Author Archive
French Fried Onions
A great alternative to the store bought onions. These are more flavorful and free of preservatives. These are common as topping on casseroles. I made these, as written, on 16 Aug 2022 for a Classic Green Bean Casserole, and the results were excellent!
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- salt, to taste
- cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- Slice onions and separate into rings. Soak them in the milk for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet to 180° C (350° F).
- While the oil is heating, Drain the onion rings and add to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat.
- When the oil is hot, carefully add all the onions to the skillet, flip and stir as needed to ensure they brown evenly.
- When the onions are browned to your liking, place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Salt to taste. Store in an airtight container, use in recipes calling for French Fried Onions.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Classic Green Bean Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Hash Brown & Pork Chop Casserole.
- Kielbasa & Cabbage Soup.
- Rio Grande Ribs.
Chinese Steamed Chicken
Sounds very good. If you have a steamer basket for your rice, perfect, use that, or use any steaming method you prefer. On my to cook list for sure.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 half chicken, see Step 1
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, cut into long thin strips
- 1 tablespoon spring onion, cut in half lengthwise
For Marinating
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine, or white wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon spring onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- For the chicken you can use half a chicken or chickens parts to your liking, I will use legs and thighs when I make this. You would want about 500-750 grams (about 1-1½ lb) of chicken.
- Clean the chicken and then spread the marinating sauce evenly on both sides. Lay ginger shreds and green onion shreds over to marinate at least 30 minutes.
- Then place in your steamer. I am going to use my rice cooker steamer tray. If you are using a steamer with wok or pot, steam with high heat for around 20 to 30 minutes until soft (or you can easily insert a chop sticker in). Transfer out and cut into chunks of your favorite size. Sprinkle with spring onion.
- While the chicken is steaming, prepare the dipping sauce. In a small sauce pan, heat up 1 tablespoon sesame oil and stir fry chopped garlic and spring onion until aromatic. Then add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Transfer to dipping bowls and cool down a little bit. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce and rice on the side.
Notes
If using 500 grams of quarters (separated before or after steaming), this would cost 37 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about 54 cents per serving.
Chicken Rice
This is another recipe made from a Lobo brand seasoning packet, but is also includes the soup and dipping sauce. Keep in mind, this is a low cost and no frills meal, this is normally sold at street stalls for 30 Baht/serving. This is not gourmet or anything special to look at.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
For the Rice & Chicken
- 250-300 grams chicken breasts, or thighs, 1 large breast, or 2 thighs
- 200 grams dry white rice, (7 oz)
- 1 packet Chicken Rice Set, Lobo brand, seasoning sauce pouch
For the Soup
- 1 pouch soup mix, from the Chicken Rice Set packet
- 1¾ cups hot water
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1 pouch dipping sauce, from the Chicken Rice Set packet
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken breast (skin on) or thighs, 1 breast or about 2 thighs, bone in, skin on is perfect.
- Rinse the rice and place into your rice cooker pot. Add the correct amount of water you use, then add the seasoning pouch from the Chicken Rice Set packet, mix well, then place the chicken on top.
- Turn on the rice cooker to Cook and let cook through until it switches to warm.
- About 15 minutes into cooking for the rice and chicken, prepare the soup. Mix the soup pouch with 1¾ cups hot water.
- Once the rice cooker switches to Warm, let it stay on warm for 15 minutes, then open the Dipping Sauce pouch and pour into two small serving dishes.
- Spoon rice onto two dishes, slice the chicken breasts on a cutting board, then pick up the slices at one time and place on or next to the rice, or if using thighs, just place two thighs on or next to the rice, serve with the soup and dipping sauce.
Notes
The seasoning packet set costs 28 Baht. 300 grams of chicken, we'll use breasts, this is about 30 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about 90 cents per serving, good value and you have everything mixed and ready for you.
Super Cheesy Polenta (Rice Cooker)
I made this on 15 Feb 2018 and was very liked my wife and I, great flavor and a perfect side dish. This will be a regular now. I used my small rice cooker for this, a simple cook and warm model which is perfect for this.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for serving
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth, fresh or from powder
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place butter, onion, and garlic in your rice cooker pot, set the cooker to Cook setting. Cook until onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or so.
- Add chicken broth, milk, cornmeal, and salt, stir.
- Cover and cook one full cycle, stirring occasionally, until the cornmeal has absorbed the liquid, about 20 minutes.
- When the cooker switches to Warm, add cheeses and black pepper, stir until cheese is melted.
- Serve with a pat of butter on the top as a delicious side dish.
Chicken & Daikon Soup (Rice Cooker)
This sounds very good, for this soup, you will need at least a 2 liter rice cooker as it is written, or reduce quantities to use a smaller rice cooker. A basic cook/warm rice cooker is perfect.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into large chunks, (1 lb)
- 1 liter water, (1 quart)
- 5 slices fresh ginger
- 1 daikon, (white radish) about 300 grams, cut into large chunks
- 8 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon dried Goji berries, soaked in water until puffy
- 3 dried scallops, optional
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add some water (not the 1 liter stated in the ingredients) to the rice cooker pot, set to Cook. When the water boils, add chicken for 5-8 minutes with the rice cooker covered, remove the blanched chicken and set aside and discard the the water.
- Now add the 1 liter of water to the rice cooker pot. Cover and set to Cook. When the water boils, add chicken, daikon, mushrooms, dried scallops, and ginger. Cover the rice cooker and return to a boil. Leave the soup in the Cook mode for about 45 minutes.
- Switch the rice cooker to Warm and allow to simmer for at least another 1 to 2 hours. 15 to 30 minutes before serving the soup, add the soaked Goji berries. Add salt to taste.
Notes
Chicken thighs will cost about 37 Baht/500 grams, and you will bone them and chop. For 2 servings this is about 54 cents per serving. Dried scallops and goji berries are available through Lazada.
Ginger Chicken & Rice (Rice Cooker)
Sounds excellent, tasty, and easy. On my to cook list.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 cup dry rice, rinsed
- 500 grams chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 3 cups baby spinach, packed
- 1 cup coconut milk
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water.
- In a rice cooker, combine the rice with the chicken and ginger. Arrange the spinach on top. Pour the coconut milk and bouillon broth into the cooker and season lightly with salt.
- Turn the cooker on; the dish should be done in about 40 minutes (when the cooker turns to warm). Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, spoon into bowls and serve.
Notes
Chicken thighs will cost about 37 Baht/500 grams, and you will bone them and chop. For 4 servings this is about 27 cents per serving.
Liver & Onions
Basic liver and onions, a satisfying meal, this can be beef or pork liver. Easy available ingredients. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 750 grams beef liver, sliced, or pork liver
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- all purpose flour, for dredging
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup beef broth, fresh or from powder
Instructions
- Place enough flour in a large bowl to coat the liver. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice liver and dredge in seasoned flour.
- Place olive oil in a large skillet and brown both sides of the liver over medium high heat.
- Place sliced onions in the skillet with the liver and pour beef broth on top of liver and onions.
- Cover and simmer on low until onions are tender and broth forms a nice gravy.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.
Notes
I cannot price this until I buy beef liver again, this should be low cost though.
Variants: Add sliced mushrooms when you add the onions. If the gravy is minimal, stir in some milk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Blue Rice (Rice Cooker)
This is a unique dish and is Malaysian in origin. The blue is from very specific flowers, the Butterfly-pea flower. This flower grows on a vine in Thailand, and is common throughout Thailand, Asia and even in Australia, a very edible flower that is made into tea and even deep fried. The seasoning for the rice comes from lemongrass, just a subtle taste but is perfect. Normally a dish made during festive periods or celebrations. The basic Cook and Warm rice cooker is ideal for this. I made this on 13 Sep 2017 and was a hit with the Thai family, recipe adjusted to 6 flowers instead of the previously stated 3-4. for a better blue version. Outstanding.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry Jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1½ cups water, 1 or 2 tablespoons less would be ok as well
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Butterfly-pea flowers
- ½ stalk lemongrass, beaten, knotted, or ½ teaspoon of lemongrass powder
Instructions
- Put rinsed rice in your rice cooker along with the lemongrass and flowers.
- Add the water, press cook on the rice cooker and let it cook until it switches to Warm. For this trial I used powdered lemongrass, that was spot on.
- Once the rice cooker switches to Warm, just let it sit for about 10-20 minutes covered on the Warm setting. Mix with a spoon, you can just mix the flowers in, or you can remove them. We left the flowers in.
- Spoon some rice into a small bowl, place a plate on the top and tip the plate and bowl over, perfect serving portion. I served this with fish.
Chicken Hearts & Livers
This is a leftover meal, meaning leftover chicken hearts, livers, potatoes, and any sides from other meals. Low cost and cleans out the fridge or freezer. My wife makes several Thai dishes from chicken hearts and livers, she was kind enough to leave me a few to make a leftover dish, and I had the boiled potatoes and carrot on hand as well, leftover from a previous meal.
Ingredients
- chicken hearts
- chicken livers
- boiled potatoes
- carrots, sliced
- ½ can evaperated milk
Instructions
- Heat the potato and carrots or vegetables of your choice (or leftovers) in a pot of simmering water or steam them.
- While the vegetables are heating, in a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil, when hot, add the hearts and livers, mix them and make sure they are cooked through.
- When just cooked through, add the evaporated milk and simmer until you get a slight thickening.
- Spoon the gravy over boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even pasta,
Notes
Low cost as everything was bought for other dishes.
Variant: 1. Use any leftover vegetable for the side dish.
Yellow Rice I (Rice Cooker)
Bright color and a taste of turmeric and a hint of cumin, I made this on 8 July 2017, big hit with the family. Quantities are based on my small rice cooker.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry Jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon gound cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put rinsed rice in your rice cooker. Pour the oil over it and sprinkle with turmeric, cumin, and salt. Stir with a plastic spoon until all the rice is yellow and coated with oil.
- Add the water, press cook on the rice cooker and let it cook until it switches to Warm, serve as a side dish.
