Author Archive
Homemade Noodles II
This recipe comes from a good friend, and is another way to make fresh noodles, highly recommended! I will be making these soon and may very well be another item I do not need to go to the city for. On my to make list soon!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour, 128 grams or 4.5 ounces
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the egg, milk, and salt. and whisk together.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder, add the egg mixture and mix to form into a ball.
- Turn out to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. No worries about over kneading. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thin as you like then cut with a pizza or pasta cutter to widths you desire.
- Hang to air dry or cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. If making thicker noodles, you may need to cook a minute or more two.
- For air dried noodles, once dry, store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Use noodles in a soup, casserole, etc.
Notes
Low cost.
Recipe and photo provided courtesy of good friend, Kelly Montana Hawk of Tying One On With Kelly (and apron of course) and the original recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Homemade Noodles I
This recipe comes from a good friend, and is highly recommended! I will be making these soon and may very well be another item I do not need to go to the city for. On my to make list soon!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, see Step 1
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- pinch garlic powder, optional
Instructions
- For the flour, you can use 2 cups all purpose, or 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat. If using wheat flour, you may need a bit more milk, And for any recipe with dough, since this is based on humidity where you are, if the dough is too dry, add more milk, if the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If weighing the flour, recommended, 2 cups all purpose flour is 256 grams or 9 ounces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, and salt. and whisk together. Add 1 cup of flour and stir until mixture is smooth.
- Mix in the garlic powder and remaining flour, one spoonful at a time until the mixture forms a ball and is no longer sticky.
- Turn out to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. No worries about over kneading. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thin as you like then cut with a pizza or pasta cutter to widths you desire.
- Hang to air dry or cook in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. If making thicker noodles, you may need to cook a minute or more two.
- For air dried noodles, once dry, store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Use noodles in a soup, casserole, etc.
Notes
Low cost.
Recipe and photo provided courtesy of good friend, Christine Hoffman and the link to her recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Cajun Chicken & Sausage Pasta
This is from a good friend and sounds absolutely delicious. On my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts
- 2 shallots, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 handful fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped, optional
- 750 grams Andouille sausage, or pork or beef sausage
- 1/2 - 1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed
- 500 grams dry Penne pasta
- 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- olive oil, as needed
For the Chicken Seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- chili powder, to taste, think Thai chili powder
- paprika, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- Cajun seasoning, to taste
Instructions
- Slice the Andouille sausage in half lengthwise and slice half moons 1/4 inch thick. For regular pork or beef sausage, just slice 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
- In a large non stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil, when hot, add the cubed chicken and season with the Chicken Seasoning spices to taste, just a bit of each spice will do. Lightly brown the chicken, no need to cook through, over cooked chicken = tough chicken. When lightly browned, remove from the pan to a large bowl and set aside. If there is water in the pan, pour that off.
- Same pan, add the sausage and brown that up, remove from the pan and add to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
- Same pan, add the bell peppers, saute for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and shallots. Saute for about 15 minutes or until the bell peppers are just softened yet still crunchy. If using the the optional mushrooms, add those now and saute to just soften them. Remove from heat and set aside. Now follow either Method 1 or Method 2 for the final preparation.
Method 1
- In a large pot, add the stock, cream, chicken and sausage, bell peppers from the pan, and the pasta. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes uncovered, to reduce the liquid amount, stirring often.
- Stir in the spring onion and Parmesan, simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Method 2
- In a pot heat the stock to boiling and cook the pasta until tender. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the sausage and chicken to the pan with the bell peppers, use low heat and just heat everything through.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan and mix together well, then add the cream and just simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
The chicken will cost between 30 and 60 Baht, 500 grams/1 kilo, and the sausage, going with Cumberland, 750 grams is about 267 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about $1.60 per serving.
Recipe and photo provided courtesy of good friend, Anthony Ramirez.
United States.
United States.
Slow Cooker Chicken & Rice Soup
Sounds really good, I like a good soup. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1-2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup dry brown rice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 500 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinness
- 4 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
Instructions
- Rinse the rice and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute for about 8 minutes or so, until onion is translucent.
- Now add the rice, garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, and salt to the pan, saute for 3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour the contents of the pan into your slow cooker, then add the chicken and broth, stir to mix everything together.
- Cover and set to Low setting and let cook for 6 to 8 hours, stirring every 2 hours.
- The soup is done when the chicken is cooked through, rice is fluffy and tender, and thickened a bit.
- Serve.
Notes
Chicken will cost about 30 Baht/500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 23 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Crockpot Sausage & Green Beans
Sounds delicious. Smoked sausage is available here, but I would lean towards other sausages for the various flavors. Low number of ingredients as well. I made this on 17 Dec 2017, excellent meal!
Ingredients
- 500 grams fresh long beans, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock
- 500 grams smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 6 potatoes, quartered, 8 if really small
Instructions
- Layer the ingredients in the slow cooker starting with the potatoes.
- Then add the long beans.
- Then add the sausage. Pour the broth over the top. For this dish, I used 240 grams of Italian sausage.
- And another 270 grams of Vietnamese sausage, it is just a recipe, not set in stone, feel free to use sausage of your choice.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Do not remove the cover before 6 hours. When the potatoes are fork tender, you can serve after that or switch to Warm to serve later. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
- Served with fresh baked bread on the side, perfect meal.
Notes
Going with my purchase of Cumberland sausage at 178 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about $1.31 per serving.
