Author Archive
Easy Pilaf (Rice Cooker)
February 3, 2017 Lee
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Easy Pilaf (Rice Cooker)

Edward Coleman, Philippines.
This comes from a good friend and a great cook. The rice cooker I have is off limits to me as that is my wife's territory, after I told her this recipe, now I can use the rice cooker. I will be making this for sure. This is a base, very easy to change this to your taste and make if different each time.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • dry white rice
  • stock or broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • onion, chopped
  • herbs, of your choice
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • The method my wife uses, and it works well for her, wash and rinse your rice, amount is up to you based on the number of people or servings desired, and add to the rice cooker. Add stock or broth of your choice until the liquid is about 1 inch above the rice. (Estimate 1 cup dry rice per 4 servings.)
  • Then add in the butter, garlic, onion, herbs, salt and pepper, and what ever else you would like in a pilaf.
  • Start the rice cooker and give it a good stir about halfway through the cooking, then it will switch to warm when it is done. Serve as a side dish.
Seasoned Rice - Rice Cooker,Sides - Rice Cooker
Texas Roadhouse Butter
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Texas Roadhouse Butter

I have never heard of this, the restaurant chain seems to be huge from central Texas to the east coast. But then again, it has been a while since I was back in the states. Anyways, this sounds good and can be used on dinner rolls, corn on the cob, you get the idea.
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Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1 block butter, this is a standard 227 grams
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Remove the foil from the butter and place in a mixing bowl to come up to room temperature.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients when the butter is at room temperature using a hand mixer or electric mixer, mix to your consistency and serve or refrigerate until use. Serve with dinner rolls, corn on the cob, etc.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
CONDIMENTS
Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Caramelized Baked Chicken Legs

Sounds great, minimum ingredients and straight forward recipe. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 kilos chicken legs, OR wings
  • 1 2/3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 2/3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Mix together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake for 1 hour or until the sauce is caramelized and the chicken cooked through. Serve.

Notes

Chicken legs run about 66 Baht/kilo, 1 1/4 kilos would cost about 83 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about 61 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Sounds like a very good soup made from common ingredients on hand. I am guessing with the servings until I make this as that was not stated on the recipe I tailored this from. On my to cook list.
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Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a standard block
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups half and half cream
  • 2 cup chicken stock, fresh or made from powder
  • 250 grams fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces including the stems
  • 1 cup carrot, cut into thin strips, or chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 250 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt the 1/4 cup of butter in a large pot over medium heat then whisk in the flour and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes, then whisk in the cream, whisk until mixed well then whisk in the stock. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  • While that is cooking, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a non stick pan and cook the chopped onion until tender and soft. Set aside.
  • Add the broccoli, carrot and onion to the stock and cream mixture. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, the broccoli should be tender and carrot cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add the nutmeg and stir that in. Add the cheese and stir that in until melted. Serve.

Notes

The cheese would cost about 180 Baht for a 250 gram block and you would shred this yourself. For 4 servings, this would be about $1.33 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Funnel Cake Bites
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Funnel Cake Bites

Sounds like a good snack or dessert.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • First start by mixing your milk, egg, vanilla, and butter together, then add in the salt, baking soda, and sugar. Slowly mix in the flour and mix until everything is a smooth combination. Pour the mixture into a gallon size zip lock bag, or an icing bag, or a funnel. Set aside.
  • Pour about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and heat it up for about 2 minutes on high then turn down to a low medium. To test if the oil is hot enough drip a small dot of the batter into the oil. If it fries up, then its ready.
  • Get your bag of batter, if using a zip lock bag snip off a corner, and make little dots in the oil with the batter, about 1 1/2 times the size of a 10 Baht coin. Let it cook for about a minute and then using a fork and a spatula carefully flip them over. Cook until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place paper towels to drain and and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can serve with whip cream or fruit.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Seasoned Rice
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Seasoned Rice

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is basically a copycat of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice boxed product. True wild rice is not rice but a seed from a grass found near the Great Lakes in the US so it is very rare to find it in a store here. I am going to use brown or black rice instead of the wild rice. This makes the equivalent of one 175 gram box.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dry white rice
  • â…“ cup dry wild rice, OR white, brown, or black rice
  • 1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • â…› teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • â…› teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1 tablespoon butter, optional

Instructions
 

  • Combine all of the dry ingredients and onion in a saucepan and mix together. Add the chicken stock and butter if using that. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir the mixture.
  • Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender, if you run out of liquid before the rice is tender, just add a bit more stock and continue cooking.
  • Serve as a side dish or as an ingredient in other ingredients. Some recipes will just call for a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, so just mix up the dry ingredients and there is your shortcut to the box type.
SEASONED RICE
Classic American Goulash
February 1, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Classic American Goulash

This was a staple growing up, and even served as lunch in schools. And just as delicious then as it was on 9 Feb 2017 when I cooked this, this is my go to recipe for goulash. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 1/4 cups tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, chopped, OR chop 4-5 plum tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce, OR 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry elbow macaroni, or maccheroni
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium-high heat, add splash of olive oil and add the garlic and onions and cook until softened.
  • Add the ground beef , breaking the meat up as it cooks and mix into the onions, cook until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Drain fat
  • Stir water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste into the meat mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir macaroni into the mixture, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf.
  • Serve.

Notes

Figure about 100 Baht for 500 grams of beef, and you may have to grind it yourself (which is preferred), for 4 servings, this is 74 cents per serving.
Variants: Add diced green bell pepper, parsley, it is up to you to tailor this to your recipe.
Shortcuts: Tomato Sauce, Italian Seasoning.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF
Thai Ginger, Prawns, and Glass Noodles
February 1, 2017 Lee
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Thai Ginger, Prawns, and Glass Noodles

This recipe comes from a friend in Singapore and is spot on as this is a Thai recipe. I have had many versions of this over the years and it is good. This can be served as is or with rice.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 80 grams dried glass noodles, see Step 1
  • 8-10 large prawn, head on preferred with legs and antennae removed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 15 slices ginger
  • 3 pieces coriander root
  • 1-2 spring onions, chopped into 2 inch pieces

For the Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, IF not serving over rice, reduce this to 1 teaspoon
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder

Instructions
 

  • Glass noodles are also known as Vermicelli and as Bean Thread, these normally come in smaller packs of 40 or 80 grams per pack and sold in bundles of 10 packs, normally. This is a common brand here in this photo. Can also find individual packs of 80 grams as well. Photo courtesy Tesco Thailand.
  • In a bowl of water at room temperature, soak the glass noodles for about 10 minutes to soften them.
  • Using a small pair of pointy scissors, cut along the back of each prawn and remove the vein. Optional, I have had this dish with deveined prawn and vein in, personal preference really.
  • Make the sauce by whisking together the Sauce ingredients, then place the glass noodles and prawn in the sauce and toss to coat well, marinate this for about 10 minutes, tossing every few minutes to make sure everything is coated.
  • Using a mortar and pestle crush the peppercorns then add the garlic and coriander root pieces and smash those lightly, set aside.
  • Add a splash of olive oil to a pot that has a lid and set to medium low heat, and add the mixture from the mortar and cook for about 30 seconds then add the ginger and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Take the prawn out of the bowl they are marinating in and place the noodles in the pot along will all the sauce they were marinating in, then place the prawn on top. Cover and cook until the sauce starts to boil, then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 3-4 more minutes.
  • Then give everything in the pot a good stir, prawns can get mixed in now, cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the prawns are cooked through. If the liquid is too low, ad a bit more water.
  • Turn of the heat and add the spring onion to the top and cover and the heat in the pot will wilt the spring onion. Serve.

Notes

For 8-10 large prawn, I will estimate about 100 Baht, for 4 servings this is about 74 cents per serving.
Provided by The Domestic Goddess Wannabe and the link to this recipe is here.
Singapore.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Shrimp/Prawn
Copycat Rice-A-Roni
February 1, 2017 Lee
2 Comments

Copycat Rice-A-Roni

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Probably not something you would expect from a recipe site based in Thailand, but this is an excellent side dish and very inexpensive to make. This is the base recipe, you can tailor this many ways. I made this on 1 Feb 2017.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup dry spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
  • ¾ cup dry white rice
  • 2½ cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, or beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Everything ready, I used beef stock from the powder dissolved in hot water.
  • In a non stick skillet on medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the spaghetti, stirring constantly until the spaghetti starts to brown.
  • Add the rice, stirring to coat the rice with the oil remaining in the pan and browning the spaghetti just a bit more, carefully pour in the stock and reduce temp to a simmer, stir then cover, and stir occasionally until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. If you run out of liquid and the rice is not quite done, just add a bit more stock as needed until the rice is tender.
  • Almost done, you can still see liquid and the rice not quite tender enough. Just stir and cover, if the burner is too hot, just move the pan off the burner for a few minutes at a time.
  • Perfect consistency, rice is tender, serve as a side dish with any meal.

Notes

Variants: 1. Add cooked mushrooms, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, diced bell pepper, chopped spring onion, parsley, chopped broccoli, etc. 2. Add 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken. 3. Add a good shake of black pepper.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
#1 Go-To Recipes,5 Ingredients or Less,SEASONED RICE,SIDES
Big Mac Sauce
January 31, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Big Mac Sauce

This is the home made version of the sauce used all over the world. With this, you know what is in it. I made this on 16 Feb 2017 and I will say the taste is very close to the McD's sauce.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine American
Servings 1 cup+

Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 cup mayo
  • 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for an hour or so and use as a sauce for hamburgers.

Notes

Minimal cost.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
Big Mac Burgers, Made it, GO-TO recipe.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
CONDIMENTS