Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Tomato Salad I
I learned this from a good friend of mine, who is Italian. A tomato salad in an Italian restaurant in Thailand can run 60 to 150 Baht per person, this is so easy, and certainly much less!
Ingredients
- 2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- olive oil, to taste
- pinch fresh basil
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the tomatoes, garlic, and basil in a bowl, splash with olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Done.
- This makes 1 serving, great for a light lunch or appetizer before dinner.
Notes
Well less than $1 per serving.
Variant: 1. Add a few pieces of homemade sardines into it with a spoon of the olive oil. Great lunch and nutritious.
Adapted from a friend's recipe.
Beer Braised Pork Knuckles
To start off, this is not a $1 meal by any means. Simple recipe however. The crackling (skin) was perfect, the internal temperature was spot on for pork, bone pulled right out (great treat for our dog), and the meat was fork tender with a delicious flavor.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
Ingredients
- 2 pork knuckles, these were 800 grams each
- salt and pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cans beer, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F). Get out a 7x11 inch baking dish.
- Score the skin of the knuckles.
- Slice an onion and place that on the bottom of the baking dish, place knuckles on top, extra onion, just put that around the knuckles.
- Pour a can of beer over the knuckles then generously add garlic powder and ground black pepper to the knuckles, add salt to your liking.
- Put in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, remove and pour another can of beer over the knuckles. Reduce heat on the oven to 180° C (350° F) and put the baking dish back in the oven for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, increase heat back to 220° C (425° F), remove the pan and baste the knuckles with the liquid in the pan, put back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
- You can either carve these or leave whole, in Germany, I guess it is tradition that one knuckle is one serving to a person and plated like that.
- Sides would be mashed potatoes, potato salad, buttered egg noodles, or sauerkraut, and as green vegetable.
Notes
I found these in Makro, frozen. Each is 800 grams and cost is 200 baht each. If serving one knuckle for 2 people (easily done), the cost would be about $2.95 per person. A bit more expensive than other meals listed here but is a great treat for yourself.
Thai Omelet
Thai omelets are generally airy and fluffy cooked eggs, not folded over. This is quick and easy, served with rice on the side, is a simple and filling meal for 3 people. This is the basic recipe with no fillings, for fillings, use those of your choice and fold over to make a stuffed omelet, or just mix the fillings into the eggs and no folding over is required.
Ingredients
- 4-5 eggs, chicken or duck
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce, OR use a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder, optional
- cooked rice, for serving
- cooking oil, as needed, DO NOT use olive oil!
Instructions
- Put a wok or non stick pan on high heat and add about 1/2 cup of cooking oil. For a non stick with the rounded sides, a 10 inch pan is perfect and you want about 1/4 inch of oil on the bottom of the pan.
- While the pan is heating, break eggs into a bowl.
- Add the fish sauce to the eggs, and chicken stock powder if using that, and beat with a fork until frothy.
- When the oil just starts to smoke, turn the heat to low and quickly pour in the beaten eggs, it will fluff before your eyes.
- Using a spatula, lift the edges to get the liquid part of the eggs onto the pan, do this several times.
- Keep checking the bottom and when getting nice and browned and set well (remember, from pouring into the pan to flipping takes only 45 seconds to a minute) flip the omelet over, 20-30 seconds later, the bottom should be browning nicely.
- Remove from the pan to a plate and serve with rice on the side.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. Add chopped spring onion, chopped tomato, cooked minced pork, cooked chopped chicken, etc, can be added to the egg mix or added to a side when cooking for a folded stuffed omelette. 2. Add a few drops of lime juice or vinegar for a even more fluffier omelette.
Well known Thai recipe than my family has been making for years.
Italian Chicken (Slow Cooker)
Two ingredient dish that is very nice on pasta, this can take some time depending on how long you wish to marinate the chicken.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 bottle Italian salad dressing
Instructions
- Prep the chicken for marinating, place chicken on a cutting board and stab numerous times with a fork, this will allow the marinade to soak in.
- To marinate the chicken, pour salad dressing into a large, resealable plastic bag. Add chicken breasts, seal bag and shake to coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight (the longer you marinate, the more flavor the chicken will absorb). I do this overnight.
- For a slow cooker, place the chicken in the slow cooker pot, pour the marinade over the top, cook on low for 6-7 hours, high for 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta with a salad or green vegetable.
Notes
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts last time we bought them, no more than 120 Baht. The bottle of Italian dressing, made in Thailand, 54 Baht.
So total of 174 Baht for this meal, for 6 servings, this is about 86 cents per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