Variants 1. Use other types of sausage, Cumberland would be a good choice, Italian, Bangers, even Vietnamese sausage would be good in this. 2. Use pork or chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock.
Provided by Slow Cooker Kitchen and the link to this recipe is here. You have to scroll down to find this recipe.
United States.
United States.
Pears & Mayo
I heard about this from an old time advertisement for mayonnaise, never heard of anyone actually making this until now. This is a side dish salad. Next time I go to Phuket, I will have to look for a can of pears to test this out with.
Ingredients
- 1 can pear halves
- mayo, as needed
- Cheddar cheese, shredded, as needed
- lettuce leaves, as needed
Instructions
- Make a bed of lettuce leaves on two plates, place two drained pear halves on each plate. Add a generous spoon of mayo into the center of each pear. Top with some shredded cheese.
- Serve as a side dish.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. In place of pears, use pineapple rings (fresh would be perfect), or canned peach halves.
Provided courtesy of good friends, Wayne Studdard Jr., Millette Hampton, Wanda Gauthreaux.
United States.
United States.
Cumberland Sausage
This is English in origin, this is a recipe to make homemade Cumberland Sausage. Now that I have found a supplier for hog casings in Phuket, this is on my to make list for sure. I will clarify quantity made when I prepare this.
Ingredients
- 900 grams pork shoulder, (2 lbs)
- 900 grams pork belly, (2 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground white pepper
- 110 grams fine breadcrumbs, OR make from a shortcut, (3 1/2 oz)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried sage
- 2 tablespoons dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 3 - 3 1/2 meters hog casing
Instructions
- First thing, chill the meats in the fridge, sterilize and chill the grinder parts in the fridge. Grinding meat creates heat, so you want the meat and the grinder to be a cool temp, not freezing, just chilled.
- Cut the pork belly into cubes that will fit in your meat grinder hopper. Then do the same with the pork shoulder. Remove any tendons or stringy matter.
- Mix together the two meats, then add the spices and herbs.
- Mix together. Place the meat in the fridge to chill for 2 hours. Assemble your meat grinder with the coarse plate, typically the wagon wheel plate.
- Grind the meat with the wagon wheel plate, or what is called a course plate for your model of grinder.
- Then in a large bowl, mix with the breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs added, I did not get the cup measurement.
- Mix until well combined, use your hands for this.
- Soak the hog casings per instructions on the package. Remove the cutting blade and plate from your grinder. and attach the sausage funnel. Rub some bacon fat or cooking oil on the funnel, slip the end of the wet hog casing over the attachment and pull the casing down the shaft so that it is bunched up at the base. I use a dry casing from a reputable dealer in Phuket.
- Tie the starting end of the casing with string, using the slow setting on the grinder, add the meat back to the grinder, fill the casing but do not over fill, any air bubbles, prick with a tooth pick. Work the sausage into the casing and form the casing into a ring as you go. You can leave in a ring or twist and make links or tie with string to make links, up to you. I do not have that ring thing down yet so I just made links.
- Store the sausage in the fridge overnight. Then you are ready to cook them as you see fit or freeze for later use.
Notes
I will price this when I get the meats and casing, overall I will say fair value, but much less than store prices, by a long shot.
Shortcut: Breadcrumbs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Completely Loco Moco
This is spin on the standard Hawaiian fast food Loco Moco, this is a simple recipe and uses leftover meat.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcherstershire sauce
- 2 cups beef stock, fresh or from powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- leftover cooked beef, pork, chicken
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture becomes a dark brown color, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and whisk for about 1 minute. Add beef stock and salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. OR just prepare a packet or two of gravy mix and use that.
- While the gravy is thickening, chop the leftover meat you have on hand, beef, pork, chicken, or any combination. Add to a hot skillet and saute to heat the meat through, add the cooked rice and mix in, saute until meat and rice are hot.
- Fry the eggs sunny side up in another pan.
- To plate, divide the rice and meat mixture between 4 plates, pour on some gravy, place a fried egg on top, serve.
Notes
Low cost since using left over meat.
Inspired by Jerry Juliana.
United States.
United States.
Pasta with Tuna, Lemon & Dill
Sounds easy and tasty. On my to cook list. Feel free to use canned or fresh tuna you have cooked. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 150 grams dry spaghetti, (5-6 oz)
- 200 grams canned tuna, drained, flaked, (7 oz), Shortcut
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pasta until tender.
- While the pasta is cooking, mix the remaining ingredients together in a large serving bowl, season with salt and pepper as desired.
- When the pasta is tender, drain and add to the mixture in the serving bowl, toss to combine, serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Tuna.
Mexican Style Eggs in a Nest
Sounds very good, on my to cook list. Two shortcuts to make as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen hash browns, thawed OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning mix, OR make from a shortcut
- 4 eggs, chicken or duck
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Light grease with butter four 10 ounce ramekins or four 10 ounce Pyrex dishes.
- In a mixing bowl and the hash browns and cheese and mix to combine, sprinkle on the taco seasoning and toss to mix that in. Divide the mixture into the 4 ramekins, press down on the bottom and sides making a depression in the center, place the dishes on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and crack an egg into each dish, season with salt and pepper to your liking. Bake for another 10-20 minutes until the whites are fully set and the yolk is starting to firm up but not hard.
- Serve.
Notes
Figure about 90 Baht for the cheese. For 4 servings, this is about 66 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Hash Browns, Taco Seasoning Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.