Author Archive
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
This very good, certainly not restaurant quality but it is good. I can source local raised beef here in the village, and there is a shortcut to make for the soup. This is a straightforward recipe that has been modified with my findings. I made this on 20 May 2017. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo beef, any cut, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce
- 1/4 cup water, more as needed
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 250 grams Cream cheese
- egg noodles
Instructions
- In your slow cooker, stir in all the ingredients together except the beef, water, and cream cheese.
- Once combined add the meat and stir that in. Mixture should be thick and covering the beef, add 1/4 cup of water to thin the mixture slightly if needed. Photo shows 500 grams so far of beef roughly cubed.
- Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, no need to lift the lid, just let it cook and the slow cooker will tenderize that beef.
- About an hour before the beef is ready, cut up the cream cheese into small cubes and let it soften.
- When the beef is cooked, and tender, if not tender at 8 hours, continue cooking for another hour or so. About 10 minutes before serving, set the slow cooker on high setting and stir in the cream cheese and stir to mix that into the beef mixture until combined, cover for a few minutes.
- Boil the noodles in a pot of water until tender, drain. Now at this point you can mix into the meat mixture or serve with noodles topped with the meat mixture.
Notes
Figure about 200 Baht/kilo for the beef. Think local raised, anything you buy in a store will cost much more. For 6 servings this is about 98 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Better Than Fries!
Sounds healthier than deep fried fries for sure! And sounds great!
Ingredients
- 2 potaotes, see Step 1
- olive oil
- butter, melted
- sea salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- The only thing I have around me is small to medium potatoes, so figure two potatoes per serving.
- Preheat your oven to 220 C. Cover a baking sheet with foil.
- Slice the potatoes thinly but not all the way through, drizzle with olive oil, melted butter, sprinkle on some sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve as a side.
Notes
Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Fruit Cocktail Cake I
This one is a long shot, if you try this before I do, please leave a comment. We have one type of fruit cocktail I have seen, it is not the same types of fruit as one would find in the US, but it should work and may have interesting results as well. I am assuming the syrup from the can is the liquid needed to make this as well.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 can fruit cocktail, see Step 1
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
For the Topping
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- If you have never tried the fruit cocktail here, it is quite good, contains mainly tropical fruits. The original recipe stated one 15 ounce can, which is 425 grams. There is two sizes of this in stores, 565 grams, and a smaller one of 234 grams. Just estimate 425 grams worth and go with that.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
- Combine all the Cake ingredients except the brown sugar, pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Mix the Topping ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, pour on the hot cake and serve warm but also good served cold. Optional to garnish the top with chopped nuts or shredded coconut.
Notes
Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Crock Pot BBQ Beef Roast
This sounds good! Think sandwiches, tortillas, or next to a big pile of mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1-1 1/4 kilo beef, any cut
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcherstershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Place the bee in your slow cooker, Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the roast. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours or until fork tender. Remove the roast and shred with two forks (it just falls apart), place in a serving dish and ladle some of the juice over the top before serving.
Notes
Figure about 200 Baht/kilo for the beef. Think local raised, anything you buy in a store will cost much more. For 6 servings this is about 98 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Sounds really good, I think I gained a few kilos just reading it. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 25 chocolate sandwich cookies, whole cookies, like Oreos
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted, 1/4 block
For the Filling
- 1 cup peanut butter, creamy, this 250 grams
- 250 grams Cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 package Cool Whip, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- This is an 8 ounce package of Cool Whip, that is sold frozen in the US, I cannot recall ever seeing that here, but again I was never looking for it. I have a shortcut listed to make Homemade Cool Whip.
For the Crust
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Crush the cookies until they are fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter over the top and mix with a fork to combine. Press into a pie pan and bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the Filling
- Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
The cream cheese would cost about 120 Baht/250 grams. The peanut butter will cost about 120 Baht, depends on the brand and quantity you purchase at one time. For 8 servings, this is about 88 cents per serving. For a very sweet dish, very good.
Shortcut: Homemade Cool Whip.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
7 Pasta Salad Dressings
I have not tried any of these but will in the near future and give my results, 250 grams of dry pasta (½ lb), then cooked, should be fine with these, but if you do make one of these, please post a comment with your findings. Add what ever you added for other ingredients.
Ingredients
- 250 grams dry pasta, your choice, bite size, (½ lb)
- additional items, see Step 2
Creamy Italian Dressing
- ¼ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Garlic Dressing
- â…” cup olive oil
- â…“ cup red wine vinegar
- lemon juice, from one lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mediterranean Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup Feta cheese, chopped
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Asian Dressing
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1½ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Garlic sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
Pesto Dressing (Mix in a Blender)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- â…” cup olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
Just Basic Mayo
- mayo, add as needed to coat
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bite size pasta of your choice in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, then cook 1 minute more, drain, rinse under colder water to stop the cooking process, drain well, and put in a large mixing bowl.
