Author Archive
Pork Leg Soup
This is a non spicy Thai soup with just 3 ingredients. It is purposely made non spicy.
Ingredients
- 1 pork leg, see Step 1
- 1 onion, quartered, OR about 3-4 shallots, also quartered
- 3-5 handfuls Tamarind leaves, free from our yard
Instructions
- A pork leg is basically a ham hock, these are large but inexpensive. Also called pork side leg. The tape measure is in view to show the size of these, and the tape measure in inches. These are cut through the bone in 4 places when you buy them.
- Once you get the pork leg home, all you have to do is cut it the rest of the way through and the pork is ready.
- Heat a large pot of water and add the onion and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the pork. Bring to another boil then reduce to a medium simmer and let the pork cook through, it will be fall off the bone tender when it is cooked, about 40 minutes to an hour. Use a ladle and skim off the foam at the beginning, then the broth will clear up.
- While the pork is cooking, pull the leaves from the thick stems, small stems remain, it actually goes quickly.
- Once the pork is tender, add the Tamarind leaves and simmer until they are wilted. Serve with a bowl of rice on the side.
Notes
The pork leg in the first photo is 1 1/2 kilos and cost 120 Baht. For an easy 8 servings, this is 45 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of my wife, Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Breakfast Potato Casserole
This recipe sounds very good but I had to question some of the ingredients listed in the original recipe, such as "country style" shredded hash browns, and the use of corn flakes. I aim for minimum processed and corn flakes are about as processed as you get, so this recipe is modified from the start. Also asked for in this recipe is condensed cream of chicken soup, 1/2 can only, for starters, use the shortcut to make this, you will get good soup, not chicken flavored water. This does sound good, and is on my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, this is half a standard block, divided
- 500 grams hash browns, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, Sharp preferred
- 1/2 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Put 1/4 cup of butter in a 8x8 baking dish (or a 9x13 if that is all you have), and place in the oven while it heats to melt the butter.
- Meanwhile combine hash browns (if making from the shortcut, follow the steps right up to the point before cooking them), green onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, and soup in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer mixture to the casserole dish after the butter has melted. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
- While this is cooking, melt the other 1/4 cup of butter in a sauce pan and mix in the bread crumbs. At 30 minutes, pour the bread crumb mixture over the casserole and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with some fried eggs and some sausage on the side, this can be a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Notes
Most expensive item, even though this is a side, is the cheese at about 90 Baht for 1/2 block. Make the soup yourself and the buttermilk to replace the sour cream. This is about 67 cents per serving for 4 servings. Add some cooked eggs, you have a meal.
Shortcuts: Hash Brown Potatoes, Buttermilk, Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
One Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
This makes a complete meal and is easy, your slow cooker the work. This sounds really good. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in, fat trimmed off
- 500 grams potatoes, washed, skin on, cut in large cubes
- 500 grams carrots, washed, skin on, cut into large pieces
- 500 grams yard beans, washed, cut into about 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, OR 1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the honey, soy sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black powder. Mix well, this is the sauce.
- Place 4 thighs in your slow cooker, pour one half of the sauce over the chicken. then add the potatoes then the carrots. Place 4 more thighs on top of the carrots, pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on Low setting for 7-8 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours.
- 30 minutes before you serve, add the yard beans, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. If you want more crispy chicken, remove chicken at the end of the cooking time and place in your broiler for about 3-4 minutes. Serve, complete meal in your slow cooker.
Notes
Go with chicken quarters for 76 Baht/kilo, you may spend about 140 Baht for 8 quarters, you get larger thighs. cut the quarters yourself, and either freeze the legs for another meal, or give to the Thai family to make their own dish. I will use 90 Baht for the estimate since the legs are not used, just the thighs. For 6 servings, this would be about 45 cents per serving, less for more servings.
The original recipe called for baby red potatoes, I have never seen those where I live, I use the regulation potatoes found in Tesco or the open markets, works just as well.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Potato & Chicken Casserole I
With cheese and bacon, my favorites, this is a must try.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
- 8 potatoes, washed and skin on, cubed
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce, or to taste
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup spring onion, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 C, lightly grease a baking dish with butter, set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and let marinate for 10 minutes. Using a strainer and another bowl, drain the potatoes and set the sauce aside.
- Spread the potatoes in the baking dish, the size of the dish was not stated in the original recipe, when I make this I will use a 9x13 dish, and have my large pie dish ready as well. Bake this for 45 minutes and stir the potatoes every 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon, shred the cheese, and chop the spring onion. Using the bacon fat, brown the chicken cubes and add them to the leftover sauce the potatoes were in, coat the chicken in the sauce.
- When the potatoes are done, drain the sauce from the chicken and spread the chicken over the potatoes, sprinkle all the cheese on top of the chicken, then add the bacon on top of the cheese, and then half of the spring onion over the top. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on the rest of the spring onion, serve.
