Author Archive
Sage Chicken Livers
I made this on 23 May 2018, and was pleasantly surprised, wonderful flavor, so much so, my wife really liked this, as did the rest of the family. Just common chicken livers with some sage which is not a spice used by Thais, but was well liked. Not a pretty dish but tasty.
Ingredients
- 750 grams chicken livers, cut in half, trimmed, (1½ lb)
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1 medium oinion, sliced, separated into rings
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup dry white wine, or chicken stock
Instructions
- Livers prepped with a quick rinse and each cut in half.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, then add the livers.
- Just cook and turn occasionally with a spatula until mostly cooked, they continue cooking with the next steps, no one likes over cooked livers 🙂
- Add the sliced onion, stir and cook until softened.
- Stir in the sage, salt, and pepper, then stir in the wine or stock and simmer for 5-6 minutes to reduce most of the liquid.
- Serve as is with a side, or over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
Low cost.
Chicken Giblets
A alternative to just plain fried giblets. For this recipe, a mix of hearts and gizzards is fine along with liver if you like, but if using livers, add those later during the cooking as they take less time to cook.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken hearts, or hearts, gizzards, liver or combination, (2 lb)
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- ½ cup white wine, or chicken stock
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil then add the hearts and or gizzards and fry until just browned. If using liver in addition to hearts and or gizzards, add them just when the other items are browning up, this is because the liver cooks faster, and you do not want to over cook the liver.
- When everything is browned, stir in the cumin, clove, paprika, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the onion and garlic, stir that in and fry for 5 minutes.
- Reduce to heat to low and stir in the wine or stock and simmer on low until the giblets are cooked through.
- Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. In place of the white wine or chicken stock, use an equal amount of heavy cream.
Fresh Broccoli (Pressure Cooker)
In keeping with using my stove top pressure cooker often, another side dish this time for broccoli. This will use the steamer tray for your pressure cooker. Follow your pressure cooker manufacturers safety instructions.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- fresh broccoli, cut in pieces, plus stem, amount is up to you
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place your steamer tray in your pressure cooker, pour in the water and add the broccoli onto the tray.
- Close the lid and bring to high pressure, when the jiggler starts moving and venting pressure, start your timer for 1 minute. When 1 minute has passed, turn off the heat and move the cooker to an unused burner to relieve pressure naturally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- When the lid lock drops indicating no pressure inside, pull off the jiggler, and open the pot, use tongs and remove the broccoli. Serve as a side dish and enjoy.
Egg Salad on Saltines
This is from a good friend, and is so simple, it is brilliant. You need 3 items, egg salad of your choosing, saltine crackers, and cherry tomatoes. I normally make a sandwich from egg salad and serve deviled eggs as appetizers, this simplifies the appetizer problem to a lighter and less filling appetizer (or you could be like me and make a bunch of these and call it a meal). No quantities or servings stated as this is a make what you need recipe, more of a guide than a recipe really. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- egg salad, your preference or from my Shortcut
- saltine crackers, as needed
- cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, up to you
Instructions
- Prepare your own favorite egg salad or prepare from my shortcut, I have several that would work really well and expand your ex salad experience (listed below), or your choice to use a store bought egg salad.
- Place a good spoonful of chilled egg salad on a saltine cracker, stick half or quarter of a cherry tomato in the egg salad. Arrange on a tray, serve as an appetizer.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcuts: Basic Egg Salad, Egg Salad with Capers & Dill, Mushroom & Egg Salad, Mediterranean Egg Salad.
Variants: 1. For the Basic Egg Salad, add half of a pickle slice instead of the tomato. 2. For the Egg salad with capers and dill, add a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill and a half of pickle slice. 3. For the Mediterranean Egg Salad, use the tomato half or quarter and some fresh dill.
Inspired by a good friend, Kristi Fancher Brown.
Unites States.
Unites States.
Chicken Hearts with Onions & Mushrooms
Sounds like an excellent dish, I look forward to making this and testing it out.
Ingredients
- 750 grams chicken hearts, tops trimmed, sliced in half, (1½ lb)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¾ cup onions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh mushroom, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
- 1¾ cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the ½ cup oil and heat over medium heat, when hot, slowly whisk in the flour and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the roux is light to medium brown then turn off the heat.
- In a large non stick pan, add the 1 tablespoon of oil, when hot, add the onion and mushrooms, saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the hearts and ½ teaspoon of the garlic salt, stir together and saute for 3 more minutes.
- Now stir in the broth, then add the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, black pepper, and oregano. Stir in the roux you made previously. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over steamed rice.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Chicken Liver Stroganoff
I added this recipe on 23 Mar 2018 and made it the same evening. It goes together quickly and is delicious, very well liked by the family.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken liver, (1 lb)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, divided or as needed
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1½ cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce, or fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce, optional
- 1 pinch dried thyme
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the livers by rinsing them, cut in half, remove any tough membranes, dry them on paper towels. Sprinkle the liver with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently mix them to coat, use more flour as needed.
- Heat a large non stick pan with the butter and saute the onion until soft, then add the livers. Saute the livers for about 3 minutes and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, oyster or fish sauce, chili sauce, thyme, and black pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- Mix together the cream and 1 tablespoon of flour, stir into the liver mixture and bring to just before boiling.
- Remove from heat, serve and top with some chopped parsley. Here I served it with fresh made spatzle.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. If using Straw mushrooms (highly recommended), slice into quarters lengthwise. 2. Use just chicken hearts, halved, or a combination of hearts and livers.
Larb Gai
Larb = salad, Gai = chicken, there is your Thai lesson for the day 🙂 This is a Thai dish, and eaten often in Laos as well, in the US Thai restaurants, this may be called Spicy Thai Chicken Salad. Easy to prepare, can be served on a bed of lettuce if you desire, and normally served with sticky rice and fresh veggies such as cucumber, spring onion, long beans, and cabbage.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons shallots, sliced
- 2 tablespoons spring onion, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons roasted rice powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh Thai chili, ground, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, cook the chicken and 2 tablespoons of lime juice on medium heat, and cook until done, stirring often until the chicken is cooked through.
- Pour the chicken into a heat proof mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Taste and season as desired with lime juice and or fish sauce.
- Serve with stick rice and fresh vegetables.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Use beef instead of chicken, then it is Larb Nuea. 2. Use pork instead of chicken, this it is Larb Moo. 3. Add and mix in glass noodles (bean curd noodles).
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Inspired by good friend, Khanthary Singnhoth.
United States.
United States.
Stew Beef (Pressure Cooker)
This applies to stew beef, not a large piece of beef like a pot roast. A few days ago I was going to make some ground beef patties with a gravy sauce, and my new and to my discovery, less than desirable meat grinder failed at simply grinding beef. Since I had the meat cut to stew size to feed into the grinder. Backup plan, use my stove top pressure cooker. I looked up the time for stew beef, 20 minutes, easy, and quite delicious beef that is tender and juicy. Win win. Follow your pressure cooker's safety instructions.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1½ kilos beef, see Step 1, (3 lbs)
- water, as needed
Instructions
- The amount of beef (stew beef, beef that is cut into pieces) is not really important, I used 1½ kilos but I also have a 9 liter (9½ quart) pressure cooker. Main thing is the pressure cooker (for smaller pressure cookers) is no more than ⅔ full.
- Add the beef to the cooker. Add about 1 to 1½ inches of water, again, do not go over ⅔ full. You need water in the cooker, you are not going to boil the meat, as when it is under pressure, the water does not boil, it is certainly ok if there is meat above the water!
- Place the lid on and lock, bring to high heat. When the jiggler starts moving and releasing pressure, turn the heat down but maintain the pressure release and jiggler moving (indicating full pressure). Start timing for 20 minutes.
- When 20 minutes have passed on full pressure, turn of the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner to allow a natural release of pressure.
- When the pressure is released and it is safe to open your pressure cooker, go ahead and open, use beef as needed in other recipes. Don't forget to try a piece first 😉
- I simply added the stew beef to a sauce pan of beef gravy and served it with homemade spatzle, excellent dish.
- Recipes to use stew beef in could be simply beef and gravy, beef and noodles, etc.
Notes
For pricing, this depends on how much beef you are using and where you sourced it from. I will just use a blanket Fair cost for this.
Variant: 1. Increase the time to 21 or 22 minutes for an even more fall apart tender beef.
Fridge Bread & Butter Pickles
I love bread and butter pickles and when I was growing up, my Mom and Grandmother made them a lot during the summer months. I just found this recipe and I will be trying it soon! This is NOT a canning recipe and is NOT recommended to can this, this is a make and place in the fridge recipe. I made these on 22 May 2018, delicious!
Ingredients
- 750 grams small cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 small onions, thinly sliced, white onion preferred
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl, add the cucumber slices and onion slices.
- Add the salt, toss together. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-1 1/2 hours.
- When the cucumbers are ready, add to a colander and rinse well. Drain the cucumbers well, there you just removed excess moisture from the cucumber slices to provide a good crisp cucumber slice.
- Add the drained cucumbers to a heat proof bowl this time, or to a quart jar.
- In a medium sauce pan, add the vinegars, sugars, mustard and celery seeds, and finally the turmeric. Stir together then and bring mixture to a simmer on medium heat. Stir until the sugars are dissolved.
- Pour the hot mixture over the cucumber and onion mixture, let set at room temp until cooled, cover and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
- The bread and butter pickles are ready now to be enjoyed. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month as long as they are covered airtight.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sliced Baked Potatoes
I like potatoes cooked many ways, this certainly sounds good. On my to cook list. Low number of ingredients, always a plus as well. No quantities are stated, this is a make with what you have on hand or need recipe, just adjust the ingredients to your needs. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- bacon, chopped, fried crispy
- spring onions, finely sliced
- sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
- butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F), line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush both sides of the potato slice with melted butter and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flip them half way through, until lightly browned on each side.
- When the potatoes are browned, top with the bacon, spring onion, and cheese.
- Return the to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, keep an eye on them!
- Remove from your oven and spoon into a serving dish, add a few spoons of sour cream and serve. Have sour cream available on the side as well. Enjoy.