Author Archive
Baked Chicken Nuggets
These are homemade nuggets not the nuggets from stores or fast food places. These are really good, I made these on 22 May 2017.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken tenders/fillets, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (390 F). Get out a baking sheet with a rack.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Place milk in a separate bowl. I took this photo well after I was dipping and coating the chicken.
- Dip the chicken pieces in the milk, then in the breadcrumbs to coat, place well coated pieces on the rack and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. I used a foil lined baking sheet, and a foil covered rack. These are ready for the oven now.
- Serve as an appetizer with a dipping sauce of choice, as a side, or as a main dish.
Notes
The chicken will cost about 40 Baht/500 grams. Easily under $1 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Sounds really good, and only 3 ingredients. Also the use of an oven is needed to brown up the cheese. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 cups salsa, OR make from a shortcut listed on this site
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in your slow cooker, pour salsa over the top, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours on High setting. If you over cook it the chicken will fall apart.
- When the chicken is almost done, preheat your oven to 220 C. Using a 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish, carefully place the chicken in the dish, spoon some of the salsa from the pot over the top of the chicken and sprinkle with the cheese. If you like cheese, use 1 1/2 or 2 cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until it is golden brown and bubbly. Serve with with a salad and a vegetable side of your choice.
Notes
Chicken will run 63 Baht/kilo, for 6 breasts I will estimate 90 Baht. For the cheese, if using just 1 cup of shredded, figure 90 Baht, if 2 cups, figure 180 Baht (180 is the cost of a block). Make the salsa yourself for savings as well. For the chicken and 1 cup of cheese, this is about 90 cents per serving for 6 servings.
Shortcut: Salsa.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Irish Bacon, Sausage, Onion & Potato Dish
Not sure if this is Irish but it sounds good and hearty. For this you will need a large oven proof pot with a lid or foil to cover. To make this in a slow cooker, cut the ingredients in half and cook on High setting for 4 hours.
Ingredients
- 2 kilo potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces
- 2 onions, peeled and thickly sliced
- 500 grams sausage, spicy smoked sausage, bangers, or brats would work
- 500 grams bacon
- 2 1/8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon beef stock powder
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Use hot water from your hot water pot and dissolve the beef powder in a sauce pan.
- Grill or broil the sausage and bacon to color them, do not over cook or dry them out, drain on paper towels. When drained, cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces, cut the sausage into large pieces.
- Preheat your oven to 150 C. Using large oven proof pot, layer the ingredients in this order: onion, bacon, sausage, potatoes. Season each layer with pepper and parsley. Repeat until all the ingredients are used.
- Heat the water with beef stock in it to boil, then pour this into the large pot and cover with a lid or foil. Place the pot in the oven and cook for at least 3 hours (4 to 5 hours does not hurt either). At the 2 hour point, check the liquid level in the point, you want about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot at all times. Serve, liquid at the bottom is your gravy.
Notes
The sausage, spicy smoked sausage runs about 125 Baht/500 grams, English Bangers, pork or beef will run about 100 Baht/500 grams. Brats will run about 180 Baht/500 grams. Bacon will cost about 200 to 280 Baht/500 grams. Using Bangers, this comes out to about $1.88 per serving for 6 servings. Over all, not a bad cost for a hearty meal.
To cook this in a slow cooker, cut the ingredients in half and cook on High setting for 4 hours.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chili Mac and Cheese Bake
Sounds really good!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup corn meal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups leftover Chili, slightly warmed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C. Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish with butter.
- Cook the pasta but reduce the time by 1 to 2 minutes, drain and set aside.
- When the pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the egg, melted butter, and milk, mix until just incorporated, it will be lumpy, that is ok.
- Spread the pasta evenly on the bottom of the baking dish then top with the cheese, then top that with the warmed chili (warming it makes it easy to spread). Now spread the corn bread batter evenly over the top.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until corn bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve.
Notes
The chili is already paid for, your major cost here would be the cheese, figure that at about 180 Baht/block to make 2 cups of shredded. So for 4 servings, this is about $1.33 per serving, or about 90 cents per serving for 6 servings if stretching this meal out with a green salad on the side. Overall, a good use for leftover Chili.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole
This can be made from ground beef, pork, or chicken. Sounds good, but being a cheese dish, this is not a cheap meal but does sound very good indeed. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef, or minced pork ground chicken, (1½ lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1¾ cups tomato sauce, Shortcut
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, slightly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 300 grams spinach, frozen, thawed and drained, or fresh (10 oz)
- 500 grams bowtie pasta, or any bitesize pasta, (8 oz)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1½ cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown ground meat in a non stick pan along with the onion and garlic, when browned (not needed to be cooked through) pour into your slow cooker, and add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes with juice, and seasonings. Cover and cook on Low setting for 5 hours.
