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Creamy Garlic Chicken with Broccoli
January 28, 2019 Lee
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Creamy Garlic Chicken with Broccoli

This comes from a good friend who has not only made this but is asked often to make it for others, that tells me, this has to be delicious. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, 4-6 would be perfect, (2 lbs)
  • salt, pepper, and paprika, as desired
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (Shortcut)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2-3 cups broccoli, chopped bite size, plus stems
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • lemon wedges, optional, for serving
  • cooked rice, or pasta, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika as desired.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non stick pan on medium high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned, don't overcook the chicken or it will dry out, and no one likes dry chicken, it gets cooked more later. Remove from the pan and side aside and cover to keep warm.
  • Same pan, melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter then add the garlic, saute until the garlic is aromatic and lightly browned.
  • Whisk in the soup and water and heat until bubbly then reduce heat to low. Add the chicken back to the pan, and the broccoli, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, sacrifice a piece and cut one in half. Note about the broccoli, add the broccoli to the pan between 3 and 5 minutes before the 10 minutes is complete, for good and crunchy broccoli.
  • Serve over rice or pasta of your choice, spoon some sauce over the top and garnish with chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Variant: 1. Add lightly sauteed sliced mushrooms when the chicken is placed back into the pan.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
BJ’s Rice A Roni
January 27, 2019 Lee
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BJ's Rice A Roni

Just a Pinch Recipe Club - Susan Simons, United States
There is two procedures here, one for boxed rice a roni, and one for homemade rice a roni. Where I live the boxed version is pricey, but the homemade is so easy! Gravy with rice was a staple in the Navy when I served. I made this on 1 Dec 2021, I and the family absolutely loved this! Highly recommended. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the boxed Rice A Roni

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 package Rice-A-Roni
  • 2 cups chicken gravy, homemade or from a packet, Shortcut
  • 1 cup water

For the Homemade Rice A Roni

  • 1 recipe homemade rice a roni, Shortcut
  • 2 cups chicken gravy, homemade or from a packet, Shortcut

Instructions
 

For the Boxed Rice A Roni

  • Melt the butter in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the package of rice a roni, not the seasoning packet, saute until the pasta is golden brown.
  • Add the water and seasoning packet, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the gravy and stir in, bring to a boil, then cover and remove the pan from heat.
  • Let the pan sit for 5 minutes, covered, no peaking.
  • Serve as a side dish with any meal.

For the Homemade Rice A Roni

  • Prepare the rice a roni per the recipe instructions, either the skillet method or the rice cooker method.
  • Just before the rice a roni is done cooking, prepare the gravy, either from homemade or from a packet.
  • When the rice a roni is done, add the gravy and stir in.
  • Serve as a side dish with any meal.

Notes

Low cost (for Thailand) if making the Rice A Roni from homemade and I prefer to use the rice cooker method.
Shortcuts: Chicken Gravy, Beef Gravy, Copycat Rice A Roni, Rice A Roni (Rice Cooker). 
Variants: 1. Add cooked mushrooms, garlic, onion, ginger, diced bell pepper, chopped spring onion, parsley, chopped broccoli, etc. 2. Add 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken. 3. Add a good shake of black pepper. 4. Use beef gravy.
#1 Go-To Recipes,SEASONED RICE,Seasoned Rice - Rice Cooker,SIDES
Tako (Octopus) Sausages
January 27, 2019 Lee
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Tako (Octopus) Sausages

Now for the name, these are Japanese pork sausages, NOT octopus sausages, although octopus sausage does sound intriguing, but I don't think I will be making that. When I lived in Japan (13 years), I absolutely loved Japanese sausage. This comes from a good friend who is Japanese. These are typically made for bento (lunch) boxes, but for this, think of these as a side to a good pasta dish. Oddly enough, we buy these in local 7-11's in town, never seen them in the large grocery stores like Tesco or Tops in the city.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4-6 links Japanese sausage
  • cooking oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Japanese sausage is typically about 3 inches long in a natural sheep gut casing. To prep, first thing is to make a cut halfway down the sausage, straight through to the other side, this results in '2 legs'.
  • Rotate the sausage 90 degrees, and make another cut through the sausage to the other side, this results in '4 legs'.
  • Optionally, you cut each 'leg' in half, resulting in '8 legs' but I found 4 legs to be perfect. Now we can cook them.
  • Heat some cooking oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the sausages, as the sausages cook, the 'legs' will open and curl.
  • Cook until the sausage is cooked through, keep in mind these are raw pork sausages so they must me cooked through.
  • Drain on paper towels, serve as a side with any pasta or rice dish or as a snack or appetizer. Enjoy.

Notes

One package of 4 Japanese sausage is about 42 Baht. Figuring 2 per serving, this is about an additional 66 cents per serving for a side dish, if serving with a pasta, the overall dish will be less than $1 per serving.
This recipe for Tako (Octopus) Sausage inspired by Just One Cookbook.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: JAPANESE,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,SIDES
Sicilian Style Carrots
January 27, 2019 Lee
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Sicilian Style Carrots

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sounds like a good twist on carrots for a nice side dish, on my to make and taste list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams carrots, trimmed, peeled is up to you, and sliced, (1½ lb)
  • 3 anchovy fillets, in olive oil, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Clean and prep the carrots. Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  • In a large mixing bowl, toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Spread carrots out on the baking sheet.
  • Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
  • While the carrots are roasting, in a small bowl, mix together the anchovies, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Remove the carrots from the oven and place in a heatproof mixing bowl or pot and toss with the anchovy mixture.
  • Serve.
: ITALIAN,SIDES
Pasta Stuffed Bell Peppers
January 27, 2019 Lee
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Pasta Stuffed Bell Peppers

I came up with this on a whim, as I like pasta, and I had bell peppers in the fridge as well as some Shiitake mushrooms that just wanted to be used in something. So here is what I came up with, and they are delicious. The pasta base is Parmesan Mac & Cheese with the addition of sauteed Shiitake mushrooms and diced bell pepper.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 80 grams fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
  • 4 bell peppers, your choice of colors
  • 250 grams dry spiral pasta, or any small pasta
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (1/2 stick)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 125 grams Parmesan cheese, store bought shredded is fine, (4 1/2 oz)
  • salt and pepper, to taste, as desired
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 200 grams Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, for topping, (7 oz)

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the pasta and cook until almost tender. Reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta. Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 7x11 baking dish.
  • While the pasta is cooking, cut the tops off of the peppers, remove the stems and dice the tops. (I had an extra half a green bell pepper in the fridge so I diced that along with the tops.)
  • Slice the mushrooms at a 45 degree angle, a technique called Sogigiri in Japanese, this provides a larger flat cut for even cooking.
  • All the mushrooms sliced. I think there was 9 in the pack.
  • Place the peppers standing up in the baking dish. If a pepper does not stand up quite right, slice a bit off the longest lobe on the bottom so the pepper stands upright, if you sliced off part of a lobe and mad a hole in the bottom, no worries, take the piece you sliced off and put that on the inside to cover the hole. (I was going to use a 9x9 dish but that would not have enough room for the extra pasta so I switched to a 7x11 dish.)
  • Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the the mushrooms.
  • Saute the mushrooms until the water they let out is evaporated. Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and set them aside.
  • Same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced peppers, saute until tender. Remove them to a bowl and set them aside.
  • Same pan, add the butter and let that full melt, then whisk in the milk and season with black pepper as desired. When the milk is at a simmer, whisk in the Parmesan cheese. When the sauce is smooth, add the drained pasta and mix into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some pasta water, a tablespoon at a time and mix in. Season with black pepper as desired. Remove from heat. (Yes, I know, my method is completely backwards as to how this is supposed to be done.)
  • Add the mushrooms and the diced bell peppers and mix together. (The pasta at this point is actually quite good on its own.)
  • Using a spoon, fill each pepper with pasta, rounded at the top is perfect and add the rest of the pasta to the dish as well. Place in the oven and back for about 30-40 minutes, depending on how crisp you like the peppers.
  • Remove from the oven, sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese on the tops of the peppers and any additional pasta in the dish, place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese.
  • To serve, place a pepper on a plate, slice in half and enjoy as is or with sausage. (I just happened to have Japanese sausage in the fridge so I used that.) Enjoy.

