Author Archive
Corned Beef Hash
This is a simple recipe that uses Argentina brand corned beef, which is shredded, not mushy. Easy to prepare and tastes great.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, skin on or off, your preference, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can corned beef, Argentina brand, (260 g)
- cooking oil, as needed
- pepper, as desired, to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the diced onion and potatoes, stir together. Cook, turning and stirring often, until the potatoes are lightly browned and tended. Season with pepper as desired during cooking.
- Added the can of corned beef to the potatoes.
- Mix together and cook until the beef is heated through.
- Serve with a side of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on the cost of the corned beef.
Hot Dog Stroganoff
This is easy to prepare and the taste is quite good, family loved this dish.
Ingredients
- 500 grams bowtie pasta, (1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 hot dogs, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1½ cups beef stock
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta, cook until tender, drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a non stick pan, when hot, add the diced onion and sliced hot dogs, sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Let broth reduce for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the sauce to the drained pasta, mix together.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
3 Ingredient Cranberry Chicken
This recipe comes from a YouTube video and it sounds really good, on my list to try.
Equipment
- 1 Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs, skin on bone in, or legs, or both
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
- 8 ounces French dressing, (250 ml)
- 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F).
- Place the chicken skin side up in a single layer to cover the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, add the soup mix, dressing, and cranberry sauce. Whisk together.
- Pour mixture over the chicken.
- Bake for 1 hour or until internal temp is 165° F.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on sourcing the soup mix, dressing, and cranberry sauce.
3 Ingredient Apricot Chicken
This recipe comes from a YouTube video and is 3 ingredients plus the chicken. I made this on 8 Mar 2025 and it turned out exceptionally good! Very easy to put together, excellent flavor, my family really enjoyed this.
Equipment
- 1 Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs, skin on bone in, or legs, or both
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
- 8 ounces Russian dressing, or Thousand Island dressing, (250 ml)
- 6 ounces apricot preserves/jam, (170 g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F).
- Place the chicken skin side up in a single layer to cover the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish. I used 5 thighs and 5 legs.
- In a mixing bowl, add the soup mix, dressing, and preserves/jam. Stir together.
- Pour mixture over the chicken.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until internal temp is 74° C (165° F).
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy. Spoon the sauce over potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on sourcing the soup mix, dressing, and jam.
Pineapple Pudding Salad
This recipe comes from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club, common ingredients, easy to assemble with just 3 ingredients, and it is tasty!The ingredients are listed in two parts, first part is for the US and the second part is for those in Thailand. The preparation remains the same for either on you use.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart) with lid
Ingredients
For those in the US
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix, (5.1 oz)
- 1 can crushed or tidbits pineapple, undrained, (15 oz)
- 16 ounces sour cream
For those in Thailand
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix, (3.4 oz / 96 g)
- 2 pouches pineapple tidbits, undrained, (115 g net weight)
- 225 grams sour cream
Instructions
- Add the undrained pineapple to the casserole dish, then add the dry instant pudding mix. Stir together.
- Add the sour cream and stir to mix well. Cover and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve as a side dish. enjoy.
Notes
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Tuna Noodle Casserole II
This recipe comes from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club, common ingredients, easy to assemble, and is delicious!
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 450 grams dry elbow macaroni, (1 lb)
- 4 cans tuna in water or brine, drained, (5 oz / 140 g drained weight each)
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, (10½ oz / 298 g each)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 can peas, drained, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- sliced Cheddar cheese, enough to cover the top of the casserole
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the macaroni and cook until just slightly before tender.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and get out a 9x13 baking dish.
- Drain the macaroni and add to a large mixing bowl or pot.
- Add the drained tuna, soup, milk, black pepper, and peas to the macaroni.
- Mix together.
- Pour into the 9x13 backing dish and spread out evenly. (I forgot the peas when I first mixed this but added them just before I put the mixture into the baking dish.)
