Author Archive
Avocado Mushroom Salad
December 19, 2020 Lee
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Avocado Mushroom Salad

Adapted from a recipe in the Salad Lover's Cookbook, page 10.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Salad Lover's Cookbook, printed in 1979. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head Boston lettuce
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • white wine dressing, as desired, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Rinse, drain, pat dry, and tear the lettuce. Place in a serving bowl.
  • Add the avocado and mushrooms to the bowl. Toss gently together.
  • Pour in white wine dressing as needed, toss gently to just coat.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: White Wine Dressing.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SALADS,Salads - Vegetable
Fresh Spinach Salad
December 19, 2020 Lee
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Fresh Spinach Salad

Adapted from a recipe in the Salad Lover's Cookbook, page 9.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Salad Lover's Cookbook, printed in 1979. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams fresh spinach, (1 lb)
  • 115 grams bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, (¼ lb)
  • 1 hard boiled egg, diced
  • 1 small red onion, sliced, separated into rings
  • red wine vinegar dressing, as desired, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Wash and pat dry the spinach and place in a mixing bowl, add the bacon, egg, and red onion. Toss together.
  • Pour in red wine vinegar dressing as needed and toss to coat the salad evenly.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Shortcut: Red Wine Vinegar Dressing.
5 Ingredients or Less,SALADS,Salads - Vegetable
Hefty Vegetable Salad
December 18, 2020 Lee
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Hefty Vegetable Salad

Adapted from a recipe in the Salad Lover's Cookbook, page 8.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Salad Lover's Cookbook, printed in 1979. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper, sliced
  • Italian dressing, as desired, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Rinse, drain, and pat dry the romaine and iceberg lettuce, tear each into bite size pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
  • Add the celery, zucchini, and bell pepper, toss to mix together.
  • Pour on Italian dressing and toss until the salad is just evenly coated.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Italian Dressing. 
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SALADS,Salads - Vegetable
Shades o’ Green Salad
December 18, 2020 Lee
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Shades o' Green Salad

Adapted from a recipe in the Salad Lover's Cookbook, page 6.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Salad Lover's Cookbook, printed in 1979. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 4 stalks celery, sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • ½ head lettuce
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
  • ⅓ cup French dressing, Shortcut
  • 6 green olives with pimento
  • 1 small avocado

Instructions
 

  • Place 6 individual salad bowls in the fridge to chill.
  • For the spinach, remove and discard tough stems, roots, and bruised leaves, then wash, drain, and pat dry. Set aside some of the spinach that will be used for lining the salad bowls. Add the rest of the spinach to a large mixing bowl.
  • Rinse, drain, and pat dry the lettuce. Tear the lettuce into pieces and place in the large mixing bowl with the spinach.
  • To the mixing bowl add the celery, bell pepper, cucumber, and chives. Toss everything together.
  • Add the French dressing, toss lightly to coat the greens evenly.
  • Remove the individual bowls from the fridge. Line the bowls with the set aside spinach.
  • Arrange portions of salad from mixing bowl into the individual bowls.
  • Slice the green olives, garnish each salad with the slices from one olive.
  • Remove the pit from the avocado, spoon out from peel, and slice, garnish each salad with avocado slices.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: French Dressing. 
Variant: 1. To make this a main dish salad, Lightly toss 500 grams (1 lb) fresh cooked shrimp with the salad then divide into individual bowls.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SALADS,Salads - Vegetable
Veal Pot Roast (Slow Cooker)
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Veal Pot Roast (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 veal shoulder roast, (1¼ kilo / 2½ lb)
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, slivered
  • 350 grams pearl onions, peeled, (¾ lb)
  • ½ cup fennel, sliced
  • 1 package fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced, (3½ oz / 100 g)
  • 6 plum tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 cups chicken broth, Shortcut
  • 1 cup light beer
  • 1 teaspoon fresh herbs, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon peel, grated

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides. Place roast in pan, brown on all sides.
  • After roast is browned, place in your slow cooker. Use the tip of a knife and poke slits on the roast and insert the garlic slivers.
  • Add the onions, fennel, mushrooms, and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Pour broth and beer over the roast. Sprinkle roast with herbs, red pepper flakes, and lemon peel.
  • Cover and cook on Low setting for 8-10 hours. Remove roast to cutting board, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Slice roast and place on platter, and place the vegetables from the slow cooker around roast and pour the sauce in the slow cooker into a gravy bowl.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

I cannot price this as I have never seen veal roasts, I have not seen whole fennel or pearl onions, maybe in the high end Western markets. For now I will say High cost per serving. 
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,VEAL,Veal - Slow Cooker
Turkey Kielbasa with Cabbage
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Turkey Kielbasa with Cabbage

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bottle ale, or dark beer, (12 oz / 330 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 6 cups cabbage, coarsely shredded
  • 500 grams turkey kielbasa, or turkey smoked sausage, fully cooked, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into ¼ inch wedges
  • 1 can sweet potatoes, cut into 1½ inch cubes, (15 oz / 425 g)

Instructions
 

  • In a large deep non stick pan, add the beer, mustard, and caraway seeds. Stir to mix and bring to a boil on medium high heat.
  • Add the cabbage and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes or until the cabbage is crisp-tender.
  • To the pan, add the sausage, apple, and sweet potatoes, stir to mix. Increase the heat to medium. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook until the apple is crisp-tender and everything is heated through.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Use fresh sweet potatoes, just cook first then cube and use as the recipe states. 2. For a bit of fun, use fresh, cooked, purple sweet potatoes instead of orange or red.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PORK,Pork - Sausage
Tipsy Chicken Wraps
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Tipsy Chicken Wraps

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 20 wraps

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 500 grams ground chicken, (1 lb)
  • 250 grams firm tofu, diced, (8 oz)
  • ½ red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup Asian beer, I will use Leo Beer in Thailand
  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon red chili paste
  • ½ cup peanuts, chopped
  • 2 heads Boston lettuce, separated into large leaves
  • whole fresh chives, rinsed, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat, add chicken and cook, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes.
  • Then add the tofu, bell pepper, spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook and stir often, 5-7 minutes or until the spring onion is softened.
  • Stir in the beer, hoisin sauce, and chili paste. Cook until heated through.
  • Stir in the peanuts and remove from heat.
  • Lay a lettuce leaf flat on the counter, place a spoonful of chicken mixture in the center.
  • Roll up to enclose the filling, secure by tying a chive around the bundle. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is used.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Taqueria Fish Sliders with Taco Tartar Sauce
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Taqueria Fish Sliders with Taco Tartar Sauce

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 sliders

Equipment

  • Deep Frying Thermometer

Ingredients
  

For the Taco Tartar Sauce

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tablespoons taco sauce, medium spice
  • 2 tablespoons pickle relish

For the Fish Sliders

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 bottle Mexican, or American beer, (12 oz / 330 ml)
  • 2 packets taco seasoning mix, Shortcut
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 kilo cod fillets, or any white fish, cut into 12 bite pieces, (2 lb)
  • 12 slider rolls, dinner rolls cut in half horizontally
  • 6 slices Cheddar cheese, cut in half

Instructions
 

For the Taco Tartar Sauce

  • Add the Tartar Sauce ingredients to a small bowl and mixing together. Set aside.

For the Fish Sliders

  • In a medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, beer, and both taco seasoning packets. Mix well, let batter stand for 5 minutes.
  • Heat the oil in a medium size sauce pan on medium high heat to 180° C (350° F).
  • Dip fish pieces in the batter to coat evenly. Carefully place pieces in hot oil, work in batches so you do not over crowd the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Serve fish on rolls with cheese and tartar sauce, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Taco Seasoning.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,FISH - ALL,Fish - White Fish
Steamed Maryland Crabs
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Steamed Maryland Crabs

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups beer
  • 2 cups cider vinegar, or white vinegar
  • 24 live blue crabs
  • 1 cup seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot with a lid, pour in the beer and vinegar and stir together then place a steamer rack in the bottom.
  • Add 12 crabs on top of the rack, sprinkle with ½ the seafood seasoning.
  • Add the other 12 crabs, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup seasoning.
  • Cover and place on high heat until liquid begins to steam.
  • Steam for 25 minutes or until crabs turn bright red.
  • Remove crabs to a platter with tongs as they will be very hot.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

I am not sure how much blue crabs cost in the states, in Thailand, this would be a Fair cost per serving meal, and that would depend on getting the crabs from the store or direct from a fisherman.
Shortcut: Substitute Old Bay Seasoning. 
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Crab
Rustic Beef & Ale Ragout (Slow Cooker)
December 17, 2020 Lee
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Rustic Beef & Ale Ragout (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from a recipe card in "Cooking with Beer".
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'Cooking With Beer' recipe card set and that is where this recipe comes from. I made this on 4 May 2022, very delicious, sauce is tasty! Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 750 grams beef chuck roast, boneless, cut into 1½ inch cubes, (1½ lb)
  • 1 onion, cut into ½ inch wedges
  • 1 cup carrot, sliced ¼ inch thick slices
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 330 ml ale, or beer, (12 oz / 330 ml bottle or can)
  • 1 can tomato paste, (170 g / 6 oz)
  • 1 envelope Italian dressing mix, Shortcut
  • 2 teaspoons beef broth powder, or 1 OXO beef cube crushed
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions
 

  • Coat the inside of your slow cooker with non stick spray or butter. Prep the beef and vegetables. I used some frozen bell pepper I had on hand, 1 red and 1 green.
  • Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat, brown beef 6-8 minutes on all sides, working in batch so you do not over crowd pan.
  • As the beef is browned, add to the prepared slow cooker. I cooked the beef in 2 batches.
  • Then add in the onion, carrot, and bell pepper to the slow cooker.
  • After the beef is all browned and in the slow cooker, return the pan to medium high heat and whisk in the ale, tomato paste, dressing mix, broth powder, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Cook for just a few minutes until mixture is smooth.
  • Pour mixture over the vegetables and beef in the slow cooker, give everything a stir to mix together. Cover and set to High setting for 4-5 hours or until the beef is nice and tender.
  • Serve with bread or a salad, enjoy.

Notes

I will say Fair cost per serving just based on the cost of beef.
Shortcut: Italian Dressing Mix.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Beef - Slow Cooker