Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Seasoned Citrus Fillets I (Slow Cooker)
May 24, 2016 Lee
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Seasoned Citrus Fillets I (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sounds easy and is very versatile with the fish fillets used. Basically white fish, such as Pangasius, Barramundi, or even Tilapia. You will need fillets, boneless and skinless, so with Barramundi or Tilapia you will need to fillet those.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 4 white fish fillets
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 oranges, sliced
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • First, make your garlic butter, melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil, season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and place in the middle of the foil side by side. Drizzle the garlic butter over the fish, spread the orange slices on top of the fish. Fold up the foil to seal it and place this in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on High setting for 2 hours. Use a large spatula or two to get the foil pack out. Serve on a bed of rice with a tomato salad on the side.

Notes

Four Tilapia would be about 60 Baht, this dish is well under $1 per serving, even with the sides.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,FISH - ALL,Fish - Slow Cooker,Fish - White Fish
Baked Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breasts
April 30, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Baked Melt in Your Mouth Chicken Breasts

This is easy and delicious! Would work well for thighs, which I think would be tastier. Just five ingredients and while it is baking, you can make your side dish.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, or large thighs
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Place chicken in a 7x11 baking dish.
  • Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Spread mixture over the chicken.
  • Bake for 45 minutes. I did remove one and cut it half to check doneness, perfect at 45 minutes.
  • Serve with a side of your choice.

Notes

Minimal costs, well under $1 per person per meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
April 28, 2016 Lee
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Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

This looks like a really good appetizer or side dish, a must try for me.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams zucchini or summer squash
  • 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, heaping, shredded
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, heaping
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200 C. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly coat with butter.
  • Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch thick rounds and toss with olive oil to coat.
  • In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place rounds in breadcrumb mix, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side. Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown, no need to flip them, they will cook up on the other side as well. Serve.

Notes

Nothing really high cost here, this is well under $1 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,SIDES
Egg Salad I
April 12, 2016 Lee
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Egg Salad I

Basic Egg Salad, enjoy as is or make a sandwich from this. I have been making this for years. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • 3-4 slices pickle, diced, optional, (Shortcut)
  • mayo, as needed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add eggs, onion, pickle to a bowl and mix to combine, add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add mayo a large spoonful at a time and mix, you are looking for well mixed but not dripping in mayo.
  • Serve as is on a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich, on crackers, etc. This will make 4 thick sandwiches.

Notes

Less than $1 for the whole thing.
Shortcut: Dill Pickles.
Family recipe I have been using for many years.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Sides - Salads
Broccoli & Potato Soup
March 22, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Broccoli & Potato Soup

Dave Williams, Thailand.
Sounds like a great soup, a must try.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium potatoes, roughly diced, skin on
  • 1 head large broccoli, roughly chopped, including stem
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a medium sized pot, boil potatoes until soft, then add chopped broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes more, there is no need to cook the broccoli until soft. Keep a lid on the pot at all times while boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for a little while.
  • Once cooled a bit, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the potatoes and broccoli into your blender. Add some water from the pot. Save the rest of the water in case you need to change the consistency later. The water is also rich in the water soluble vitamins. You can refrigerate the water for several days and use in any recipe that calls for water.
  • Blend thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, then blend some more. Add water from the pot to get the smoothness that you desire. Serve with rice crackers or any bread not made with eggs or dairy and you have a great meal.

Notes

Well under $1 per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI,VEGAN
Chicken, Chili, and Basil
February 14, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Chicken, Chili, and Basil

No set recipe here, and no measured ingredients per say. This is a typical Thai meal, spicy, and goes together quickly. Photos are mine that I took yesterday while my wife cooked this.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken legs, skin and bones removed, slightly chopped
  • 20-30 Bird's Eye Chilis, slightly mashed, seeds and all
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • fresh Thai Basil, several good handfuls

Instructions
 

  • Heat a heavy non-stick pan (or a wok) with some oil and add the chilis and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the chicken meat and stir to combine with the chili and garlic and cook until juices run clear, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally.
  • Rinse the basil and squeeze dry and add to the pan.
  • Cook until the basil is wilted, serve with rice.

