Author Archive
Spaghetti Rockefeller
This is from a good friend and not only sounds good, but looks good! On my to cook list for sure! This recipe as stated is for a average casserole dish, feel free to double this then use a 9x13 baking dish. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 120 grams dry spaghetti, (4 oz)
- 280 grams frozen spinach, (10 oz)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- bacon, cooked crisp, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- First thing, get a pot of salted water on high heat, when boiling, add the spaghetti and cook until just near tender. Drain and rinse and place in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease an average size casserole dish or a 9x13 dish if you are doubling the recipe.
- Same pot, add more water and set on high heat, add the frozen spinach. When the water boils, remove from heat, drain well, place in the same large mixing bowl and toss together.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk at a time.
- Pour into the prepared casserole or baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy, top each serving with some chopped cooked bacon.
Notes
I cannot price this until I locate Monterey Jack cheese. For now I will say fair value.
Shortcut: Sour Cream.
Variant: 1. Add chopped ham, cooked sausage, cooked and chopped chicken.
Recipe and photo from a good friend, her recipe which is locatedĀ here. Ramona Cain.
Unites States.
Unites States.
Italian Pasta Rockefeller
Not sure about where this got its name, but it certainly sounds good, on my to cook list. Feel free to use jarred Alfredo sauce instead of from scratch, totally up to your preference. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium oinion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 500 grams bulk pork sausage, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 bag fresh leaf spinach, I will verify quantity
- 500 grams Cavatelli pasta, or Penne pasta
- Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
For the Alfredo Sauce
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan (one that has a lid) and add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft. Add the sausage and break that up with the spatula as it cooks.
- When the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, stir in the wine and stock.
- Turn the heat to low, add the spinach and cover.cover the pan and allow mixture to come to a boil.
- Uncover and stir, allow mixture to reduce.
- While the pan is simmering on very low heat, heat a pot of salted water to boiling then cook the pasta until tender, then drain and rinse.
- While waiting for the pasta to cook, make the Alfredo sauce. Simply add the Alfredo sauce ingredients to a sauce pan on medium or medium low heat, and whisk continuously until the cheese is melted in and the sauce thickens.
- Add the sauce to the sausage mixture and mix together, pour the sauce over the drained and rinsed pasta.
- Serve, have grated Parmesan cheese for individual preference as well as salt and pepper, enjoy.
Notes
If you make the sausage yourself, very easy, the cost is about 50 Baht for the pork (using pork shoulder or butt). The cheese figure about 100 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Pork Sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Whole Duck (Pressure Cooker)
Using the same idea that the pressure cooker produced an outstanding juicy and tender chicken, my wife suggested using it for duck. We sent our brother in law to a local duck farm two days ago and he brought back 2 small ducks, yesterday, 18 Feb 2018, he slaughtered the ducks, plucked them, and sort of cleaned them, and delivered the two ducks to us. I did the final cleaning and prep for the pressure cooker. And oh my, what a tender and juicy duck as well, absolutely delicious! Follow the safety precautions for you type of pressure cooker. I use a 12 psi (80 kPa) 9 liter (9 1/2 quart) stove top pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 2 small whole ducks
- 8 stalks lemon grass
- 2 handfuls lime leaves
- 1 large onion, chopped
Instructions
- For those in Asia, any fowl will have feet and head still attached.
- Prep the duck by cutting off the feet, head, and neck. Clean the inside and out with running water, clean the inside well. Make sure the heart and liver are removed as well, and clean the gizzard as well if that is not done.
- Beat the lemongrass with a pestle or meat tenderizer, make two bundles and tie each into an overhand knot, place a bundle in each duck, then place a handful of lime leaves in each duck.
- If using the feet, use a cleaver and chop off the toes, and if using the head, chop off bill, yes, I know that sounds weird. Wash the feet, heads, necks, and gizzards. These will go in the pressure cooker. For the hearts and livers, set those aside, those do not go in the pressure cooker. (I boiled the hearts and livers for a snack while cooking the ducks.)
- Place the ducks in the pressure cooker along with the heads, necks, feet, and gizzards. Toss in the chopped onion. Add water as need, it does not need to cover the ducks, but keep the pot 2/3 or less full.
