Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Lime & Lemongrass Fried Chicken
This recipe uses a marinade and seasoned flour packet available in Thailand, Lobo brand. This may be available in the US/Canada in Asian markets or through Amazon. This seasoning pack has no added MSG or preservatives, and is very reasonable priced, just under $1 per packet (30 Baht). This has a little heat to it as this does contain Thai chili powder, in the marinade and seasoned flour, but excellent flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 packet Lime & Lemongrass Seasoning, Lobo brand
- 1 kilo chicken pieces, wings, legs, thighs, breasts
- cooking oil, as needed
Instructions
- Here is what the packet looks like, there is two sections.
- And separated, there is a serrated line to pull these apart, one for the marinade and one for the flour mixture.
- Mix the Marinade labeled pouch with 1/4 cup of water in large mixing bowl.
- Add the chicken and mix them with the marinade, place in the fridge for st least 2 hours, and overnight is preferred. I used 4 thighs that was 1 kilo (2.2 lbs.)
- When you are ready to cook, open the Flour packet and place in a shallow bowl. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and coat the chicken pieces well with the flour mixture.
- Heat cooking oil in a pan or pot, you can deep fry or shallow fry, when the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken pieces.
- Allow to fry until golden brown, about 12 minutes for large pieces, 7 minutes for small pieces. If shallow frying, when golden brown on the brown on the bottom, turn and cook the other side. I shallow fried the thighs, and they were large so I cut the largest one open and had to continue cooking for a few more minutes on each side.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve with sides of your choice.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
From a seasoning pack in Thailand.
Stuffing Casserole
A wonderful twist on stuffing. I made this on 21 Nov 2018 and it is delicious. You can use left over stuffing from a previous meal, 3 cups, or you can make a box of Stove Top stuffing, which also makes 3 cups. Or in my case, I made homemade Stove Top stuffing (it's easy!) Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread stuffing, (Shortcut)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream, or evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, as desired
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- For the stuffing, if you made a large batch previously and have 3 cups left over, you can use that. You can also prepare a box of Stove Top stuffing, which will also yield 3 cups. You can also use the shortcut listed below to make your own Stove Top stuffing.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease a 9x9 baking dish with butter. Add the stuffing to the dish.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Pour over the stuffing, then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the casserole is browned and set. To check the set, insert a toothpick in the center and when it comes out clean, it is set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Slice into 9 squares and serve as a side dish
- Or even as a filling dish on its own with a vegetable side dish.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Stove Top Stuffing.
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Bonnie O, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Egg Casserole
This is an excellent casserole, and can be changed in any way you like. Consider this a guide, change the ham for bacon or sausage, the peppers for say mushrooms, you get the idea, change it each time you make this, or come up with your signature dish.
Ingredients
- 9 eggs
- 1/2 cup whipping cream, or evaporated milk
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups ham, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced, or red bell pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F). Grease a 9x9 casserole dish with butter.
- Heat the butter in a non stick pan on medium heat, and when melted, add the onion and cook until softened. Remove from pan and allow to cool. (I used Shimeji mushrooms so I cooked those with the onion.)
- Important note if adding items such as bacon or sausage or even mushrooms. Bacon and sausage needs to be fully cooked prior to using. For mushrooms, cook to release the water and soften up. Let the cooked items cool before using.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and cream. Whisk well.
- Add your other ingredients to the eggs and stir to mix.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish, bake for 30-35 minutes or until a butter knife inserted into the center, comes out clean. Goal is to cook until the eggs are just set, if over cooked, the eggs will lose their fluffiness.
- Serve with sides of your choice.
Notes
Low cost.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Chicken Liver Bistek
This is delicious! Bistek is a Filipino style of marinade/sauce made with citrus and soy sauce, and plenty of garlic. I made this on 3 Dec 2018 and it was well liked even by the Thai family.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken livers, (2 lb)
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- cooking oil
- ½ cup lemon or lime juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced and seperated into rings
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
Instructions
- Rinse the livers, cut each in half crosswise, then dry with paper towels.
- In a bowl, add the lemon juice, water, and soy sauce and whisk to combine, set this aside.
- In another bowl, add the the flour, corn starch, salt and pepper, feel free to go heavy handed with the pepper as desired.
- Roll the livers in the flour mixture to completely coat each one.
- Heat about ¾ inch of cooking oil in a large pan or pot, you want the oil hot but not smoking. When the oil is hot, add the livers in batches, don't over crowd the pan. Cook the livers until golden brown on each side. Be gentle moving the livers to check for brownness, and carefully turn them, the less you move liver, the less likely it will fall apart. As livers are cooked, remove to paper towels to drain. Continue until all livers are cooked.
- Pour out the oil from the pan and wipe clean. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and put on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, goal is to only cook the onions to half done. When they are ready, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover to keep them warm.