Notes

The cost for the 4 chicken legs is minimal, the chilies came from our garden. This is probably a 30 to 50 cent meal per person, for easily 6 people.
Provided courtesy of my wife, Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: THAI,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Pinto Bean Chili
February 12, 2016 Lee
3 Comments

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.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 people

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.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Bangers & Mash Rolls
January 13, 2016 Lee
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Bangers & Mash Rolls

I do love a good plate of Bangers & Mash with a side peas and a bowl of onion gravy. Here is a twist on the common sausage roll to include mash as well. Bangers being thick pork sausages and mash being mashed potatoes. This is a must do for me, and I will take photos as well.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 thick pork sausages, aka Bangers
  • 1 package puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • mashed potatoes, cold, can even be leftovers

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  • Brown the Sausages on all sides in a large skillet - until mostly cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Unroll a sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 pieces. Spread mash down the center of each pastry, top with cooked sausage and add additional mash to the top and sides. Roll up each sheet - pinch together to seal and trim off any excess. Place on the baking sheet - seam side down - and brush each roll with beaten egg.
  • Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes - until the pastry is golden and crispy on all sides and the meat has cooked through. Serve with a side of Onion Gravy as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Thick pork sausages, Bangers, run about 200-250 Baht for 10 sausages in Makro. 4 sausages (figured at 250 Baht) would be about 100 Baht, for 2 servings this is about $1.50 per person, more than reasonable.
Variants to this would be to add shredded Cheddar cheese to the top before rolling.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,LEFTOVERS,Pork - Sausage
Eggs in Clouds
January 11, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Eggs in Clouds

I just seen this posted today and it sounds really good, I will have to give this a try.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 person

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 chilled metal bowl

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 230 C. Lightly grease a baking sheet using butter.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and separate the yolks from the white (use a empty water bottle for this) and place the yolks in separate small bowls. Pour the whites into the chilled metal bowl and whisk the whites until stiff peaks form. Mix in whatever you want, think chopped cooked bacon, chopped spring onions, shredded cheese, etc.
  • Spoon the whites into even piles on a baking sheet and create a well in the center of each pile with the back of the spoon. Using 2 eggs, make 2 piles, if making 4 eggs, 4 piles. Bake in the oven for 3 minutes.
  • Remove baking sheet, add a yolk into each well, bake another 3 minutes. Serve.

Notes

No need for math here, two eggs and added ingredients of your choice, under $1 per person with a serving of two eggs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,BREAKFAST (for dinner!),EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken
Eggs in a Basket
January 11, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Eggs in a Basket

This is certainly nothing new, but this is a creative way to make eggs, and toast, at the same time. I thought this was a notable post just to post something a bit different. A number of years ago, my wife, I, and our daughter were in Pattaya on holiday from Japan (I worked in Japan). One morning when we got up, I asked my daughter if she wanted to go have breakfast with me, she said yes and away we went. We stopped at my favorite place opposite the beach and we were given menus. My daughter was about 6 years old at this point. I ordered my breakfast, and my daughter said she wanted Eggs in a Basket, they of course were not on the menu, the waitress was very nice and helpful and asked if something special was needed, I described Eggs in a Basket and away she went, big smile on my daughter's face. About 10 minutes later, Eggs in a Basket was placed in front of my daughter, she was happy to say the least!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

  • 2 slices bread, any kind you want, thick sliced is best
  • 2 eggs
  • butter
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large frying pan to medium low or medium heat. Add a bit of butter.
  • Take the bread and using the open end of a drinking glass, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread. When the butter is melted and hot, add each slice, and crack an egg into the hole in the bread, place the round bread pieces in the pan as well.
  • When the bottom is golden brown, like a slice of toast, flip and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown as well.
  • Serve with bacon or sausage.

Notes

No math needed here, under $1 per meal of two eggs, even with bacon or sausage. A simple breakfast does not have to be hard.
Variant: 1. Use an egg and milk mix like making French Toast, cut the circles out first, use the egg wash, and put into the pan then add the egg in the center, egg wash the circle and cook that as well.
Recipe I learned from my Mom and that I have been making for 25+ years.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,BREAKFAST (for dinner!),EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken,Eggs - Duck