At ShopRite, naturally raised Australian beef isn't created equal

Clayton's 100% Organic Ground Beef, which is free of harmful antibiotics, is one of the two brands of naturally raised Australian beef available at ShopRite. 

Three 1-pound packages of Clayton's 100% Organic Ground Beef often go on sale for $4.99 each at the Paramus ShopRite, 224 Route 4 east.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

ShopRite supermarkets in five states, including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, sell two brands of naturally raised Australian beef.

The cooperative probably is the biggest retailer of organic and free-range, grass-fed beef outside of Whole Foods Market.

Grass-fed Australian beef is said to be leaner and to have fewer calories than American beef.

In addition, Australian beef boasts of containing more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in salmon and other fish.

The United States is the second-biggest market for beef from Australia after Japan.

Nature's Reserve beef -- which is marketed as free range and 100% grass fed -- was the first Australian brand sold at ShopRite, usually in a whole beef tenderloin for filet mignon that retails for several dollars a pound less than the same domestic cut.

Although I no longer eat beef, other members of the family enjoy this cut thinly sliced, grilled on the stove-top and eaten wrapped in red-leaf lettuce leaves, a home version of Korean cook-on-the table barbecue restaurants. 

Nature's Reserve beef once was marketed as antibiotic free.

See the Nature's Reserve Web site:

'Good for the animals, good for the land'  


New beef in town

At the end of 2012, ShopRite introduced antibiotic-free Australian beef raised on organic farms and sold under the Clayton's brand name.

Clayton's 100% Organic Beef is raised on organic grass, organic sorghum and organic corn, all of which are free of genetically modified organisms.

See the Clayton's Organic Web site:

'Beef the way it used to be'

Nature's Reserve 100% Grass Fed Beef usually sells for $4.99 a pound at the Paramus ShopRite, above and below. Nature's Reserve markets meat raised on many Australian farms.

Clayton's Organic Beef also is available as Top Round London Broil, above, and as steaks.

Nature's Reserve beef often goes on sale for as little as $5.99 a pound.

How your neighborhood ShopRite can be a big pain in the neck

On Monday, I had the gall to return one of the two boxes of Moroccan Clementines I bought on sale at ShopRite in Paramus, above, but the store responded with a Catch-22.

Editor's note: The shopping experience and return policies at ShopRite and Costco Wholesale couldn't be more different. Today, I discuss trying to return fruit without a receipt to the Paramus ShopRite, and the generous cash rebates at my Hackensack warehouse store.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I returned a box of discolored and misshapen clementines to ShopRite in Paramus, but because I didn't have a receipt I received a store credit, not a refund.

On Monday, the customer service employee scanned my PricePlus store card and confirmed that, on Feb. 27, I had purchased two 5-pound boxes of Roxy Clementines from Morocco on sale for $3.99 each.

But I was told that without a receipt, I could only receive a store credit of $3.99 on a slip of paper.

Not only that, but if I couldn't find an item for the exact amount of the credit, I wouldn't get any change.

I looked and looked and finally found 1.5-quart packages of Friendly's Ice Cream on sale for $1.99 each or two for $3.98.

Would you believe the cashier actually had to call over a supervisor to approve giving me back the penny? 

I returned these sorry looking clementines to ShopRite in Paramus, 224 Route 4 east, below.

The Paramus ShopRite is on the way home from my gym and closer to me than the ShopRite on South River Street in Hackensack.

Costco's cash rebates

As an executive member of Costco Wholesale in Hackensack, I don't need a receipt to return an item.

In addition, shopping with the True Earnings credit card from Costco and American Express returns cash rebates at the warehouse store, as well as at restaurants (2% back), gas stations (3% to 4% back) and other businesses (1% back).

I have two True Earnings cards, one personal and one business.

Last month, I received American Express rebate checks totaling about $330 -- three times the annual cost of the Costco executive membership ($110).

I also will be receiving a rebate check from Costco equal to 2% of what I spent in the past year.

Now, Costco Wholesale has announced that it is ending its exclusive relationship with American
Express and, beginning in April 2016, will be partnering with Citigroup and Visa.

It remains to be seen whether the Visa credit card will offer cash rewards of up to 4% outside Costco, as the American Express card does. 

Another American Express card, Blue Cash Everyday, returns a 3% cash rebate on groceries at ShopRite and other supermarkets, but not on food purchased at warehouse stores.

On Monday afternoon, I picked up a prescription at the Costco Wholesale pharmacy in Hackensack, and did some food shopping -- organic bananas (3 pounds for $1.99); fresh wild Atlantic cod fillets ($7.99 a pound), Anjou Pears and Kashi Bars. But the cashier didn't have enough money to cover the $171 in change from my rebate check, and I had to wait about 10 minutes for a supervisor to deliver $200 to her. A woman behind me also had a big rebate check, and was told to get in another check-out line.