- Add the lid and lock in place, place weight (jiggler) on the top and turn on heat to high. Once the jiggler starts venting pressure and moving, start your time for 30 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, turn off the heat and move the pot to an unused burner and allow to release pressure naturally.
- One duck ready to serve. This was enjoyed with just a simple chili sauce for dipping and rice on the side. Figure 4 servings from one small duck.
Notes
Each small duck cost me 100 Baht, so 200 for both. for 8 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving, outstanding value for a very good meal!
Thai Fish Curry
I seen my wife make this today using imported Italian Mackerel, and local sourced ingredients. Seems like a lot of steps but this actually goes together quite fast overall. The coconut milk is made from fresh grated coconut, use canned if you like. Measurements are very approximate as no actual measurements are made, what is listed is my best guesses.
Ingredients
- 500 grams shredded coconut, fresh, not bagged
- 6 whole Italian Mackerel, gutted, tails removed, 6-8 inches each
- 2 handfuls lime leaves, finely sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons chili paste
- 2-3 tablespoons shrimp paste
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh tamarind
- cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- With the fresh shredded coconut, you are going to make coconut milk. to do this, place the coconut in a large bowl and cover with water. Squeeze the shred and the water will become milky. Do this for about 5-10 minutes, really squeezing the clumps of shred, then grab some shred and hold it above the bowl and squeeze it dry, discard the clump, now you have a bowl of coconut milk, almost, you are not done yet.
- Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the milk into the strainer, tap the strainer and move the contents a bit with your fingers to get the liquid out, you are now removing any of the remaining shred from the milk. For the remaining shred, pick that up and squeeze dry as well.
- The end result is fresh coconut milk, this is just one bowl, we used two, goal is 3-4 cups of milk total.
- Now get your ingredients together. Here is one of the two bowls of coconut milk, chili paste, shrimp paste, and the lime leaves (before slicing).
- Fish used is Italian Mackerel. We bought these are Tesco, sold by the piece, not weight, 90 Baht for 6 fish.
- Clean the fish by scaling, the scales are very small and this goes quickly, then gut each and cut the tails off. (If you want to remove the heads, feel free to do so.)
- Add about ā of the coconut milk to a pan, and add the chili paste and shrimp paste. Put on medium heat.
- While the milk is heating up, slice up the lime leaves. Grab the handful or so of leaves, the younger bright green ones are preferred, hold in a tight bundle, and slice. Not looking for perfection here, just get most of them thinly sliced. Set this aside.
- With the milk now hot, stir to mix in the chili and shrimp pastes. Let this simmer, low boil, for about 10 minutes. You just made a curry.
- Then add the fish in a single layer.
- Now pour in the remaining coconut milk and sort of mix that in, let this simmer for about 10 minutes.
- This is fresh tamarind, it is like a paste, the stones (seeds), and the string fibrous part is still in this. To this, add a little water, about 1/4 cup and squish this up to soften it.
- Remove the fish to another pan.
- To the pan with the curry, hold a strainer over the pan and pour in the tamarind mush into the strainer, move the mush about with your hand to get the tamarind liquid into the pan, when the all the liquid is strained out from the tamarind mush, discard the strainer contents. Stir the tamarind liquid into the curry then add the sliced lime leaves and stir that in.
- Pour the curry over the fish in the second pan, add a few whole lime leaves, bring this to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Place a few fish in a bowl, spoon some curry over the top and ready to serve.
Notes
The fish cost 90 Baht for 6 fish. For 4 servings, this is about 68 cents per serving.
Pong Mouan Snol (Cambodian Pork Omelet)
Cambodian dishes normally take a back seat to Thai and Vietnamese dishes only because it is rarely heard of. I have been to Cambodia several times, the chow is excellent! I am going to change this up from a giant family size omelet to several smaller ones. This is on my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
For the Pork Filling
- 500 grams ground pork, (1 lb)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons preserved cabbage, or to taste, it is salty
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons mushroom sauce
For the Eggs
- 12 eggs, for 3 egg omelets
- 2 teaspoons mushroom sauce
- olive oil, as needed, or use use butter
- spring onions, thinly sliced
For Serving
- cilantro, chopped for garnish
- cucumber, sliced as a side
- tomato, sliced as a side
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, heat the oil, when hot, add the onion and cabbage, and cook just until the onion is starting to get soft, then add the pork, sprinkle in the sugar, salt, pepper, and mushroom sauce. Cook and break up the ground pork with a spatula until cooked through. Set this pan aside.
