Author Archive
Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
This is a popular ingredient in many recipes but the ingredients on the store bought can is just down right horrific! Here is a shortcut, you know what goes in it exactly. This makes basically 1 can of Condensed Cream of Celery Soup.
Equipment
- Microwave
Ingredients
- ¾ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 can evaporated milk, 385 gram can is what I use, Falcon brand
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt, OR table salt
- pinch sugar
Instructions
- Place chopped celery and oil into a 1 quart microwave safe bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping to whisk after 1 minute and again when finished, if not thick or to your desired consistency, microwave for another minute and whisk again, continue until thickened.
Notes
Most recipes will just call for a can of condensed soup, some recipes (or if you just want to make the soup by itself) call for plus 1 can of water. One can equals 1¼ cups of water. But as a healthier alternative to using water, try using whey if you recently made cottage cheese, or water used to boil potatoes. Milk can also be used in place of water to make a creamier soup.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Crunchy Cucumber Salad.
- Creamy Coleslaw.
- Buffet Layered Salad.
- Meat & Vegetable Packets.
- Hamburger Potato Casserole.
- No Peek Chicken, made it.
- 6 Layer Slow Cooker Casserole, made it.
- Easiest Chicken Casserole.
- Salmon Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- White Beans & Sausage, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pasta with Shrimp Sauce.
- Fruited Salad Mold.
- Vegetable Stuffed Fish Rolls.
Slow Cooker Cajun Style Ribs
I like a good plate of ribs, Thais however cook most ribs in a soup. I made this, these are very good, and I have modified the recipe on my findings, my comment on the dish is listed below. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4-6 racks pork ribs, see Step 1
- 1/2 cup water
Dry rub
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, use 3/4 cup if using 6 racks
BBQ sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, your favorite sauce or homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- A rack of ribs is the long strip of ribs, the rib bones are about 3 inches long. Pick out strips that are meaty between the straight bones and not so much of the odd shaped bones. Prep the ribs by rinsing them then cut the racks into portions, 3 bones per section. (Photo credit: Tesco Lotus Thailand.)
- Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Using your hands rub the dry rub on the ribs on both sides. Place ribs in a bag and twist to remove air and place in a bowl and put in the fridge overnight. Perfect use for a Tesco Lotus plastic bag.
- Next day, remove the ribs from the fridge. Mix the barbecue sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Layer the ribs in your slow cooker and on each layer, add a tablespoon of sauce. Add the water to the sides of the pot, cover and cook on Low setting for 9 hours, do not remove the lid during this time. Serve with the sauce on the side. Side dishes recommended would be pinto beans, and even potato salad.
Notes
Pork ribs run about 140 Baht/kilo, I bought 3 slabs for about 180 Baht. This came out to about 90 cents per person for 6 meals.
Shortcuts: BBQ Sauce, Creole Seasoning Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Beer Chicken
Two of my favorites, beer and chicken. This is easy and delicious and is truly fall off the bones tender and juicy. I took the photos last night, 1 March, when I made this, report is in the comments section.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, OR chicken pieces
- 1 can beer, any type, room temperature
- 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash chicken inside and out, remove giblets if in the cavity, if a local market bought chicken, remove the neck, feet, and trim the fat from the gut opening. Place chicken in slow cooker breast side down, add the garlic and onion in the gaps on the sides of the chicken.
- Pour beer over the chicken, sprinkle on the spices.
- Cover and cook on Low setting 7-8 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours.
- When chicken is cooked through (does not hurt to use a meat thermometer at this point), remove the whole chicken carefully from the pot as it may fall apart. If using chicken pieces, use a large slotted spatula.
- Make a gravy from the juices from the pot, enjoy. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes or rice and a vegetable for a complete meal.
Notes
A whole chicken will cost about 150 to 200 Baht. This is a $1 meal for 6 people, less for 8 people.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Cola Chicken
Not a fan of coke or any soft drinks, but I will have to try this. Very easy recipe and can be adapted in many ways with the meat used. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 lemon, cut into quarters
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce, OR make from a shortcut listed on this site
- 1 can cola
Instructions
- Wash the chicken inside and out, remove giblets if present inside. If the chicken if from a local market, remove the neck and feet, trim excess fat at the gut opening, place chicken in the slow cooker breast side up.
