender and just starting to brown

Meanwhile, in a pan melt a tablespoon of butter and sautee off a diced onion and a level tablespoon of curry powder. Add a tin of undrained chickpeas.  
Stir until the liquid comes to the boil, then lower the heat until the liquid reduces to a "saucy" consistency.
Add in the roasted pumpkin, stirring gently so as to not break up the pieces.

Serve on rice.

This is going to be a very versatile recipe.  For those not on as strict budget as $25 per week, add chicken, meatballs or even sausages cut into pieces the same size as the pumpkin. Some baby spinach leaves would be good added and allowed to wilt down just before you add the pumpkin.
Top with a good dollop of sour cream or yogurt

Weekly Wrap Up

We have come to the end of another week.

I won't attempt to do two weeks together again,  I totally messed up a lot of that and mixed some days and ingredients :(

At the end of the first part of the $50 fortnight, if you followed the actual menu.

you should have plenty of ingredients leftover for week 2 menu.

By the end of this week we should have had another week of satisfying meals and be starting to build some pantry staples.

We should have....
1/2 bag of pasta
1/2 bag of rice
1/2 of our block of cheese ( 250 g)
Most of a loaf of bread
1/2 box of frozen spinach
Curry Powder
1/2 packet of Taco Seasoning
A couple of carrots
A couple of onions

Please follow along next week and see how we go :-)


Comments I have had recently have asked for recipes for some dishes.
I will start to compile a cookbook that I will put into the downloads section.
I am very much a "throw it all in and hope for the best" cook, but I will do my best to write out some legible instructions. :-)

Quite a few times over the past couple of weeks I have served the budget menu dishes to the "Man of the House" as well as myself.  He has often said "That is not your $25 menu" when it actually has been.   Some of  tricks to making a dish not so "budget" are (I think) ; in no particular order. 

• Presentation.. We do eat with our eyes first, so a clean plate and food arranged nicely makes a good start. A pop of colour even in the form of a few grated carrot strips or a couple of salad leaves can lift an otherwise boring looking meal into something that resembles a more expensive dish.
• Size.   Now on a budget we are watching portion sizes purely from the fact that a large serve costs more. Some sneaky size stretching can be spreading a layer of mashed potato out over the plate instead of serving a small compact mound.  Grate or finely slice vegetables rather than large chunks.  Try to add air.. My souffle omelette for instance uses just ONE egg but fills the plate ( and the belly) possibly even more than 2 eggs on toast.
• Heat.  Have ever noticed how a hot meal fills you more than a cold one?  That is one reason why I will often toast a sandwich or have a hot lunch rather than meat a salad.
  Same ingredients, just add heat.

$50 fortnight Week 1- Days 6&7 $25 menu Week 3 Days 6&7

Hello to all my lovely followers.

This is another catch up post to bring us up to the end of last week.

$50 menu Day 6

Breakfast
Baked Beans on Toast

Lunch
Left Over Tex Mex Rice Slice

Dinner
Chicken , vege and pasta

$50 Menu - Day 7

Breakfast
Poached Eggs on Toast

Lunch
Cheese Salad Sandwich

Dinner
Tuna Filled Spud

25 menu  Day 6

Breakfast
Porridge
Lunch 
Cheesy Pasta Bake.
This turned out really yummy.  
In a pot I boiled 1/2 cup of pasta and 1/2 cup of mixed vege until not
quite cooked ( about 6 minutes)
In a separate pan I sauteeed a bit of onion in some butter and
then added about a 1/4 of a cup of milk and the last of the cheese sauce satchet.
Stir until a thick sauce is made.
Pour the cheese over the drained pasta and vege.
I then placed a few slices of tomato into the bottom of a buttered dish
and loaded the cheesy pasta mix over.  Press down firmly and bake in a
180 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Allow to cool a little before running knife around the outside and turning out
onto a plate.  Serve with salad if desired.
Dinner
Filled Spud
This spud just had vege cheese and bacon.

$25 menu  Day 7
Breakfast
Baked Beans on Toast

Lunch
Tuna, vege and pasta in soup/sauce
Boil up the pasta and veges until al dente.
Drain and add the tuna and a cup-a-soup made up
in less water so it forms a sauce.

Dinner
Bacon and Cheese Burger

$50 fortnight Week1 - Day 5 and Week 3 - Day 5

$50 Fortnight Week 1 - Day 5

Breakfast
Souffle Omelette
I really enjoy souffle omelettes. The fluffiness of the eggy mixture coupled with a bit of cheese and veges is just a joy to start the day with :-)  It just seems so much more than 1 egg.

Lunch
Quiche.
If I had given this day's meal plan more thought, I would not have quiche after having eggs for breakfast.

Dinner 
"Tex Mex Rice Slice"
I invented this combination a week or so ago when I discovered the range of rice and pasta sachets in Woolworths.  One of the rice varieties is Mexican Rice.   I loved the idea of having beef with it, but Mince is expensive from the supermarket so I did not think I was going to be able to do this until I could build up a stockpile.  Then I found the Meat Sauce. :)   So my Tex Mex Rice Slice was born.

Recipe (using the Mexican Rice sachet)
In a pot, make up the rice as per the instructions. 
Once the rice has finished cooking, allow to cool slightly.
Microwave or boil a cup of mixed veges.  Add to the cooked rice along with
1/2 cup or so of meat sauce.
Add in 2 eggs which have been lightly beaten.
Mix well and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-20 minutes. 
or until well set.
Allow to cool a little before cutting and serving with salad.

