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Carrot Cake I
March 2, 2017 Lee
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Carrot Cake I

Sounds good, been a long time since I had carrot cake, on my to make list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups walnuts, shelled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups grated coconut, sweetened
  • 500 grams carrot, peeled, grated, (1 lb)

For the Frosting

  • 250 grams Cream cheese, this is one regular block
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly grease two 9″ cake pans with butter.
  • Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the chopped nuts, coconut, and carrots.
  • Pour the batter into the pans, set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges have pulled away from the sides, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack.
  • To prepare the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly sift in the confectioners sugar and beat until the mixture is free of lumps. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
  • Once the cakes have completely cooled, frost. Sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts if desired.

Notes

Most expensive item would be the Cream Cheese at 120 Baht. for 12 servings, this is very low cost.
I don't think I would make the sour cream if just making this, plan this this around sour cream you have made and available.
Shortcut: Sour Cream.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Chewy Oatmeal Molasses Cookies
March 2, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Chewy Oatmeal Molasses Cookies

These are very good! No need for a electric mixer here, you can do this by hand easily. I made these on 4 Mar 2017, big hit with the Thais.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 big cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup shortening, or butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, chicken or duck
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • Cream the sugar and shortening together in a large mixing bowl with a large sturdy spoon. Add the vanilla, egg, and molasses; beat until well blended. When mixed it sort of looks like chocolate pudding.
  • Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in another bowl; blend well. Add the dry mixture to the first mixture, mix well. Fold in the oatmeal. Cover and chill in the fridge to firm up the dough at bit. This photo is after the flour mixture was mixed in.
  • Preheat your oven to 190 C. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
  • Drop the dough using two tablespoons, one to scoop, and one to push off on to the prepared baking sheet. This photo shows the consistency of dough.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Oatmeal Butter Cookies
March 2, 2017 Lee
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Oatmeal Butter Cookies

Sounds good, on my to make list. Quick cooking oats are on my shopping list now.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter, softened 1 block 227 grams
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, add both sugars, beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the flour, salt, cinnamon, and oatmeal. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator until it is firm.
  • Preheat the oven to 160 C. Shape the dough into large marble sized balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a drinking glass dipped into granulated sugar.
  • Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are just set and light golden brown. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for about a minute, then remove to wire racks to cool.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Balsamic Rosemary Chicken Breasts
March 1, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Balsamic Rosemary Chicken Breasts

This is very good! Excellent flavor, juicy, can cut with a fork. Highly recommended and on my Go-To list.
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Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 day 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Make the marinade by whisking together garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour into a large ziplock bag.
  • Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry, add to the ziplock bag, squish the bag around to coat all the chicken, squeeze out the air, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on the sheet. OR, and highly recommended, fire up your grill.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess, discard marinade. Place chicken on the rack and bake for 10 minutes then turn over and bake for another 10 or until juices run clear. OR grill on the BBQ.
  • Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, serve with a side of your choice.

Notes

The chicken might cost 100 Baht, I just bought today, 3 large chicken breasts for 61 Baht. The vinegar will cost about 60 Baht (about half a bottle). For 4 servings, this is about $1.18 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Turkish Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole
March 1, 2017 Lee
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Turkish Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole

This is a common dish in the eastern Mediterranean called Moussaka. This sounds really good. Very common ingredients, this sounds really good. It is unclear on the size of the eggplant used so I will clarify that when I prepare this. Times are estimated.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Turkish
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5 purple eggplants
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin rings
  • 4 large tomatoes, divided, 6-8 plum tomatoes
  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
  • salt and pepper, as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup mild yellow cheese, shredded
  • red bell pepper, slices for garnish
  • olive oil, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Peel the eggplants using a vegetable peeler, begin at one end and remove a strip of peel from end to end. Leave a strip of peel about the same width, then peel another strip from end to end. Slice the eggplants about 1/4 inch thick and place in a large bowl of salted water and let them soak for about 30 minutes.
  • Slice the green pepper into thin rings. Grate 1 large tomato or maybe 2 plum tomatoes.
  • Cook the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet until tender. Then add the bell pepper slices and cook until soft. Then add the ground beef and cook until browned, then add the grated tomato, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the allspice. Mix this together, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes then remove from heat.
  • Grate the other 3 large tomatoes or 4-8 plum tomatoes and put them into a small saucepan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, oregano, and sugar. Simmer this on low heat for about 10 minutes then remove from heat.
  • Remove the eggplant slices from the water and blot them dry with paper towels. Fry them on both sides in olive oil until tender and golden brown on both sides. Drain them well on paper towels.
  • Line the bottom of a large baking dish with the fried eggplant slices to make a single layer, make sure there are no gaps between the pieces. Spread the tomato sauce over the eggplant. Next, cover the tomato sauce layer with the meat mixture.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, then whisk in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce thickens, when it has the consistency of pudding it is ready.
  • Pour the hot sauce over the meat layer, covering it completely. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown and the casserole is heated through.
  • Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Figure about 100 Baht/500 grams ground beef and about 90 Baht for the cheese, Edam or a mild Cheddar would work well. For 6 servings, this is about 93 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Easy Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes
March 1, 2017 Lee
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Easy Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes

Sounds really good, a must try for me. Two ways to prepare the potatoes, diced or shredded. There is also several shortcuts for cost savings. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 5-6 cups potatoes, small diced or shredded
  • 750 grams ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil, as needed
  • butter, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Dice or shred the potatoes, skin on or off is up to you. For diced potatoes, add to a saucepan and cover with water, bring to a boil the reduce heat for about 4 minutes to soften the potatoes, drain well and set aside. For the shredded, rinse several times squeezing out the water, drain and set aside.
  • Heat your oven to 180 C, lightly grease a 2.3 to 3 liter casserole dish with butter.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, when oil is heated and add the onion and cook until soft, then add the ground beef and brown, then add the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two. Drain fat and season with salt and pepper to taste, pour this into the casserole dish.
  • Add the potatoes to the dish covering the beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your liking. Sprinkle the shredded carrot over the potatoes. Mix the soup, sour cream, and milk in a bowl, and spoon this mixture evenly over the potatoes.
  • Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Figure about 150 Baht/750 grams of ground beef. The cheese, figure about 90 Baht for half a block of 250 grams. For 6 servings, this is about $1.18 per serving.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Hash Browns, Sour Cream.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES
Loco Moco
March 1, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Loco Moco

Dave Petersen, United States.
This is standard in Hawaiian fast food places, this is a simple recipe and it is good. (I thought this would have had SPAM in it being Hawaiian 😉
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Gravy (or use a gravy packet)

  • 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

For the Patties

  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups cooked rice

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; 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.
  • While the gravy is thickening, mix the ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper together. Divide the mixture into 4 balls; flatten them into patties. Fry the patties to the desired doneness.
  • Fry the eggs sunny side up.
  • To plate this, divide the rice between 4 plates, place a burger patty on top of the rice, pour on some gravy, place an egg on top of the burger patty, drizzle a bit of gravy over the egg, serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving, figure about 100 Baht/500 grams of beef. For 4 servings, this is about 74 cents per serving.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF
Pork Knuckles & Sauerkraut (Kombes mit Eisbein und Kartoffelbrei)
March 1, 2017 Lee
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Pork Knuckles & Sauerkraut (Kombes mit Eisbein und Kartoffelbrei)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is a true German dish and if you have ever had pork knuckles, this is a good way to prepare them compared to just roasting, which is also very good.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pork knuckles, or 4 ham hocks
  • 3 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup dark beer
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons juniper berries
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • mashed potatoes, to serve

Instructions
 

  • Place the pork knuckles in your slow cooker.
  • Mix together remaining ingredients except the mashed potatoes and pour over the knuckles. Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 hours without removing the lid.
  • Remove the knuckles from the slow cooker. Scoop out some sauerkraut and place on one side of each plate, place a pork knuckle on top of the kraut, then place a scoop of mashed potatoes on the other side of the plate. Serve.

Notes

These are available at Makro, frozen, each is 800 grams and cost is 200 Baht each. And I recently seen them 4 in a bag, frozen in Tesco, cannot remember the price. If serving one knuckle for 2 people (easily done),  the cost would be about $2.95 per person. I will add  the cost of sauerkraut when I find that. More expensive than other meals listed here but is a great treat for yourself.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,: GERMAN,Pork - Slow Cooker
Italian Casserole
February 26, 2017 Lee
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Italian Casserole

The original recipe I found for this had a very much incorrect name for this dish, I simply changed it to Italian Casserole (this is in no way like Manicotti). This does sound good, and does sound like 2 baking dishes may have to be used as well. On my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams Rigatoni pasta, OR Penne, OR Ziti
  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 500 grams Italian sausage, OR make from a shortcut
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, fresh sliced, and sauted, or canned
  • 3 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 750 grams Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, divided
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • Meanwhile, brown ground beef and Italian sausage in a large pot over medium heat, ass salt and pepper as desired. Drain the fat then stir the mushrooms, pasta sauce, half of the cheese, and cooked pasta into the meat in the pot. Once mixed, pour into a baking dish, or two. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake until the cheese is browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Lest rest for 5 minutes, serve.

Notes

The beef will cost about 100 Baht/500 grams, the pork about 50 Baht/500 grams, the cheese, that will cost about 425 Baht/600 grams. For 8 servings, this is about $2.12 per serving.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Pasta Sauce.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,CASSEROLES
Asian Salmon & Vegetables
February 26, 2017 Lee
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Asian Salmon & Vegetables

Stephen Connell, United States.
Sounds really good, I have to try this as we eat a lot of salmon.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • Foil
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 2 salmon fillets, these are the 140-160 gram each
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • ½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 1 cup fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 2 spring onions, sliced for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200° C (400° F).
  • Mix together the marinade of brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and mustard in a shallow bowl. Place the salmon in the marinade and marinate for 15 minutes.
  • While the salmon is marinating, lay down two sheets of foil on a baking sheet. On the first sheet, lay down the carrot sticks to make a layer about 2 sticks deep and about 6 inches across, on top of the carrots place the bell pepper cross way. On one end of the carrots place the broccoli, and on the other end, place the snow peas. Drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and fold the foil over the veggys to make a sealed packet. set that packet off to one side of the next sheet of foil.
  • Drizzle some olive oil on the second sheet. Remove the salmon from the marinade and shake off excess and place on the olive oil on the foil.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the salmon easily flakes with a fork. Plate the vegetables and place the salmon on top, sprinkle with chopped spring onion, serve.

Notes

For 69 Baht per fillet, this is about $2.03 per serving. High cost but I think ok for a once in a while, healthy meal.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,FISH - ALL,Fish - Salmon