- Same pan, now add the garlic, cook, stirring often until lightly browning and fragrant.
- Give that lemon juice mixture a quick whisk then pour that into the pan with the garlic and bring to a boil.
- Return the livers to the pan and very gently mix with the sauce, cook for another 2-3 minutes until the livers are heated through and the sauce slightly thickened.
- Spoon out the livers and sauce to a serving dish and garnish with the previously half cooked onions.
- Serve over rice, pasta, or even mashed potatoes.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Don't let the name fool you, although this is written as a vegetable soup, lots of variants so you can tailor this to be your signature soup. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2-3 medium carrots, sliced thin
- 4 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 quarts vegetable broth, (8 cups)
- 250 grams dry spiral pasta, (8 oz)
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained, (Shortcut)
- salt and pepper, as desired
- chopped parsley, for garnish, if desired
- saltine crackers, for serving, if desired
- celery tops, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Prep all the veggies. Since I do not like waste, I also chop the celery tops and add those in at the end.
- Heat the oil in a pot on medium heat, when hot add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often until the onion is softened but not browned.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta and chickpeas, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10-20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- If using the celery tops, go ahead and stir those in and simmer for 2-3 minutes to wilt them.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley if desired, serve with saltine crackers or bread if desired and a main dish of your choice. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Chickpeas (Pressure Cooker).
Variants: 1. Use chicken, mushroom, or bean broth (from chickpeas). 2. Use any bite size pasta, or even egg noodles. 3. Add cooked chopped chicken. 4. Add mushrooms.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Hazan’s Butter Tomato Sauce
I got this recipe from a friend on another site, and that man is a Chef, and the recipe comes from the late Italian Chef and author, Marcella Hazan. So needless to say, this recipe comes highly recommended. I made this on 27 May 2022, and I must say, best sauce I have tested, the flavor is excellent! Highly recommended for a easy and very delicious sauce. This is adapted to the size of cans I have here in Thailand, for US size can, that is explained in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 cans peeled tomatoes, (20 oz / 565 g each), I use Brook brand.
- 1 medium onion
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- kosher salt, as needed
Instructions
- Pour the tomatoes and the juice, into a saucepan and crush them with a potato masher, or you can do this with your hands.
- Peel the onion and simple cut in half crosswise. Add the onion and butter to the saucepan.
- Place saucepan on low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer only, no one likes a pot of burnt tomatoes!
- Every 10 minutes or so, give the sauce a stir, taste, and season with a tiny pinch of salt, let the sauce simmer. Continue to simmer, taste, and add a tiny pinch of salt, as needed, for 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat and remove the onion. You can either discard the onion or enjoy as a snack. Mash the tomatoes with the masher again, now your sauce is ready.
- Serve over hot cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice. Enjoy.
Notes
Variant: 1. Replace half the butter with duck fat (this comes highly recommended!). 2. In a separate pan, brown some ground beef or pork (500 g / 1 lb), drain, and stir into the sauce, then serve as a meat sauce. Â
This sauce freezes well, so make a larger batch, separate into portion sizes you require and freeze, then you have sauce readily available.
For viewers in the US, for the canned tomatoes, use one 28 oz can, and 5 tablespoons butter.Â
Peppery Chicken Curry
Absolutely delicious as written! I did change some of the steps to make it easier to prepare, but the intent of the recipe is valid and tasty!
Ingredients
- 400 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch pieces, (14 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced, or 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 5-6 saffron threads, (I cringe when I use this)
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, add the chicken, garlic, ginger, salt, rice vinegar, turmeric, saffron (and I cringe when using that), and only 1 teaspoon of the black pepper.
- Mix to coat the chicken pieces. Set aside to marinate as you continue on.
- Slice one onion and set that aside. Grate the other onion and set this aside. You can also use a food processor to grate the onion, I use a box grater.
- In a large non stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat, when hot, add the sliced onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Cook for about 6-10 minutes or until nearly all is golden brown, stirring often.
- Reduce heat on the pan to low, add the grated onion and cook that until it is golden brown, about 5 minutes or so.
- Add the chicken and the marinade, stir the chicken to coat with the onion and spices, cook to just brown the meat.
- Add the water, stir, and bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Serve over rice or pasta of your choice.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Beef Casserole
The idea for this comes from a good friend in Thailand, and it turned out much better than expected, and the family loved it!
Ingredients
- 3 cups bowtie pasta, or any bite size pasta
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 8 small Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 1 jar Artisan 3 Cheese Pasta Sauce, Prego, 411 gram jar
- 2-3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- panko breadcrumbs, as needed
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F). Grease a 9x13 baking dish lightly with butter.