Notes

The cheese is the costly part here, at Parmesan at 192 Baht per 125 grams, and Mozzarella at 181 Baht for 200 grams. For 4 servings, this is about $2.92 per serving.
I just threw this together, Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,Pasta - Mac & Cheese
Dill & Chive Peas
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Dill & Chive Peas

To me this sounds quite delicious, on my to make and taste list.
Print Recipe
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package frozen peas, (500 grams / 1 lb)
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1 pinch salt, as desired, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat the peas in a sauce pan of water until warmed through and nice and hot. Drain.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
  • Serve as a side with any meal.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add some sauteed fresh button mushrooms.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SIDES
Hay & Straw
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Hay & Straw

Catchy name for a great sounding dish! Common ingredients and cooks up in a snap. On my to make and taste list for sure.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry linguine, (1 lb)
  • 2 cups cooked ham, julienned
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 3 cups frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream
  • black pepper, as desired, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, add pasta and cook until tender, drain.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a large non stick pan. when hot, add the ham and garlic, saute, stirring often for 3 minutes. Stir in the peas and thyme, cook, stirring often to heat the peas through. Set the pan aside and wait for the pasta to finish.
  • When the pasta is tender, drain well. Place the pan back on medium low heat and add the pasta, cream, and cheese and toss to mix everything together. Season with black pepper as desired, to taste.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Use a cheese blend in place of the Parmesan. 2. Add diced bell pepper when sauteing the ham.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Honey Butter Peas & Carrots (Slow Cooker)
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Honey Butter Peas & Carrots (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Peas and carrots just go well together for a side dish, they always have. This recipe will dress them up a bit and let the flavors blend in a slow cooker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams fresh carrots, peeled, sliced, (1 lb)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • â…› teaspoon white pepper powder
  • ¼ cup butter, cubed
  • 500 grams frozen peas, cooked for 5-10 minutes on the stove top then drained, (1 lb)

Instructions
 

  • Carrots and onion prepped. (I went the fancy route and cut each slice into shapes with a cutter.)
  • To your slow cooker, add the onion, water, honey, garlic, salt, marjoram, and white pepper. Stir together.
  • Add the carrots and cubed butter. Stir to combine. Cover and set to Low setting and allow to cook for 3 hours. (I cubed the butter first, by the time I added it, it was very soft, no problem however.)
  • Check the carrots for tenderness at 3 hours and if tender or very near tender, stir in the drained peas.
  • Cover and cook for 30 minutes more. If the carrots are not tender, allow to cook for another hour, then add the peas.
  • Serve as a side dish with any meal.
#1 Go-To Recipes,Sides - Slow Cooker
Creamy Skillet Noodles with Peas
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Creamy Skillet Noodles with Peas

Sounds very good, and this can be a nice side dish as written, or add a variant and you have a main dish. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings as a side

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter, (1/2 stick)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 cups dry thin egg noodles, or thin spaghetti, kind of broken up
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen peas, (10 oz / 284 grams)
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder, (Shortcut)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat the butter and oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the dry pasta and stir until the pasta is coated with the butter and oil, and lightly browned (it will smell like popcorn).
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir together and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker).
Variants: 1. To make a main dish, add cubed ham, cooked smoked sausage, or cooked chopped chicken. 2. Add dice bell pepper. 3. Add sauteed sliced fresh mushrooms.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA,SIDES
Pea Salad III
January 26, 2019 Lee
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Pea Salad III

Sounds like an excellent salad. There is three shortcuts to make Ranch Dressing if you would like to make your own, or use own preferred brand of Ranch Dressing. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups frozen peas, about 500 grams / 16 oz, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup Ranch dressing, (Shortcut)
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 slices smoked bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients, except the bacon, to a large mixing bowl, toss together to mix. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  • Stir in the bacon just before serving, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcuts: Ranch Dressing I, Ranch Dressing II, Brian's Ranch Dressing.
Variants: 1. Cube the cheese instead of shredding. 2. Use other types of cheese you prefer. 3. Go heavy handed with the cheese and or bacon.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Sides - Salads