Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Crescent Rolls (Bread Machine)
This makes 16-24 rolls depending on the size you want. Basically this makes two 8 oz containers which are 8 rolls each, however, these are much tastier! Light, fluffy, and buttery, excellent rolls. Highly recommended if you really like crescent rolls, you will not be disappointed. If using this recipe in place of the store bought containers, cut the recipe in half by changing the servings to 8 rolls if your recipe calls for just one 8 oz container. If your recipe calls for two containers, use the recipe as stated.
Equipment
- Bread Machine
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, warmed
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 cups all purpose flour, (512 grams if using a scale)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
Instructions
- Place the Ingredients listed in your bread machine in the order listed and choose the dough/raw dough cycle. While the bread machine is doing its thing, about 20 minutes, take out an additional 4-6 tablespoons of butter from the fridge and let soften on the counter in a small bowl, you will use this butter as directed after the dough comes out of the machine.
- After the cycle, remove dough to a floured surface using floured hands. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half into circle. Spread some softened butter onto each circle with a pastry brush and cut each circle into 8 or 12 pie-shaped wedges, depending on the size of roll you want.
- Starting with the wide end, roll up each wedge. Place on baking sheet with the point end down, cover with a cloth and let stand for about 1-2 hours until rolls have doubled in size. About 30 minutes before the end of the rise time, preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). At this point, take out an additional ¼-½ cup butter and melt that, this will be used when the rolls come out of the oven.
- One batch ready.
- Second batch ready.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, remove from oven and brush with melted butter. First batch done.
- Second batch done.
- A few got pretty big.
- If using these for another recipe other than rolls, use the dough prior to cutting into wedges and use as the other recipe directs.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Pigs in Blankets, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese Crescent Rolls, made it.
Sausage Mushroom Pasta
I came up with this after defrosting the freezer in my fridge and sort through what I had frozen and fresh. The King Oyster mushrooms are perfect for this dish as when they cook they maintain their size.
Ingredients
- 190 grams sausage, see Step 1, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 200 grams King Oyster mushrooms, about 4, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 3/4 cup dry pasta, macaroni, maccheroni, etc
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- You can use any sausage you have on hand, I used 8 small links, 95 grams each pack, of smoked pepper sausage that turned out very nice. But large smoked sausage or sausage scraps from Makro would work well, as would bratwurst or beerwurst.
- Heat a large non stick skillet with a splash of olive oil, then add the sausage and cook to get some browning going, then add the peppers and mushrooms and reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the peppers are tender yet still crunchy and a bit of browning on the mushrooms.
- While the peppers are cooking, heat a small pot of water to boiling then add the pasta and cook until tender, drain, then add to the skillet and mix together. Then stir in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper to your liking. Remove from heat, cover for 5 minutes to let everything warm through.
- Serve with a vegetable of your choice for a nice meal.
Notes
I used 2 packages of sausage, 4 links each pack, each pack was 59 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about 87 cents per serving.
My own recipe.
Easy Apple Cobbler
Not only does this sound easy, it is delicious!
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Batter
- 1/2 cup butter, melted, this is 1/2 of a standard block
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 C (320 F).
- Peel, core, and chop the apples. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to coat the apples, set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter into a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish. If using a 7x11 Pyrex baking dish, pour in about 3/4 of the butter. Move the dish around to coat the bottom, it will look like a lot, no worries.
- Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, then whisk in the vanilla and baking powder. Pour the batter into the baking pan and try to cover the butter, there will be a lot of butter around the sides, this is ok. DO NOT STIR.
- Cover this with the prepared apples. DO NOT STIR.
- Bake for 40 minutes, continue for 10 minutes at a time until the edges are browned. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
Notes
This is low cost and serves a lot of people.
Variant: Use any fresh fruit or berries and just use 1/4 cup white sugar to coat.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Frances Collins.
United States.
United States.
Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
This sounds really good and is a must try for me.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 7 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 kilo pork shoulder, (3 lbs)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, juices, salt, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, pepper, and garlic.
- Make slits in the pork with a knife and place the pork in the juice mixture and rub liberally all over with the oil mixture.
- Place pork in the slow cooker, along with the onion and bay leaf. Poor the remaining juices from the bowl over the pork.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, if the meat shreds easily, it is down, if not done, cook another hour and test again. Using two forks, shred into thick chunks in the pot then use a large slotted spoon to serve it with.
- Serve with mashed potatoes with some of the juice spooned over the top.
- Serve in a tortilla with Cheddar cheese.
- Serve with cilantro lime rice and black beans.
Notes
Pork shoulder runs about 100 Baht/kilo, for this recipe this would be 150 Baht for 1 1/2 kilo. For 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving, great value.
Variants: 1. Use pork loin in place of the pork shoulder. 2. Use a pork roast in place of the pork shoulder.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States. Variant 1 tested by Tina Nolan, with excellent results.
United States.
United States. Variant 1 tested by Tina Nolan, with excellent results.
United States.
Green Olive Coleslaw
This is a basic slaw recipe that has green olives and spring onions added. I do not buy anything precut like salad in a bag, so this is made with 3 fresh vegetables, jarred olives, and a homemade sauce, and it is delicious! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage, see Step 1
- 1/2 carrot, shredded
- 4 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts
- handful green olives with pimento, sliced
- 1 bowl coleslaw dressing, shortcut is listed below
Instructions
- Cabbage in Thailand is much smaller than what I remember in the US, I bought two, weighed them each was about 450 grams, about a pound, where as cabbage in the states is about 2 pounds per head. I only used one head as this is only for my wife and I.
- To prepare the cabbage, peel off the outer leaves and cut the bottom of the core off, this gives you a clean cabbage before you chop it. Leaves and bottom of the core on the left, nice clean head of cabbage on the right.
- Cut the cabbage in half from top to bottom, then cut each piece in half again so you have four pieces. Take each piece and cut the core out at an angle, then lay a piece down and cut in 1/4 inch slices, then cut the pile cross ways 2 or 3 times, do this for all four pieces and you have shredded cabbage. Place in a large bowl.
- Shred 1/2 the carrot with a box shredder and place that in the large bowl. Slice the spring onion and the olives and place those in the large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing from the shortcut for the coleslaw, shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
- Pour the dressing into the large bowl and mix to coat everything. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to blend the flavors.
- Serve as a side with any main dish.
Notes
Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
Yellow Cake Mix, a standard when I was growing up, came in a box, added a few ingredients, bake, and you have a cake. Where I live, the city does have this boxed mix at a premium price as well. This is the base mix recipe.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to one month, or use right away to make a yellow cake.
- This mix equals 1 box of store bought mix which will make two 8 inch rounds or one 9x13 pan.
- Use in any recipe that calls for a box of yellow cake mix.
Notes
Low cost.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Peach Dump Cake II.
- Red Velvet Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Homemade Yellow Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Peach Dump Cake I, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cake Batter Milkshake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pig Pickin' Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dream Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Orange Juice Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Any Flavor Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cherry Dessert Cake.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
I remember my Mom making these when I was little. Very happy to have this recipe now. I made this on 31 Mar 2017 and these are exactly as I remember them, fantastic and easy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, this is 1/2 of a standard block
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugars, milk, cocoa, and salt to a large sauce pan or pot.
- Bring to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Add peanut butter and stir until melted, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Now mix in 2 1/2 cups of oats until completely coated, if it looks wet enough, add 1/4 cup at a time from the remaining 1/2 cup and mix in until coated.
- Drop the cookies by tablespoons onto wax paper or foil and let cool until set.
Notes
All readily available ingredients, low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Classic American Goulash
This was a staple growing up, and even served as lunch in schools. And just as delicious then as it was on 9 Feb 2017 when I cooked this, this is my go to recipe for goulash. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 1/4 cups tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, chopped, OR chop 4-5 plum tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce, OR 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry elbow macaroni, or maccheroni
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add splash of olive oil and add the garlic and onions and cook until softened.
- Add the ground beef , breaking the meat up as it cooks and mix into the onions, cook until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Drain fat
- Stir water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste into the meat mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir macaroni into the mixture, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf.
- Serve.
Notes
Figure about 100 Baht for 500 grams of beef, and you may have to grind it yourself (which is preferred), for 4 servings, this is 74 cents per serving.
Variants: Add diced green bell pepper, parsley, it is up to you to tailor this to your recipe.
Shortcuts: Tomato Sauce, Italian Seasoning.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Copycat Rice-A-Roni
Probably not something you would expect from a recipe site based in Thailand, but this is an excellent side dish and very inexpensive to make. This is the base recipe, you can tailor this many ways. I made this on 1 Feb 2017.
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup dry white rice
- 2½ cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, or beef stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Everything ready, I used beef stock from the powder dissolved in hot water.
- In a non stick skillet on medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the spaghetti, stirring constantly until the spaghetti starts to brown.
- Add the rice, stirring to coat the rice with the oil remaining in the pan and browning the spaghetti just a bit more, carefully pour in the stock and reduce temp to a simmer, stir then cover, and stir occasionally until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. If you run out of liquid and the rice is not quite done, just add a bit more stock as needed until the rice is tender.
- Almost done, you can still see liquid and the rice not quite tender enough. Just stir and cover, if the burner is too hot, just move the pan off the burner for a few minutes at a time.
- Perfect consistency, rice is tender, serve as a side dish with any meal.
Notes
Variants: 1. Add cooked mushrooms, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, diced bell pepper, chopped spring onion, parsley, chopped broccoli, etc. 2. Add 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken. 3. Add a good shake of black pepper.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Italian Seasoning
This is a shortcut to make your Italian seasoning instead of buying the ready made in the small bottles for a huge price.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried organo
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
Instructions
- Add everything to a small container, mix, and store tightly sealed until needed. Use as you would the premade seasoning.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Spam Pie, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken Alphabet Soup, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Meatball Vegetable Soup, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Hamburger Helper Shortcuts, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Italian Chicken Bean Soup (Slow Cooker).
- Beef Alphabet Soup.
- Fusilli with Meat Sauce, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- String Cheese Manicotti, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Meatball Mostaccioli, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Easy Stuffed Shells, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole.
- Ham & Rice Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Eggplant Parmesan, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- One Pot Pasta with Chicken.
- Giant Meatball II.
- Catalina Dressing, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Broken Meatball Spaghetti, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken.
- Brian's Egg Frittata aka Egg Pizza, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Italian Pasta Salad.
- Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Pizza.
- Easy Pasta Sauce.
- Crock Pot Bowtie Casserole.