- Toss in the onion and lemon quarters, pour in the entire bottle of BBQ sauce and the entire can of cola.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours.
- Serve with boiled buttered potatoes and a salad for a meal.
Notes
A whole chicken will cost about 150 to 200 Baht. BBQ sauce if store bought will run about 90 Baht. For 6 people, this is about $1.50 per meal per person, very reasonable. Less for 8 people.
Shortcut: BBQ Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Simple and easy slow cooker recipe that is delicious! I have made this and it is excellent, and filling! Recipe is slightly revised to reflect my findings. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Cooked all day
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 cups salsa, Tesco brand works great, two 300 gram jars, Shortcut
Added after 6-8 hours
- 250 grams Cream cheese, this is a block, softened, (8 oz)
- 500 grams tortillas, this is one package, corn or flour will work for this, (1 lb)
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, this is a block, shredded, (8 oz)
- ½ can black olives, drained and sliced
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker. I used 3 good sized chicken breasts.
- Pour over the salsa. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 to 7 hours, check at 6 hours and if tender and shreds with a fork at this point, continue with the next step, if not tender, continue to cook and check at 7 hours. I used the Fast and Simple Fresh Salsa II listed on this site, excellent salsa which makes just a tad over 2 cups, use all of it.
- Plop the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Cover for about 10 minutes to let it get really soft. While the cheese is softening, shred the Cheddar cheese and cut up the tortillas into strips, and slice the olives.
- With the cream cheese softened, shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker and stir together.
- Add the tortilla strips, 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, and half of the olives and stir this into the chicken mixture. Flatten this down and clean the sides of the pot.
- Add to the top the remaining cheese then olives. Cover and cook on High setting for another 45 minutes until the casserole is heated through.
Notes
Three chicken breasts cost me about 80 Baht, this would be less if you use thighs or quarters. Cream cheese will run about 120 Baht for a block. Cheddar cheese will run about 185 Baht per block of 250 grams, you only need one, shred the whole block. This can easily make 10 servings at a cost of about $1.15 per serving, overall, very good price.
Shortcut: Salsa.
Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy I
This is good and really easy. Keep in mind folks, use the shortcuts listed on this site for the gravy mix and soup, not only will this reduce the cost a lot, you eliminate the extra salt and preservatives. I did not take photos when I made this, just think of a slow cooker pot with gravy in it covering the chicken, you get the idea. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, OR skinless thighs
- 2 packets dry chicken gravy mix, Shortcut
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, Shortcut
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/8 teaspon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put the gravy packets, cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom soup), water, and pepper in your slow cooker and whisk until the gravy and soup are smooth as possible, any lumps will cook out.
- Add the chicken breasts OR thighs.
- Cook on Low setting for 5-6 hours.
- When the chicken is done, use a large spoon to remove chicken to plates, it will be fall apart tender. Serve with mashed potatoes with gravy ladled over the top. Serve with a vegetable for a complete meal.
Notes
Chicken breasts will cost about 88 Baht/Kilo, thighs even less. For 4 people this is about 75 cents per meal, even less for 6 people. Make the gravy mix and soup yourself for a greater savings. If you do not want to make the gravy shortcut, just use 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 rounded teaspoon of chicken stock powder.
Variants would include using thighs or legs instead of breasts. Also adding a handful or two of fresh or canned, sliced mushrooms about an hour before it is done would work well also.
Shortcuts: Gravy Mix, Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chicken, Chicken Blood, and Winter Melon Soup
This is a non-spicy soup made with just 3 major ingredients. Excellent taste. Don't let the ingredients fool you. The chicken blood is congealed, not liquid form, and the vegetable, winter melon, is pronounced fuk.
Ingredients
- 1/2 chicken, chopped into small pieces
- 2-3 cups congealed chicken blood, cut into large cubes
- 2 winter melon, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon powdered chicken stock
- 4-5 shallots, smashed
- 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Chop the half chicken and blood. If you do not have a half chicken, use thighs, legs, breasts, chopped into smaller pieces.
- Peel the winter melon, chop into large pieces, soak in some water for a few minutes then drain. If it has small seeds that is ok, if the seeds are large, remove them.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the smashed scallions and garlic.
- After it is boiling, add chicken pieces and chicken stock powder.