- Add additional items to the pasta as you like, such as chopped hard boiled eggs, spring onion, onion, radish, bell pepper, cubed cheese, etc.
- Mix the dressing of your choice in a small bowl (or a blender for the Pesto Dressing), pour ¾ of the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat evenly, if needed, add the remaining dressing. Chill for at least 2 hours and serve as a side dish with any meal.
Easy Apple Cobbler
Not only does this sound easy, it is delicious!
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Batter
- 1/2 cup butter, melted, this is 1/2 of a standard block
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 C (320 F).
- Peel, core, and chop the apples. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to coat the apples, set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter into a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish. If using a 7x11 Pyrex baking dish, pour in about 3/4 of the butter. Move the dish around to coat the bottom, it will look like a lot, no worries.
- Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, then whisk in the vanilla and baking powder. Pour the batter into the baking pan and try to cover the butter, there will be a lot of butter around the sides, this is ok. DO NOT STIR.
- Cover this with the prepared apples. DO NOT STIR.
- Bake for 40 minutes, continue for 10 minutes at a time until the edges are browned. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
Notes
This is low cost and serves a lot of people.
Variant: Use any fresh fruit or berries and just use 1/4 cup white sugar to coat.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Frances Collins.
United States.
United States.
Slow Cooker Cottage Pie
Sounds like an easy way to make Cottage Pie, looking forward to making this.
Ingredients
- 750 grams beef, any cut, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 250 grams mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups corn, frozen, thawed, or canned
- 3/4 cup beef stock, fresh or from powder
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups peas, frozen, thawed
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 750 grams potatoes, peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk, warmed
- 6 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the beef cubes in a large slow cooker. Top with the garlic, carrots, mushrooms and corn.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano. Pour this into the the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low setting for 7 to 9 hours, until the beef is tender.
- To make the mashed potatoes, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with 2 inches of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and stir in the salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork (start checking them at 15 minutes).
- When the beef is tender, use a large spoon to skim any fat from the surface of the beef and veggie mixture in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water until smooth, then slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water until smooth, then slowly stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Then add the peas and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the mashed in an even layer over the top of the beef and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15-30 minutes, until the gravy has thickened and the mashed potatoes are heated through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Pork shoulder runs about 100 Baht/kilo, for this recipe this would be 75 Baht for 750 grams. For 6 servings, this is about 40 cents per serving, great value.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
This sounds really good and is a must try for me.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 7 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 kilo pork shoulder, (3 lbs)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, juices, salt, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, pepper, and garlic.
- Make slits in the pork with a knife and place the pork in the juice mixture and rub liberally all over with the oil mixture.
- Place pork in the slow cooker, along with the onion and bay leaf. Poor the remaining juices from the bowl over the pork.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, if the meat shreds easily, it is down, if not done, cook another hour and test again. Using two forks, shred into thick chunks in the pot then use a large slotted spoon to serve it with.
- Serve with mashed potatoes with some of the juice spooned over the top.
- Serve in a tortilla with Cheddar cheese.
- Serve with cilantro lime rice and black beans.
Notes
Pork shoulder runs about 100 Baht/kilo, for this recipe this would be 150 Baht for 1 1/2 kilo. For 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving, great value.
Variants: 1. Use pork loin in place of the pork shoulder. 2. Use a pork roast in place of the pork shoulder.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States. Variant 1 tested by Tina Nolan, with excellent results.
United States.
United States. Variant 1 tested by Tina Nolan, with excellent results.
United States.
Garlic Bread Lasagna
If nothing else, this does sound interesting. On my to cook list. No measurements are given and I will sort that out when I make this, but it is pretty straight forward on how to assemble this. Use the shortcuts as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- olive oil, as needed
- ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 large onion, diced
- tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- garlic bread, OR make from a shortcut
- Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C. Get out a baking dish, 7x11 should work, or even a 9x13 if making a lot of sauce and you have lots of garlic bread on hand.
- Heat a large non stick pan with a splash of olive oil and add the garlic and onion, when the onion starts to soften, add the ground beef and break that up and mix in with the onions.
- When the beef is cooked through, drain well then stir in the tomato sauce and let that simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Toast the garlic bread following the shortcut. Once toasted, use your hand and flatten down each slice.
- To assemble this concoction. Spread half the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Then place slices of toasted and flattened garlic bread in an even layer. Cover that layer with slices of Mozzarella in an even layer. Spread the remaining sauce over the cheese, add another layer of garlic bread, another layer of Mozzarella, then sprinkle Parmesan over the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is starting to brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, serve.
Notes
The beef will run about 100 Baht/500 grams. I will have to give a per serving cost after I make this.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce, Garlic Bread.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.