Chinese New Year food delivery, taking comfort in sweet potatoes

On Sunday night, as snow fell, we belatedly celebrated the Year of the Sheep, which began Feb. 19, with delivery from Lotus Cafe in Hackensack, including a special Chinese New Year Dinner of fresh fish and snow pea leaves.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Another snowstorm put a damper on our Sunday night plans to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.

Luckily, we live within the restaurant's delivery zone, and I picked up the phone and placed our order.

We ordered one Year of the Sheep Special (hold the lamb), a four-course meal for $29.95, and supplemented that with three other dishes.

A second helping of Lotus Cafe fish and vegetables, without brown rice, included snow pea leaves, Chinese broccoli and crunchy snow peas and water chestnuts.

Our Chinese New Year Special, a fixed-priced four-course meal, included a Lobster Spring Roll and Chinese mustard.

Fish, vegetables, brown rice

For the Chinese New Year Special, I chose Hot and Sour Seafood Soup and Flounder with Snow Pea Leaves.

Other entree choices were filet mignon, duck either of two ways or jumbo shrimp.

For an appetizer, we got a Lobster Spring Roll and Grilled Chicken Skewers. Dessert was ice cream.

We also ordered Beef with Mustard Greens and Chili Pepper ($14.95), Prawns with crunchy Snow Peas ($16.95) and Chinese Broccoli with fresh garlic ($9.95).

All of the food was delicious, and I washed it down with the bottle of Yuengling Original Black & Tan beer I was planning to take to the Hackensack Avenue BYO.

And we have leftovers for breakfast and dinner today.

Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, in the Home Depot Shopping Center; 201-488-7070. BYO.

I boiled three large sweet potatoes from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack (a 6.5-pound bag was $5.79), and fistfuls of peeled Christopher Ranch Monviso Garlic (a 3-pound bag was $6.39) to mash with extra-virgin olive oil and a multitude of seasoning, including sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and curry powder.

Sweet potatoes are less starchy

Sweet potatoes, baked or mashed, are a cornerstone of the no-bread, no pizza, no meat diet I've been following for five years.

They're less starchy than yams or conventional potatoes, and widely available at ShopRite, Trader Joe's and Costco Wholesale.

The first two offer both conventional and organic sweet potatoes, and Trader Joe's has the best deals.

I often eat sweet potatoes for breakfast to supplement prepared food from Korean supermarkets and homemade dishes.

A baked sweet potato accented with Mexican-style salsa is a filling side dish at breakfast. The whole egg omelet is stuffed with reduced-fat Swiss cheese and grated Pecorino Romano, a sheep's milk cheese from Italy.

Another bread substitute is a steaming portion of organic whole-wheat linguine dressed in bottled Victoria Marinara with skinless-and-boneless sardines, part of a satisfying homemade dinner of pasta, salad and red wine.

Earthbound Organic Spring Mix and Sunset-brand Romana Tomatoes dressed in organic extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Comfort food from the Jamaican kitchen includes fried sweet plantains and boiled green banana as foils for the hot peppers in a breakfast of ackee (a bland fruit) and salted Alaskan pollock.

Plating leftovers from the Korean, Jamaican, Chinese and American kitchens for breakfast (clockwise from the top), stewed tofu from H Mart in Little Ferry, homemade ackee and salt fish; crunchy snow peas and water chestnuts from Lotus Cafe; and sweet potatoes and garlic mashed with extra-virgin olive oil. Other breakfasts have included Korean mung-bean pancakes and batter-dipped squid, both from H&Y Marketplace in Ridgefield.

New at Costco Wholesale, lactose-free milk and Greek Yogurt with fruit

I've been buying the ShopRite brand of lactose-free milk for several years, but recently, Costco Wholesale in Hackensack introduced Kirkland Signature 100% Lactose Free 2% Reduced Fat Milk for about $2.66 a carton (three for $7.99).

A new item at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack is Kirkland Signature non-fat Greek Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

If you're lactose intolerant and add milk to your coffee, frittata mixture or an occasional bowl of cereal, you know how uncomfortable that can make you feel.

Conventional milk causes bloating or gas.

I'm a big fan of Starbucks Coffee, but I've never found lactose-free milk there or at Dunkin' Donuts.

So at home, I've been using ShopRite's brand of 1% Lactose Free Milk, usually $3.49 a half-gallon, to add to my morning coffee and in a Nespresso foamer for espresso drinks.

Now, Costco Wholesale in Hackensack is offering Kirkland Signature 100% Lactose Free Milk for $2.66 a carton (three 64-ounce cartons for $7.99).

Costco's product contains 2% milk fat. 

I hope Costco plans to introduce a lactose-free product with 1% milk fat and organic versions.

A natural enzyme called lactase is added to break down a sugar called lactose and help with digestion, according to Kirkland Signature.

Yogurt with fruit

A new dairy product at Costco Wholesale is Kirkland Signature non-fat Greek Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom: Black Cherry, Blueberries and Strawberries.