- Place the sliced cheese in a single layer to cover the casserole, about 10 slices. I used Swiss instead of Cheddar.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes to heat through and to lightly brown the cheese.
- Serve with a vegetable side dish as you desire, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Poached Chicken
This recipe comes from a social media friend and comes highly recommended. I look forward to making this as it sounds excellent.
Equipment
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, or bone in thighs
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 4 cups chicken broth, or water
Recommended Aromatics #1
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Recommended Aromatics #2
- 1 lemon, slicked thick
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a medium size saucepan, add the wine.
- Now add the broth, or water, to just cover the chicken by 1 inch.
- Add just one of the Recommended Aromatics ingredients. If using water as part of the liquid, go ahead and add 1 teaspoon of salt as well.
- Place the saucepan on medium low heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat but leave saucepan on the same burner.
- Turn the chicken over then cover the saucepan with a lid for 15 minutes, the chicken is still cooking.
- Check the internal temp of the thickest part of a chicken breast, the chicken is done when it reads 74° C (165° F).
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice.
- Serve and enjoy. Topped with Mustard Cream Sauce is optional but worth it.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
Mustard Cream Sauce.
Mustard Cream Sauce
This recipe comes from a social media friend and comes highly recommended. I look forward to making this as it sounds excellent.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup shallots, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons Chardonnay, or a good dry white wine
- 1¼ cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan on medium low heat, when hot, add the shallots, sauté until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Chardonnay, stir to deglaze the saucepan and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the mustards until blended, taste and season with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Pour into a gravy boat and garnish with parsley if desired. Serve with beef, pork, chicken, or even fish.
Notes
This can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, just warm on low heat in saucepan, stirring often.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Steamed Lobster Tails
This recipe originally stated using lobster tails weighing from 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 226 g) each, and I can only source 4 ounce (113 g) lobster tails, but the steaming time will be similar, the most important check is the internal temp regardless of the size of the tail you are using, which is 60° C (140° F).
Equipment
- Rice Cooker with Steamer Tray or a large saucepan with a steamer tray
- Kitchen scissors
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails, 4, 6, or 8 oz (113, 170, or 226 g) each
- salt and pepper, as desired
- Old Bay seasoning, as desired
- melted butter, for serving
Instructions
- Add about 2 inches of water to your rice cooker and place the steamer tray on top then cover with the lid, set to cook to bring the water to a boil. (Feel free to use a large saucepan with a steamer tray if that is what you have, then place on high heat to bring the water to a boil.)
- While the water is heating, prepare the lobster tails. Butterfly the tails by cutting along the top of the shell with a pair of kitchen scissors to just before the tail fin.
- Turn the tail over and press down in the center to crack the ribs.
- Turn the tail back over and gently open the shell and gently lift the tail meat out, leaving it attached to the tail fin, and rest it on top of the shell.
- Run a knife down along the back, just deep enough to remove the dark vein.
- Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning as desired.
- When the water is boiling, remove the lid and place the tails on the steamer tray, shell side down, and cover with the lid.
- Steam for 6 to 8 minutes, the tell tale signs of the lobster is done is when the shells turn bright red and the meat turns solid white and is firm when pressed, and most importantly, use a meat thermometer and check the thickest part of the tail, the ideal temperature is 60° C (140° F).
- Move the lobster tails to a serving plate and let rest, and if preparing more, add them to the steamer when the first batch comes out.
- Serve with melted butter and sides of your choice.
Notes
High cost per serving as lobster tails in Makro are imported from Canada.
Gin Cosmo
This is a Cosmopolitan cocktail based on Gin instead of Vodka.
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Bar Jigger
Ingredients
- 1½ oz dry gin
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- ½ oz lime juice
- ice as needed
- 1 lime slice, for garnish
- 1 cocktail glass, or coup, chilled
Instructions
- Add handful of ice to a cocktail shaker, add the gin, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime juice to the shaker, cap and shake until well chilled.
- Pour into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with the lime slice, serve, and enjoy.
