Author Archive
Indian Butter Chicken
August 19, 2018 Lee
Leave a comment

Indian Butter Chicken

This is not an authentic Indian Butter Chicken recipe (there is no butter in this), close to a Tikka Masala, this is a tailored version and comes highly recommended from a good friend. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, (1 1/2 lbs)
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 cup tomato puree, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic.
  • Whisk together until well blended, takes just a minute or two. There, you just made the marinade.
  • Cut the chicken up, I used breasts in bit size pieces, add to the marinade.
  • Mix together the chicken and marinade well.
  • After the chicken is marinated, heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken and marinade. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the tomato puree, sugar, and salt and stir together.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 15 minutes for chicken breasts and 20 minutes for thighs.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the cream, mixing well.
  • Serve over rice, garnish with chopped cilantro, enjoy.

Notes

Chicken breasts run about 75 Baht/kilo. For 4 servings, this is about 57 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Sour Cream, Garam Masala, Tomato Puree.
Variants: 1. To replace the dairy, use equal amounts of either coconut cream or coconut milk.
Recipe provide by good friend, Barbara Castro. United States.
CHICKEN & TURKEY
Garam Masala
August 18, 2018 Lee
Leave a comment

Garam Masala

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is a shortcut to make a popular Indian spice used in many dishes. This can be made with whole spices or ground spices.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Cuisine Indian
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Spice Grinder , or Mortar & Pestle

Ingredients
  

For Ground Spices

  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground star anise

For Whole Spices

  • 1½ teaspoons whole cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 30 cardamom pods
  • ¼ whole nutmeg, grated
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 pieces whole star anise

Instructions
 

  • For Ground Spices, simply mix together in a small bowl and store in a small airtight container and use as recipes state.
  • For Whole Spices, use a Spice Grinder or Mortar & Pestle and grind all the spices to a powder, store in a small airtight container and use as recipes state.

Notes

Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Ingredients - Spice Mixes
Homemade Beef Barley Soup
August 17, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Homemade Beef Barley Soup

I was in Tesco in the town near us, and I seen barley stocked, that was a first! So of course I bought a 500 gram (1 lb) bag for 30 Baht (just a bit less than $1). This recipe comes from a good friend, and it is delicious! Very well liked by the family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams beef, see Step 1
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, sliced or Rangiri (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 6 cups beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2/3 cup dry barley
  • 1 tablespoon Worcerstershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 packet beef gravy, (Shortcut)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

Instructions
 

  • For the beef, you have several options. 1. Use ground beef (my preference). 2. Use leftover roast beef or steak that is diced. 3. Use raw beef that is diced.

Using Ground Beef or Raw Beef

  • Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the onion, garlic, and either ground beef or raw diced beef. Cook until browned. Drain, and add to a large pot. Now continue with Continuing On... below.

Using Cooked Beef

  • In large pot, heat the oil on medium heat, when hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender and soft, then stir in the cooked diced beef. Now continue with Continuing On... below.

Continuing On...

  • Now that we have the beef sorted out, and in the pot, let's continue, and this is easy, add all the remaining ingredients to the pot.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes or until the barley is plumped and tender.
  • Here it is fully cooked. If you would like a thinner soup, add some beef broth or water to thin it out, and if you would like a thicker soup, more like a stew, just simmer for a few more minutes with the cover removed to reduce the liquid.
  • When the consistency of the soup is right for you, ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes

I bought the beef from a local vendor and ground myself, 500 grams (1 lb) was about $1.95. The barley was $1. For 8 servings (easy), this is about 37 cents per serving.
For the carrots: I used a Japanese style of chopping carrots, called Rangiri, which is basically, cut a piece of the carrot off at an angle, then rotate the carrot 1/4 turn, cut another piece off at an angle, repeat the turning and cutting. This makes for bite size pieces, and a larger surface area giving two uses, first, it absorbs more of the stock flavor, and second, it cooks faster with a larger surface area.
Shortcut: Beef Gravy.
Variants: 1. Use vegetables you have on hand, like green beans, corn, different color bell peppers. 2. In place of the canned tomatoes, use a pint of fresh cherry tomatoes quartered. 3. No celery? Not a problem, add a pinch of celery seed if you have on hand, or just omit.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Meatball & Egg Tofu Soup
August 17, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Meatball & Egg Tofu Soup

