Author Archive
White Fish Bake
This is really good! It is economical and healthy. Any white fish can be used, but think Pangasius, Barramundi, or even Tilapia, but boneless and skinless, Pangasius would be a great option as it can be bought that way. I made this on 24 May 2016 and used Pangasius, excellent! My comments below, recipe adjusted slightly to reflect my findings and step by step photos taken as well. Added to my go-to recipe list!
Ingredients
- 500 grams white fish fillets, boneless and skinnless, think Pangasius
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mayo, heaping tablespoon
- 1 carrot, medium size, shredded
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3-4 lemon slices
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
- paprika, to taste
- olive oil, for pan frying
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C. Get out a 9x13 baking dish.
- Rinse the fish fillets and dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper to taste on each side.
- Heat a large non stick pan with a splash of olive oil, cook the fish fillets on both sides, about 2-3 minutes each side, remove fish as they are cooked and place in a single layer in the baking dish, pack them in tightly. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Use the same pan, bit more olive oil and add the sliced onions and cook until golden brown, then add the carrot and cook for another 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the yogurt, mayo, dill, cooked onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper as desired, and mix to combine.
- Place 3-4 lemon slices on top of the fish, then spread the yogurt mixture over the fish evenly. Sprinkle with paprika and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until fish flakes. Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes before cutting, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Serve with rice or pasta and a vegetable for a filling and nutritious meal.
- Plated on egg noodles mixed with vegetables. Delicious!
Notes
Pangasius will run about 60 Baht/500 grams. Barramundi will run 102 Baht/fish, would take 2-3 fish however. Go with Pangasius. 60 Baht for 4 servings would be about 80 cents per serving to include the cost of the cheese. Excellent value!
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Garlic Butter Shrimp & Asparagus
Sounds really good! Large shrimp will be a costly meal for two people, the smaller shrimp would be very reasonable. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 kilo fresh shrimp, cleaned with heads, shells, and tails removed, deveined
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add half of the garlic and stir for about 10 seconds, then add the asparagus and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl.
- Return the pan to medium high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the shrimp and season with a pinch of salt and cook until pink with no grey showing, stir occasionally. Turn the heat to low, add the remaining garlic and stir well, season with black pepper if desired. Add the asparagus, stir to combine and serve.
Notes
Shrimp will cost about 200 to 240 Baht per kilo. So at 240 Baht, and for 4 servings, this is about $1.75 per serving, not bad considering large shrimp. If you used small shrimp, the price would be less.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Baked Parmesan Fish Sticks
No, we're not talking about frozen fish sticks that come from a box, and quite frankly taste like a box, this recipe is fresh fish baked with cheese and panko. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 750 grams Pangasius fish fillets, cut into large strips
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease using olive oil.
- On a large plate, mix the panko with the cheese, then place the flour on another large plate and mix in the seasonings, and in a wide bowl, add the eggs and beat them.
- Dip the fish pieces in flour to coat them on all sides, then dip in the beaten egg, then in the panko and cheese, patting this on as needed. Place each fish piece on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once, or until the fish begins to flake apart with a fork. Serve.
Notes
Pangasius runs about 120 Baht a kilo, the cheese about 190 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about $1.45 per person per meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
Yep, this is a comfort food from years and years ago. This is a easy dish to prepare with everyday ingredients. Lots of possibilities. On my to cook list! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup Bisquick Mix, OR make from a shortcut on this site
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C. Lightly grease a glass pie pan with butter.
- In a skillet, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is browned, season with salt and pepper while cooking. Drain the spread into the pie pan. Cover the beef with the cheese.
- In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients with a fork or whisk, pour this into the pie pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve.
Notes
Ground beef will run about 80 Baht for 500 grams. Ground pork will run about 70 Baht for 500 Grams. Cheese will run about 150 Baht. For 230 Baht, this comes out to about $1.70 per person for 4 servings, or $1.15 per person for 6 servings. Overall, not a bad cost. Serve this with a potato or macaroni salad, and you have a great meal.
Variants. Replace the Cheddar cheese with Swiss, then top the cheese with sliced mushrooms. Top each slice with a slice of tomato and pickle.
Shortcut: Bisquick Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Baked Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breasts
This is easy and delicious! Would work well for thighs, which I think would be tastier. Just five ingredients and while it is baking, you can make your side dish.
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, or large thighs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Place chicken in a 7x11 baking dish.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Spread mixture over the chicken.
- Bake for 45 minutes. I did remove one and cut it half to check doneness, perfect at 45 minutes.
- Serve with a side of your choice.
Notes
Minimal costs, well under $1 per person per meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Twice Cooked Potatoes with Wasabi
This sounds really good, unless you can find Russet potatoes, just go with regular large potatoes. I will try this for when I grill steaks again.
Ingredients
- 4 Russet potatoes, OR just go with regular potatoes
- vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, OR just go with Cheddar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Wasabi paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Get your grill going and coals arranged for direct and indirect heat, medium temp is fine.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and coat each half with vegetable oil and place on the grill when it is ready over the coals. Keep the cover on as much as possible, and cook for 30-40 minutes, turning the potatoes 3-4 times, when a fork inserted easily goes in and out, they are done. If the potatoes are getting too dark, move away from the coals. When done, remove from the grill and let cool.
- Using a spoon, scrape out the potato but leave about 1/4 of an inch on the skin, make a potato boat. Set the skins aside. Add the scraped out potato to a large bowl, mash the potatoes and add the sour cream and mix in well with a spoon, then stir in half of the cheese and the rest of the ingredients. Taste and season with more Wasabi, salt, and pepper as needed.
- Spoon the potato mix back into the skins and sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top of each potato. Grill the stuffed potatoes over indirect heat until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are heated through, about 10-15 minutes, serve.
Notes
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
United States.
Not So Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Chicken
When I first found this recipe, it sounded really nice, but the ingredients, wow, but I am going to leave the ingredients the same as listed and I will have to make this to check this out. Now the recipe called for 10 chicken thighs, I am going to scale that back a bit as our thighs are a bit larger than the US. This is a must try. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 5-6 chicken thighs, skinless, bone in, fat trimmed off
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 4 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 packages fresh mushrooms, sliced, Straw, Shitakii, and King Oyster would be great options
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 can tomato sauce, OR make this from a shortcut on this site
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 green olives with pimento, BET YOU DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! Super Collosal in size
- 1 tablespoon olive juice, OR THAT!
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Except for the chicken or fresh cilantro, put everything into your slow cooker and mix well.
- Once mixed, add the chicken thighs and push them into the mix to cover.
- Cover the pot and cook on Low setting for 6 hours or High setting for 4 hours. Serve with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro on top.
Notes
There is a lot of interpretation with this recipe.
I am going to base this on what I just bought in April 2016, I bought 5 quarters, used 5 legs for one recipe, and have 5 thighs in the freezer for another recipe. Cost was 100 Baht for 2 kilos. To say the thighs are 50 Baht is correct. Everything else is minimal. The cost for 5 servings would be 30 cents per serving.
Now serving, that is wide open. The sauce is screaming for pasta. My report soon on this.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
This looks like a really good appetizer or side dish, a must try for me.
Ingredients
- 500 grams zucchini or summer squash
- 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, heaping, shredded
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, heaping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly coat with butter.
- Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch thick rounds and toss with olive oil to coat.
- In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place rounds in breadcrumb mix, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side. Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown, no need to flip them, they will cook up on the other side as well. Serve.
Notes
Nothing really high cost here, this is well under $1 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
South Africa.
Cream Cheese Ranch Chicken
Four ingredients and a slow cooker, this sounds very nice! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into large chunks
- 500 grams Cream cheese, Caroline brand will save you money, this is 2 blocks of cheese, softened
- 2 packets dry ranch dressing mix, OR use the shortcut listed on this site
- 250 grams bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken, cream cheese, and dry ranch seasoning in to your slow cooker, mix it a bit, don't worry, the cheese will melt.
- Cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or on High setting for 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily. Shred with 2 forks and mix everything to combine. Turn slow cooker off.
- Pan fry the bacon until crispy then add to the slow cooker and mix to combine. Serve.
Notes
Chicken breasts cost about 80 Baht/kilo. Cream cheese will cost about 120 Baht. Bacon will run between 100 to 140 Baht. So for 300 Baht, this comes out to about $1.50 per serving for 6. That is a lean estimate, I think you will get a bit more from this.
Serve as sandwiches on a toasted bun, on nachos, use for enchilada or burrito filling, in a bowl of lettuce for a nice salad.
Options, when used on a toasted bun, top with some shredded Cheddar cheese and broil for a few seconds to melt the cheese.
Shortcut: Ranch Dressing.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Sounds really good, I like meat and potatoes, a must try.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams ground beef, or minced pork or ground chicken, (1½ lb)
- 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1½ inch cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, Shortcut
- 1 can whole tomatoes, diced, undrained
- ¼ cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef (or pork, or chicken), drain the fat.
- Place the potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker pot along with the onion and garlic, add salt and pepper to your liking, add the ground beef. Top this with a layer of beans, then tomatoes, and add the water.
- If you cook the beans yourself, use about 1½-2 cups of cooked beans, drained.
- Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on Low setting. About 15 minutes before the cook time is up, add the cheese to the top, cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. If you like cheese, go with 1 cup of Cheddar but it adds to the cost.
Notes
Ground beef will run about 95 Baht/750 grams, if using minced pork, that will cost be less for pork and chicken. Cheese will run 75 Baht for ½ cup Cheddar. Everything else is minimal. For 4 servings this is about $1.25 per serving, less for 6 servings. Even less with pork or chicken. Over all, not a bad meal.
Shortcuts: Red Kidney Beans (Pressure Cooker), Chili Beans (Slow Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use chili beans in place of the kidney beans for added flavor.
