Author Archive
Chicken Noodle Soup
September 2, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is an old time classic. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, or just go with a 1 kilo
  • 3-4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen, optional
  • noodles, of your choice, cooked, Fettccine would be a good choice

Instructions
 

  • Boil chicken and veggies in the water for 20 minutes, when the chicken is cooked through, remove from the water, shred and return to the pot. Add cream of chicken soup, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil again before adding noodles and peas (if desire). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, serve.

Notes

Chicken will cost about 67 Baht/kilo for breasts, if you want to add some dark meat as well, the cost will increase slightly. This is about 32 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Chicken Rice Soup
September 2, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Chicken Rice Soup

Sounds easy, and good, and turkey would be a great choice as well if you can find local raised turkeys, they are here! This makes a lot of soup. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo cooked shredded chicken, roasted or boiled chicken, OR turkey
  • 3-4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon powdered chicken stock
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2-3 cups uncooked rice
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, add the water, rice, veggies, and stock powder, for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Add the turkey (or chicken), the soup, basil, and pepper to your liking then brink to a boil again, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Chicken will cost between 67 and 84 Baht/kilo (breasts, thighs). No idea on the cost of turkey yet. I have found a source for local raised, free range turkeys, cost coming soon. Make the condensed soup your self for great savings on that. I will estimate this using thighs at 84 Baht/kilo and 6 servings. This is about 42 cents per serving. Excellent value.
If you are going to boil the chicken and not use roasted, boil the chicken with the rice and veggies, skin on and bone if possible, and omit the powdered stock. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the water, shred and return to the pot. Easy!
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Dijon Chicken
September 2, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Dijon Chicken

This is an excellent dish! I made this on 3 Sep 2016, very easy to put this together with common and minimal ingredients. I found this recipe on a recipe site and read all the reviews and made a few changes based on the reviews. This recipe reflects those changes. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs, OR use make with a shortcut on this site
  • 200 grams Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, this is one block, Caroline brand
  • black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter, set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  • In a shallow dish, whisk together the mustard, mayo, and milk. In another shallow dish, mix together 2/3 the cheese and bread crumbs. Photo shows my cluttered counter, the cheese and bread crumb mix, the milk mix, and the greased baking dish. Set everything up like an assembly line to make this go very fast. And for those paying attention, I did swap the order of the plates, milk mix, breadcrumbs, then the baking dish.
  • Take each chicken breast and coat both sides in the milk mix, then coat in the bread crumbs mix, place in the baking dish.
  • Pour the remaining mustard and milk mixture over the chicken.
  • Then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Add black pepper if desired.
  • Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until cooked through, cut one breast in half to check. Serve. On pasta is great with some of the sauce spooned over the pasta, and a vegetable on the side would make this a complete meal.

Notes

Chicken breasts will run about 67 Baht/kilo boneless with skin on, just remove the skin and you are set. 4 breasts would likely be less than that, but I will figure at 67 Baht. The block of 200 grams of cheese will cost about 142 Baht. This is about $1.55 per serving for 4 servings.
Shortcut: Breadcrumbs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Island Teriyaki Burger
September 1, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Island Teriyaki Burger

Sounds delicious! On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 canned pineapple rings, OR try fresh (my choice)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 4 hamburger buns

Instructions
 

  • Place the beef in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the Island Teriyaki sauce and panko. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until ready to cook.
  • Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Seed the bell pepper and cut it into 4 pieces. When the meat mixture is ready, shape the meat into 4 burger patties.
  • Grill the burgers to desired doneness. Also grilling the bell pepper, pineapple rings, and lightly toasting the buns.
  • Serve the burgers on top of lettuce, bell pepper and then topped with the pineapple ring. Include a side and you have a meal.

Notes

I am going to go with 200 Baht/kilo for beef (would only need 750 grams, but a kilo would make better burgers), how you get that beef may involve you grinding it yourself. For 4 servings, this is about $1.48 per serving. If you was to make this from pork which could very well be done, the cost would be about half of this per serving, chicken would be less.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Creamy Garlic Pasta
August 31, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Creamy Garlic Pasta

This is a base recipe that is open to have anything added like shrimp or chicken for a main dish, or as is as a side dish. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams spaghetti
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, plus a little extra
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, OR use milk, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley

Instructions
 

  • In a medium sized pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add butter and melt, stirring constantly, then add the salt, pepper, and 3 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook until just done. Add a little more stock if the noodles start to stick to the bottom. Reduce heat and add the cheese, cream, and parsley and mix thoroughly to heat through. Serve immediately as is for a side dish.
  • For a main dish, feel free to add 1-2 cups of any of the following: cooked diced chicken, cooked cubed ham, cooked shrimp (remember to take the tails off), even sliced smoked sausage. Also consider adding steamed broccoli, cauliflower, pea pods, asparagus, or even baby corn.

Notes

As a side, this is minimal cost. Adding a meat and even the vegetables to make a main dish, this is still under $1 per serving for 4 servings.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Porcupine Meatballs I
August 31, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Porcupine Meatballs I

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I remember having these when I was a wee boy. Always tasted great. Meatballs with rice simmered in tomato soup or tomato sauce. Perfect. Can be made with beef or pork, or even chicken. I made this on 11 Sep 2016, excellent and on my Go-to list as a regular meal. Recipe modified to reflect my findings. The recipe is broke into cooking on the Stove Top and for Baking. Photos I took were for the baking method. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR bulk Italian sausage (sausage has a shortcut)
  • 1/4 cup rice, uncooked
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 small onion, or one large shallot
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • dash black pepper
  • 1 can tomato soup, divided, OR make from a shortcut on this site (1 1/4 cup), or tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce

Instructions
 

For Stove Top

  • Combine ground beef, rice, eggs, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the tomato soup or tomato sauce. Mix well. Shape mixture into about 20 small meatballs.
  • In a large non stick skillet, mix rest of soup, water, and Worcestershire together and bring to a boil. Carefully add the meatballs (this will or should prevent the meatballs from falling apart). Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and rice is soft, stirring often. Serve with pasta or potatoes and a vegetable for a complete meal.