This is a basic, non spicy Thai soup, made more for children than anything, but when I made this on 11 Aug 2018, the entire Thai family loved it. Not only did they enjoy it for dinner, they enjoyed it again (as did I) for breakfast the next morning. The ingredients are simple, flavorful, and nutritious. For readers in the US and Canada, you can find the various meatballs and egg tofu in most Asian markets. Read the Variants in the Recipe Notes section as there is many ways you can prepare this.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 800 grams fish balls, (28 oz)
  • 2 cubes mushroom stock
  • 2 bunches spring onions, chopped, white and green parts
  • 1-2 bunches cilantro, chopped
  • 1-2 handfuls fresh oyster mushrooms, torn into bite size pieces
  • 420 gram egg tofu, (15 oz)
  • oyster sauce, to taste
  • soy sauce, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Fill a large pot about 1/3 full of water, add the stock cubes and bring to boil. The pot I am using here is my pressure cooker pot, this is NOT a pressure cooker recipe, I use the pot because it is a heavy thick walled pot.
  • The brand of fish balls I used, each bag, vacuum sealed, is 400 grams (14 oz) and I used bags. These are the large fish ball. For readers in the US and Canada, these will be in the frozen or fridge section of an Asian market.
  • Empty the fish balls onto a cutting board, use a knife and cut an X on opposite sides of each ball.
  • Add the fish balls to the pot, and reduce heat to a simmer and let the fish balls cook through. They will swell as they cook.
  • Chop the spring onion and cilantro and add to the pot and stir in. Here you can see the X's on the fish balls, the reason for doing this is more surface area to absorb the stock flavor.
  • After about 15 more minutes of simmering, add the mushrooms and stir in.
  • Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes to cook the mushrooms and get them nice and tender.
  • This is the egg tofu I used, it comes in a tube. Cut the end of each tube off and the tofu will slide right out. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.
  • Add the egg tofu to the pot and stir in, simmer for about 15 minutes to heat the tofu through. Season to taste with soy sauce and oyster sauce, a splash or two of each works well.
  • Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Notes

This makes a large amount of soup. The fish balls were 104 Baht for both packages, egg tofu was 40 Baht, and the oyster mushrooms were free (I use a really good vendor). For 8 servings, this is about 55 cents per serving.
Variants: 1. Use any meatballs you like, such as fish, pork, chicken & pork, seafood, and shrimp. 2. Use any stock you like, such as chicken, pork, shrimp, vegetable, and mushroom. 3. Use any mushrooms such as Straw, Shiitake, Shimeji, Oyster, or button. 4. Add any any of the following, glass noodles, egg noodles, carrot, daikon, or even hard boiled quail or chicken eggs. 5. Serve with rice if desired.
Common Thai soup.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,MEATBALLS,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
August 10, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This, sounds incredibly good! I used my shortcut for the cake mix as boxed mixes are outrageously priced where I live. This is like a giant sheet cookie, and very tasty as well. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box yellow cake mix, (Shortcut)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F), get out a 9x13 baking dish.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix together the first 3 ingredients. The mixture is quite thick.
  • Mix in the chocolate chips.
  • Place the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and spread out evenly. I wetted my hands to spread the dough out evenly.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and place dish on a wire rack to cool a bit.
  • Slice while still slightly warm, as it will firm up a lot when totally cooled off. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Homemade Yellow Cake Mix.
Variants: 1. Use M&M's in place of the chocolate chips. 2. Lightly sprinkle sugar sprinkles on the top once the cake is cooled. 3. Pipe chocolate frosting in the center of each cut piece.
Recipe provided by Conni Layton.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,DESSERTS
Mushroom Barley Soup
August 7, 2018 Lee
Leave a comment

