Archive for the ‘* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving’ Category
Steak & Kidney Pie
January 29, 2019 Lee
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Steak & Kidney Pie

Denise Georgiades, South Africa.
This comes from a good friend and sounds like a good way to use pork kidneys. I look forward to making this. If you have never cleaned kidneys before, no worries, I have a shortcut to show you that as well. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine English
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Pie Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 750 grams steak, cheapest cut you can find, diced, (1½ lb)
  • 250 grams lamb kidneys, or pork kidneys, cleaned and diced, (8 oz), Shortcut
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour, 30 grams if using a scale
  • 3 cups beef stock, fresh or from powder, and as needed
  • salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 300 grams puff pastry, sheet or ball, (10 oz)
  • 1 egg, beaten

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat, when hot, brown the beef on all sides, work in batches if needed, not trying to cook through, just get most of it browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
  • Same pan, add the kidney and brown on all sides, again, not trying to cook through, just brown it.
  • When the kidney is browned, add the onion to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft.
  • Return the beef to the pan and mix everything together, then sprinkle the flour in and stir to coat everything with flour.
  • Pour in the beef stock and stir together, bring the heat to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, If the liquid reduces to much, add stock as needed.
  • Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce as desired, stirring in and tasting. Set this aside and allow to cool completely.
  • Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F). Get out a pie dish.
  • When the meat mixture has completely cooled, pour it into the pie dish.
  • Roll out the puff pastry to just under 1/4 inch thick, use the rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish and cover the top and flute the edge. Brush the top with the beaten egg.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown brown and puffed.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables for a complete, and filling meal.

Notes

I will price this next time I get beef, for now I will say fair cost per serving.
Shortcut: Pork Kidneys 101.
Variant: 1. Use pork kidneys in place of lamb kidneys.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,: ENGLISH,BEEF,Pork - Hearts, Kidneys, Liver
Fried Golden Pomfret Steaks
December 1, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Fried Golden Pomfret Steaks

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I have seen these fish, Golden Pomfret, at Tesco in town a few times, did some recipe research and bought two of them yesterday and prepared them for dinner. This was a new type of fish I and my wife have not had before. The recipes I read were everything from simple to more seasonings than you could shake a stick at. I kept it simple. You will learn some fish anatomy with this guide as well. This is an excellent tasting fish but on the costlier side per serving. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole Golden Pomfret
  • lemon pepper, as desired
  • tempura flour, as needed
  • lard, or cooking oil, for frying, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • From the store, these were frozen and on display. Two Golden Pomfret, these are ocean fish. First thing we need to do is clean them, and this is easy as they have tiny scales. You can do this in the kitchen sink under running water without making a mess. Rinse the fish off, then take a spoon and scrape from the tail to the head, the skin will be smooth where there is no scales, this takes just a minute or two per fish. After they are scaled, rinse them off one more time.
  • Now we are going to cut each fish into steaks, fishmongers worth their weight in salt will know this as a troncon cut. A troncon cut is a fancy way of saying steak cut or steak fillet cut. First thing, cut off the dorsal fin, the long part of the fin on the back, then cut off the pointy fin on the bottom, the anal fin. Now cut just behind the pectoral fin, the fin on the side, right behind the head, cut straight through at a bit of angle, as shown. Continue to make cuts, about 3/4 inch wide and you should have 5 pieces of 'steaks'. Discard the head and tail. Now remove the innards from the first 2 or pieces, then cut the belly flap straight through. For the 2-3 pieces with the innards, remove the liver from the backbone, for this fish, this is actually easy and it comes out cleanly, discard that. I thought this photo was humorous.
  • Here is what I have from 2 pomfret. This is destined more as a sampler to see what these fish taste like.
  • To cook, all I did was sprinkle lemon pepper on all sides and rub that it.
  • Next was to roll in tempura flour until fully coated.
  • Heat lard or cooking oil, about ¼ to ½ inch in a large pan. When it is hot but not smoking, add some flour coated fish, work in batches. For the last 'steak', lay that on its side and cook that way. When the bottom is nicely browned, use tongs and turn each piece over.
  • When the other sided is browned remove to paper towels to drain.
  • Serve with sides of your choice. Three pieces with sides makes a nice meal for one person, if making these like for a fish fry, think about 1-2 fish per person.

