Author Archive
Italian Dressing Mix
An easy to make dry shortcut that is much less expensive than the store bought packets.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
Instructions
- Add everything to a bowl and mix together.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Use 2 tablespoons for every 1 dry packet needed.
- To make salad dressing, mix together 2 tablespoons of dry mix with ⅔ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Chicken Nugget Cordon Bleu Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken Livers en Brochette.
- Italian Chicken.
- Rustic Beef & Ale Ragout (Slow Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Slow Cooker Angel Chicken & Pasta.
Heavy Cream Substitute
Options to make heavy cream substitute. Each provides 1 cup of heavy cream substitute.
Ingredients
Option 1
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted AND cooled to room temp
- ¾ cup milk
Option 2
- 1 cup Cream cheese
Option 3
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Option 4
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Option 1
- This combination is great when your recipe does not call for whipped heavy cream. melt the butter and let cool to room temp, then add to ¾ cup milk and stir. If you prefer to use low-fat milk, add 1 tablespoon flour to thicken your mixture and stir well.
Option 2
- Another substitute for heavy cream you can use in soups and sauces is low-fat cream cheese, which provides a similar consistency but with reduced calories and fat. However, you will need only half the amount called for in the recipe. Therefore, for every one cup of heavy cream needed, use only half a cup of cream cheese. Cream cheese tastes a little bit sour, so avoid using it in recipes that need to be sweet.
Option 3
- Just mix the cornstarch into the milk, stir and allow to thicken slightly.
Option 4
- Just mix the cornstarch into the evaporated milk to thicken.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Cornish Pasties
Last year I had a hankering for a pasty, not the traditional Cornish pasties that are layered, but the ones from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Lot of Scandinavians up there and they tailored their pasties from their homeland to what is now know as the UP Pasty. Typicaly made from ground beef, potatoes, onion, carrots, and a bit of diced rutabaga or turnip. This is mixed up and put in pie crust dough. All veggies diced small as well.
Ingredients
- 1/2 kilo minced pork, OR ground beef
- 2 potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced in small cubes
- 1/4 rutabaga, optional, diced into small cubes
- 6 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Pastry
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 180 C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine the meat, potatoes, onion, carrot, and rutabaga.
- Divide the pastry dough into 6 pieces and shape each into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6 inch round.
- Place about 1 cup of meat mixture on one half of the round, season with salt and pepper and place 1 tablespoon of butter on the top of the mixture. Draw the other half of the pastry over the filling and crimp the edge to seal.
- Prick each pasty with a fork and place the baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.
- If you have extra meat mixture left over, pack into a meat loaf pan and bake that as well.
- I served with some Sriracha sauce for dipping, excellent lunch or dinner.
Notes
Minced pork is about 125 Baht/kilo, half kilo would be about 63 Baht, other items are minimal. Well under $1 per meal per person.
My recipe.
Chicken Lazone
In addition to chicken, this would be excellent with meatballs or veal medallions. I made this on 20 June 2017 and it is outstanding, the spices and the cream, perfect. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken tenders/fillets, OR chicken breasts cut into strips
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups heavy cream, OR make from a shortcut on this site
Instructions
- Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken tenders.
- In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken tenders until done, about 8 minutes.
- Pour the cream and add remaining butter into the skillet. Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- Serve chicken and sauce over pasta of your choice or mashed potatoes, if desired.
Notes
Chicken fillets run about 66 Baht/kilo, boneless and skinless breasts run about 87 Baht/kilo, bone in and skin on breasts run about 58 Baht/kilo, so for this to serve 6 meals, you are looking at about 15 Baht per meal per person, that is less than 50 cents, add in pasta or potatoes, and heavy cream, still well under $1 per meal.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
United States.
Hot German Potato Salad
Excellent tasting side dish, liked by the whole family. Highly recommended.
Ingredients
- 750 grams potatoes, cut into cubes, (1½ lb)
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vinegar
Instructions
- Boil potatoes until tender, drain.
- Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove and chop. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook until tender. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly. Slowly add water and vinegar and heat to boiling stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and combine with drained potatoes and bacon until potatoes are completely coated. Serve as a side dish, enjoy.
Sausage Muffins
I have not tried this yet but sounds promising! Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bisquick Mix, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/2 kilo sausage, cooked and crumbled, OR make from a shortcut
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C.