Fifteen mixed 6-ounce cups were $10.89 or 69 cents each, compared to about 89 cents each for 6-ounce cups of Chobani Greek Yogurt with Fruit.

Costco's house brand of Greek Yogurt with fruit is sweetened with sugar.

We've been using Kirkland Signature's non-fat plain Greek Yogurt in 32-ounce containers for blending in smoothies or eating with organic agave syrup.

On a bitterly cold day, Costco Wholesale shopper tells off piggish driver

When I drove to Costco Wholesale in Hackensack in subfreezing temperatures on Monday with three prescriptions for my son, I saw this silver Toyota Camry parked in two spaces. Another shopper hand-lettered a sign and put it under one of the wipers, below. A couple of hours later, when I returned to pick up the pills, as well as organic spring mix and reduced-fat Swiss cheese, the car was still there, but the sign had been removed or had blown away.

Curry simmered cod, takeout tales, sweet potato frittata and more

Fresh wild Atlantic cod fillet from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack ($7.99 a pound) poaches in Curry Simmer Sauce from Trader Joe's in about seven minutes, and makes a quick, filling dinner when plated with leftover organic quinoa.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

A 15-ounce jar of Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce is a nice change of pace from the Mexican-style salsa I often use to poach fresh fish in less than 10 minutes.

What could be easier than emptying the bottle into a large pan, cutting fresh wild Atlantic cod into serving pieces and squeezing fresh lime juice over them.

Ground Turkish red pepper is optional. Heat the sauce to a low boil, put the fish in the pan and cover.

When the fish fillets firm up and turn snowy white, they are done (seven minutes). 

A jar of Asian Indian-style Curry Simmer Sauce is $2.49 at the Paramus Trader Joe's. I passed on a Masala Simmer Sauce, which contains cream.

Labels don't indicate whether the sauces are medium or hot. They are neither; there is only a hint of spiciness in the Curry Simmer Sauce, despite the red pepper listed among ingredients.

Use the cooking medium as a sauce for the quinoa, rice or pasta you serve with the fish.

I had leftover organic quinoa from Costco I had prepared in a large batch in an electric rice cooker with low-sodium black beans, chopped garlic and organic diced tomatoes.

A perfect, restaurant-quality takeout dinner from Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St., in Englewood, was $7.99. My Meal To Go included Tilapia Marechiaro (tomatoes, garlic and parsley), Baked Cauliflower, Linguine with Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp & Broccoli Dumplings. Three other dinners included Chicken Cordon Bleu stuffed with ham and cheese or Chicken Cacciatore with mushrooms, plus pasta, vegetable and dumplings or ravioli.

Grilled Salted Codfish is smothered with onions, garlic, sweet pepper and black olives, and served with steamed broccoli and carrots at Fire Pit Barbecue, a Portuguese restaurant at 357 Essex St., Hackensack ($19). We took advantage of free delivery on Saturday night.

Snow prompts call for delivery

On Saturday night, we wanted to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a special Year of the Sheep menu at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack, but a snowstorm changed our plans.

Instead, I picked up the phone and ordered two entrees for delivery from Fire Pit Barbecue, a Portuguese restaurant in Hackensack that uses wood charcoal.

Grilled Codfish with steamed vegetables was $19. A large order of Pork Chops in Garlic Sauce (three large chops) with yellow rice and black beans was $14. Each entree serves three.

A side of Steamed Vegetables was $3, and three Cod Cakes were $1.25 each.

The nasty, subfreezing weather last week also discouraged us from going into Manhattan for the start of Restaurant Week, when hundreds of the best restaurants offer three-courses lunches for $25 and three-course dinners for $38, plus tax and tip.

The promotion ends March 6. See: NYC Restaurant Week

A 10-inch Sweet Potato and Pesto Frittata made with whole eggs, tomato slices and reduced-fat Swiss cheese provides about eight wedges that make breakfast easy to prepare, below.

A wedge of Sweet Potato Frittata served with leftover broccoli and a large baked sweet potato with Mexican-style salsa for breakfast is hearty enough to allow me to skip lunch.

An open-face omelet made with 100% egg whites, a slice of reduced-fat Swiss cheese and smoked wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, all from Costco, is another filling breakfast when served with leftover quinoa and mashed sweet potatoes.

At H Mart in Little Ferry today, a box of nine large Korean Pears -- weighing a total of more than 11 pounds -- was on sale for $17.99, a discount of $5. The crisp, juicy fruit is a cross between a pear and an apple. 

Fresh Wild Shad were only $1.99 a pound. I bought four whole Porgy for $3.99 a pound.

A whole porgy prepared escovitch-style, pan fried and dressed in a peppery vinegar sauce.

Stewed Tofu with onion, garlic and red pepper from Jinga, one of the Korean caterers that supplies the Little Ferry H Mart. A 12-ounce package is $4.29. 

Potholes and flooding in the Little Ferry H Mart parking lot may not stop shoppers, but using cardboard boxes in front of the entrance instead of a rubberized mat is a lawsuit waiting to happen.