- For the eggs, instead of just cracking 12 eggs into a bowl, crack 3 eggs into a measuring cup and make a note of the quantity. This is so you can scoop out the egg mixture for each omelet.
- Pour those 3 eggs into a large mixing bowl, crack in the remaining eggs, then stir in the mushroom sauce.
- In another large non stick pan heat a splash of olive oil or some butter, when the oil/butter is hot, use a measuring cup and measure out the 3 egg amount, and pour into the pan.
- Move the pan around to spread the egg mixture out a bit.
- Let the egg mixture cook for about a minute, then add Ā¼ of the meat mixture to Ā½ of the egg mixture, cook for another minute or until the egg mixture is getting set.
- Use a large wide spatula and fold the other half of the egg over the pork mixture, and hold that for a few seconds to let that set. Cook for another minute or so.
- When the eggs are good and set, slide the omelet onto a plate.
- Add a side of Jasmine rice and some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.
Notes
Figure about 45 Baht/500 grams for ground pork. For 4 omelets, this is about 35 cents per serving.
Whole Chicken (Pressure Cooker)
Think of boiling a whole chicken, very common in Asia, I am going to use my pressure cooker and will add some items to make broth for use in another recipe. The chicken can be thawed or frozen, just add more time if frozen. The time is based on a 2 kilo (4 lb) chicken, if your chicken is larger, increase the time slightly, if your chicken is smaller, decrease the time slightly. Follow your pressure cooker safety requirements.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 2 kilos, (4 lbs)
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- palmful black peppercorns
- 8 cups water, (2 quarts)
Instructions
- Remove the giblets from the cavity, for those in Asia (for a local fresh chicken, remove the head and feet if you like but not required) and rinse the chicken inside and out, place in your slow cooker. (This chicken I used is 2.2 kilos, head and feet attached, feet are tucked into the cavity, I also use a 9 1/2 quart pressure cooker.)
- Add the water, onions, carrots, celery, and peppercorns.
- For variant and to add a Asian taste to this chicken, we also added about 5 or 6 stalks of lemongrass. For those that are unfamiliar with using lemongrass in cooking, the texture ranks right up there very coarse wood shavings, this is not an item that remains in a dish, so the best way to add this when a dish is cooked, is to beat the stalks flat (this releases the fragrant oils in it) and tie into an overhand knot (this prevents the stalks from separating). When you are done cooking, just spoon out the knotted bundle.
- Cover and lock the lid. Heat on high heat until the jiggler releases pressure and starts moving, reduce heat to low to keep the jiggler moving. Now start timing.
- For a FROZEN chicken, time for 30 minutes. (The chicken I used here was frozen and 2.2 kilos so I timed for 32 minutes.). When the time is complete, remove the cooker from heat and set on an unused burner to do a natural release, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- For a THAWED chicken, time for 20 minutes. When the time is complete, remove the cooker from heat and set on an unused burner to do a natural release, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- After the natural pressure release, open lid on the cooker. Check out that clear broth, perfect!
- Very carefully lift the chicken out, I used two large wide spoons to do this, one wing disintegrated into the broth, the legs fell off after I set on a plate.
- Serve with a dipping sauce or use the meat in another recipe.
Notes
The chicken I used was 2.2 kilo and we paid 143 Baht. For 4 servings, this is $1.08 per serving. The bonus is you get 2 quarts of broth to use in other recipes.
Variants: 1. Add lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, or vegetables as you desire.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Fresh Carrots (Pressure Cooker)
Since buying my stove top (old school) pressure cooker, I am using it often for flavorful mains and side dishes. A pressure cooker keeps the flavor in the foods you are cooking and does it in less time as well. This was a spur of the moment side dish I put together to use up some carrots in the fridge and to make a healthy side dish as well. Follow your pressure cooker safety instructions. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2-4 large carrots
- 2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, Shortcut
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken stock to the pressure cooker.
- Wash and slice the carrots about Ā¼ to Ā½ inch thick, you can peel them first if you like. Place in the pressure cooker. Sprinkle some black pepper in as desired.