Notes

Fair value per serving. Each fish is 65 Baht, $1.96, each fish weighs 300 to 400 grams (11 to 14 oz). For 3 servings, this is about $1.32 per serving, which is excellent for visiting family that may not be familiar with this type of fish. This will be a once in a while fish for us now.
Shortcut: Lard.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,FISH - ALL,Fish - Pomfret
Garam Masala Pork Chops
November 9, 2018 Lee
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Garam Masala Pork Chops

Sounds like a good use for garam masala, on my to cook list for certain. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 thick cut pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
  • vegetable oil, as needed
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup cranberry-raspberry juice blend, or just chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock, powder or homemade
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the chops, trim excess fat off if desired, pat dry with paper towels. Rub each chop on both sides with oil, about 1 teaspoon for each chop.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the garam masala and garlic powder.
  • Rub the garam masala mix all over the chops, both sides and edges.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the chops, work in batches if needed. Brown each side for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Same pan, stir in the juice and stock, if no juice, stock will work fine, season with salt and pepper to taste, add the chops, then bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook the chops for 15 minutes, turn them half way through. Cut one chop open to check for doneness, if cooked through, remove the chops to a serving platter using a slotted spoon. Cover with foil and set aside.
  • In a measuring cup, mix together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, stir into the pan and heat the pan to boiling and whisk and cook for 2 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour over the chops.
  • Serve.

Notes

I will price this when I get chops again in the city, for now I will say Fair cost per serving.
Shortcut: Garam Masala.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,PORK
Scottish Lorne Sausage
November 8, 2018 Lee
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Scottish Lorne Sausage

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sounds very nice, on my to make and taste list for sure, and no casings involved in this. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 2 lb of sausage

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • 500 grams ground pork, fatty pork, pork belly is perfect, (1 lb)
  • ½ cup ice water
  • ¾ cup bread crumbs, Shortcut
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  • Mix thoroughly using your hands.
  • Place the meat mixture into a loaf pan and firmly pack it to make a level 'loaf'. Place the pan in the freezer until it stiffens up yet is still able to be sliced.
  • Remove the pan from the freezer and turn upside down on a cutting board.
  • Slice into ½ inch slices.
  • Fry up the slices now, or place the slices in a plastic container with parchment paper between slices and place in the freezer for later use. Enjoy.

Notes

I will price this next time I buy beef, for now I will say Fair cost per serving just based on the use of beef.
Shortcut: Bread Crumbs.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,: SCOTTISH,Pork - Sausage
Beef Casserole
October 17, 2018 Lee
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Beef Casserole

The idea for this comes from a good friend in Thailand, and it turned out much better than expected, and the family loved it!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups bowtie pasta, or any bite size pasta
  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 8 small Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
  • 1 jar Artisan 3 Cheese Pasta Sauce, Prego, 411 gram jar
  • 2-3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • panko breadcrumbs, as needed
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F). Grease a 9x13 baking dish lightly with butter.
  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and add pasta to the baking dish. While the pasta is cooking, heat a non stick pan and brown the ground beef, drain and add to the baking dish.
  • Add the mushrooms, peas, and cheese pasta sauce to the baking dish.
  • Mix together. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Spread the mixture out evenly and sprinkle the shredded cheese on the top, use as much cheese as you like.
  • Add some panko on top of the cheese.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

The cheese sauce, in Thailand, is available from Lazada if you reside outside of a major city, cost is 178 Baht for a jar, which is not bad, it is a very good sauce. The Cheddar cheese will use 1 200 gram block, about 180 Baht. For 8 servings, this is about $1.36 per serving.
Recipe inspired by good friend, Kurt Hammerschmidt.
Thailand.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES,PASTA
Crab Rangoon Spring Rolls
October 14, 2018 Lee
2 Comments

Crab Rangoon Spring Rolls

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Crab Rangoon is not Chinese in origin, it as American. This recipe uses imitation crab which is left whole, not chopped, and simply rolled in spring roll wrappers. The dipping sauce in combination with the fried spring rolls = Crab Rangoon Spring Rolls. Feel free to use dipping sauces of your choice and simply call these Crab Stick Spring Rolls.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Dipping Sauce

  • 250 grams Cream cheese, 1 package, room temperature, (8 oz)
  • 1-2 tablespoons mayo, and as needed
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha Chili Garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced, white and green parts

For the Spring Rolls

  • 500 grams imitation crab, (1 lb)
  • 1 package spring roll wrappers, thawed, you will have leftovers from this
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • lard, or cooking oil, for frying

Instructions
 

For the Dipping Sauce

  • Add the cream cheese to a bowl and mash with a sturdy fork, add the Sriracha, spring onion, mayo, and soy sauce.
  • Mash with the fork, adding more mayo as needed to achieve the consistency you want. Set this aside.