- When cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, add the chicken blood. Continue to boil until the blood is cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
- When the blood is cooked, add the winter melon and reduce heat to a simmer to heat the melon through. When melon is tender, remove from heat and serve with a bowl of rice.
Notes
Chicken would run about 100 to 140 Baht for about 1 kilo of chicken. Blood and melon, very cheap. This is about 70 cents per meal for 6 people, even less for 8 people. Nutritious and healthy.
Provided courtesy of my wife, Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
White Beans & Peppers
A basic recipe with lots of possibilities. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe that listed canned beans and frozen veggies, I have changed it up to use dry beans, and the instructions are for Stove Top or Pressure Cooker preparation of the beans. This is a 2 for 1 recipe, you make bean broth as well, save that for soup or even cooking rice in it. This is listed as a side dish, add a ingredient or two and you have a main dish.
Ingredients
Prepare beans
- 500 grams dried Great Northern Beans, rinsed, soaked at least 6 hours, rinsed again
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, for pressure cooker preparation
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, for pressure cooker preparation
Cook the dish
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped, or green
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon orgeno
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Beans - Stove Top
- Drain soaked beans and rinse then transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with cold water, add a quartered onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, discard onions and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the Beans - Pressure Cooker
- Drain soaked beans and rinse then transfer to a your pressure cooker. Add the quartered onion and bay leaves, add 8 cups (2 quarts) water.
- Place the lid on the pot, add the weight (jiggler), and bring the heat up to high. When the jiggler starts moving and releasing pressure, start timing this for 6 minutes, and turn the heat down to low or medium low to maintain the jiggler moving and releasing pressure.
- At 6 minutes, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow a natural release of pressure. When the pressure is released, open the lid, discard the onion and bay leaves.
- Place a strainer on another pot and pour the beans and liquid into the strainer. Let the liquid cool and pour into quart jars, you just made bean broth. Place the cooled bean broth in the fridge, use as a base for soup or even cook rice in it. (I made just over 1 quart of broth, beans soak up a lot of water.)
Cook the Dish
- Dice the bell peppers, onion, and set out the spices needed.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and bell pepper, and cook until tender.
- Add the drained beans. Season with oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through.
- Serve as a side dish with a main of your choice.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add in some boiled chopped chicken or cooked spicy pork sausage (think Kielbasa or mixed scraps) and you have a meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Louisiana Smothered Shrimp
Recipe name is actually Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee (etoufee means smothered, but I am not teaching French class here so let's just go with smothered). Shrimp would be the easiest to obtain for this recipe, crawfish are here in country being raised, but that may be a challenge to find them however. Shrimp in a thick creamy sauce served over rice, a must try for me. Lot of ingredients and I am not normally a fan of say a 1/2 cup of diced pepper is needed, I use the whole pepper, but I think for this recipe, I will follow exactly and see where it can be tailored, which should be easy. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup celery
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 500 grams shrimp, cooked, and peeled, including tails removed, see note on this
Instructions
- In a pot, melt the butter and then stir in the flour. Cook and stir constantly over low heat for about 20 minutes, until mixture is a caramel colored paste. Add the celery, pepper, and onions; stir until coated.
- Add the broth, water, parsley, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and cayenne. Stir the pot well to make sure that the roux is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add shrimp and heat through. Serve over rice.
Notes
Shrimp from say Tesco, small whites, will run about 100 Baht for 500 grams. If you can source ocean prawn from a local fisherman, even less, even open markets for shrimp is very low cost. For this dish, for 4 people, the cost is about 75 cents per person, even less for 6 people.
Shortcut: Creole Seasoning Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chicken, Chili, and Basil
No set recipe here, and no measured ingredients per say. This is a typical Thai meal, spicy, and goes together quickly. Photos are mine that I took yesterday while my wife cooked this.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs, skin and bones removed, slightly chopped
- 20-30 Bird's Eye Chilis, slightly mashed, seeds and all
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- fresh Thai Basil, several good handfuls
Instructions
- Heat a heavy non-stick pan (or a wok) with some oil and add the chilis and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken meat and stir to combine with the chili and garlic and cook until juices run clear, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Rinse the basil and squeeze dry and add to the pan.
- Cook until the basil is wilted, serve with rice.
Notes
The cost for the 4 chicken legs is minimal, the chilies came from our garden. This is probably a 30 to 50 cent meal per person, for easily 6 people.
Provided courtesy of my wife, Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.