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and add pasta to the baking dish. While the pasta is cooking, heat a non stick pan and brown the ground beef, drain and add to the baking dish.
- Add the mushrooms, peas, and cheese pasta sauce to the baking dish.
- Mix together. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Spread the mixture out evenly and sprinkle the shredded cheese on the top, use as much cheese as you like.
- Add some panko on top of the cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
The cheese sauce, in Thailand, is available from Lazada if you reside outside of a major city, cost is 178 Baht for a jar, which is not bad, it is a very good sauce. The Cheddar cheese will use 1 200 gram block, about 180 Baht. For 8 servings, this is about $1.36 per serving.
Recipe inspired by good friend, Kurt Hammerschmidt.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Cowboy Stew
Ground beef, bacon, and baked beans, sounds delicious! I used my homemade baked beans for this but if wanting to use canned, that is stated as well. Great comfort meal. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 250 grams bacon, (1/2 lb)
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
- 4 cups baked beans, or 2 15 oz cans, (Shortcut)
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, (Shortcut)
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- In a large pot (I like to use my pressure cooker pot) add the baked beans. I used homemade and they were quite thick so I added 1 cup of water as well. Bring that to a simmer.
- In a pot add the diced potatoes and cover with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until just fork tender. Drain, and add to the baked beans.
- While the potatoes are cooking, in a large non stick pan, cook the bacon until near crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. When cooled, chop into bite size pieces and add the bacon to the baked beans.
- For the bacon fat in the pan, drain off most of it, then add the ground beef and onion. Cook the beef until no longer pink and the onion is soft. Drain and add to the baked beans.
- Add the BBQ sauce and liquid smoke to the pot and stir into the beans, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer the stew for 10-15 minutes. While simmering consider making some biscuits to ladle the stew over or heating some nice dinner rolls to go with this. Corn bread muffins would be perfect as a side as well as fried corn.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Crab Rangoon Spring Rolls
Crab Rangoon is not Chinese in origin, it as American. This recipe uses imitation crab which is left whole, not chopped, and simply rolled in spring roll wrappers. The dipping sauce in combination with the fried spring rolls = Crab Rangoon Spring Rolls. Feel free to use dipping sauces of your choice and simply call these Crab Stick Spring Rolls.
Ingredients
For the Dipping Sauce
- 250 grams Cream cheese, 1 package, room temperature, (8 oz)
- 1-2 tablespoons mayo, and as needed
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha Chili Garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced, white and green parts
For the Spring Rolls
- 500 grams imitation crab, (1 lb)
- 1 package spring roll wrappers, thawed, you will have leftovers from this
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- lard, or cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
For the Dipping Sauce
- Add the cream cheese to a bowl and mash with a sturdy fork, add the Sriracha, spring onion, mayo, and soy sauce.
- Mash with the fork, adding more mayo as needed to achieve the consistency you want. Set this aside.
For the Spring Rolls
- The only prep work is unwrapping each crab stick. Unwrap the sticks from the entire package. I ended up with 38 sticks (a cat stole 1 and there was one left over, quick snack for me). You will use all the sticks, you won't use all the wrappers. Place the sticks in a bowl, and in a small bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch to make a slurry.
- Two people is very handy to do this step, one to pull the the pastry apart and the other rolling the spring rolls. Spring roll wrappers are very thin pastry, and if doing this by yourself, place a damp towel on the unused sheets while you roll, if they start to dry, they will be hard to pull apart and will tear. This will actually go by rather quickly now.Note: Spring roll wrappers come in two sizes, 8½ x 8½ inches and 5½ x 5½ inches. If using the larger sheets, which is show here, use 3 crab sticks, if using the smaller size use 2 crab sticks.
- Open the package of spring roll sheets. Carefully pull off one sheet and place smooth side down on a clean counter with one corner of the sheet facing you. Use two fingers and dip into the slurry then rub your fingers the two sides of the pastry that are farthest from you. Place 3 crab sticks near the corner nearest you.
- Fold the corner of the pastry onto the crab sticks.
- Tightly roll the sticks up to just before you get to the widest part of the pastry.
- Now fold the the left and right corners towards the middle.
- Continue to roll, place on a plate. Repeat for as crab sticks you have. I made 12.
- Heat a large pan with about 1/2 inch of lard or cooking oil.
- When hot but not smoking, fry the spring rolls for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown (shallow deep fry). Remove to paper towels to drain, continue frying, working in batches until all the spring rolls are fried. Repackage the unused spring roll wrappers and return to the freezer.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Tesco brand crab sticks, which taste perfectly acceptable, will cost about 95 Baht for 500 grams. Cream cheese will cost about 120 Baht (Caroline brand). I made 12 spring rolls, figure 2 spring rolls per serving as a snack or appetizer, or 6 servings. This is about $1.08 per serving.