Archive for the ‘# Buster Approved’ Category
Egg Roll Skillet
This dish does not use egg roll wrappers so this is a low carb dish. And this is delicious! Easy to put together and minimal ingredients. I made this on 15 Jul 2020, very tasty and highly recommended.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground pork, (1 lb)
- 4 spring onions, sliced, white and green seperated
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 500 grams coleslaw mix, (1 lb)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large non stick pan and add the pork, breaking it up with your spatula. Cook until no pink remains, drain off the fat.
- To the pork, add the spring onion white parts, ginger, and garlic. Stir to mix in. Add the coleslaw mix and stir that in.
- Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is tender, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil, stir until coated. Garnish with the green parts of the spring onions
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
This is Low Cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add sauteed mushrooms.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and theĀ link to this recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Mackerel Patties
This is a basic recipe for mackerel patties using canned mackerel in brine, and basic certainly is best, these are excellent tasting patties.
Ingredients
- 1 can mackerel, in brine, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
- 2 eggs
- black pepper, as desired
- vegetable oil, for frying, as needed
Instructions
- This is the can of mackerel I tested, Kroger brand, $2.29 per can. This is a product of Thailand.
- Open and drain the mackerel, add to a mixing bowl and break up with a fork.
- Add the crushed saltines and eggs to the bowl.
- Season with black pepper as desired, mix together.
- Shape into 4 patties. Heat a non stick pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, when hot, add the patties.
- Turn patties over when browned turn over and repeat for the other side, seasoning pepper as desired.
- Transfer the cooked patties to a serving plate.
- Serve with sides of your choice and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost in the US, about 67 cents per serving for 4 servings from 1 can. In Thailand however, I have never seen mackerel in cans like this, always the small cans and in tomato sauce. So I will come up with a way to make 'canned' mackerel, probably just boil some. Then I will come back with a report on that.
Turkey Meatballs with Summer Squash
I found this recipe on a bag of Kroger Turkey Meatballs. This is a basic recipe for an easy dinner, and is wide open to changes you want to make, such as roasting the vegetables instead of frying, changing the gravy, etc. Summer squash can mean several types of squash, for this, I am using yellow crookneck and zucchini. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 package turkey meatballs, I used Kroger brand, (26 oz / 737 g), Shortcut
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 large summer
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 packet turkey gravy, or chicken gravy, Shortcut
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
- extra light olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- Rinse the zucchini and summer squash, if the squash you find are small, just use several of them. For large squash, slice in half lengthwise, then slice each part into 1/4 inch or less half moons. For smaller squash, just slice into 1/4 inch or less rounds.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non stick pan. When hot, add the squash and garlic. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Cook the squash, turning often, until softened and tender.
- While the squash is cooking, heat the meatballs by spreading them out on a microwave proof plate, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes, turn them, and microwave for another 2 minutes.
- Prepare the gravy according to the packet instructions when the squash is looking almost done.
- When the squash is cooked, the gravy is cooked, go ahead and microwave the meatballs for 1 minute.
- Set all the items on the table and let everyone help themselves, spoon gravy over the meatballs, enjoy.
Notes
This is low cost in the US (I used Kroger turkey meatballs that I bought when they were on sale), but any kind of meatball would work well. Back in Thailand I will be making this often but will use homemade chicken meatballs.
Shortcut: All Purpose Chicken Meatballs, Gravy Mix.
Variants: 1. Use chicken or beef meatballs / gravy. 2. Roast the squash instead of frying.
Adapted from a recipe on the package of meatballs.
Strawberry Shortcake
This is absolutely delicious. I doubled the shortcake recipe and made it in a 9x13 pan, came out perfect. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (8x8 inch)
Ingredients
For the Shortcake
- 2ā cups Bisquick Mix, Shortcut
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ā cup milk
For the Strawberries
- 4-6 cups fresh strawberries, trimmed / cleaned
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar
For Serving
- whipped topping, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200Ā° C (400Ā° F). Get out a 8x8 baking pan, lightly grease with butter.
- Add all Shortcake ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Spoon batter into the prepared pan, spread out evenly.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the cake is baking, slice the strawberries and place in mixing bowl, sprinkle and toss with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Remove shortcake from the oven and allow to cool a little. You can serve the shortcake while it is a little warm or at room temperature.
- When ready to serve, cut the shortcake into 4 squares, slice each square in half horizontally, top each bottom with strawberries.
- top with the other half of the shortcake, top with more strawberries.
- Then top with whipped topping. Serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Bisquick.
Variants: 1. Double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking pan. 2. Use your choice of fruit, blueberries as well as peaches sounds very tasty. 3. Slightly mash the fruit after it has been soaking in the sugar, for a mush fruit presentation. 4. If serving warm, generously butter the bottom piece of the shortcake. 5. Use Jiffy Baking Mix, your favorite store brand of Baking Mix (I used Kroger brand while I was in TN) or make the baking mix from the shortcut.
Harvest Soup
I found this soup mix in a Mennonite store in Tennessee. This uses the Harvest Soup Dry Mix which is listed in the Recipe Notes section. This is the soup instructions using the dry mix. I made this in 18 Jun 2020 using the dry mix from the Mennonite store. This is a hearty soup and is very delicious. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Harvest Soup Dry Mix, Shortcut
- 7 cups water, divided
- 1 cup fresh carrot, chopped
- 1 cup fresh celery, stalk and leaves, diced
- 1 cup fresh cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken broth powder
- 250 grams chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed, (8 oz)
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the dry soup mix and 4 cups of water, simmer for 60 minutes.
- Stir often while it is simmering, and after 1 hour it will look similar to this.
- Add remaining 3 cups of water and all other ingredients and simmer another 40-60 minutes. (I used smoked sausage instead of chicken and I took this photo just before I added the water.)
- Simmer for another 40-60 minutes to soften the carrot and celery.
- Ladle into bowls, serve with oyster or saltine crackers, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Harvest Soup Dry Mix.
Variants: 1. Use cooked ground beef or pork in place of chicken. 2. Use smoked sausage in place of chicken. 3. Substitute 1 cup chopped cabbage for the tomatoes and add 1 cup of peeled and chopped apple.
Adapted from a recipe on the package of the soup dry mix.
Gingerbread Fudge
This sounds very good, on my to make and taste list and soon!
Ingredients
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, (14 oz / 396 g)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Line a 8x8 pan with foil and lightly grease the foil with butter.
- In a saucepan, add the chips, milk, molasses, and butter and set on medium heat.
- While the saucepan is heating, go ahead and measure out the spices so they are all ready.
- Stir the chip mixture often until all the chips are melted and smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla and spices.
- Set the prepared pan on a hot pad and pour in the hot mixture. (I also sprinkled with some candy leaf decorations, feel free to decorate as you like or just leave as is after pouring in.)
- Cut into 16 squares, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and theĀ link to this recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Chocolate Chip Muffins
For Christmas 2019 my Mom gave me a cookbook, specifically 'the chocolate cookbook' and that is where this recipe comes from.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F), spray a 12 cell standard muffin pan with non stick spray or line cups with foil or paper baking cups. Measure out the mini chocolate chips and set them aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to mix together.
- In another bowl, add the milk, applesauce, egg, butter, and vanilla, whisk together.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stir until just combined, a few dry spots is ok as you will stir one more time.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and stir them in until just mixed through.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. (I checked at 14 minutes and they were perfect.)
- After 5 minutes, remove from the pan and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Use mini MMs candies in place of the chips, it will discolor the muffins slightly.
Adapted from a recipe listed in 'the chocolate cookbook', page 92.
Kielbasa Lazy Pierogi
I made this on 12 Jun 2020 exactly as written and went with 1Ā¾ lb kielbasa. The family loved this, it is easy to put together and delicious.
Ingredients
- 500 grams sour kraut, rinsed and drained well, (1 lb)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter, for cooking the onion
- Ā½-1 kilo Kielbasa sausage, (1-2 lb)
- 500 grams dry egg noodles, (1 lb)
- Ā¼ cup butter, softened, (Ā½ stick, Ā¼ block)
- Ā½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper, as desired
- ā cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1-2 pinches poppy seeds
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the sour kraut well, set aside.
- Heat a non stick pan and melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter, when hot, add the onion. Saute the onion, adding butter as needed, until the onion is softened and turning golden brown. Set the cooked onion aside.
- While the onion is cooking, add the whole sausage to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sausage is heated through, about 5-10 minutes after the water starts boiling.
- Place the sausage on a cutting board, slice into coins about Ā½ inch thick, then cut each slice in half.
- Using the same or another pot, add enough water to cook the egg noodles, lightly salt and bring to a boil, when boiling, add the egg noodles and cook until tender. Drain water from the pot leaving the noodles in the pot.
- Add the Ā¼ cup butter and mix in until melted, then stir in the Parmesan, onions, salt, pepper as desired, and a pinch or two of poppy seeds.
- Drain the sour kraut again, gently squeeze out any water. Add the sour kraut and sausage to the egg noodles. Place on low heat and mix together. Stir often and heat through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost in the US, I will have to research this in Thailand for the sausage and sour kraut.
Variant: 1. For a milder sour kraut, soak the kraut in 2-3 cups water and 1/4 cup brown sugar for 15-20 minutes, then rinse and drain well.
This recipe was awarded aĀ Blue RibbonĀ on theĀ Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Tuna & Noodles
This is an old time favorite when I was growing up, and it is just as good now as it was then. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry egg noodles, (16 oz)
- 2 cans tuna, drained, (12 oz / 340 g each)
- 1 can sweet peas, drained
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the egg noodles and cook until just tender. Drain noodles and return to the pot.
- Add the soup and tuna and mix in, then add the peas and mix together (I used a variant and used frozen peas and carrots that were steamed first).
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Variants: 1. Use frozen peas, steamed, in place of canned peas. 2. Use peas and carrots (I used a 12 oz bag of frozen). 3. Add sliced mushrooms. 4. Use pasta of your choice. 5. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Fruit Cocktail Pie II
This is an excellent dessert, easy to prepare, and delicious! Highly recommended! I made this on 16 May and served the next day, highly recommended to chill overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 cans fruit cocktail, (15 oz / 425 g cans)
- 1 can condensed milk, (14 oz / 396 g)
- 1 jar maraschino cherries, (10 oz / 283 g)
- 2 tubs Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 226 g each)
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 graham cracker crusts
Instructions
- Open and drain the fruit cocktail and cherries, slice cherries in half, drain well. I used a Variant and used a can of tart cherries in place of maraschino cherries (got a hater in the family).
- In a mixing bowl, add the condensed milk and lemon juice, stir to mix together until incorporated.
- Add the fruit cocktail and cherries and gently stir into the milk mixture.
- Add 1 3/4 containers of cool whip, gently fold into the fruit mixture so you do not deflate the cool whip.
- Divide the mixture between two pie crust. Place the covers on the pies, seal the edges, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Can easily make the night before.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving in the US, I will have to experiment making this with homemade whipped topping (stabilized) in Thailand.
Variants: 1. Use a can of tart cherries, drained and cut each cherry half, in place of the maraschino cherries (I got a maraschino cherry hater in the family so I used tart cherries and it worked perfect). 2. Use a chocolate Oreo crust (I had one on hand and used it, also worked perfectly).
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Amber Franks, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
