Author Archive
Sauteed Chinese Sausage
This is a basic recipe and I want to write this to make it easier, or rather better, for more enjoyable Chinese Sausage. In Thailand there is many brands of this sausage, don't look in the refrigerated or frozen meat section, this is air dried sausage and is shelf stable when it is packaged, so just look on a shelf. I am going to use the most common one, called Lap Cheong, which is the Chinese name and is a sweet sausage. My mother in law received several packages of this a few years back, from Northern Thailand, a very good brand. The family was excited about this but mother in law told everyone, no one cooks it except my wife, her daughter, her other daughters were not allowed to cook it. So I cooked a dish for the family and it was very well liked by mother in law, who stated, ok, now the only ones that may cook this for her is me and my wife. The secret to good Chinese sausage, steaming. Steam whole, then slice, then saute.
Ingredients
- 4 links Chinese sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 onion, diced large
- 2-3 spring onions, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces, white and green
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- First thing we need to do is soften the sausages, we are going to use a steamer of your choice, I will use my rive cooker with a steamer basket it came with. Add a 1-2 cups water to the steamer pot, when boiling, add the sausages to the steamer tray, cover, and steam for 15 minutes.
- Remove the sausages to a cutting board and slice about 1/4 inch thick (or a bit less) at an angle. This is for appearance as well as making a larger piece of sausage. The sausage is hot so use tongs to hold them while you slice.
- Heat a large non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the sausage and garlic, stir often. Lot of sugar in this sausage so it will burn rather quickly. Cook until the garlic is starting to brown.
- Then add the onion and spring onion, continue stirring often to crisp up the sausage and soften the onions. Stir in the soy sauce.
- Serve with sides of your choice.
Notes
Low cost.
My own creation, Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Barley with Shiitake Mushrooms & Sage
This is good, not great but good. certainly worth a try if you like barley. Overall good flavor but maybe I am more of a barley in a soup person.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry pearl barley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 5 medium sage leaves, finely chopped (1 tablespoon), or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 8-12 medium shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- water, as needed
Instructions
- Heat large pot with 8 cups (2 quarts) water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the barley and cook for 15-30 minutes or until tender, this time will depend on the age of the dry barley.
- When the barley is tender, drain and set aside.
- While the barley is cooking, lets get the mushrooms and garlic ready.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, when hot add the garlic, after 1 minute add the sage and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are starting to brown, stirring them often.
- When lightly browned, turn off the heat and stir in the soy sauce and lemon or lime juice, stir the mushrooms.
- Add the drained barley and stir until the mushrooms are mixed in and the liquid in the pan coats all the barley.
- Serve as a side dish with any meal.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Potato & Chinese Sausage Hash
I like potatoes and I like Chinese sausage, so here is something I just threw together as I always seem to have the main ingredients on hand, hash with an Asian twist. The sausage is a sweet variety and gives the hash a different flavor. Overall, easy and tasty dish. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 3 Chinese sausage
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- pepper, as desired
- lard, or cooking oil, (Shortcut)
Instructions
- Potatoes scrubbed and ready for dicing. I totally forgot to add the onion and bell pepper to the board for the photo. oh well, not a show stopper. Now the sausage is air dried but not safe for consumption yet.
- Chinese sausage is stable at room temp before opening the package and refrigerated after that. This is a hard sausage, and a trick to get it soft is to steam it first before adding to a dish. The steaming also cooks it mostly through. The 3 sausages added to my hot steamer (rice cooker).
- Steam for 20 minutes. Here you can see the sausage has swelled up a bit. After 20 minutes, remove them to a cutting board and dice them.
- While the sausage is steaming, heat some lard or cooking oil, maybe 2-3 tablespoons, in a large non stick pan on medium heat. While the pan is heating, dice the potatoes and add them to the hot pan and give a good shake or two of pepper if you like.
- Then add the bell pepper and onion and mix into the potatoes.
- When the sausage is ready, dice that and add to the pan.
- Continue cooking until the potatoes are browning up and tender.
- Serve with sides of your choice.
Notes
Pumpkin (Pressure Cooker)
Pumpkins in Thailand are what I called winter squash growing up in Michigan. A orange pumpkin is a winter squash as well. I have used these to make pumpkin pies and got rave reviews for them. So this is a base recipe if you need pumpkin for a pie or simply as a side dish, which is what these photos will show. I use a 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker, follow your pressure cooker safety instructions at all times.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 kilo fresh pumpkin, (2 lb)
- 1½ cups water
Instructions
- Our pumpkins here are a bit larger than large pressure cookers. This one I bought weighed in at about 3 kilos or about 6 lb, so obviously it is not going to fit. A note about that bad spot, think of a potato, if there is a bad spot, simple cut it off, same applies to squash.
- First thing to do is cut the pumpkin in half, then you have something to work with.
- I wanted to the keep the pieces in the largest size I could to minimize the cutting through a hard pumpkin. These 3 pieces weighed about 1 kilo (2 lb). Place the pieces on a steamer rack if your pressure cooker has one or on a trivet.
- Add the water, place the lid on the cooker and lock, add the weight and bring up to high heat. When the weight (jiggler) starts to move and vent pressure (indicating full pressure), turn the heat to low or medium low to just maintain the jiggler moving and venting. Start your timer for 5 minutes.
- When 5 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner. Leave the cooker alone and let it drop pressure naturally on its own, about 10-15 minutes.
- When you have indications of zero pressure in the vessel, remove the weight then the lid.
- Use a large flat spatula or large tongs, or both and remove a piece of pumpkin to a plate. Use a knife to simple slice off the skin. Here is the first one done. Plate that in a separate smaller pot. Repeat with the other pieces.
- Grab your potato masher and mash the pumpkin. I like to add a bit of butter as well when mashing if using as a side dish, no butter if mashing to use in pies.
- Serve as a side dish, and of course, with butter on top.
- Or use as an ingredient for pumpkin pies.
Stir Fried Crab Curry
This is a Thai dish that uses fresh ingredients as well as a packet of stir fry curry. The curry paste is a Thai brand, Lobo, and is available in the US in Asian markets. Lots of photos for this but this comes together very quickly. This is based on using a large wok but is not needed if you do not have one, and most ingredients are just estimated, there is no set rules for this. The curry sauce packet has instructions on the back in English, but they are NOT used for this dish, this recipe (guide really) is based on me watching a Thai family member prepare this.
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos fresh crabs, blues or any swimmers are good (2-4 lb)
- 5-10 cloves garlic
- 1-2 palmfuls coarsely ground black pepper, be generous
- 1 onion
- 3-6 eggs
- 5-10 spring onions
- 1-2 bunches Thai celery, or Chinese celery
- cooking oil, as needed
Special Equipment
- large wok
Instructions
Preparation
- 1. Crabs: Remove the tail flaps and cut each crab in half, from head to tail area. 2. Onion: halve then chopped. 3. Spring Onion and Thai Celery including the tops: chopped into 1 to 2 inch pieces. 4. As an alternate to coarsely ground black pepper, use whole peppercorns and crush them in a mortar. 5. Eggs, lightly beaten. Once everything is prepped, we are ready to begin.
- Here is the curry sauce packet used.
- With Thai families, there is usually more than one person helping in the kitchen, often times the prep work is done by the whole family and the best cook prepares the dish or directs others to prepare it, basically teaching in action.
Let's Get Started
- Heat a splash of oil in your large wok or large pan on medium high heat. When hot, add the garlic, and since this is called a stir fry, so start stirring.
- When the when garlic is browned up a bit, add the crab, keep stirring.
- Sprinkle in about half of the black pepper, and you guessed it, keep stirring.
- And stirring.
- After a few minutes you will start seeing the shell turn red.
- Add the onion.
- And stir until the onion is softened up a bit, just a few minutes.
- Add the remaining black pepper and stir that in.
- Pour in the beaten eggs.
- Stir for 30 seconds or so to distribute some of the egg.
- Add the packet of curry sauce.
- Stir some more.
- Coming together beautifully. Liquid is water from the crabs as well as the sauce thinned out with that water.
- Add the spring onion and Thai celery. A note about the celery, if you cannot find Thai or Chinese celery, use regular celery but cut 1 stalk into 3-4 ling pieces then dice plus chop up about 2-3 tops.
- Stir again, almost done.
- And there you go, Stir Fried Crab Curry. From heating the wok to this, maybe 10 minutes. This is the reason to have everything prepped and ready to go.
- Pour everything onto a platter, ready to be served.
- And the cook himself with his wife, my wife is peeking out from the doorway.
- And honorable mention of the niece, she and my wife did the prep work for this dish.
Notes
Low cost as we did purchase the crabs direct from local fishermen.
Slow Cooker Brats in Beer
Sounds like a good basic brat recipe, on my to cook list, and I will be using homemade bratwurst as well. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 750 grams Bratwurst, OR make from a shortcut, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 can beer, or bottle, your choice
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- To the slow cooker, add the beer, brown sugar, vinegar. Stir together.
