Author Archive
Tomato Soup
I had to do some research as I have a recipe that states tomato soup, but that is not available where I live, so I found a shortcut. It is healthier than canned tomato soup, but is just as easy as opening a can of soup and heating it up. This is NOT a condensed soup. I made this on 28 Apr 2017, it is good, not fine dining but it is good soup.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 can tomato paste, this would be a 170 gram can, the really small one
- 4 cans milk, use the tomato paste can
- pinch salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, OR honey
Optional Additions
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, OR Mozzerella cheese
- 1 teaspoon bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Put tomato paste in saucepan, add milk using empty tomato paste can and rinsing can thoroughly. Add salt and sugar and optional additions if using, whisk and heat this on medium heat and serve as a side dish with a sandwich. I topped my bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese.
- If this is just needed for a recipe, whisk all ingredients together and use as the recipe states, however, you will need to measure the amount needed for the recipe.
Notes
A can of tomato paste costs 17 Baht, a can of name brand soup would cost 52 Baht. And just for example, here is what is in Campbell's Tomato Soup.
A Thai brand of tomato paste consists of concentrated tomatoes to make a paste with skin and seeds strained out, and a pinch of salt, a lot healthier than what you see in the ingredients for Campbell's!Homemade Honey-Based Ketchup
Sounds really good and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 can tomato paste, this would be a 170 gram can, the really small ones
- 1/4 cup honey, make sure it is natural honey
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk until smooth. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and cover until cool. Chill and store refrigerated in a covered container.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Beef & Noodles II
I have not tried this but it sounds good and easy for a basic Beef & Noodles dish. Lots of possibilities here to tailor this. The Beef & Noodles I recipe is in the Beef - All Other category. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo beef roast, OR any cut of beef
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, OR make from a shorcut
- 250-500 grams egg noodles, OR go with Fettuccine
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put roast in slow cooker, mix the soup mix in a cup of warm water first then pour on top of roast, then add water to cover roast plus 2 inches. Cook 6 to 7 hours on Low setting or 4 hours on High setting. When roast is cooked, shred it in the slow cooker. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add noodles, stir to combine and make sure all noodles get wet with water, add more warm water if needed. Cover and cook on High setting for 1 more hour. Check and stir occasionally so noodles don't stick. Serve with a side of your choice.
Notes
Beef will run about 150 to 200 Baht/kilo. Going with 200 Baht, this comes to about $1 per serving for 6 servings, for 8 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Variations would be add sliced mushroom during the last 2 hours or so.
Shortcut: Dry Onion Soup Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Banana Bread I
This is a simple recipe and it is excellent. I have made this several times, it is fool proof and I get great reviews from my Thai family and friends. I use the small bananas grown right here in our yard for this.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened, (1 stick or 1/2 block)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups banana, mashed, small bananas if you have them
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Lightly grease with butter the bread pan.
- Cream together the sugars and butter. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix in. Mix in the flour, then mix in the baking soda. (This looks like a lot as I doubled the recipe to make two loaves.)
- Pour batter into the prepared bread pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place the pan(s) on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, roll out onto the rack and let rest until cooled.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Minimal cost and a great tasting bread.
Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti
This sounds really good with the Cream cheese, nice touch. On my to cook list for sure. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken
- 350 grams spaghetti
- 3 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 250 grams Cream cheese, this is 1 standard block, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
- In a pan, brown ground meat until cooked through, drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce, set aside.
- Cook spaghetti according to instructions, drain and place in bowl. Add Cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.
- Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and golden. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Nice sides to serve with this would be a green salad and garlic bread.
Notes
Ground beef would be about 75 Baht for 500 grams, pork and chicken even less. The sauce is about 55 Baht/can (need 2 cans) OR make yourself from tomato paste for 17 Baht/can (2 cans) and some spices. Cream cheese would run about 120 Baht per 250 gram block. This comes out to about $1.50 per person for 6 people, and about $1.12 per person for 8 people. Overall, not a bad cost for a good meal.
Shortcut: Spaghetti/Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Easy Baked Chicken
This is quick and excellent dish. I made this on 11 June 2016, my comments below.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, OR legs and thighs skin on bone in
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, if you like cheese, feel free to use more
- 1 container plain yougurt, this is the regular small container
- salt and pepper, to taste
- milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter. Add the chicken to the dish.
- Mix the cheese, yogurt, and salt and pepper in a bowl. The mixture will be very thick, add a tablespoon of milk or so at a time to get a thinner consistency.
- Spread mixture over chicken, bake for 45 minutes. Serve with a side of your choice. This would be excellent with buttered pasta, mixed vegetables, etc.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp, target temp is 82 C / 180 F.
Notes
Last time I bought chicken breasts, just a few days before posting this, that cost me 74 Baht. Everything else is minimal. This comes out to about 55 cents per serving for 4 people.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chili Dog Casserole
When I found this recipe, the chili and cheese were both listed as processed, such as canned and packaged shredded. This recipe I am going to show here is a mix of recipes from the site. These are easy to make recipes. The cheese will be real as well. That leaves tortillas, which are packaged, and I have not tried to make yet. And the hotdogs, buy quality dogs, they do in fact make them in Thailand and are not the chemical laden import dogs. This recipe takes time in the planning but you can make several other dishes in between. I made this on 2 Aug 2016, excellent! I modified this for using some canned items I used while in the US in May 2020.
Ingredients
- 6 cups chili, see Step 1.
- 500 grams beef hot dogs, (1 lb)
- 8-10 flour tortillas, 8 inch tortilas are perfect
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, real cheese, (1/2 lb)
Instructions
- You can make your favorite chili or use canned, with or without beans. I have made this with both. For canned, use two 24 oz (1 1/2 lb / 680 g) cans. When I made this in the US I used two 24 oz (1 1/2 lb / 680 g) cans of chili.
- I have also made this with my homemade Pinto Bean Chili.
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F).
- Spread 1 can of chili and beans (OR 3 cups of homemade chili) in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans.
- Top with remaining can of chili (OR another 3 cups of homemade chili), and sprinkle with cheese to cover.
- Cover baking dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and allow to brown on the top, remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost for the US and Fair to High cost per serving in Thailand based on quality hot dogs and quality cheese.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Granny's Sausage Gravy
I have made this several times, easy, and delicious. When I make this again I will take step by step photos. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams breakfast sausage, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a regular block of butter
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Crumble sausage into hot skillet. Cook until browned. Remove sausage from skillet, let drain on paper plate or paper towels. Add butter to hot skillet and melt together with sausage fat.
- Whisk together the evaporated (canned) milk and water with the flour. Add to hot fat in skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until gravy starts to thicken. Add sausage back into gravy; heat until sausage is hot and gravy is thick. Remove from heat. Ladle over biscuits, toast, or potatoes. This would be perfect with the Drop Biscuit recipe listed in Sides - All Others.
Notes
500 grams of minced pork is about 65 Baht if you make the sausage yourself, it is so easy! Minced chicken for a chicken sausage, even less. Pre-made breakfast sausage, more than likely an import would be costly. Going with home made breakfast sausage, 65 Baht is well under $1 per serving. I will say that with store bought bulk sausage this would be a Fair Value item.
Shortcut: Breakfast Sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Drop Biscuits
This is the easy way to make biscuits. I have made these and they are good.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 230 C. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Stir in butter and milk just until moistened. Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the heaping tablespoon. Bake until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Minimal cost for this.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas
This sounds really good, I like beans! This is a recipe that is open to tailoring as to your taste. I look forward to making this. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry black-eyed peas, rinsed
- 225 grams sliced bacon, diced, or cubed chicken, see Step 1, (8 oz)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 large tomatoes, or about 4-5 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-3 dashes hot sauce
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a heavy bottom pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon or chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then fry for about 3 minutes, mixing often until the onion begins to brown and the bacon renders its fat. Transfer to your slow cooker. NOTE: If using minced chicken, use standard sausage seasoning, form into meatballs and cook those.
- Add the black eyed peas, broth, tomatoes, oregano, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Cook on High setting for 5 hours or Low setting for 8 hours, until the black eyed peas are soft.
Notes
The beans will run about 65 Baht/kilo, the bacon about 170 Baht for a 250 gram package, chicken would be much less. For 8 servings this is about 85 cents per serving (or less using chicken), very easy for a side dish.
Shortcut: Cajun Seasoning Mix.
