Archive for the ‘* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving’ Category
Classic Pot Roast Chicken
December 19, 2015 Lee
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Classic Pot Roast Chicken

This is a typical chicken pot roast. Can be cooked in a slow cooker as well, just adjust the cooking time.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 kilo whole chicken, cleaned, head, neck, and feet removed
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 300 grams baby potatoes, OR regular potatoes in large chunks
  • 1 lemon, only the juice is needed
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 cube chicken stock, optional, OR use the powdered stock
  • 1 cup water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Pat the whole chicken dry with a paper towel.
  • Heat olive oil in a large, heavy based pot then place the whole chicken into the pot and brown the skin well on all sides, turning it over as needed until the skin is a good golden brown color. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  • Place the sliced onions into the pot and fry until golden brown, then add the carrots and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Return the chicken to the pot, breast side up on top of the vegetables.
  • Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and sprinkle with rosemary. Add the stock together with the water and arrange the baby potatoes around the edge of the pot. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste, on top of the chicken.
  • Cover the pot tightly with a lid or thick aluminum foil and allow to cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. You can turn the chicken over half-way through cooking. The internal temp you are looking for when measured with a meat thermometer is 82 C / 180 F when checked at the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot once cooked and allow to rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve with green beans and rice or potatoes.

Notes

A whole chicken will run about 140 Baht/kilo, a 1.5 kilo chicken will be about 210 Baht. For 4 people this would be about $1.60 per serving, and for 6 people, this would be about $1.05 per serving. Overall, a good price for a good meal.
For the neck, gizzard, heart, and liver, boil them up for a quick snack for yourself or for your dog.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Navy Bean Soup
December 4, 2015 Lee
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Navy Bean Soup

A slow cooker requires less water than a stockpot. Water condensation forms on the lid of the slow cooker and returns the water back into the pot. To adapt this recipe to a stockpot, use 8 cups of water instead of 6. The final texture of the soup is a matter of preference. Serve it just as it is without pureeing any of it, or purée until completely smooth, or anything in-between I would recommend a least a light purée since the smashed beans help thicken the broth. Crockpots come in all different sizes. A small one wouldn’t be big enough to hold the contents of this recipe. Mine is oblong and measures 11 inches across. I filled it to the brim with the ham bone, beans and vegetables and could only get about 6 1/2 cups of water in. Of course, the ham bone takes up a lot of space but I formulated the recipe for a slow cooker because that’s the way so many folks, including myself, like to cook soups. I prefer my stockpot over my slow cooker if I’m making a batch big enough to feed the county and I need a bigger size cooking vessel than the slow cooker offers.
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Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 1 day 12 hours
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry Navy Beans, OR Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 meaty ham bone, OR one ham hock or pork knuckle
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, including tops, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • handful fresh parsley, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6-7 cups water

Instructions
 

  • Place ham bone in slow cooker and add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, and bay leaf.
  • Add soaked and drained beans. Sprinkle salt over beans. Cover beans with as much water as you can fit in cooker.
  • Cook on Low for 12 hours or High for 8 to 10 hours or until beans and vegetables are tender. Add more water if necessary.
  • Remove bay leaf and soup bone when soup is done.
  • Puree about 1/3 of the soup mixture by using an immersion blender or transferring to a blender or food processor. Or, you can just use a potato masher and mash it around a bit until part of the soup is pureed.
  • Remove ham from bone, dice and add back to soup.
  • Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Notes

Beans would run about 135 Baht for 500 grams. The ham bone can come from another meal, unrelated to the cost here, or you can add a ham hock or pork knuckle (pork knuckle would be excellent in this dish!) that would add another 100 to 200 Baht. Going with the beans and a ham hock, the total would be 235 Baht. That is about $1.20 per meal per person for 6 people. Not bad at all and nutritious as well. Serve with a corn bread on the side for a complete meal. If you use a ham bone from a previous meal, that reduces the cost a lot.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Skillet Ziti
November 27, 2015 Lee
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Skillet Ziti

Quick meal when served with a salad would be an excellent dinner. I adjusted the measurements I found on the internet to easier amounts, I increased the amounts. If you like cheese, go heavy with the cheese, that is the beauty of these recipes. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams minced pork
  • 250 grams Penne pasta, uncooked, about 3 cups
  • 3 cups tomato pasta sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 cup Cottage cheese, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta in pot with unsalted water until tender, drain well.
  • Meanwhile, cook ground pork over medium-high heat in large, nonstick skillet about 3 minutes or until pork is no longer pink, breaking pork in to 3/4-inch crumbles. Drain off fat.
  • Add hot pasta to ground pork in skillet. Stir in pasta sauce and Cottage cheese. Cover and cook over low heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

