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Rotsi-topped Fish Pie
May 19, 2018 Lee
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Rotsi-topped Fish Pie

Rotsi (Rösti) is a new term for me, I had to look that up, Swiss in origin meaning shredded par boiled potato. Normally when I see fish pies they are topped with mashed potatoes or just a nice cheese sauce, so this sounds really good for a different topping. I am going to use my individual serving dish or dishes to test this recipe out and will validate the ingredient amounts as well. On my to cook list and soon. Many variants to make this a different dish every time you prepare it.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large potato, 300 grams, (10-11 oz)
  • 250 grams white fish fillets, skinless, boneless, (8-9 oz)
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 leek, thinly slice, rinsed well
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash and scrub the potato, certainly use more smaller potatoes if you do not have one large one. Cut the potato in half. Heat a sauce pan with salted water, when boiling, add the potato pieces and cook for about 5-6 minutes, you want firm, not fully tender potatoes as you are going to shred them. When the potatoes have been cooked, slightly, drain them and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set them aside.
  • In a sauce pan, add the milk and fish, bring to just a simmer for 5 minutes, this is precooking the fish, and getting some fish juices mixed into the milk. Remove the fish and drain them, retain the milk and set aside.
  • Heat half of the butter in a sauce pan, then add the leek and saute for about 5 minutes or until soft. Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for 1 minute, then remove from heat, then slowly add the milk while whisking. Return to heat and whisk until the sauce comes the sauce comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the parsley and mustard, season with pepper as desired. Set this aside.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a small baking dish, I am going to try this with one or two small individual Pyrex dishes.
  • Flake the fish into chunks and fold into the sauce. Gently fold in the quartered eggs. Pour mixture into the dish or dishes.
  • Grate the potato pieces then melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Toss the butter with the potatoes, season with salt and pepper as desired. Scatter the potatoes over the dish.
  • Place the dish in the oven and and bake for 10-20 minutes to get the potatoes golden brown and tender.
  • Serve.

Notes

Low cost.
Variants: 1. Use a combination of fish, like whitefish and salmon. 2. Add shrimp. 3. Omit the eggs. 4. Add peas to the sauce. 5. Add some shredded cheese to the potatoes or place on top of the potatoes. 6. Replace the leek with diced onion. 7. Go heavy handed with the pepper in the sauce. 8. Add extra mustard to the sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,FISH - ALL,Fish - White Fish
Orange Drop Cookies
May 18, 2018 Lee
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Orange Drop Cookies

These sound delicious and comes to me from a very good friend in the US, and her description of these is "They are a light cookie. Not as heavy as I expected. This is now, my favorite." I look forward to making these as well as enjoying them.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies

  • 2/3 cup shortening
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

For the Glaze

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest

Instructions
 

For the Cookies

  • Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F).
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth, then add orange juice, zest, and the egg.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (just put that all in a separate bowl and mix it). Now mix that into the wet ingredients. Mix well.
  • Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

For the Glaze

  • In a mixing bowl, add the Glaze ingredients. Beat together. If glaze is too runny, mix in more powdered sugar, if too thick, add more orange juice a few drops at a time.
  • Drizzle glaze over the cooled cookies, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Recipe provided by good friend, Patti Stone, and her recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Dill Pickle Cream Cheese Sandwich
May 18, 2018 Lee
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Dill Pickle Cream Cheese Sandwich

This is from a good friend, and it is delicious! I make my own dill pickles, grow dill, and cream cheese is easily available, perfect. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 sandwiches

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams Cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
  • 1/3 cup dill pickles, finely diced, (Shortcut)
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
  • salt, to taste
  • red pepper flakes, as desired
  • 4 slices bread
  • lettuce leaves, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl, left soften, use a fork to mash to make it nice and soft, clean off the fork with a spoon. Photo shows the cream cheese mashed, my homemade fridge pickles, and 1/3 cup of the pickles chopped. The dill is not in the photo but that is from my yard.
  • Use a sturdy spoon and fold in the pickles, juice, and dill until combined, season with salt and red pepper flakes as desired.
  • Lay out two slices of bread, places lettuce slices on one slice as desired, spoon cream cheese, generously, on lettuce and spread out, top with remaining slices of bread. Enjoy.