For Baking

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 9x13 baking dish.
  • First thing I did was made the tomato sauce from the shortcut using tomato paste, very easy. You will use the full amount that the shortcut states. Use a ladle and put 2 scoops of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to cover it evenly.
  • Combine ground beef, rice, eggs, parsley, onion, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of the tomato soup or tomato sauce. Mix well. Shape mixture into about 12 medium sized meatballs and place in the baking dish. If you have more meatballs than what will fit in the dish, use another smaller dish for those. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
  • Pour the rest of the soup or tomato sauce over the meatballs.
  • Bake for 1 hour. Then if using a counter top oven, switch to the top coil to brown up the tops a bit.
  • Not the greatest photo, as I topped 3 meatballs on my plate with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

Notes

The meat is the only costly item in this dish. Ground beef would be about 125 Baht/500 grams, pork about 60 Baht/500 grams, and chicken would be about 42 Baht/500 grams (think thighs). This comes out to about 62 cents per serving for 6 servings using beef, less for pork or chicken.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Tomato Soup, Tomato Sauce.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MEATBALLS
Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Dinner
August 30, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Dinner

Sounds great and easy! This is a classic old time dish just made in a pot on the stove and has been adapted to a slow cooker meal. On my to cook list for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups ham, cubed
  • 5 cups potatoes, washed and skin on, sliced
  • 3 cups yard beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shorcut
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

Instructions
 

  • Add to the slow cooker the soup, milk, salt, and pepper, whisk to combine.
  • Add in the potatoes, beans, ham, onion, and 1 cup of the cheese, stir to mix and coat everything, spread out make an even layer. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 hours. When the time is completed, open the lid and pour on the last one cup of cheese, cover and let the cheese melt, about 15 minutes, serve.

Notes

Two cups of cubed ham is about 100 Baht when the ham is purchased from Makro (only place I can get it where I live). The cheese will run 180 Baht for a block of 250 grams, just use the whole block to be on the safe side. Cost for this meal would be about $1.65 per serving for 5 servings. Higher than the goal for the recipes, but not bad for a hearty meal.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,Pork - Slow Cooker
Italian Spaghetti with Ham
August 30, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Italian Spaghetti with Ham

Sounds really good, quick and easy. This is a buttered pasta with ham and black olives. Lots of room for changes to this. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams spaghetti
  • 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a standard block of butter, or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water, drain well..
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non stick pan and cook the garlic and ham. Turn down heat to low and stir in the pasta, cheese, eggs, olives, and half of the parsley, when the eggs are cooked, remove from heat and salt butter to taste. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.

Notes

The ham slices, 2 thick slices was about 100 Baht from Makro is about 2 cups diced. All the rest is minimal cost. This comes out to about 75 cents per serving for 4 servings. Very economical meal.
Variants, add peas, and a bit of Cream cheese, substitute the ham for cooked cubed chicken, or even Italian sausage or even smoked spicy sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Creamy Ham & Mushroom Pasta
August 30, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Creamy Ham & Mushroom Pasta

Sounds very nice. This is one of those recipes that you can substitute the ham for chicken, add some vegetables, etc, to make this dish many different ways. Very universal recipe. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams dry Penne pasta
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced, King Oyster, Button, Shiitake, etc
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 5 slices cooked ham, start with 2 cups of cubed ham
  • 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon corn flour
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
  • splash olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just cooked. Drain and cover to keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until just soft, then add the mushroom and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and ham and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Meanwhile, mix together the corn flour and 1 tablespoon water until it forms a smooth paste. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Add the cooked pasta, salt, pepper, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to the pan and toss until well combined. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.

Notes

The ham, I would estimate at 2 to 3 cups of cubed, would be about 100 to 125 Baht. Everything else is low cost. This comes out to about 92 cents per serving for 4 servings. Excellent value for this meal.
Variants, use cooked cubed chicken in place of ham for additional savings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MUSHROOMS,PASTA
Swiss & Ham Casserole
August 30, 2016 Lee
Leave a comment

Swiss & Ham Casserole

This sounds really good. On my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups egg noodles, cooked, OR use Fetticcine pasta
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
  • 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup dry seasoned stuffing, OR make from a shortcut
  • ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • Heat a pot of water to boiling, add the egg noodles or pasta and cook until just done, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix the soup, milk, and water, then mix in the noodles, ham, and cheese, season with black pepper to your liking. Pour this into the baking dish and top with the dry stuffing. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and browned on top. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes, serve. Steamed broccoli or asparagus as a side would complete this meal.

Notes

The cheese will cost about 180 Baht for a 250 gram block of New Zealand import cheese, brand is Mainland. The ham slices, 2 thick slices was about 100 Baht from Makro. If you make the soup yourself, as well as the seasoned stuffing, you get more savings. For the cheese and ham, 6 servings, this is about $1.33 per serving.
Variants, keep in mind adding variants will also increase the cost as well. Add sliced fresh mushrooms, peas, pea pods, or even baby corn chopped into 1 inch pieces.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Seasoned Stuffing.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES