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@mh330: I cut pieces of fried bread off the edges, then dip it into the runny egg yolk. Though usually I make this with normal thickness bread (unlike pictured), and cut a bigger hole. The centre gets panfried along with everything else as an extra egg-yolk-dipping implement.

There's a simpler substitute for chocolate mousse without all the eggs: chocolate chantilly. It's honestly the most intense chocolate 'mousse' I've ever had, and made it in

200ml water (yes, water.)
225g/8oz dark chocolate.

Melt both in a double boiler, then fill the bottom of the double boiler (or another large bowl) with ice+water, and whip until it forms stiff peaks.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chocolatechantilly_74864.shtml)

It sounds like a show they broadcast on FN Canada called "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry" where each episode the hosts take a typical recipe served at a restaurant, and make it healthier.
After they tweak the recipe, they show a side-by-side comparison of calories, grams of salt, grams of fat, and grams of fibre between the original and their version.
They also go to the restaurant itself, and do a taste-test with customers, seeing what version they prefer.

@thomassweet: I agree about the large portion sizes.
The last time I ventured beyond the 49th parallel into Seattle, three of us split one entree "open faced sandwich" (two of the diners were even perma-hungry guys).

Said open faced sandwich involved two thick slices of bread each topped with 3 quarter-inch slices of turkey and a lot of melted cheese. Then a mountain of mashed potatoes and gravy on one side, and some sauteed veg on the other.

Tasty, but the portion size was ridiculous.

I live alone, and I tend to tag along with family or friends who borrow their mom/dad's card probably once every month or two.

Here's what I tend to pick up:

- Eggs: Omega-3 eggs (I prefer the taste of the yolks) are $5 for 36. Since they come in two packs of 18, I'll split the package with the person I'm shopping with.
- Lemons: Produce stores usually sell 2 lemons for $1, rarely 3 for $1. For $4, Costco has a sack of lemons, probably 15~20. They keep very well, and I use them for almost everything -- adding brightness to dishes, flavouring drinking water, cleaning/deodorizing, etc.
- Whole almonds (unroasted, unsalted): A 1.3kg bag is costs ~$13, compared to the $5 little tubs I find in supermarkets or the one little bulk/scoop-into-baggies store around here.
- Berries: When they have them, they're often the same borderline insipid imported branded berries that the markets carry, but half the price. But berry season up here doesn't start until about June, so I make do with these.
- Flour: I bought 20lbs once, and store the sack in a closet. For the same amount of money I could have gotten 5lbs anywhere else. Reminds me that I should pick up some more soon. Baking bread means I go through that stuff quick...
- Meat: Sometimes I'll pick up a side of salmon or a box of chicken pieces to freeze in smaller portions. There are only marginal savings though.
- Non-food items: contact lens solution, vitamins, socks...

I think what I'd do is go heavy on the lemon/lime, add some salt, maybe a little bit of sherry vinegar...

Ooh! I just had an idea. If you have Chinese dried shrimp or dried scallops around, you could steep a small amount in some boiling water and use the "broth". That'd get you the slight fishiness.

About factoring in the cost of labour: I make most of my bread from scratch. Usually I spend 15~30 minutes working on bread while it does its own thing for a few hours (or days). BUT it's not like I'm taking time off to bake -- it's time I would have spent watching TV or browsing the internet. That time isn't really "worth" anything to me as I wouldn't have been paid otherwise.

It would be a different story if I were baking for profit.

Once I cut open an avocado I thought was ripe, but it was rather solid inside. I just put the two halves back together and used a tiny bit of masking tape to tape them together. Stuck that on top of my fruit bowl for the day, full of apples and a banana or two, and it ripened up with minimal grossness.