OR
Recipe  ( using plain white rice and a sachet of Taco Seasoning)
In a pot, melt 2 teaspoons of butter, add rice and stir until the rice is well coated in butter.
Add 1/2 packet of  Taco Seasoning mix stir well to combine all.
Add 300ml of water and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer until the rice is cooked.

Once the rice has finished cooking, allow to cool slightly.
Microwave or boil a cup of mixed veges.  Add to the cooked rice along with
1/2 cup or so of meat sauce.
Add in 2 eggs which have been lightly beaten.
Mix well and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-20 minutes. 
or until well set.
Allow to cool a little before cutting and serving with salad.

I am going to make this again with brown rice and minced beef.  It would be really lovely served with avocado and a good dollop of sour cream.

$25 Menu Week 3  - Day 5

Breakfast
Porridge ( Again i don't cook this)

Lunch
"Pizza"
Bread spread with a bit of the tomato sauce from
the tin of baked beans then topped with  chopped bacon, onion and cheese.
Grill until the cheese is melted and everything is hot.

Dinner
Tuna Rissoles withe Vege and Salad.

$50 fortnight Week1 - Day 4 and Week 3 - Day 4

I am posting twice today as I seem to have lost a day and am getting myself confused :(

I am having meals from both meal plans and getting myself in an all mighty mess.  I twill be easier when I go back to just one menu plan :)

$50 menu  Week 1 - Day 4

Breakfast
Poached Eggs on Toast

Lunch
Mince and Vege on toast.
This was a few tablespoons of the delicious Campbells Meat Sauce and a cup of mixed vege.
Heat until nice and hot and serve on hot buttered toast.

Dinner
Quiche

$25 menu   Week 3 - Day 4

This is where I have confused the plan :(

So to bring things back on track I will swap around some of the days meals but each meal is from the $25 Week 3 Menu.

Breakfast

Beans on Toast

Lunch

Chicken and Vege Pasta cooked in Soup.

You may remember this from a previous week.  Adding a standard cup-a-soup to what would be a pretty bland dish, adds a good hit of flavour.
Cup-a-soup sachets are a great idea as a meal base or simple sauce.  Simply use less water to get the consistency you require

Dinner

Tuna Rissoles with Vege and Salad.

$50 fortnight Week1 - Day 3 and Week 3 - Day 3

$50 fortnight Week 1 - Day 3

Breakfast
Baked Beans on Toast

Lunch
Toasted Cheese Sandwich

Dinner
Stuffed Spud.
Today I had my spud stuffed with  mixed vege and a couple of tablespoons of
Campbells Spaghetti Sauce with Beef.  

OMG it was tasty.  When I was making it, 
I had thought that if I wasn't sticking to the budget, I would have added cheese, but on tasting it, I am glad I didn't add the cheese, I did not need it at all.  Maybe a shave of Parmesan, but cheddar would have done nothing to greatly enhance the flavour.

Recipe:
Stand your potato up in a collar of foil to stop it rolling around.  I use half a large-ish potato because I like the ease of getting the baked flesh out.  
Cut some slices into the raw potato and dab over a bit of butter. The cuts help the butter to permeate through the cooking spud.  
Once the potato is tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. 
 Scoop the flesh out with a spoon and gently mash, add in some cooked vege and a couple of spoonfuls of meat sauce.  
Pile everything back into the shell and pop back in the oven until heated through.  
Serve on a bed of salad.

$25 Menu Week 3 - Day 3

Breakfast
Beans

Lunch
Cheese and salad Sandwich

Dinner
Roasted Chicken Piece with Vege and cheese sauce.

I am really liking this packet cheese sauce.  I probably would bother to make a regular cheese sauce normally.  I would go with gravy.  But this packet is cheesy enough and is just as easy to make as packet gravy.  I think it might just find a regular place in my pantry.

To make this dish, I used a chicken thigh and put some butter directly under the skin.  I do this with whole chickens when I roast them, makes the chicken nice and moist and the skin all lovely and crispy.  My roast chicken was served on a bed of steamed mixed vege and the cheese sauce drizzled around. (Do you like how I got all "Master Chef" with my plating up here.  :-)   )

$50 fortnight Week1 - Day 2 and Week 3 - Day 2

I will diarise both meal plans into one post each day. Otherwise you will all get mightily sick of multiple posts. :)


$50 fortnight Week 1 - Day 2

Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs on Toast
Cup of Tea

Lunch
Leftover Chicken Carbonara from last night

Dinner
Tuna Rissoles with Vegetables Served with Salad
These were super tasty.
In a pot boil a small potato and a 1/2 cup of mixed vege.
When tender, remove for the heat and mash well with nothing added ( no butter or milk) 
You want quite a dry mixture.  When the mash has cooled down enough to handle, add a 100g of tuna and mix gently ( you don't want to break up the tuna too much.  
Form into patties and refrigerate until firm.   
Cook over a medium heat in butter until golden and heted through.
Serve on a bed of salad

.





Week 3 -  Day 2

I realised too late that there are two Pasta dished here. :(
I don't like that lack of variety.

Breakfast
Baked Beans on Toast

Lunch
Leftover Bacon Carbonara from last night

Dinner
Chicken, Veges and Pasta in Soup

Snack
Cake and Lemonade