Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Yum Yum Brownie Muffins
This recipe comes from my Mom, who has made this a number of times and she says they are very good muffins. Bonus is only two ingredients needed. I simply call these Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 box devil's food cake mix, about a 18 oz box
- 1 can pumpkin, 15 oz can
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F) and get out a 12 cell muffin pan, line the cells with baking cups or spray cells with non stick spray.
- For the cake mix, open and pour the contents of the box into a mixing bowl, DO NOT add any of the items listed on the box. Whisk to remove any lumps in the dry mix.
- Open the can of pumpkin and add that to the mixing bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth, the mixture will be thick, DO NOT add anything to thin it out.
- Divide the mixture between all 12 cells in the muffin pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.
Notes
A box of devils food cake mix is 88 cents (Walmart), and a can of pumpkin is 98 cents (Walmart). For 12 muffins, this is 16 cents per muffin.
Recipe provided by, and made often when I was growing up, my Mom, Joanne Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Fried Green Tomatoes I
This is the basic way to prepare fried green tomatoes and is the method I grew up with. No quantities stated as this is a make as much as you want guide.
Ingredients
- green tomatoes, as desired
- all purpose flour, as needed
- salt and pepper, as desired
- cooking oil, for frying, as desired
Instructions
- Rinse the tomatoes and slice thinly, less than 1/4 inch thick.
- Place some flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper as desired and mix into the flour. Coat the tomato slices in the flour.
- Heat a non stick pan with cooking oil to just cover the bottom of the pan, when hot, add a layer of tomato slices, don't overlap.
- Fry until golden brown on the bottom, then use tongs and turn the slices over and fry the other side until golden brown.
- Remove to paper towels to drain. Continue with remaining slices, adding and heating additional oil as needed.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve as a side dish or as a snack or appetizer.
Notes
Low cost.
Family recipe I have used for many years. Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Sausage Sandwich
Now a true British Sausage Sandwich would be Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages on a floured bap with ketchup or brown sauce. However, this being Thailand, floured baps are quite scarce in a province where there is very few westerners, but I do make some excellent Cumberland sausage so that part is possible for me. But, I am going to make these with a bit of a twist. Here is 3 versions for you to enjoy.
Ingredients
1st Version (Asian)
- 4 links Arabiki sausage, in Thailand, these are 4 links to a pack
- 2 slices wheat bread, toasted
- ketchup, or Kewpie mayo, as desired
2nd Version (American)
- 1 link Italian sausage
- ½ onion, sliced
- 1 hamburger bun, or white bread
- Cream cheese, softened
3rd Version (British)
- 3-4 thin links Cumberland sausage
- 1 hamburger bun
- ketchup, or HP brown sauce
Instructions
1st Version (Asian)
- Stab the sausages with a fork along the length, this prevents bursting. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- Toast the bread, add the sausage links to one slice, top with ketchup or Kewpie mayo as desired.
- Top with the second slice of toasted bread, cut in half, enjoy.
2nd Version (American)
- Butterfly the sausage. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- In another pan, saute the onion until softened and starting to brown.
- Spread cream cheese on the top and bottom of the bun or on one side of each slice of bread. Place the sausage on the bottom of the bun or a slice of bread, top with the onion, top with the other half of bun or slice bread, enjoy.
3rd Version (British)
- Stab the sausages with a fork along the length, this prevents bursting. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- Add the sausage links to the bottom bun, top with ketchup or HP sauce as desired.
- Top with the other half of the bun, enjoy.
Notes
If making the Cumberland or Italian sausage yourself, this is a Low cost sandwich, if buying the sausage, this could be Fair to High priced per sandwich. I will mark this one as Fair priced for now.
Arabiki Sausage 101
Arabiki sausage is a smoked Japanese coarse pork sausage in sheep casings, the casing give it a distinctive snap when bitten into. Here in Thailand, they come plain and also with cheese. These are typically small sausages, about the size of a finger, and these have to be cooked first. Oddly, the only brand of this sausage I have ever seen is only available at none other than 7-11. These come 4 sausages to a pack, which makes a nice single serving. These can be used in many ways.
Ingredients
- 1 package Arabiki sausage
Instructions
- Here is the two types, plain smoked on the left, and with cheese on the right.
- Heat a non stick pan and add the sausage, figure 4 sausages per serving, here I am cooking 4 packages.
- Turn occasionally and cook until browned.
- Serve with a potato and or vegetable side dish.
- Now with the pan fried sausages, serve as is, or slice and add to your favorite mac & cheese, add to a pasta dish.
- The directions on the packet are to microwave in the package (have to open the package first) for 45 seconds. Keeping them in the package prevents fat from splattering all over in your microwave, then they are ready for use.
- Another way to prepare these is to slice in half at an angle add to a pot of broth then serve with an Asian noodle soup, then you could stretch 1 package into say 2 servings.
- Another way to prepare these is to run onto skewers and place on a grill, turn often until nicely browned.
Notes
One package of 4 Japanese sausages is about 42 Baht. Figuring 4 sausage per serving, this is about $1.32 per serving. If adding to say a mac & cheese, you may only need to add 1 package, then the cost per serving would be less than $1 per serving.
Common preparation methods for Arabiki sausage. Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Thai Fried Potatoes
I just thought this was kind of unique so I am adding it as a recipe. Thais love french fries, you can see this is any grocery store, there will be 2-3 refer units with nothing but different brands of french fries, shoe string cut, crinkle cut, wedges, American fries, etc, really odd since most Thais normally eat regular potatoes just boiled, unless there is fries. This recipe is what my wife made, basically fried potatoes that taste like french fries. She made these on a whim to use up some potatoes I had on hand before they spoiled, and here is her creation.
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes, whole, skin on
- cooking oil, as needed
- sea salt, as desired
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the potatoes, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Turn on the heat to high. When the water is boiling, let boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow to cool to room temp, about 2 hours or so.
- Once the pot has cooled to room temp, remove the potatoes from the water, discard the water. Cut the potatoes into large dice, nice bite size pieces.
- In a large non stick pan (we use a wok pan) add about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of cooking oil and heat until hot but not smoking, you are going to shallow fry the potatoes. When the oil is hot, add all the potatoes, stir them around a bit and fry, stirring often, goal is golden brown without burning or charring the potatoes.
- When all the potatoes are golden brown, remove to a strainer to drain oil.
- Place on paper towels to absorb oil as well. Season with sea salt, serve as a snack or side dish as you would french fries. And there you go, fried potatoes that taste very much like french fries. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
My wife's creation for the method. Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Tempura Batter
I am going to test this out with some crab sticks. There is a few items to keep in mind when making this. First, have your oil hot, 190° C (375° F). Have all items you are going to fry ready, such as vegetables, shrimp, crab sticks, etc. Always use ice water to mix the batter. Use a pair of chopsticks to mix with so you do not enter air into the batter, and use those to add items to the hot oil.
Ingredients
- 1 cup tempura flour, or all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 cup ice water
Instructions
- Pour cold water from your fridge into a jar, I use a mason jar, then add a good handful or two of ice into the jar, there is your ice water. what you will need now is a measuring cup.
- In a mixing bowl, crack in the egg, use chopsticks to just mix together the egg yolk and white.
- Strain the ice water into a measuring cup until you have 1 cup and pour that into the mixing bowl.
- Sift in the flour into the mixing and stir with chopsticks to just combine the mixture, do not over mix.
- Use the batter immediately, that is the reason for having the items already prepared and the oil hot.
- Use chop sticks to dip your items into the batter and place in the hot oil.
- Fry until golden brown, turning items as needed, remove to paper towels to drain.
- Serve with dipping sauces of your choice.
Fried Corn & Cabbage
I had some cabbage in the fridge that needed to be used and some corn in the freezer, so I decided to cook them together since I do like fried corn as well as fried cabbage. This turned out very good!
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups corn, fresh cooked, frozen, or canned will work
- 2-3 tablespoons bacon fat
- black and white pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Cut the stem off flush with the bottom of the cabbage, place stem side down, cut the cabbage in half then cut each half in half so you have 4 pieces. Cut the core out of each piece at an angle, then cut each piece into 1/2 inch slices, break up any pieces that do not fall apart. Now the cabbage is ready.
- For the corn, a few weeks earlier I bought some fresh sweet corn and pressure cooked that then cut the corn off the cobs, and froze it for later use. So I just thawed that out. If using canned corn, just drain it well before using.
- Heat a large non stick pan with the bacon fat, when hot, add the cabbage and corn. Season with black pepper and use a spatula and mix the cabbage and corn together.
- Turn the cabbage occasionally, as the cabbage cooks down, taste and season with white pepper as desired.
- When the cabbage is nice and tender, serve as a side with any dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Something I just threw together and it worked perfectly. Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Bacon, Egg, Cheese, No Bun Required
Not really meant to be a sandwich unless you have plenty of napkins nearby. Use egg rings to cook the eggs, layer, sounds good!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 2 slices bacon, cooked crispy, or as desired
- 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and black pepper, as desired
Instructions
- First thing, is cook up the bacon, your preferred is fine. Me, I will just fry it. When the bacon is cooked, remove from the pan to paper towels to drain. Pour out most of the bacon fat (I save the fat in a jar).
- Place two egg rings or quart size large mouth mason jar rings in the pan. Crack in an egg into each ring, break the yolks with a fork, season each with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the water to the pan and cover, let the eggs cook (steam) for about 3 minutes or until the whites are cooked through.
- Remove the lid and add the cheese to one egg only, cover and cook for another minute or until the cheese is melted and gooey.
- To plate, turn the egg over with no cheese onto a plate, add the crispy bacon strips, turn the egg with cheese over the top of the bacon, cheese side down.
- Serve with toast, enjoy, with a fork.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add some ham slices. 2. Add some sliced spring onion to each egg after cracking into the rings. 3. Add some chopped mushrooms to the eggs after cracking into the rings. 4. For more cheese, add a slice of cheese, your choice, to the first egg on the plate. 5. Use duck eggs in place of chicken eggs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Seasoned Oyster Crackers
This is a great sounding snack cracker or addition for a nice chili or soup. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 packages oyster crackers, 12 oz each
- 3/4 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix, (Shortcut)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the crackers, toss the crackers as you drizzle in the olive oil, the keep tossing and sprinkle in the dill, garlic powder, and dressing mix.
- Set the bowl aside for 1 hour. Before the hour is up, preheat your oven to 120 C (250 F), line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
- When the hour has passed, spread the crackers onto the foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Allow to cool, enjoy as is or with chili or a nice soup.
Notes
Cannot price this until I find oyster crackers in Thailand again, I have only seen them one time and that was about 6 years ago. For now, I will say low cost.
Shortcut: Ranch Dressing Mix I, Ranch Dressing Mix II.
Provided by Tessa Pasquill of Just A Pinch Recipe Club and his recipe is here.
United Kingdom.
United Kingdom.
Dorito Chicken Strips
Sounds good, and easy, and only 4 ingredients! On my to make and taste list.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, or any flavor you prefer, (200 grams / 10 oz for US)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F) and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut chicken breasts into 3/4 inch strips.
- Crush the chips quite small but not into a powder, looking for texture on the chicken with these. In a shallow dish, mix together the egg and milk.
- Using tongs (prevents clumpy fingers) dip a chicken strip into the egg mixture, then roll in the chips, use the tongs and pat the chips onto the chicken on all sides, then place on the baking sheet. Repeat for all the strips.
- Lightly spray the strips with cooking spray or mist with some extra light olive oil. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until cooked through, you don't want to over cook the chicken, simply at 15 minutes, remove on from the oven and cut in half to check for doneness.
- Serve with ranch dressing, sour cream, or my choice, Kewpie mayo. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving, chicken is low cost.
Variants: 1. Before cooking, cut the strips into cubes and you have nuggets. 2. Use thighs or even whole chicken breasts.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