- Heat a non stick skillet on medium heat, when hot, add the bratwurst. Brown the brats until lightly browned.
- Place the brats in the slow cooker, and prick eat sausage 2-3 times with a toothpick to prevent them from bursting.
- Top with the sliced onions.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 4 hours.
- Serving options could be with sauerkraut on the side along with spicy mustard, another option could be in a bun. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving as I used my homemade bratwurst. Store bought is about is 270 grams at 129 Baht, gets pricey when you consider 750 grams needed for the recipe.
Shortcut: Bratwurst.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Red Radish Salad II
Sounds like an excellent use for red radishes. On my to make list.
Ingredients
- 3 large red radishes
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- salt, as desired
Instructions
- Wash and thinly slice the radishes, the use of a mandolin is highly recommended.
- In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, dill, juice, and poppy seeds, mix together to make the dressing.
- Add the sliced radish and toss with the dressing until evenly coated. Taste and season with salt as desired. Cover and place in the fridge until you serve.
- Serve as a side dish, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Red Radish Salad I
I love red radishes so this salad sounds really good. I made this on 6 Oct 2018, excellent taste, and my wife loved this. A small amount is perfect as a side as it has a strong flavor.
Ingredients
- 5 large red radishes
- 1 cups white vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the radishes and thinly slice, the use of a mandolin is highly recommend.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt, whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the sliced radish, mix, then season with pepper as desired, a pinch or two. If there is not enough liquid to cover most of the radishes, mix in equal parts water and vinegar, then place in the fridge for at least an hour. This salad will last 2-3 days in the fridge.
- For serving, think as a salad, or mixed into a lettuce salad, or as a burger or hot dog topping.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add thinly sliced onion to the radishes. 2. Use rice vinegar in place of white.
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Julian Esquivel, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Jimmy Dean Sausage
A copycat recipe in 4 flavors; Regular, Maple, Sage, and Hot. Sounds good and I look forward to making this. To clear up any misconceptions, pork butt is from the rear part of the shoulder, NOT the back legs.
Ingredients
Regular
- 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG, optional
Maple
- 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG, optional
Sage
- 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG, optional
Hot
- 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG, optional
Instructions
- For all flavors of the sausage, the steps are same. Start with cutting the pork but into 1 inch cubes.
- Mix the ingredients for each flavor into the cubes.
- Run the meat through your meat grinder.
- Mix again by hand, cover and place in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight, this lets the flavors blend. Bowl won't fit in the fridge? No problem, place the meat mixture on foil and wrap it.
- Form mixture into patties, or stuff into small diameter casings, use or freeze for later use.
- Here it is in patty for getting ready to go into the freezer. Place parchment paper between each patty.
Notes
Pork butt will cost about 70 Baht/500 grams. 500 grams will make 1 lb of bulk sausage or 6 links, each link being just about 2 3/4 oz. This is about $2.12 for 1 lb of bulk sausage or 6 links. Estimating bulk to be used in a dish with minimum 4 servings, this is about 54 cents per serving. If estimating 1 link per serving, this is about 36 cents per serving.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Potato & Breakfast Sausage Skillet.
- Breakfast Sausage Casserole.
- Best-Ever Beans & Sausage, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Crustless Quiche, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Tomato Sandwich
A tomato sandwich can be as simple as bread, mayo, and tomato slices, or you can use toast and add cheese (I guess that is a Kansas thing), add lettuce, avocado, bacon, etc. But if you add lettuce and bacon, then you have a BLT (which is an excellent sandwich), so we won't go there.
Ingredients
The Classic
- 2 slices white bread, or a hamburger bun (which is my choice)
- 1 fresh tomato, sliced thick
- mayo, as needed
- salt and pepper, as desired
Options
- 2 slices white bread, toasted
- 2 slices wheat bread, plain or toasted
- 1 fresh avocado, sliced
- 3-4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, but not used with the lettuce
- 1 slice cheese, your choice
- 1-2 lettuce leaves, but not used with the bacon
- fresh parsley leaves
- fresh sweet basil leaves, which sounds really good!
- onion, sliced thin, think mandolin sliced thin
- sardines
Instructions
The Classic
- Place the tomato slices on a paper towel to absorb some of the juice.
- Spread an ample amount of mayo on the bread slices or hamburger bun. Top a slice of bread with some tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Enjoy.
with Lettuce
- Place the tomato slices on a paper towel to absorb some of the juice.
- Spread an ample amount of mayo on the bread slices or hamburger bun. Top a slice of bread with 1-2 lettuce leaves, top with some tomato slices.
- Top with the other slice of bread. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Common sandwich that has been made for many years.