- Mix everything in a large bowl and spoon into a muffin pan filling each cell 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
Notes
Will provide pricing once I make this. Low pricing from what I see here.
Shortcuts: Bisquick Mix, Sausage, Breakfast Sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Bisquick
Bisquick is a go to for quick baking of biscuits, dumplings, etc. I have not seen this available here so I did some research and found this shortcut to make your own.
Ingredients
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt several times into a large bowl.
- Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
- Use whenever your recipe calls for Bisquick Mix.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Zucchini Tart, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Creamy Chicken Casserole.
- Cream Cheese Sausage Balls.
- Corn, Beef, and Biscuit Casserole.
- Lasagna Pot Pie.
- Cheesy Italian Chicken Pot Pie.
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie.
- Mashed Potato Pancakes.
- Tuna Bake.
- Easy Homemade Biscuits.
- Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie.
- Macaroni And Cheese Ham Pie.
- Sausage Muffins.
- Strawberry Shortcake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Impossible Pumpkin Pie, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Easy Apricot Pie, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing I
Sounds like a very good dressing.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup mayo
- 4 ounces Bleu cheese, crumbled
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Mix all until smooth, electric mixer is best but not required. Tightly cover and refrigerate, use within 10 days.
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
I like meatloaf, easy to prepare and delicious with mashed potato or just boiled potatoes and a green veggy. I got this recipe from my Dad, so it gets 5 stars as being good! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500-750 grams ground beef, OR ground pork
- 1 cup potato chips, crushed, BBQ flavored if available
- 1/2 cup butter cracker crumbs, think Magic brand, similar to Ritz but costs less
- 1 egg, large
- 1/8 cup mustard
- 1/4 cup ketchup, OR make from a shortcut on this site
- 1 spoonful relish, sweet or dill, no worries
- 1/4 cup onion, diced, just dice a small onion
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 4-6 slices bacon
- Cheddar cheese, sliced, use real cheese!
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except bacon and cheese, easiest way to mix this is with your hands.
- Take half of the meat mixture and press into a baking dish.
- Cut the Cheddar Cheese into slices and place on top of meat mixture.
- Top the Cheddar Cheese with remaining meat mixture.
- Lay slices of bacon on top of the meat mixture (it will cook while the meatloaf does).
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until cooked through. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy! Served with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.
Notes
Not a cheap meal, but less expensive if using pork and Magic brand crackers. Minced pork is 125 Baht per kilo, this would be less than that for the meat, a few slices of imported cheese, a few baht more but you can get a lot of meals out of cheese. For beef, not sure of the price as that is not available here. At 6 meals, probably a few more, I would say $1 or less per person.
Shortcut: Tomato Ketchup.
Provided courtesy of my Dad, Richard Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Pork, Cabbage, and Carrot Soup
My wife makes this about once a month, feeds the family for a 3 days or so. Very easy and economical. This is a base recipe, use items you have on hand or omit items you do not like. This is never made the same every time.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo minced pork
- 1 large carrot, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
- 1 white radish, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
- handful Chinese cabbage, tear into 2-3 inch pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons pork or chicken stock powder
- splash soy sauce
Instructions
- Fill a large pot about half full with water, add the pork or chicken stock powder and bring to a boil.
- While the water is heating, shape the pork into balls about 1 inch in diameter and set aside.
- Slice the carrot and radish, and tear up the cabbage.
- When the water is boiling, add the pork balls, takes just a few minutes for these to cook through, then add the carrot and radish and continue boiling for a few minutes until the carrot is cooked through and tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cabbage and give it is a good stir and put in a splash of soy sauce. Simmer for a few minutes more then remove from heat and cover. Your soup is done. This photo is what my wife made on 2 June 2017, this one contains pork ribs, chicken feet, carrot, radish, and bok choi.
Notes
Minced pork run about 125 Baht per kilo, about $3.70 this plus the veggys which are very reasonable. This makes a large pot of soup, here at the house it feeds 4 people for 3 days, well below $1 per person.
Variants: Use pork ribs, pork belly, chicken feet, or any combination. Leafy veggys can be Chinese cabbage, regular cabbage, bok choi, or any combination.
My wife's recipe.