Mushroom Barley Soup

I made this on 1 Nov 2018 and used three types of mushrooms; White Crab, King Oyster, and Shiitake. This soup is absolutely delicious.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup carrot, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 500 grams fresh mushrooms, Straw, Shiitake, or Button, sliced, (1 lb)
  • 6 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
  • 3/4 cup dry barley
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep the veggies. (I used Thai celery for this, and even chopped the leaves to go in at the end.)
  • Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat, when hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent and tender.
  • Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes. A note if using straw mushrooms, only slice in half lengthwise.
  • Mushrooms are cooked down and stirred to coat with any oil in the pot.
  • Add the broth and barley and stir together. I used 4 cups bean broth from chickpeas and 2 cups of water.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 50 minutes, stir occasionally, and add broth as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. About 10 minutes before serving, add some chopped celery tops if using those, and if using Shiitakes for a nice garnish, add those and allow them to soften.
  • Serve. If using the Shiitakes as garnish, spoon those out and place on top of the soup.

Notes

Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add chopped celery tops towards the end of cooking. 2. Use bean broth in place of vegetable broth. 3. Add whole Shiitake mushrooms with a decorative cut as a garnish, add near the end of cooking and allow them to soften.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MUSHROOMS,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Quick Soaking Beans (Pressure Cooker)
August 4, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Quick Soaking Beans (Pressure Cooker)

Hip Pressure Cooking, Laura Pazzaglia, United States.
I tested this method today and it is good. If you forgot to soak your beans for at least 6 hours (like I did today) I went to a trusted site for how to quick soak in the pressure cooker. I used my 9 liter (9½ quart) 80 kPa (12 psi) stove top pressure cooker. Follow the safety instructions for your model of pressure cooker.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • dry beans
  • water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the beans and remove any debris, place the beans in your pressure cooker.
  • Add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry beans.
  • Regardless if quick soaking 1 cup or many cups of beans, add just 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of oil. (The salt normally keeps the skins from splitting, and the oil to prevent foaming.)
  • Place the lid on the pressure cooker and add the weight (jiggler). Turn on high heat and bring to full pressure. When the jiggler indicates full pressure, start timing for 2 minutes and reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain pressure release.
  • When 2 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and move the cooker to an unused burner.
  • Now we are going to do what is called a Normal pressure release, meaning you are going to tilt the weight (jiggler) to let off pressure. Put on an oven mitt, and gently tilt the weight to allow pressure to gently release (NEVER PULL THE WEIGHT OFF!!!), just tilt it slightly for about 10 seconds then let go. About 10 seconds later, repeat with tilting the weight. Do this until the lid lock releases (drops). (When you release the pressure in this manner, you are causing violent boiling inside the pot, which is speeding up the 'quick soaking.')
  • When the lid lock drops, remove the weight, remove the lid. Drain and rinse the beans, they may look wrinkly, that is fine.
  • Now your beans are ready to be cooked for a recipe that calls for 'soaked beans.'
#1 Go-To Recipes,Ingredients - Pressure Cooker
Teriyaki Salmon, Chicken, or Tofu
August 3, 2018 Lee
Leave a comment

Teriyaki Salmon, Chicken, or Tofu

This recipe for Teriyaki Sauce inspired by Just One Cookbook.
This is a 'make the amount you want' guide and is a basic way to use real Japanese teriyaki sauce. As the title states, use either salmon, chicken, or tofu, and each item will have separate instructions. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • salmon steaks, or chicken thighs, or firm tofu
  • cornstarch, as needed
  • Teriyaki sauce, Shortcut
  • salt and pepper, as needed
  • sake, as needed

Instructions
 

Teriyaki Salmon

  • Heat a non stick pan with 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil, season the salmon steaks on both sides with salt and pepper as desired then coat with flour. When the oil is hot, add the salmon and cook for 3 minutes or until nicely browned.
  • Turn salmon over and add 1 tablespoon of sake, cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Spoon some teriyaki sauce over the salmon and turn to coat.
  • Serve, optionally spoon some teriyaki sauce over the top of the salmon when serving.