Notes

Minced pork runs about 120 Baht per kilo, recipe calls for 1/2 kilo so the cost is 60 Baht. The Ricotta cheese, if purchased will put this meal well over $1 per person, use the shortcuts on this site to make Cottage Cheese (a very good substitute) or Ricotta Cheese, then the cost is some milk, still not a show stopper. With the milk in a shortcut and the minced pork, this is still $1 or less per serving.
Shortcuts: Tomato Sauce, Cottage Cheese.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,PASTA
Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings
November 12, 2015 Lee
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Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings

Easy to prepare stew and the dumplings sound very nice! I will have to try this. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Stew

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 kilo beef, lean, cubed
  • 4-5 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
  • 2 2/3 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons onion soup powder mix, OR make from a shortcut

Dumplings

  • 1 cup self rising flour
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
  • water, as needed

Instructions
 

Stew

  • Heat oil in a pot and fry onion until clear then add beef and cook until well browned.
  • Add tomatoes, paprika, and mixed herbs, and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the water and allow to simmer for 1 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • At about 30 minutes of cooking time, mix the soup powder with a little water to form a smooth paste and stir into the stew and continue simmering to thicken.

Dumplings

  • Cut butter into flour with a fork until it resembles breadcrumbs and then add mixed herbs and enough water to form stiff dough.
  • Divide dough into 8 dumplings, drop dumplings into stew about 30 minutes before end of cooking time. Cover and simmer until fluffy and cooked and stew is thickened.

Notes

For beef, which is the most expensive item for this recipe, is priced at 316 Baht/kilo at Tesco. If you buy from a local fresh market you can find between 150 and 250 Baht/kilo. Based on 316 Baht, for 6 meals, this is about 53 Baht or about $1.66 per meal per person, still reasonable.
Figuring the rate at 250 Baht/kilo, 6 meals would be about 42 Baht or about $1.25 per meal per person, even better.
Figuring the rate at 150 Baht/kilo, 6 meals would be about 25 Baht or about $0.75 cents per meal per person, much better!!
Served with a green salad this would make a great meal.
Shortcut: Onion Soup Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Slow Cooker Duck Legs
November 5, 2015 Lee
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Slow Cooker Duck Legs

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I found this great recipe for cooking duck legs (leg and thigh) for tender and juicy duck legs on the internet. A number of months ago I picked up a package of 2 duck legs at the store in town, cost was actually comparable to chicken. Got home and put them in the freezer. Found this recipe so I decided to try it out. The meat nearly falls off the bone and is tender and juicy. My wife loved this, she even stated, most tender duck she ever had cooked in a house. This recipe is a keeper.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 duck legs with thighs, skin on
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup red vermouth, OR use an additional cup of chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion, chopped

Instructions
 

  • I added 2 cups of hot water to my slow cooker pot and used powdered stock to make the 2 cups of chicken stock. Turn on slow cooker to Low setting.
  • In a low heat, dry, no oil added, non-stick pan, add the duck legs/thighs, skin side down until the fat runs out and the skin is golden brown. Remove the legs/thighs and add to the slow cooker skin side up.
  • Add the chopped onion to the duck fat in the pan and cook until clear and softened, add the onions to the slow cooker.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
  • Serve with some buttered pasta and a green vegetable.

Notes

Two duck legs cost me 90 baht in Tesco. That is 45 Baht per person, or about $1.35 per person, add pasta, still reasonable. I served this with pasta and fresh, local grown, corn on the cob, puts the cost to about $1.50 per person. This is a great treat for family members or visiting friends.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,DUCK
Chicken & Mushroom Pan
October 29, 2015 Lee
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Chicken & Mushroom Pan

Another go-to that can be adjusted to any taste. This is a recipe that I like to use if I have friends over at lunch time and I want to make an impromptu lunch while chatting away in the kitchen at the same time. A hit every time!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut in half
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 250 grams fresh mushrooms, variety packs would work great for this
  • 1 cup cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the thyme and garlic as well as the chicken pieces. Keep the heat low and slowly brown the chicken on all sides. Take your time with this, making sure that there is a lot of caramelization happening on the bottom of the pan.
  • When the chicken is done, add the mushrooms and sauté in the pan juices for about 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through.
  • Lastly, add the cream and allow the cream to reduce to about ⅔ of the original amount. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Take the pan to the table and serve with crusty bread.

Notes

Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless runs about 90 to 100 Baht per kilo, 4 breast would probably be just under a kilo, cream would probably cost more but with a larger quantity and you get get multiple uses from it. I'll say 190 Baht for the major costs, about $1.40 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY,MUSHROOMS
Easy Beef Pot Roast
October 27, 2015 Lee
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Easy Beef Pot Roast

This is cooked in a slow cooker with soup and one onion for a easy meal. The soup makes a great gravy for boiled or mashed potatoes. I make this from local raised beef right here in the village. A slow cooker is great because it can turn any cut of beef tender, it just may take a bit of time. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo beef, any large chunk or chunks will work
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, (Shortcut)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • potatoes, boiled or mashed, up to you
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions
 

  • Trim any large pieces of fat from the beef chunks and place in the slow cooker.
  • Mix the soup and water in a bowl, add an ample shaking of ground black pepper and garlic powder, mix well. Pour this into the slow cooker. Place the quartered onion and bay leaf into the soup mixture. Put lid on the slow cooker.
  • Turn on slow cooker to High for 1 hour then reduce to Low for 8 more hours. Leave the lid on, no need to look at it! At the 8 hour mark, try the tenderness, it should fall apart with a fork, if not, keep it on Low for several more hours until fork tender.
  • Serve with a boiled potato or mashed potatoes with the soup mixture spooned on for gravy.

Notes

The beef cost me 150 baht, the soup was 42 baht and has lasted me 4 days, costing $1.42 per serving. Make the soup from the shortcut for more savings.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
My own recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Beef - Slow Cooker
Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings
October 27, 2015 Lee
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Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

Easy and delicious slow cooker spicy chicken wings, can also use legs and thighs.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 kilo chicken wings, see note
  • 3/4 cup Sriracha Chili Garlic sauce
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • juice from one lime, about a 1/4 cup

Instructions
 

  • In a 5 quart slow cooker on low add Sriracha sauce, butter, honey and lime juice. Stir to combine. Add chicken wings. Stir until wings are well coated. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Check at minimum time, meat should be near falling off the bones tender.
  • Remove wings from slow cooker and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle sauce from slow cooker over wings. Set oven to broil. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to caramelize. Remove from oven, serve and enjoy. Broiling is optional, can serve as is. The sauce is thin but add some to a bowl for a great dipping sauce.

Notes

For chicken wings, you can get the whole wing which is 3 sections, remove the tip section and save for a snack for your dog, then separate the drumettes from the other section and use both. You can also buy just drumettes or even use thighs and legs.
Chicken wings run about 80 baht per kilo, 160 baht for the chicken, for 4 servings, this is about $1.17 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Chicken - Slow Cooker
American Goulash I
October 21, 2015 Lee
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American Goulash I

An American twist on a European standard. Hearty, filling meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground beef, OR ground pork
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cans skinless tomatoes in tomato juice, chopped
  • 1 can corn, drained
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ground black pepper, good shaking
  • 2 cups dry elbow macoroni, OR spiral pasta

Instructions
 

  • In large pot over medium heat, add onion and garlic, saute until transparent.
  • Then add ground beef or pork to the onions, mix, and over medium heat until cooked through, drain the fat.
  • Add 2 cups of water, the diced tomatoes with the tomato juice, all seasonings, and bay leaf and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add pasta and corn, mix, and allow to simmer an additional 20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add a little water as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes

200 Baht for ground beef, 125 Baht for ground pork. 42 baht per can for tomatoes and corn. Macaroni and other ingredients, minimal. Cost would be for beef: $9.60 for 2 people for 3 days, or $1.60 per person per day. For pork: $7.40 for 2 people for 3 days, or $1.25 per person per day.
This is an easily tailored recipe to suite your tastes or to what you have on hand. No corn on hand, use mixed mixed vegetables, no canned tomatoes on hand, use fresh and tomato juice. No tomato juice on hand, make from tomato paste. Endless possibilities.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,BEEF
Gypsy Stew II
October 18, 2015 Lee
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Gypsy Stew II

Lee
I took the Gypsy Stew I grew up with a bit further, and made this with ground pork instead of beef and added some other ingredients. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1¼ kilos ground pork, (2 - 2 1/2 lbs)
  • 4 shallots, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 1 can button mushrooms, drained, sliced (or use fresh)
  • 1-1½ cups green olives with pimento, sliced
  • 2-3 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
  • 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil, or as needed
  • toast, pasta, or rice, prepared, for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a pot, heat a tablespoon of olive oil, when hot, add the shallots and bell peppers. Saute until the shallots are translucent and the peppers are tender. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, stirring often and breaking up meat a bit as well. Drain fat.
  • Add mushrooms, soup, and olives, and mix together. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through. For a more soupy stew, use 3 cans of soup and for a thicker stew use 2 cans of soup.
  • Serve over rice, pasta, or toast.

Notes

Ground pork will run about 150-170 Baht per kilo. The soup is 54 Baht or so per can, not a $1 dollar meal but very inexpensive and will last 2 people several days.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Variants: 1. Top each serving with a fried egg. 2. This is an easy recipe to use canned ground pork to in order to cut down cooking time, simply add the drained pork after the onion and pepper is sautéed, break it up and let it heat through then continue with the remaining steps.
My modification of my Mom's recipe by Lee Thayer. Thailand.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,Pork - Canned,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI