Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
My Pasta Salad
Salad bars in Thailand often have hard boiled quail eggs as a choice. I used to get just a bowl of quail eggs and Bleu cheese dressing as my salad, and my daughter and I gobbled these up. So I figured I would take this a step further and make a pasta salad with quail eggs and other salad fixings along with Bleu cheese dressing. I made this on 14 July 2018, and absolutely delicious. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 250 grams dry pasta, any bite size pasta, spirals, shells, etc., (8 oz)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ jar green olives with pimento, sliced, (jar is 300 g / 11 oz)
- 25 hard boiled quail eggs, Shortcut
- 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked and cooked or 1 can drained
- Bleu cheese dressing, as needed
Instructions
- Cook pasta of your choice in a pot of boiling salted water. When tender, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process then drain well again and place in a large mixing bowl. I used a mix of spirals and elbows.
- Prepare the quail eggs, either using fresh eggs, which is what I do, or use canned eggs. I use 25 fresh eggs which is comparable to canned, which is 23-25 eggs. For canned, just open and drain. For fresh eggs, hard boil them and peel.
- Dice the peppers and onion and place in the mixing bowl with the pasta. These are on top of the pasta.
- Mix together the pasta, peppers, and onion.
- Slice the olives and add to the pasta, gently mix those in. I do this is steps so as not to break up any of the ingredients.
- Add the chickpeas and eggs.
- Gently mix those into the pasta, then add the dressing, start with 1 cup and gently mix that in, then add ½ cup at a time for the consistency you want, the goal is everything coated well but not dripping in dressing.
- Cover and place in the fridge until chilled. Serve with any main dish of your choice.
Notes
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Quail Eggs.
Simple Frog Legs I
Basic recipe to prepare frog legs. In Thailand, the legs are much smaller than the states. There is large frog legs at Makro at times, imported, and with a hefty price as well, so I prefer the local harvested frogs from the village. No set amounts here, this is a make as much as you want guide. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- milk, as needed, or buttermilk
- frog legs
- salt and pepper, as desired
- all purpose flour, as needed
- butter, as needed
Instructions
- Skin the frog legs if not already skinned and cut off the feet. Make a slight cut behind the knees to cut the tendons (keeps the legs from moving in the pan for fresh legs). Place the legs in a bowl or container.
- Pour in some milk to just cover the legs, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Mix the legs around a few times as they chill.
- Remove the legs from the milk, add salt and pepper as desired to some flour, then roll the legs in the flour to coat them well.
- Heat a non stick pan with 3-4 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is sizzling, add the legs.
- Cook uncovered and turn as needed until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
I bought 3 whole (skinned) frogs at the village market for 60 Baht ($1.81) and just the legs, cleaned with feet removed, came out to 190 grams (6.7 oz). I will say 6 small legs is a serving, so this is fair priced. (The rest of the frogs, those went to a brother in law for him to cook, nothing wasted, as I would not have bought them to just remove the legs and discard the rest.)
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Okra with Tomatoes
Sounds like a good alternative from fried okra. I made this on 16 July 2018 and is perfect as written, with my wife doing the final taste test. She simply added a pinch of chicken stock powder, then it was perfect, and I wrote that step in as well. This is a keeper.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 pods fresh okra, stem trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 small onion, cut into wedges
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- salt and pepper, to taste
- splash oyster sauce
- splash mushroom sauce
- pinch chicken stock powder
Instructions
- Garlic and okra prepped, I took the photo early before I had the onion prepped.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the okra and onion and season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook stirring often until the okra is tender and bright green, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, oyster sauce, and mushroom sauce and cook until tender and nearly bursting, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in a pinch of chicken stock powder, taste, and adjust with oyster or mushroom sauce as needed.
- Serve as a side dish with any meal.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add some sliced fresh mushrooms. 2. Season with additional spices such as ground cumin or garam masala (1/4 teaspoon or so). 3. Add chopped bacon. 4. Add a slice bell pepper.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fried Seasoned Wontons
Quick and easy appetizer or snack, think great with beer, and they are addictive! This is a make as you need recipe, no set amounts needed here.
