Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Fast & Simple Fresh Salsa II
This is another salsa recipe as I needed a fresh salsa with a bit of juice in it for use in a slow cooker. This recipe uses basic canned tomatoes, whole and peeled instead of fresh, but when you think of a jarred salsa, that is cooked as well, so this recipe is more like the jarred type. Photos are mine, I just made this on 25 Mar 2016. This is now my go to salsa recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, this is the 565 gram can
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 3-4 spring onions, diced, white and green parts
- 1 large green chili, diced
- juice from one small lime
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- zest from the lime, just a bit is good
Instructions
- Drain the juice from the can of tomatoes and set aside. Pour the tomatoes into a good sized mixing bowl. This can had 4 tomatoes and a good sized glass of juice.
- Use a a knife and fork and chop the tomatoes up, takes all of 2 minutes, if that, the tomatoes contain some juice as well, that is the reason to drain first. Photo shows done chopping.
- Chop all other ingredients and add to the bowl, as shown here. This is with the spring onion, garlic, onion, chilis, salt and cumin added. Mix well. Add the tomato juice to your needed consistency. If needing a thicker salsa, use less juice. If needing this for slow cooker use, use more juice.
- Squeeze in the juice from 1 lime (Thai lime, the small ones) and mix a bit more. Refrigerate until use.
Notes
Easy recipe that has the juice needed for slow cooker recipes. The salsa should keep for 2-3 days in a fridge, and is probable better the day after you make it, this lets the flavors blend together.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Pork Chop Santa Fe.
- Easy Mexicali Pork Chops.
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas.
- Mexican Tortilla Casserole.
- Mexican Corn.
- Fish Tacos, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pork Tacos.
- Bacon-Wrapped Steak Breakfast Burritos.
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.
- Salsa Chicken.
- 2 Ingredient Salsa Chicken, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili I.
- Chicken Chimichangas in 30 Minutes.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, Tex-Mex Style.
- Baked Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos.
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Slow Cooked Tex Mex Chicken and Beans.
- One Skillet Cheesy Taco Pasta.
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili II.
- Fiesta Cilantro Fondue.
- Beer-braised Chili.
- Manwich Chicken (Slow Cooker).
- Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker).
Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
This is an excellent side dish.
Ingredients
- 8-10 white button mushrooms, large
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dry herbs, such as sweet basil, parsley, etc
- 2 tablespoons Cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms. For this I used 8 large.
- Slice the mushrooms into quarters.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium low heat, add mushrooms and garlic, stir until the mushrooms are soft and some liquid is released from them, if the mushrooms do not release any liquid, add a tablespoon or two of milk.
- Remove pan from the heat and add the cream cheese and mix well, return to low heat and stir until heated through. Once mixed, and the herbs of your liking and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve as a side dish.
Notes
I recently bought white button mushrooms at Tops, 59 Baht for a package of 4-5 large ones (100 grams or 4 oz). For 2 packages, 118 Baht, for 4 servings, this comes to 89 Baht per serving, for a side or a snack.
Variant: 1. Use Straw mushrooms halved instead of quartered.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chilied Bacon and Potato Hash
Potato, bacon, onions cooked as a hash with cumin and chili powder, drop a couple of eggs on the top and cover to let them set, just a little, excellent! I made this on 19 Sep 2016 and this is a keeper! My Thai wife took one bite and gave me 2 thumbs up!
Ingredients
- 400 grams bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces, this is 2 regular packages
- 2 tablespoons red chili flakes, optional
- 4-6 potatoes, diced, peeled or unpeeled is up to you
- 2 tablespoons butter
- splash olive oil
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4-6 eggs, or as many as you want to use
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, heaping
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, heaping
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Using a large heavy bottom pan, cast iron would be ideal, Add the butter and a splash of olive oil, set on medium to medium low heat, add in the diced onion, shallot, and chopped bacon, stir this once in a while and as you are dicing the potatoes add them to the pan. add potatoes until the pan is near full, they will cook down as well.
- As the potatoes cook, sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, and black pepper, stir the potatoes occasionally.
- When the potatoes are tender, spread the potatoes out fairly flat and start dropping in eggs. I used 6 eggs but one yolk broke, when that happens it just sinks down into the hash like the whites do. Sprinkle some black pepper on the eggs (cannot have enough black pepper).
- Cover for a few minutes and check on the eggs, whites should be set in the hash, and the eggs should be a nice sunny side up.
- Serve. Not a great looking dish plated, but the taste is outstanding!
Notes
Easy meal for under $1 per person.
For options, instead of bacon, use sausage, breakfast sausage, ham, or a little of each! Add some chopped red, yellow, or green bell pepper, or even some hot sauce splashed on. Can also beat the eggs first and just pour into the pan over the hash and cover and cook to see the eggs, or place (oven proof pan keep in mind) in the oven and broil. Totally up to you.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Cajun Seasoning Mix
This is an easy recipe and is much cheaper than the store bought product.
Equipment
- Screw Top Jar
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1½ tablespoons salt
- 2½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1½ tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons onion powder
- 1½ tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1½ tablespoons dried thyme
Instructions
- Put everything in a screw top jar, I used a 1 pint Mason jar, shake to mix. When a recipe calls for Cajun seasoning, use as directed, such as 1 tablespoon in a recipe is 1 tablespoon of mix. See, that was easy.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Shrimp & Corn Soup, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Slow Cooked Black Eye Peas.
- Cajun Pinto Beans, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Petah's Cajun Sausage Dish.
Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
This is a popular ingredient in many recipes but the ingredients on the store bought can is just down right horrific! Here is a shortcut, you know what goes in it exactly. This makes basically 1 can of Condensed Cream of Celery Soup.
Equipment
- Microwave
Ingredients
- ¾ cup celery, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 can evaporated milk, 385 gram can is what I use, Falcon brand
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt, OR table salt
- pinch sugar
Instructions
- Place chopped celery and oil into a 1 quart microwave safe bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping to whisk after 1 minute and again when finished, if not thick or to your desired consistency, microwave for another minute and whisk again, continue until thickened.
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 plus 1 can of water. One can equals 1¼ cups of water. 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:
- Crunchy Cucumber Salad.
- Creamy Coleslaw.
- Buffet Layered Salad.
- Meat & Vegetable Packets.
- Hamburger Potato Casserole.
- No Peek Chicken, made it.
- 6 Layer Slow Cooker Casserole, made it.
- Easiest Chicken Casserole.
- Salmon Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- White Beans & Sausage, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pasta with Shrimp Sauce.
- Fruited Salad Mold.
- Vegetable Stuffed Fish Rolls.
Slow Cooker Cajun Style Ribs
I like a good plate of ribs, Thais however cook most ribs in a soup. I made this, these are very good, and I have modified the recipe on my findings, my comment on the dish is listed below. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4-6 racks pork ribs, see Step 1
- 1/2 cup water
Dry rub
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, use 3/4 cup if using 6 racks
BBQ sauce
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, your favorite sauce or homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- A rack of ribs is the long strip of ribs, the rib bones are about 3 inches long. Pick out strips that are meaty between the straight bones and not so much of the odd shaped bones. Prep the ribs by rinsing them then cut the racks into portions, 3 bones per section. (Photo credit: Tesco Lotus Thailand.)
- Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Using your hands rub the dry rub on the ribs on both sides. Place ribs in a bag and twist to remove air and place in a bowl and put in the fridge overnight. Perfect use for a Tesco Lotus plastic bag.
- Next day, remove the ribs from the fridge. Mix the barbecue sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Layer the ribs in your slow cooker and on each layer, add a tablespoon of sauce. Add the water to the sides of the pot, cover and cook on Low setting for 9 hours, do not remove the lid during this time. Serve with the sauce on the side. Side dishes recommended would be pinto beans, and even potato salad.
Notes
Pork ribs run about 140 Baht/kilo, I bought 3 slabs for about 180 Baht. This came out to about 90 cents per person for 6 meals.
Shortcuts: BBQ Sauce, Creole Seasoning Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Beer Chicken
Two of my favorites, beer and chicken. This is easy and delicious and is truly fall off the bones tender and juicy. I took the photos last night, 1 March, when I made this, report is in the comments section.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, OR chicken pieces
- 1 can beer, any type, room temperature
- 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash chicken inside and out, remove giblets if in the cavity, if a local market bought chicken, remove the neck, feet, and trim the fat from the gut opening. Place chicken in slow cooker breast side down, add the garlic and onion in the gaps on the sides of the chicken.
- Pour beer over the chicken, sprinkle on the spices.
- Cover and cook on Low setting 7-8 hours or High setting for 3-4 hours.
- When chicken is cooked through (does not hurt to use a meat thermometer at this point), remove the whole chicken carefully from the pot as it may fall apart. If using chicken pieces, use a large slotted spatula.
- Make a gravy from the juices from the pot, enjoy. Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes or rice and a vegetable for a complete meal.
Notes
A whole chicken will cost about 150 to 200 Baht. This is a $1 meal for 6 people, less for 8 people.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Simple and easy slow cooker recipe that is delicious! I have made this and it is excellent, and filling! Recipe is slightly revised to reflect my findings. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Cooked all day
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 cups salsa, Tesco brand works great, two 300 gram jars, Shortcut
Added after 6-8 hours
- 250 grams Cream cheese, this is a block, softened, (8 oz)
- 500 grams tortillas, this is one package, corn or flour will work for this, (1 lb)
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, this is a block, shredded, (8 oz)
- ½ can black olives, drained and sliced
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker. I used 3 good sized chicken breasts.
- Pour over the salsa. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 to 7 hours, check at 6 hours and if tender and shreds with a fork at this point, continue with the next step, if not tender, continue to cook and check at 7 hours. I used the Fast and Simple Fresh Salsa II listed on this site, excellent salsa which makes just a tad over 2 cups, use all of it.
- Plop the cream cheese on top of the chicken. Cover for about 10 minutes to let it get really soft. While the cheese is softening, shred the Cheddar cheese and cut up the tortillas into strips, and slice the olives.
- With the cream cheese softened, shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker and stir together.
- Add the tortilla strips, 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, and half of the olives and stir this into the chicken mixture. Flatten this down and clean the sides of the pot.
- Add to the top the remaining cheese then olives. Cover and cook on High setting for another 45 minutes until the casserole is heated through.
Notes
Three chicken breasts cost me about 80 Baht, this would be less if you use thighs or quarters. Cream cheese will run about 120 Baht for a block. Cheddar cheese will run about 185 Baht per block of 250 grams, you only need one, shred the whole block. This can easily make 10 servings at a cost of about $1.15 per serving, overall, very good price.
Shortcut: Salsa.
White Beans & Peppers
A basic recipe with lots of possibilities. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe that listed canned beans and frozen veggies, I have changed it up to use dry beans, and the instructions are for Stove Top or Pressure Cooker preparation of the beans. This is a 2 for 1 recipe, you make bean broth as well, save that for soup or even cooking rice in it. This is listed as a side dish, add a ingredient or two and you have a main dish.
Ingredients
Prepare beans
- 500 grams dried Great Northern Beans, rinsed, soaked at least 6 hours, rinsed again
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, for pressure cooker preparation
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, for pressure cooker preparation
Cook the dish
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped, or green
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon orgeno
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Beans - Stove Top
- Drain soaked beans and rinse then transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with cold water, add a quartered onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, discard onions and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the Beans - Pressure Cooker
- Drain soaked beans and rinse then transfer to a your pressure cooker. Add the quartered onion and bay leaves, add 8 cups (2 quarts) water.
- Place the lid on the pot, add the weight (jiggler), and bring the heat up to high. When the jiggler starts moving and releasing pressure, start timing this for 6 minutes, and turn the heat down to low or medium low to maintain the jiggler moving and releasing pressure.
- At 6 minutes, turn off the heat and move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow a natural release of pressure. When the pressure is released, open the lid, discard the onion and bay leaves.
- Place a strainer on another pot and pour the beans and liquid into the strainer. Let the liquid cool and pour into quart jars, you just made bean broth. Place the cooled bean broth in the fridge, use as a base for soup or even cook rice in it. (I made just over 1 quart of broth, beans soak up a lot of water.)
Cook the Dish
- Dice the bell peppers, onion, and set out the spices needed.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and bell pepper, and cook until tender.
- Add the drained beans. Season with oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through.
- Serve as a side dish with a main of your choice.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add in some boiled chopped chicken or cooked spicy pork sausage (think Kielbasa or mixed scraps) and you have a meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Pinto Bean Chili
An easy chili using our Chili Beans recipe listed on this site. The chili beans are the bulk of the recipe, just add ground meat, an onion, tomatoes and chilies. I made this on 1 Aug 2016, excellent, my comments below. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Chili Beans and Sauce, Shortcut
- 750 grams ground beef, OR pork, OR chicken, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped plus juice
- 1-2 Bird's Eye Chilis, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large pot along with the onion, when cooked, drain off fat, not all, just most of it. Add the chili beans, chopped tomatoes, juice from the can, chilies, stir to mix and simmer for about 20 minutes to heat it through.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Or serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, diced onions, sour cream, well, you get the point. Enjoy.
Notes
The chili beans would cost about 65 Baht for 8-10 cups worth, 3-4 cups is minimal. Ground beef would be about 75-100 Baht for 500 grams, pork and chicken would be less. Easily less than $1 per meal for 4 people.
Shortcut: Chili Beans.
Variants: 1. Use a 1 lb 8 oz (680 g) can of ground pork or beef, drained, in place of fresh beef or pork. 2. Use a can of diced tomatoes in place of chopped whole tomatoes.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