- Add the pasta, spinach, and cheeses and mix well, top with an additional ½ cup of Mozzarella to melt onto the top, cover cook on High setting for another 30 minutes, serve.
Notes
750 grams of beef would be about 125 to 150 Baht, pork would be about 80 Baht, chicken would be less. Cheese, however, is the major cost. Figure about 140 Baht for Parmesan, and about 180 Baht for the Mozzarella. This comes out to about (using beef), for 6 servings, to about $2.45 per serving, pork would be about $1.97 per serving. Chicken would be less. Over all, not bad, chicken would be a good choice when friends or family visits.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Chicken Meatballs in Parmesan Cream Sauce
These sound really good! A must try for me. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 500 grams ground chicken
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, OR make from a shortcut on this site
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 1 3/4 cups chicken stock, fresh or made from powder
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut on this site
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
- salt and pepper, to taste
- prepared pasta or mashed potatoes, to serve with
Instructions
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix or just a large spoon, do not over mix.
- Wet hands with some water and roll out meatball mixture into balls, make about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, like golf ball size.
- Brown meatballs on all sides in large non stick pan over medium-high heat in olive oil. You may have to do this in batches. Remove the meatballs when browned, place on a plate and set aside.
- Using the same pan, fry the onion and garlic until soft, then sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook a few minutes more. Then whisk in the chicken stock until no lumps remain, then whisk in the heavy cream or milk.
- Turn heat down to low. Sauce should barely be simmering. Stir in 3/4 of a cup of Parmesan cheese and a good pinch of black pepper. Check for seasoning. Add salt if it needed. Place the meatballs into the simmering sauce and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has thickened.
- Serve over pasta of your choice or mashed or boiled potatoes.
Notes
Chicken will cost about 32 Baht/500 grams. The Parmesan cheese however, will cost about 280+ Baht for grated, solid cheese you need to shave, even more. This comes to about $2.30 per serving for 4 servings. Costly but would be a good once a month meal.
Shortcuts: Breadcrumbs, Heavy Cream.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Basic Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Use on broccoli, cauliflower, beans, chicken, etc. Use only real cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and black pepper, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk flour into butter until smooth. Pour milk into butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese and stir until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Use as needed.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Greek Ziti
Feel free to use Ziti or Penne pasta, it is the same, one is square cut and one is cut at angles. This sounds like a really good meal.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 250 grams pasta, Ziti, Penne, or any bite size pasta
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, simmer the chicken broth and the oregano until about 1/2 cup of liquid remains in the pan, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken cubes, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat. Let the chicken steam in the hot broth until just done, about 8 minutes.
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the chicken mixture, the feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Toss in the cherry tomatoes. Serve.
Notes
I bought chicken breast just 3 days ago, chicken breasts, 3 were 65 Baht. For 4 servings, even with the cheese, this is under $1 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fettuccine with Chicken Liver & Mushrooms
Pasta, chicken liver, and mushrooms, all favorites. I made this on 6 Nov 2017, excellent flavor, the white wine is perfect in this dish.
Ingredients
- 500 grams Fettuccine pasta, cooked per package instructions, drained, (1 lb)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium purple onion, finely diced
- 500 grams fresh mushrooms, chopped, Shiitake or Shimeji would work well, (1 lb)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 250 grams chicken liver, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch pieces, (8 oz)
- all purpose flour, for coating the liver
- ¾ cup white wine, or chicken stock
- 1½ cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Main ingredients prepped, purple onion, mushrooms (I used canned as I needed to rotate stock), and the chicken liver.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat until the shallot is softened and golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are softened and most of their liquid has evaporated, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the thyme. Pour the mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper and coat them in flour, shaking off any excess. Fry liver over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
- Return the mushrooms to the skillet and pour in the wine (or chicken stock). Cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add ¾ cup of the cream to the skillet at a time, allowing the sauce to thicken between additions. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to a large bowl, garnish with the parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
Chicken liver will cost about 33 Baht/250 grams, with the pasta and all other ingredients, well under $1 per serving for 4 servings. Very reasonable cost for a good meal.
Basic Beer Batter
I have made and used this, basic beer batter for white fish fillets. Taste is very good.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups beer
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then add in your beer.
- To use, coat fish fillets in all purpose flour first, THEN dip in the batter, then deep fry or fry to your liking.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