- Cover and lock lid, turn heat to high to bring the pressure up to lock the lid and the jiggler starts moving and pressure is escaping, then turn the heat down to maintain movement on the jiggler. Start your time for 2 minutes.
- When 2 minutes have passed, turn off heat and move the cooker to an unused burner for a natural release of pressure, about 5-10 minutes. then open the lid when the pressure has released.
- Serve as a side with any dish.
Notes
Shortcut: Chicken Stock (Pressure Cooker).
Variant: 1. Although the chicken stock provides a nice flavor, you can certainly use an equal amount of water instead.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Chicken Spaghetti
This is from a good friend and it is absolutely delicious. This is an easy recipe and most of the ingredients you will have on hand.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, or go with 3-4 quarters
- 500 grams dry spaghetti, (1 lb)
- 2-3 cups cheese, Cheddar, 4 cheese blend, etc.
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, drained but retain juice
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the chicken and cover with water, this can be a whole chicken, 3-4 breasts, or 3-4 quarters (separated), simmer until tender and cooked through, you are making a broth.
- Remove from heat and set aside to let cool to room temperature (makes for juicer chicken). Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the broth and return to the pot. Debone and chop the chicken.
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F) and get out a large baking dish, 9x13 should be perfect.
- Add water as needed to the pot in order to boil your pasta. Bring the pot of broth to a boil, and cook your pasta until just tender, drain pasta and return pasta to the pot.
- To the pasta, add the cheese, chopped tomatoes, chicken, soup, and season with salt, pepper, and onion powder to your liking, and mix together until the cheese is melted in. If the mixture is too thick, add some reserved tomato juice or water.
- Pour mixture into your baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, done,
- Serve, and of course, enjoy š
Notes
I will price this when I get some chicken, overall I will say low cost.
Variants: 1. Skip the tomatoes and go with another can of cream of chicken soup. 2. Use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup. 3. No need to bake, just serve after cheese is melted in on the stove top. 4. A diced bell pepper or two would be perfect in this. 5. Buy a rotisserie chicken and use that and make the stock from cube or powder to cook the pasta in.
Recipe from a good friend, her recipe which is located here. Kristi Fancher Brown.
Unites States. Some of the variants provided by good friend, Shanee Mcfarland.
United States.
Unites States. Some of the variants provided by good friend, Shanee Mcfarland.
United States.
Red Velvet Cake
This was a new cake for me, and it is delicious. I used the shortcuts for the cake mix, buttermilk, and frosting. I made this on 14 Feb 2018, and it is delicious. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow cake mix, OR make from a shortcut
- 3 eggs, chicken or duck
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 bottle red food coloring, 30 ml (1 oz)
- buttercream frosting, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease and flour two 8 inch rounds spring form pans.
- Add the cake mix to mixing bowl, add the butter and work that into the flour. Crack the eggs into another bowl and whisk then pour the eggs into the flour and mix to combine. Slowly add the milk and mix just until the cake batter comes together, do not over work the batter or the result will not be a light and fluffy cake.
- Now add the cocoa powder and mix that in.
- Then mix in the bottle of red food coloring.
- Pour the batter equally into the two pans.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the outer spring form and let the cakes completely cool.
- When the cakes are completely cool, use your favorite frosting to frost them or do as I did and use the buttercream shortcut.
- Slice and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcuts: Yellow Cake Mix, Buttermilk, Buttercream Frosting.
Adapted from many internet recipes.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
This is a basic buttercream frosting mix from none other than Betty Crocker, this recipe has been used by millions of people over many many years. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8 or 9-inch two-layer cake, or about 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, see Variants listed below
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugar, use a heavy spoon or an electric mixer on low speed.
- Add the vanilla and just 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat well, and just add additional milk, a few drops at a time, to make a nice and smooth, and spreadable frosting. If frosting is too thick, add milk a few drops at a time, if too thin, add powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time. (This photo is the chocolate variant.)
- Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8 or 9-inch two-layer cake, or about 12 cupcakes.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Use chocolate flavoring instead of vanilla. 2. Use coconut flavoring instead of vanilla.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
Red Velvet Cake, Made it, GO-TO recipe.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Red Velvet Cake, Made it, GO-TO recipe.
Adapted from an internet recipe.