Notes
Chicken breasts will cost about 60 Baht/kilo. The bacon will cost about 80 Baht, that should make a cup of crumbled bacon. The cheese will cost about 180 Baht for a 250 gram block of real Cheddar. For 6 servings, this comes out to about $1.57 per serving, for 8 servings, this is about $1.18 per serving. Overall, not a bad price for a casserole with chicken, bacon and cheese.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
KFC Style Cole Slaw
This is a cheater recipe to make KFC style Cole Slaw. I have to try this. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 8 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1/4 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine cabbage and carrots in a large salad bowl. Mix remaining ingredients together in another bowl and combine thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients over cabbage and carrots and stir. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving (overnight is better). Stir well before serving.
Notes
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
More Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken
This sounds absolutely delicious! On my to try list for sure!
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos fresh chicken, any cut, legs and thighs sound perfect for this
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 20-40 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
Instructions
- Place the sliced onion in your slow cooker.
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the rest of the ingredients, use your hands. Place the chicken on top of the onions. Cook on High setting for 4-5 hours or Low setting for 7-8 hours. Serve. The onions and garlic go great over pasta.
Notes
The chicken will run you about 76 Baht per kilo for quarters, separate those yourself, leave the skin on and just trim away any excess fat. Using 1 kilo of chicken, this about 55 cents per serving for 4 servings, more servings, even less. Same cost for 2 kilos and 8 servings. This would be an excellent meal to serve when you have the Thai family visit, serve with corn on the cob or with pasta with the onions and garlic on the pasta.
A good variant would be to use some of the juices from the pot to make a chicken gravy and use that on mashed potatoes.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fry Sauce II
Contrary to the name, this is used on sandwiches as well as used for fries. I personally do not like ketchup on fries, I use mayo only. This is a combination of that. I am going to have to make both of these and compare them.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix well and refrigerate. Use for a dipping sauce on French Fries or even on burgers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fry Sauce I
Contrary to the name, this is used on sandwiches as well as used for fries. I personally do not like ketchup on fries, I use mayo only. This is a combination of that.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix well and refrigerate. Use for a dipping sauce on French Fries or even on burgers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Egg in a Hole Burgers
These sound good as a once in a while meal. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR bulk Italian sausage
- 8 strips bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 eggs
- 4 hamburger buns
- salt and pepper, to taste
- lettuce
- Cheddar cheese, use real cheese, sliced
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha Chili Garlic sauce
Instructions
- Make the sauce by mixing together the may and Sriracha sauce, set aside.
- Fry the bacon strips and drain them on paper towel, set aside.
- Form the meat into 3 equal sized patties, use a small drinking glass to cut out the center of each patty so you have 3 donut shaped patties, use the meat from the three circles and make a 4th donut shaped patty. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy non stick pan or a cast iron pan and melt the butter. Add the patties and cook for 2 minutes, then flip. Crack an egg into the center of each patty then cover and cook until the egg whites are set.
- Toast the buns if desired, spread with the sauce. Build the burgers as bottom bun, lettuce, burger patty, 2 bacon slices, Cheddar cheese, top bun. Serve with a side of your choice.
Notes
Ground beef would cost about 150 Baht/500 grams, minced pork runs about 70 Baht/500 grams. The bacon and cheese is probably no more than 60 Baht total. For 4 servings, this would be about $1.55 per serving if using beef, and about 96 cents per serving if using pork. Overall, not bad.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Al Easley.
United States.
United States.
Stuffed Peppers Italian Style
This sounds interesting, and is wide open to what you want to fill the peppers with, but the anchovies seem to be the key ingredient here. This is a bit of a rewrite from what I found originally. When I make this, I will edit the recipe even further on my findings. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers, any color, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- 1 cup cooked rice, this is approximate
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed, this is approximate
- 1 tin anchovy fillets, in olive oil, drained, reserve the oil, this a 47-55 gram tin
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 8 green olives, pitted, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut on this site, feel free to add oregano and Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C, place peppers in a lightly greased with butter baking dish; set aside.
- Heat about a tablespoon of the reserved anchovy oil in a large heavy skillet over low heat. Saute onion until translucent, then stir in garlic. Let garlic cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the rice and chicken. Add the anchovies, olives, 1 tablespoon of the reserved anchovy olive oil, black pepper and red pepper. Mix until well blended, removed from heat.
- Mound pepper halves with stuffing. Surround peppers with tomato sauce and a small amount of water. Cover with foil.
- Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking, and baste occasionally with the sauce. Serve by spooning some sauce on pasta and topping with a pepper half.
Notes
Two cups of cooked chicken is low cost, maybe about 30 Baht, at the most. The anchovies however, will run about 125 Baht per tin. Use the shortcut to make the tomato sauce from tomato paste for additional savings. For 8 servings, this is about 60 cents per serving, great value.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