Teriyaki Chicken

  • Heat a non stick pan with 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil, season the skin on chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper as desired then coat with flour. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook until nicely browned.
  • Turn the chicken over and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove chicken, pour out oil and wipe with a paper towel, return the chicken to the pan, spoon some teriyaki sauce over the chicken and turn to coat.
  • Serve, optionally spoon some teriyaki sauce over the top of the chicken when serving.

Teriyaki Tofu

  • Firm tofu comes in a brine, first thing you have to do is drain off the liquid, and gently press it to remove any excess moisture. You can also microwave the tofu for 1 minute.
  • Cut the tofu into slabs or cubes, Add some cornstarch to a mixing bowl, add the cubed or slabbed tofu and shake and toss to lightly coat.
  • Heat a non stick pan with 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil on medium high heat, when hot, add the tofu cooking on both sides for slabs or all sides for cubes until golden brown.
  • Spoon teriyaki sauce over the tofu and turn to coat. Place tofu in a serving bowl.
  • Serve, optionally spoon some teriyaki sauce over the top of the tofu when serving. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Teriyaki Sauce (照り焼きのたれ).
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: JAPANESE,CHICKEN & TURKEY,FISH - ALL,Fish - Salmon
Teriyaki Sauce (照り焼きのたれ)
August 3, 2018 Lee
9 Comments

Teriyaki Sauce (照り焼きのたれ)

This is so easy to make, four ingredients is all you need, and like people's secret BBQ sauce or secret burger sauce, the Japanese too have their ways to make their own signature homemade teriyaki sauce. American teriyaki sauce normally includes grated or powdered ginger and or garlic, Japanese does not.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 1 cup of sauce

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup mirin, Aji is fine, Hon is preferred
  • ½ cup sake
  • ¼ cup sugar

Instructions
 

  • The three liquid ingredients, Soy Sauce, Mirin (8% alcohol), and Japanese Sake (15-25% alcohol). The sugar is just out of view.
  • Add all ingredients to a sauce pan, stir continuously and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickens.
  • Pour the sauce into a sterilized jar and let sit, uncovered, until cooled. The sauce thickens just a bit more as it cools as well, and just to note, Japanese teriyaki sauce not really thick. Store in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

Notes

Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
 
This recipe for Teriyaki Sauce inspired by Just One Cookbook.
#1 Go-To Recipes,5 Ingredients or Less,: JAPANESE,CONDIMENTS
Greek Pasta Salad
August 3, 2018 Lee
Leave a comment

Greek Pasta Salad

Samantha Thayer, United States - Thailand.
This is from my daughter, Samantha, and when she made this, she did not know what to call it, but she certainly nailed this one! This looks and sounds, perfect. Measurements are approximations only. Photos provided by Samantha.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 6-7 cups cooked pasta, bite size, like shells, spirals, wheels, etc.
  • 2 small cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, sliced
  • 15 kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 115 grams Feta cheese, crumbled, (4 oz container)
  • 1 cup dry hot salami, sliced
  • 1 cup Greek vinaigrette
  • 1/4 baby arugula
  • squeeze fresh lemon
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the pasta per the package instructions. Drain. Set aside to let it cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. (Wheels were used here to make it pleasant for small children to see.)
  • Onion, cucumbers and olives ready.
  • Salami is ready.
  • Feta cheese is crumbled and ready. Do not add the feta if the pasta is still warm, chill the salad first because melted feta is not pleasant to see.
  • Although a homemade dressing is always preferred, the bottled type is good to have on hand for convenience and a time saver.
  • In a large mixing bowl, toss together the pasta, vegetables, including the arugula, and the salami. Add the vinaigrette and mix in, taste, and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to your desired liking. Chill the salad for at least an hour, overnight is highly recommended to allow the flavors to blend and develop.
  • Add the feta cheese and gently mix together, place in a serving dish, and enjoy.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA,Sides - Salads