For the Spring Rolls

  • The only prep work is unwrapping each crab stick. Unwrap the sticks from the entire package. I ended up with 38 sticks (a cat stole 1 and there was one left over, quick snack for me). You will use all the sticks, you won't use all the wrappers. Place the sticks in a bowl, and in a small bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch to make a slurry.
  • Two people is very handy to do this step, one to pull the the pastry apart and the other rolling the spring rolls. Spring roll wrappers are very thin pastry, and if doing this by yourself, place a damp towel on the unused sheets while you roll, if they start to dry, they will be hard to pull apart and will tear. This will actually go by rather quickly now.
    Note: Spring roll wrappers come in two sizes, 8½ x 8½ inches and 5½ x 5½ inches. If using the larger sheets, which is show here, use 3 crab sticks, if using the smaller size use 2 crab sticks.
  • Open the package of spring roll sheets. Carefully pull off one sheet and place smooth side down on a clean counter with one corner of the sheet facing you. Use two fingers and dip into the slurry then rub your fingers the two sides of the pastry that are farthest from you. Place 3 crab sticks near the corner nearest you.
  • Fold the corner of the pastry onto the crab sticks.
  • Tightly roll the sticks up to just before you get to the widest part of the pastry.
  • Now fold the the left and right corners towards the middle.
  • Continue to roll, place on a plate. Repeat for as crab sticks you have. I made 12.
  • Heat a large pan with about 1/2 inch of lard or cooking oil.
  • When hot but not smoking, fry the spring rolls for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown (shallow deep fry). Remove to paper towels to drain, continue frying, working in batches until all the spring rolls are fried. Repackage the unused spring roll wrappers and return to the freezer.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Tesco brand crab sticks, which taste perfectly acceptable, will cost about 95 Baht for 500 grams. Cream cheese will cost about 120 Baht (Caroline brand). I made 12 spring rolls, figure 2 spring rolls per serving as a snack or appetizer, or 6 servings. This is about $1.08 per serving.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Crab - Imitation
Sausage, Peppers, and Onion (Slow Cooker)
October 3, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion (Slow Cooker)

This is my twist on the classic Sausage, Peppers, and Onions dish prepared in a skillet on the stove. Simply slow cook and it is delicious! I added a can of whole tomatoes, chopped, with the tomato juice for the liquid. You need a large slow cooker to make this as listed.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 900 grams sausage, see Step 1, (2 lbs)
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped plus juice (this is about 2 1/2 cups)

Instructions
 

  • For the sausage, I use what is sold as 'sausage scraps' which are the cut offs from larger sausages to make a uniform weight, this is what they come like in the package, already cut. The large pieces are very much like kielbasa or a good summer sausage. As you can see the colors and sizes are different, based on the meat used, as well as the seasoning. Some have black pepper, chilis, garlic, basil, etc. These come in 100 gram (about 1/4 lb) packages. For this I used 9 packages. If you are using kielbasa or a sausage of your choice, just slice it up to bite size pieces.
  • Place the sausage in your slow cooker.
  • Dice the peppers and onion, and add those to the slow cooker. (I state 2 red bell peppers as ours here are much smaller than the green and yellow ones.)
  • Mix everything together.
  • Pour the juice from the can of tomatoes into the slow cooker, then chop up the tomatoes and add them to the slow cooker, and give another stir to mix everything again. Place the lid on the cooker and set to High setting and cook for 5 hours.
  • Finished. And you can see, the sausage will swell up a bit during cooking.
  • Serve with rice on the side for a nice meal.

Notes

I cannot really price this per serving yet. The sausage I used and in the photos here were free when you bought a package of bacon. I will say Fair cost per serving now until I can track down the regular kielbasa.
My creation, Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Pork - Sausage,Pork - Slow Cooker
Ham & Provolone French Toast Sandwich
September 28, 2018 Lee
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Ham & Provolone French Toast Sandwich

Sounds delicious! On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 8 slices bread
  • 16 slices ham
  • 4-8 slices Provolone cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • powdered sugar, optional, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Lay out 4 slices of bread, top each with 1-2 slices of cheese, if you like cheese, use 2 slices per slice of bread.
  • Top the cheese with 2 slices of ham.
  • Top the ham with the remaining slices of bread.
  • In a shallow dish or pie pan, add the milk, eggs, and cinnamon, and whisk together.
  • Heat a non stick pan, cast iron pan, or a griddle would be ideal with some butter or ghee.
  • When the pan is hot, dip a sandwich into the milk mixture, allowing the bread to soak up the milk, then turn the sandwich over and repeat with the other side, shake off excess milk.
  • Place the sandwich in the hot pan, cook 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown, carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown, remove from pan to a plate. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
  • Cut each sandwich in half, and optionally, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.

Notes

I will price this next time I get Provolone cheese. I will say fair cost for now per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Marinated Cheese
September 25, 2018 Lee
3 Comments

Marinated Cheese

This is really good, very mild flavor added by the herbs and garlic, tasty overall.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 day 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 200-250 grams block cheese, (6-8 oz)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 small shallots, peeled and halved
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • extra virgin olive oil, as needed
  • 1 pint mason jar, or a suitable size reused jar

Instructions
 

  • For the cheese, Jarlsberg, Swiss, Gouda, Edam, Cheddar, and Mozzarella would be good choices. Cut the cheese into 3/4 to 1 inch cubes.
  • Place the cheese, garlic, white peppercorns, shallots, thyme, and rosemary into the sterilized mason jar.
  • Pour in olive oil to cover the cheese, but about 1/2 inch from the top.
  • Place the lid on the jar and leave on the counter top for at least 24 hours or as long as 2 weeks. Do NOT place if the fridge, leave it on the counter top at room temperature.
  • Served with Green Olives and Salami speared on top.
  • Served with Quail Eggs and Salami speared on top.

Notes

One block, 200-250 grams (about 6-8 oz) is about 180-200 Baht each. I need to determine how many appetizers I get out of one block.
Variants: 1. Replace the thyme and rosemary with dill and sweet basil leaves. 2. Serve as appetizers by spearing a green or black olive with a toothpick then spearing a cheese cube. 3. Fold up a slice of salami, spear that with a toothpick then spear a cheese cube. 4. Serve on butter crackers.
Idea adapted from several internet recipes.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,APPETIZERS / SNACKS
Ground Beef Stroganoff
September 11, 2018 Lee
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Ground Beef Stroganoff

Spend with Pennies, Holly, Canada.
Easy, and delicious! I made this on 15 Apr 2020 and was extremely pleased with the result, this is tasty and was enjoyed by the family. Highly recommended.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, or ground pork, (1 lb)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 350 grams fresh button mushrooms, sliced, (¾ lb), or 1 can, drained and sliced
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¾ cup sour cream,
  • fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
  • salt and black pepper, as desired
  • egg noodles, cooked, for serving

Optional - to thicken more

  • cornstarch
  • cold water

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add egg noodles and cook until tender for the desired number of servings, once tender, drain and set aside. Feel free to use mashed potatoes in place of the egg noodles, your choice.
  • While the noodles are cooking, heat a large non stick pan on medium heat and when hot, add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Break up the meat a little, goal is a good chunky beef sauce. Cook the beef until no longer pink. Drain off any fat.
  • Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute more.
  • Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. (To thicken the sauce more or to your desired consistency, make a slurry with equal parts cornstarch and cold water and stir into the sauce.)
  • Remove the pan from heat, stir in the sour cream and parsley if using.
  • Serve over the egg noodles or mashed potatoes if you wish. Enjoy.

Notes

Fair cost per serving depending on where the beef is sourced. I use local raised beef and grind myself for savings.
Variants: 1. Use 1 can of whole button mushrooms, drain and sliced in place of fresh mushrooms. 2. Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup after adding the beef broth and stir into the mixture.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BEEF