Notes

Caroline Cream cheese is about 120 Baht. For two sandwiches, this is about $1.90 per sandwich.
Shortcut: Fridge Dill Pickles.
Variants: 1. Serve on toast. 2. Use bagels in place of sliced bread.
Recipe provided by good friend, Patti Stone, and her recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Olive Cheese Bread
May 18, 2018 Lee
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Olive Cheese Bread

This sounds really good and comes from a very good friend in the US. On my to cook list for sure after I make some sour cream. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, chicken or duck
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup green olives with pimento, sliced
  • 1/4 cup black olives, pitted, sliced
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly spray some olive oil on the paper and sides of the pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sour cream, oil, eggs, and sugar until smooth.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, stir until just combined.
  • Fold in the cheese and olives.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven to a rack to cool completely.
  • Run a knife around the sides and turn out onto a rack. Slice when cooled, and better if chilled first.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Sour Cream.
Recipe provided by good friend, Patti Stone, and her recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BREAD & PASTRY
Dill Pickle Bread
May 18, 2018 Lee
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Dill Pickle Bread

This sounds really good and comes from a very good friend in the US. On my to cook list for sure after I make some sour cream. Several money saving shortcuts are listed as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, chicken or duck
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
  • 1/2 cup dill pickles, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, or frozen and thawed, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly spray some olive oil on the paper and sides of the pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sour cream, oil, eggs, and sugar until smooth.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pickle juice, stir until just combined.
  • Fold in the cheese, pickles, and dill.
  • Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven to a rack to cool completely.
  • Run a knife around the sides and turn out onto a rack. Slice when cooled, and better if chilled first.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcuts: Sour Cream, Fridge Dill Pickles.
Recipe provided by good friend, Patti Stone, and her recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BREAD & PASTRY
Cherry Tomato Pasta
May 18, 2018 Lee
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Cherry Tomato Pasta

I made this on 28 May 2018, excellent side dish. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams pasta, type is up to you, (1 lb)
  • 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 block, (1 stick)
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 pack cherry tomatoes, rinsed
  • salt, as desired
  • red pepper flakes, as desired
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, as desired
  • handful bread crumbs, optional, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta. The type of pasta is your choice, long like spaghetti, or shorter types.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat a large non stick pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter, when melted and hot, add the smashed garlic. Saute until garlic is softened, smash the garlic as it cooks as well.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes into the pan, season with a pinch of salt. Saute to soften the tomatoes.
  • When the pasta is almost tender, take a cup of pasta water and add to the pan along with the remaining butter. Stir to melt the butter into the water and mixed into the garlic and tomatoes, crushing some of the tomatoes as you stir. This will make a silky butter sauce.
  • Transfer the pasta to the pan using tongs or a pasta fork, or just a large slotted spoon.
  • Mix the pasta with the sauce, season with salt and red pepper flakes as desired. Mix in some Parmesan cheese to your liking.
  • Optionally, you can add a handful or two of bread crumbs to the pasta and mix that in.
  • Serve with additional Parmesan cheese for garnish if desired.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Bread Crumbs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Shrimp Omelet
May 16, 2018 Lee
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Shrimp Omelet

This is basically a Thai style omelet but without any folding, the filling is just mixed into the beaten eggs.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 1 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup cooked small shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
  • 2-3 spring onions, chopped, white and green parts
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • white pepper powder, as desired
  • cooking oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • For the shrimp, cook them with any method you prefer, such as steaming, boiling, or sauteing. If the shrimp you are using are sort of big, go ahead and chop them into 3/4 inch pieces. For these, I just dropped them into a small pot of boiling water, when they turn pink, drain and drop into cold water to stop the cooking process.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well, season with white pepper powder as desired. Get everything else chopped, here, everything ready.
  • Heat a large non stick pan with a good splash of oil, hot but not smoking.
  • When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, spring onion, and cilantro into the eggs and mix together.
  • Pour the egg mixture all at once into the pan, it will puff as well.
  • Use a spatula and lift up the sides to let the egg mixture run onto the hot pan. Cook until the bottom is set and golden brown.
  • Flip the omelet over and cook until the bottom is now set.
  • Flip one more time and serve. This was my dinner last night, can also serve family style and just place the plate in the center of the table and everyone can dig in.

Notes

Low cost.
Common method to make a Thai Omelet.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,BREAKFAST (for dinner!),EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Shrimp/Prawn
Focaccia
May 16, 2018 Lee
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Focaccia

Patti Ann, United States.
This is an Italian flat bread and comes to me from a very good friend in the US, and she got this recipe (and makes it often) from her lifetime friends who are in fact Italian, and direct from Italy, so I would say this recipe is very authentic. This is a no knead bread and is baked in a 9x13 pan. I made this on 15 May 2018, the very day I received this recipe. For the term I use, proofing, that is the same as rising.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 1¾ cups lukewarm water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • butter, cubed, as needed
  • salt, as needed
  • butter, melted, as needed

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the water, salt, sugar, and yeast, stir together then let sit on the counter for 5 minutes. While that is siting, measure out the 4 cups of flour into another large mixing bowl.
  • To the yeast mixture, add 1 cup of flour (from the bowl with flour) and mix that in, a sturdy spoon can be used for this whole process.
  • Then add another cup of flour from the bowl and mix, then another, then the last of the flour. The mixture will be a big sticky flour ball.
  • Take the bowl the flour was in, wipe that out, then lightly spray with olive oil or lightly coat with butter. Roll out the sticky dough from the first mixing bowl to the lightly oiled/greased bowl.
  • Cover the bowl with a dry towel and let rise for 3 hours. This photo is after 3 hours.
  • Lightly flour your hands and punch down the dough.
  • Roll out the dough into a 9x13 inch well buttered baking dish, and spread it out on bottom of the dish.
  • Poke holes in the dough. In each hole, place a chunk of butter. Lightly salt the top.
  • Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until it has doubled. Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Photo is after proofing.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove and smear softened butter all over the top. Then place back in the oven until golden brown. Remove the dish and place on a rack to cool.
: ITALIAN,BREAD & PASTRY
Easy Pasta Sauce
May 14, 2018 Lee
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Easy Pasta Sauce

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Very easy for a base sauce but feel free to tailor this at will, like adding meatballs. Only 4 ingredients and 45 minutes of your time. On my to cook list to verify this. Now I am in Thailand, our can sizes are not that of the states for some items, and canned tomatoes fall into the category. I will clarify this in the procedures. If you are in Thailand or Southeast Asia (or the US), please read the step completely. There is a lot of variants to this as you will read in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, see Step 1, you need to read this if in Thailand
  • 1 onion
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1-2 pinches salt

Instructions
 

  • For the US, use a 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes with juice. For Asia, the average can I have seen is 565 grams or about 20 oz, for Asia, use 2 cans, you make more sauce for use in other recipes but keep the onion, butter, and salt measurements the same.
  • Open tomatoes and pour the tomatoes and juice, into a medium size pot.
  • For the onion, trim both ends, peel, and cut in half, add that to the pot.
  • Add the butter to the pot along with a pinch or two of salt as you desire.
  • Bring the pot up to a simmer and break up the tomatoes with a spoon as they cook. Stir often just don't let the tomatoes or juice burn.
  • Cook the sauce for 45 minutes, add seasoning of your choice (Italian seasoning comes to mind).
  • Remove and discard the onion. Add to pasta and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
Variants: 1. Obvious is to use fresh, peeled tomatoes but you will need to add tomato juice as well. 2. Add some crushed garlic cloves while this is simmering. 3. Feel free to add cooked meatballs. Feel free to add ground meat of your choosing, cooked of course, at the end of the cooking. 4. Feel free to use a seasoning during cooking, remember, make this your own sauce, my Italian seasoning is listed as a shortcut.
 
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Ingredients - Sauces
Porcupine Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
May 14, 2018 Lee
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Porcupine Meatballs (Slow Cooker)

Feel free to make this with a range of ground meats, such as pork, beef, chicken, or turkey. This sounds really good, and I made this on 17 May 2018, delicious! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground meat, pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, (1 lb)
  • 1 small brown onion, finely diced, divided
  • 1 can condensed tomato soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 can water, if using the soup shortcut, 1 1/4 cups
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice, brown or white
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the ground meat, 1/2 the onion, 1/2 the oregano, egg, garlic, carrot, and rice. Then get in there with your clean hands and mix this together. (I used 750 grams of pork (1 1/2 lbs) so I used 2 eggs.)
  • Shape the mixture into 10 balls and place each in your slow cooker. (I used 750 grams of pork (1 1/2 lbs) so I made 12 good sized meatballs.)
  • Wipe out the mixing bowl, then add the soup, Worcestershire sauce, remaining oregano, remaining onion, and the can of water or 1 1/4 cups of water if you made the shortcut. Mix well. (Big change here I used 3 cups of condensed soup.)
  • Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Set the slow cooker to High setting and cook for 4 hours then switch to Low setting for 1 more hour.
  • When ready, use a large spoon to scoop out the meatballs, this photo is with 3 meatballs and 2 scoops of gravy removed already.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice. Enjoy.

Notes

Thinking just ground pork or chicken, this is low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Tomato Soup.
Variant: 1. If you go heavy on the meat, say, 750 grams (1 1/2 lbs) like I did, add another egg, touch more seasoning, and 3 cups of soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MEATBALLS