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Chicken, Tomato, and Olive Bake
November 5, 2015 Lee
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Chicken, Tomato, and Olive Bake

I have done this so many times. It is also something that I was experimenting with. I saw something similar at a restaurant and tried my own version. I have done it with so many different variations, and it’s a winner every time - guaranteed! The olives combined with the basil give it a very distinct taste.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 cube chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 500 grams cherry tomatoes
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
  • 50 grams black olives, pitted
  • 800 grams potatoes, peeled and quatered

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200 C.
  • Place potatoes into a roasting pan and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well then roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until lightly golden and crispy.
  • Meanwhile, wrap two pieces of bacon around each chicken breast.
  • When potatoes are ready, place the wrapped chicken breasts on top of the potatoes and scatter with cherry tomatoes and olives.
  • In a bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, stock cube, lemon juice, and hot water and mix well, pour this over the chicken and roast for 20mins or until the chicken is cooked through and golden. Serve sprinkled with basil leaves.

Notes

Easily under $1 per meal per person. You can use potatoes, sweet potatoes, even butternut squash, or a combination of these.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Chicken & Spaghetti Bake
November 5, 2015 Lee
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Chicken & Spaghetti Bake

I would use 200 grams Mature Cheddar instead of the Parmesan. Served with a green salad this would be a delicious meal.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams spaghetti
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • olive oil
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
  • salt and pepper, to your liking
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 1 CUP button mushrooms, heaping, sliced
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock, a bit over is good! Or use white wine
  • 2 cups cream
  • 100 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 100 grams Cheddar cheese, grated
  • sprig fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Fry the onion in a splash of olive oil, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil, add the garlic and fresh mushrooms, add the wine (stock) and turn the heat down, simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the wine (stock) has reduced a little.
  • Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling, salted water and then drain well.
  • Add the cream to the pan of chicken then bring to the boil and turn the heat off, season well with salt and pepper.
  • Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well, add the Parmesan cheese (or cheddar) and all of the basil and stir well.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp.
  • Divide between your plates, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over before serving. Serve with a salad.

Notes

4 chicken breasts, in 4-6 portions, well within $1 per meal per person. Make the chicken stock yourself and you save even more.
This is a good dish to add broccoli and sliced carrot to and will not hurt the price that much but makes is healthier, or just serve as a side dish.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Cajun Chicken Pasta
November 4, 2015 Lee
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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Sounds great, on my to cook list for sure! Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Penne pasta, uncooked
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 teaspoons Cajun spice mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 2/3 cups tomato pasta sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Boil the pasta in the water for 8 – 10 minutes, reserve 1/2 cup of the water and drain off the rest. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Working on a plate, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Cajun spice over each chicken breast, drizzle and turn the spiced breasts in a little olive oil.
  • Heat a heavy-based frying pan and brown the oiled breasts on both sides without cooking them right through – about 3 minutes on each side, remove from the pan and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into strips.
  • Pour the reserved pasta water into the pan to deglaze it. Add the tomato and basil pasta sauce and cream. Return the sliced chicken to the sauce and cook gently for 5 minutes, toss the chicken and sauce with the cooked pasta, Add half of the grated cheese and stir through. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and chopped herbs over the top when serving.
  • Serve with a green salad.

Notes

Low cost meal, 4 chicken breasts, and even the pasta sauce, if serving 2 people 2 times, less than $1 per meal per person.
Shortcuts: Cajun Spice Mix, Pasta Sauce.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Chicken & Green Bean Stew
November 3, 2015 Lee
2 Comments

Chicken & Green Bean Stew

This recipe is from a good friend and sparked my interest not only for the inexpensive chicken, but for the green beans! We have yard beans (also called long beans) and they are very inexpensive to buy. It is a basic meal to which you can add any vegetable other than beans if you wish. Yard beans are relatively cheap, and therefore makes for a very economical dish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 300 grams yard beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons onion soup powder mix, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • In a large pan, heat oil and fry chicken strips until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
  • Same pan, fry onions and peppers with curry powder until soft, add yard beans, chicken, and water, allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Mix the soup powder with a little water to form a smooth paste and stir into the stew then allow to simmer until thickened.
  • Serve with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Notes

Chicken breast run about 87 Baht per kilo, 6 breast is probably 150 baht or less. Yard beans are something like 15 Baht a bunch, bell peppers can be found for cheap as well. Easily $1 or less per serving for 6 meals.
Shortcut: Onion Soup Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Onion Soup Mix
November 3, 2015 Lee
4 Comments

Onion Soup Mix

Shortcut to make Onion Soup Mix.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup of mix

Ingredients
  

  • 2/3 cup dried minced onion
  • 3 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons tumeric, optional
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, OR 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a jar and give it a good shake. Shake the jar before each use.
  • Use 2 to 4 tablespoons of mix in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix.

Notes

Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
 
Adapted from an internet recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Beer Braised Pork Knuckles
November 2, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Beer Braised Pork Knuckles

Adapted from an internet recipe.
To start off, this is not a $1 meal by any means. Simple recipe however. The crackling (skin) was perfect, the internal temperature was spot on for pork, bone pulled right out (great treat for our dog), and the meat was fork tender with a delicious flavor.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (7x11 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pork knuckles, these were 800 grams each
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cans beer, room temperature

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F). Get out a 7x11 inch baking dish.
  • Score the skin of the knuckles.
  • Slice an onion and place that on the bottom of the baking dish, place knuckles on top, extra onion, just put that around the knuckles.
  • Pour a can of beer over the knuckles then generously add garlic powder and ground black pepper to the knuckles, add salt to your liking.
  • Put in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, remove and pour another can of beer over the knuckles. Reduce heat on the oven to 180° C (350° F) and put the baking dish back in the oven for 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, increase heat back to 220° C (425° F), remove the pan and baste the knuckles with the liquid in the pan, put back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
  • You can either carve these or leave whole, in Germany, I guess it is tradition that one knuckle is one serving to a person and plated like that.
  • Sides would be mashed potatoes, potato salad, buttered egg noodles, or sauerkraut, and as green vegetable.

Notes

I found these in Makro, frozen. Each is 800 grams and cost is 200 baht each. If serving one knuckle for 2 people (easily done), the cost would be about $2.95 per person. A bit more expensive than other meals listed here but is a great treat for yourself.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: GERMAN,PORK
Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
November 1, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Probably the most widely used condensed soup for casseroles and even just for a bowl of soup, is Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. Using only a whisk and a microwave, you can make your own version of this soup. Easy to customize to your needs and tastes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 1 can

Equipment

  • Microwave

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • â…› teaspoon white pepper powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • sugar, just a pinch, optional
  • 1 can evaporated milk, 368 gram can, Falcon brand is what I use
  • handful fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced, your preference

Instructions
 

  • Chop or slice your mushrooms, mushrooms of choice for me is Shimeji but you can use any mushrooms you like. I chopped about â…“ of a 150 gram package.
  • On 4 April 2019, I used 100 grams of fresh Shiitake mushrooms, chopped, perfect! (I like a lot of mushrooms in the soup.)
  • Put everything except mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl, Pyrex or ceramic would be perfect, not a plastic bowl, and whisk together, then mix in the mushrooms.
  • Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes, whisking well after 2 minutes and again at the end of cooking time. If not thick enough, add 30 seconds and whisk again. If needed, continue for 30 seconds at a time and whisking after each 30 seconds.
  • This makes just a bit more than a standard can of condensed soup.

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 1 can of water, 1¼ cups is a standard soup can. 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:
#1 Go-To Recipes,Ingredients - Condensed Soups,MUSHROOMS
Buttermilk Marinated Chicken
October 29, 2015 Lee
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Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

I have made this in the oven plenty times and it tastes just as yummy. I add some smoked paprika spice to give it that barbecued hint. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken, spatchcocked (butterflied)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

Marinade

  • 1 cup buttermilk, can also make from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 2 teaspoons garlic flakes
  • 1 lemon, juice and grated rind
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed chilies
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional

Instructions
 

  • Spatchcock the chicken by cutting down both sides of the spine with a pair of kitchen scissors. Flatten the chicken out by leaning the heel of your hand on the chicken and press down to crack the breastbone. Keep the backbone to make soup stock.
  • Season the chicken with the salt and pepper to taste and rub in the curry powder.
  • Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl (large enough for the flattened chicken, or a baking pan) and coat the chicken by turning it over several times to ensure it is covered by the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • With a heated grill, move hot coals to one side, and place the flat chicken, breast side up, on the grill where there is no coals (indirect heat), baste with marinate and cover grill for 20-25 minutes.
  • Turn the chicken over and baste again, cover and continue barbecuing for another 15-20 minutes.
  • Pierce the chicken in a thick part of the thigh to check for juices running clear or use a meat thermometer and look for a target temperature of 75 C or 165 F. When juices are clear or the correct temp, remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Notes

A whole chicken is on average 140 Baht in grocery stores, fresh markets would be cheaper, the other ingredients are minor, especially if using the shortcut for buttermilk, so about $1 per person per meal.
Tip, take a couple of bricks, wrap them in foil and use to weight down the chicken while it cooks. This comes highly recommended from a good friend.
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
Use of the bricks tip provided by good friend, Lynn Batterman.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,GRILLED / BBQ / SMOKER
How to make Buttermilk
October 29, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

How to make Buttermilk

Adapted from an internet recipe.
If you cannot find buttermilk at the grocery, this is a great shortcut to make your own.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, OR lime juice, OR vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Measure out your milk in a measuring cup, stir in lemon juice, let stand for 5-10 minutes, the milk will be slightly thickened with some small curdled bits.
  • Use as you would regular buttermilk in your recipe, including the curdled bits.

Notes

Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
INGREDIENTS
Chicken & Mushroom Pan
October 29, 2015 Lee
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Chicken & Mushroom Pan

Another go-to that can be adjusted to any taste. This is a recipe that I like to use if I have friends over at lunch time and I want to make an impromptu lunch while chatting away in the kitchen at the same time. A hit every time!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut in half
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, variety packs would work great for this
  • 1 cup cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the thyme and garlic as well as the chicken pieces. Keep the heat low and slowly brown the chicken on all sides. Take your time with this, making sure that there is a lot of caramelization happening on the bottom of the pan.
  • When the chicken is done, add the mushrooms and sautĂ© in the pan juices for about 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through.
  • Lastly, add the cream and allow the cream to reduce to about â…” of the original amount. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Take the pan to the table and serve with crusty bread.

Notes

Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless runs about 90 to 100 Baht per kilo, 4 breast would probably be just under a kilo, cream would probably cost more but with a larger quantity and you get get multiple uses from it. I'll say 190 Baht for the major costs, about $1.40 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY,MUSHROOMS