Ingredients
- wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
- water, as needed
- chicken seasoning powder, or pork seasoning powder
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- Lay out some wonton wrappers on some parchment paper or foil, lightly spray water on each wrapper.
- Lightly dust with either the chicken or pork seasoning powder. Use either Knorr or Ros-Dee brands, very popular in Thailand and available in the US in Asian markets.
- Heat some oil in a large pan, about 1/4 inch, to medium hot. Place a few wontons at a time in the oil and fry until golden brown, they fry up very quickly.
- Remove to paper towels to drain, and continue the process to cook all the wonton wrappers you have prepared.
- Serve as an appetizer or with beer or drinks of your choice.
Notes
Low cost.
This recipe for Fried Seasoned Wontons is adapted from Appon's Thai Food.
Cinnamon & Star Anise Pork Chops
The flavors are wonderful and is a good change from regular pork chops. This is a Thai recipe for pork chops that poaches them, which is a fancy word for simmering. I made this on 16 July 2018, and this is a keeper!
Ingredients
- 3 pork chops, bone in
- 3 pieces whole star anise
- 1-2 sticks cinnamon, 1 thick or 2 thin
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- water, as needed
Instructions
- Mix together the salt, sugar, onion, garlic, white pepper, and soy sauces. I used two thin pieces of cinnamon.
- Rinse the pork chops. This photo shows how the pork chops can vary.
- You can tenderize if you like with a mallet or needle tenderizer. Add the chops to a sturdy zip lock bag. I use a needle tenderizer, both sides, not to tenderize the meat but to allow the marinade to soak into the meat.
- Add the remaining liquid mix and the star anise and cinnamon to the zip lock bag, squish the chops around, mindful of the where the bones are next to the bag. Remove as much as air as you can from the bag and zip close. Place the bag in the fridge for at least 3 hours but overnight is recommended. For 3-6 hours, flip the bag once an hour.
- Place the chops and the marinade in a pot,
- Add water to just cover the chops. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low boil, and let the chops cook until the liquid is reduced by half and the chops are tender.
- Remove the chops to a dish with a slotted spoon leaving the liquid in the pot.
- Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the liquid while the pot is on medium heat, whisk or stir for several minutes to slightly thicken the sauce. Remove the star anise and cinnamon sticks.
- Serve the chops with rice on the side and spoon the sauce over the chops.
Notes
I will price this when I get pork chops again in the city, I will say low price now.
This recipe for Cinnamon & Star Anise Pork Chop is adapted from Appon's Thai Food.
Quick Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker)
Many recipes call for boiled chicken; shredded, cubed, or diced, here is a way to make both the chicken, and as a bonus, chicken broth. I call this Quick Chicken Broth as we are only going to cook the chicken needed for another dish, but with the celery, carrot, onion, and peppercorns = quick broth = juicy and flavorful chicken, win win. And if the other added items are not available, this still makes excellent broth. Times for cooking are different for bone in and boneless pieces. I use my stovetop 9 liter (9½ quart) 80 kPa (12 psi) pressure cooker, follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos chicken pieces, (2-4 lb)
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 onion, quartered, or 2 small onions
- 1 stalk celery, plus the top, chopped, Thai celery use one bunch
- palmful black peppercorns
- 2 quarts water, (8 cups)
Instructions
- If using bone in chicken quarters, separate them into legs and thighs. Add the chicken to your pressure cooker. If using boneless chicken breasts, leave the skin on and add to your pressure.
- Chop the vegetables and add to the pot.
- Add the water to the pot.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock that, add the weight (jiggler) to the top, and turn on the heat to high. (Keep in mind, with a lot of water, it takes longer to come up to pressure, and the same in reverse, it takes longer to cool as well.)
- When the jiggler starts to move and venting pressure, indicating full pressure, reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain the jiggler movement and venting. Start timing for 10 minutes for bone in pieces and 2 minutes for boneless breasts.
- When the 10 or 2 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and carefully move the pressure cooker to an unused burner, and allow a natural release of pressure.
- When you have indications of no pressure in the cooker, remove the weight, and unlock the lid and remove.
- Now this step is optional but highly recommend, leave the lid off the cooker and leave the chicken in the broth and allow to cool to room temperature, this can take an hour or so but the result is juicier chicken.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a bowl and use as you need.
- Pour the contents of the pot through a cheesecloth lined strainer. Pour the strained broth into mason jars or container of your choice (then taste it, it is delicious) and place in the fridge. Any fat in the broth will float and harden in the fridge, simply remove that before use.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Chicken Piccata.
- Homemade Stove Top Stuffing, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Hoppin John (Slow Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Little Ribs in Paprika Sauce.
- Hearty Soup.
- Unwrapped Wonton Soup.
- Chicken Sausage.
- Italian Chicken Bean Soup (Slow Cooker).
- Mediterranean Rice (Rice Cooker).
- Beer Cheese Soup.
- Chili Verde Chicken Stew.
- Beer & Cheese Soup (Slow Cooker).
- Rice A Roni (Rice Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- 11 Bean Soup I (Slow Cooker).
- Homemade Country Gravy.
- Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy II, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Ham, Peas, & Creamy Noodles, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- One Pot Pasta with Chicken.
- Caesar Chicken Sandwich (Slow Cooker).
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata Meatballs, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken & Mushrooms (Slow Cooker).
- Saffron Curry Rice, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Creamy Skillet Noodles with Peas.
- Lemon Thyme Rice (Rice Cooker).
- Onion Rice (Rice Cooker).
- Chicken in Dill Sauce & Broccoli.
- Chicken Piccata.
- One Pot Chickpeas & Pasta (Pasta e Ceci).
- Chicken Ritz Casserole.
- Hot & Sour Soup.
- Leftover Turkey in Creamy Mushroom Sauce.
- Chicken & White Bean Stuffed Peppers.
- Creamy Hamburger Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker).
- Slow Cooker Cabbage & Mushrooms, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- White Beans & Sausage, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Baked Chinese Chicken & Rice, made it.
- Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.
- Crock Pot Chicken & Noodles II, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Minestrone Soup (Pressure Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken Paprikash.
- Pasta Fagioli Kidney Bean.
- Chicken Macaroni Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken & Rice Casserole.
- Crockpot Turkey Breast.
- Fancy Chicken Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken Salad with White Wine Dressing.
Chicken Adobo (Pressure Cooker)
This recipes comes from a good friend in Thailand, and it is very good. the vinegar used is a good combination, but I think when I make this again, I will play around the they types of vinegar. This is a pressure cooker recipe and I will verify use my large 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top model. Follow the safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker at all times.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 8-10 pieces legs and thighs, think quarters, 4-5, cut apart
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 5-10 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, 10 recommended
- 4-5 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place your pressure cooker, no lid used yet, on medium high heat and heat the oil, when hot, lightly brown the chicken, you are not looking to cook through, just brown it on both sides.
- Remove the chicken and cook in batches if needed until all are browned. When taking the chicken out, any pieces stuck to the bottom, no worries, just loosen them up when making the sauce.
- Add the onion and saute until starting to soften, then add the garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the soy sauce, both vinegars, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar.
- Bring to a simmer then add the chicken back to the pot.
- Place the lid on the pot and lock that and add the weight (jiggler), turn heat to high and bring to high pressure, when the jiggler starts to move, indicating full pressure, reduce the heat to low or medium low to keep the jiggler still moving and venting pressure.
- Start timing for 8 minutes. When 8 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and carefully move the cooker to an unused burner and allow the pressure to release naturally, about 10-15 minutes.
- When you have indication of zero pressure in the cooker (for my stove top model there is a pin that will drop), remove the jiggler, then open the lid.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Tender and juicy chicken adobo, but we are not done yet.
- Place the cooker, without the lid, back on medium high heat, stir often and reduce the sauce to thicken it.
- Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve. If having white rice as a side dish, spoon some sauce over the rice as well. Enjoy.
Notes
Go with about 105 Baht for 4-5 quarters (2 kilos, 4 lb). For 4 servings this is about 80 cents per serving.
Fried Okra
A good sounding southern US side dish, that is very good. Not sure how okra ended up in Thailand, or even how it is used in Thai cooking. I have modified this with my findings. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 10 pods fresh okra, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup lard, or cooking oil, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- Beat the egg in a bowl then add the sliced okra, mix and allow the okra to sit in the beaten egg for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Place the cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a zip lock bag, seal and shake to mix. Add the okra, seal, and shake to coat, does not take long, okra is pretty slimy on its own. (Original recipe called for 1 cup of cornmeal, after making this, 1/2 cup would be plenty.)
- Heat the lard (or oil) in a large non stick pan on medium high heat. Important to get the lard very hot. Using tongs, remove the okra from the bag and place in the hot lard.
- Gently stir and when nice and golden brown, remove using a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Some of the cornmeal will fall from the okra, no worries, that is expected.
- Serve as a side with your preferred main dish.
Notes
Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole
This comes from a good friend and is highly recommended, and it certainly sounds delicious! I made this on 5 July 2018, and now I highly recommend this! The use of the Shortcuts is highly recommend. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, see Step 1
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
- onion powder, to taste
- 1 box Stove Top stuffing, chicken flavored, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- For the chicken, 1. You can use a whole chicken or 2 kilos (4 lbs) of pieces, think bone in skin on quarters separated, and breasts. 2. You can boil it or pressure cook it, pressure cooked will be used by me. Either way, once the chicken is cooked, leave it in the pot with the broth to cool to give you juicy chicken. Shortcuts are in the Recipe Notes section.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove the skin, bones, cartilage, and shred, place evenly in the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F).
- In a large bowl, add the soups, sour cream, and onion powder as desired. Whisk to combine. Here I have the chicken ready, the soups (homemade) mixed, and the stuffing (homemade) ready to assemble.
- Prepare the stuffing according to the directions on the package.
- Pour the soup mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Spread the stuffing evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes,
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
The whole chicken will cost about 150 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about 78 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Pressure Cooked Whole Chicken, Quick Chicken Broth, Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, Sour Cream, Stove Top Stuffing.
Recipe provided by good friend, Tim Payton.
United States.
United States.
Minestrone Soup (Pressure Cooker)
Sounds very tasty, and will be since the beans are cooked in the pressure cooker, meaning more flavor. I made this on 8 July 2018, nothing short of excellent! I used my 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker. Follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk import celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely minced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 sprig fresh sage, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight, and drained
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
For USE AFTER Pressure Cooking
- 1 cup dry small pasta, small shells, macaroni, spirals, etc.
- 3 cups water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in your pressure cooker with the lid off, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook to just soften them. Add the rosemary, sage, and bay leaf. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the soaked and drained chickpeas, water, and tomato paste. Place the top on the cooker and lock the lid, place the weight (jiggler) on top. Turn the heat up to high until the jigglar starts moving and venting pressure, start timing for 13 minutes. (For those using electric pressure cookers, set your time for 18 minutes on high pressure.)
- When the time is up, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow the pressure to release naturally, about 10-15 minutes. (For those with electric models, turn off the keep warm setting or unplug the cooker, pressure should be released in about 20-30 minutes.)
- When indications show you the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker. Remove the stems of the herbs if using fresh, and remove the bay leaf. Pour in the 3 cups of water, dry pasta, salt, and pepper as desired.
- Bring the cooker to a boil, without the lid, then add the pasta, and cook, without the lid, until the pasta is tender.
- Serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Quick Chicken Broth.
Variant: 1. Use chicken broth in place of the water when cooking the pasta.