Archive for the ‘* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving’ Category
Caesar Chicken
October 13, 2017 Lee
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Caesar Chicken

This sounds really good. For where I live, Caesar dressing is not stocked in town, only in the city, but Italian dressing is stocked and can be made into Caesar dressing, win win. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 1 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1-1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
  • black pepper, as desired

Optional, for a thicker crust

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • Sprinkle the meat on both sides with black pepper and some of the Parmesan cheese, do not use any salt. Place the chicken in the baking dish.
  • Pour 1/4 cup of salad dressing over each piece, then sprinkle remaining Parmesan on each one. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until juices run clear.
  • Change the oven to broil and continue to cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes or until the chicken is nice and golden colored. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, and a vegetable.

Optional, for a thicker crust

  • Mix the sour cream into the dressing, and just follow the steps above as stated.

Notes

Figure about 70 Baht for the chicken, and 150 Baht for the Parmesan. For 4 servings, this is about $1.62 per serving.
Shortcuts: Caesar Salad Dressing, Sour Cream.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Slow Cooker Potato Soup II
October 6, 2017 Lee
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup II

Sounds really good, simple and common ingredients, and cooked in a slow cooker, bonus. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1 1/2 kilos potatoes, cubed
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add everything to your slow cooker crock, stir to mix together. Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours. or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Mash the potatoes while they are in the slow cooker to the cooker to the consistency you prefer.
  • Serve.

Notes

Low cost. With some planning, plan on a chicken dish that uses boiled shredded chicken, then you can make the stock for this by simply adding trinity when boiling the chicken, and use several tablespoons of the chopped chicken to make the soup with a shortcut.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Crack Chicken (Slow Cooker)
October 5, 2017 Lee
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Crack Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Not exactly sure where this name comes from, and there is many versions of this, this is a Cream cheese version. Only four ingredients and one you can make from a shortcut. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4-6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 250 grams Cream cheese, this is 1 standard block
  • 1 packet Italian dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 125 grams bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Lightly grease your slow cooker crock with butter. Place the chicken in the crock, top with the block of cheese on the chicken, then sprinkle in the Italian seasoning mix.
  • Set the slow cooker to Low setting for 6 hours, giving a gentle stir at the 3 hour mark. At 6 hours the chicken should be fall apart tender, and shreds easily. Shred the chicken with two forks and stir to combine the cheese then stir in the bacon.
  • Serve as is, on rolls, over pasta, and a bed of salad greens, etc.

Notes

Figure about 70 Baht for the chicken, 120 Baht for the Cream cheese, and 90 Baht for the bacon. For 4 servings, this is about $2.06 per serving.
Variant: 1. When serving on a sandwich roll, toast the roll, add the chicken mixture and top with a little Cheddar cheese.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Chicken - Slow Cooker
Red Curry Shrimp
September 23, 2017 Lee
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Red Curry Shrimp

This is a Thai dish and is a bit on the spicy side. My wife, Rrayada made this today for a quick lunch for the family and step-daughter Ampair made a Thai Omelet to go with it.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo shrimp, heads, shells, and tails removed
  • 2 handfuls clove basil leaves, rinsed, or Thai basil will work
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons shrimp paste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a non stick pan and add the curry paste. This is real, hand made red curry paste here, this is spicy stuff, basically, Bird's Eye chilies, black pepper, red onion, garlic, and lemongrass.
  • Add the shrimp paste right after the curry paste. This is local made shrimp paste, shrimp and spices pounded in a mortar into a paste, very common ingredient in Thai cooking.
  • Mix and cook for just a few minutes then add the shrimp and mix into the curry and shrimp pastes, the shrimp will release water, then add the clove basil and mix that in, stir fry until the clove basil is good and wilted.
  • Serve, how easy was that? Good dishes to go with this is a Thai Omelet and rice.

Notes

Figure about 400 Baht for small white shrimp from Tesco, 2 kilos, removing the heads, peels and tails will give you about a kilo. Save all the scrap for shrimp stock later if you like and just freeze that. For 6 servings, this is about $1.97 per serving.
Watched my wife, Rrayada Thayer make this.
Thailand.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: THAI,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Shrimp/Prawn
Simple Salmon
September 17, 2017 Lee
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Simple Salmon

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is your basic stove top recipe, and it could not be any easier. Only 4 ingredients and no quantities needed, figure 1 fillet per serving.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • salmon fillets, or steaks
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • extra light olive oil

Instructions
 

  • I used 3 skin on fillets from Tesco, each is 120 grams or about 4¼ oz. Rinse the fillets and check for and remove any stray scales and pin bones.
  • Season the flesh side with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a non stick pan on medium high heat, when hot, add the salmon skin side down. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, most of the cooking takes place with the skin side down.
  • As the color of the flesh on the sides of each fillet changes from the bottom upwards, and the skin is crispy, turn each fillet over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve with sides of your choice.

Notes

At 69 Baht for each salmon fillet, this is about $2.15 per serving.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,FISH - ALL,Fish - Salmon
Steamed Salmon in Lime Sauce (Rice Cooker)
September 17, 2017 Lee
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Steamed Salmon in Lime Sauce (Rice Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sounds very good, when I make this I will use my steamer basket in my rice cooker.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 1 serving

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients
  

For the Salmon

  • 1 salmon steak, or fillet
  • 5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 1 sprig fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, pounded, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 6 slices lime
  • salt, as desired

For the Lime Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1½ tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1-3 red Bird's Eye chilies, sliced thin
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat your steamer, rice cooker or pot with a steamer insert.
  • Rinse the salmon steaks, pat dry, and sprinkle salt on both sides. Divide the prepared vegetables for the Salmon into two parts. On a heat proof plate that will fit in your steamer, add one part of the veggies, place the salmon on top, place the second part of the veggies on top of the salmon. Top with the 3 remaining lime slices.
  • When your steamer is hot, quickly, but carefully plate the plate in the steamer, a pair of steamer handles to lift the plate would be ideal. Cover and let steam for 5-10 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes with a fork.
  • While the salmon is steaming, prepare the lime sauce by mixing all the Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  • When the salmon is cooked, quickly open the steamer and lift out the plate, pour out the water that collected on the plate, then pour the sauce over the salmon and place the plate back in the steamer for 5 more minutes.
  • Remove from the steamer and serve.

Notes

For 69 Baht per fillet, this is about $2.03 per serving. High cost but good for a once in a while, healthy meal.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,: THAI,FISH - ALL,Fish - Rice Cooker,Fish - Salmon
Skillet Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese
September 5, 2017 Lee
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Skillet Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese

Sounds perfect, on my to cook list!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry elbow macaroni
  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, from a can of whole tomatoes
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni to just tender, and drain.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and the garlic and beef, brown the beef, breaking up the meat as you cook. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then drain excess fat. Add tomatoes and milk, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Mix in the pasta and add a handful of Cheddar and stir to combine then add more cheese, one handful at a time and stir to mix while adding. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and cover with lid. Simmer until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 1 minute.
  • Sprinkle the top with the parsley and serve.

Notes

Figure about 100 Baht for the beef, and 180 Baht for the cheese. For 4 servings, this is about $2.10 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,PASTA
3-Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops I
September 3, 2017 Lee
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3-Ingredient Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops I

This is a quick to put together meal with only 3 ingredients and two you can make from shortcuts for cost savings. I made this yesterday 14 Sep 2017 and used bone in pork chops I found in Tesco, thick cut as well, and wow is this good! I think thick cut pork loin would equally as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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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
  

  • 4 pork chops, bone in, thick cut
  • 1-2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 cups chicken gravy, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Lightly butter the slow cooker insert. Place chops in the slow cooker.
  • Sprinkle chops with the ranch dressing mix.
  • Pour the gravy over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Do not remove the lid before 6 hours, check for tenderness, if tender, serve, if not continue cooking until 7 or 8 hours.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy from the slow cooker and a vegetable for a complete meal.

Notes

The pork chops I found at Tesco, thick cut, bone in, 250 grams each, were 160 Baht each making this about $4.70 per serving but these are so good I will make this once every 3 months, when I go to the city for my address report, I will look in Makro for these and the cost should be less. I will also test this recipe with just thick cut pork loin, which would make this a low cost meal.
Shortcuts: Ranch Dressing Mix, Chicken Gravy.
Provided by Slow Cooker Kitchen and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Pork - Slow Cooker
Perfect Cheese Sauce
September 3, 2017 Lee
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Perfect Cheese Sauce

Sounds like an excellent sauce. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 cup of sauce

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 3 cups milk, warmed
  • 120 grams Cream cheese, room temp, this is 1/2 of a regular block
  • 2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
 

  • This recipe comes together fast, you will want to have all the ingredients measured and ready, in the order they are used, before you begin.
  • Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat then whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until it is a thick paste and golden brown. Whisk in the taco seasoning and cook 30 seconds more.
  • Whisk in the milk 1 cup at a time, bring to a simmer then repeat with the milk, it will start out very thick and will thin as more milk is added. When done adding milk, bring to a low simmer and cook 5 more minutes, whisking often. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Remove from heat.
  • Whisk in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses until smooth. Can be used right away or stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When reheating, slowly bring to a boil before use.

Notes

Cream cheese will cost about 60 Baht, Cheddar about 170 Baht, and the Parmesan about 75 Baht. Figure 4 uses from 4 cups of sauce, this is about $2.25 per use.
Shortcut: Taco Seasoning Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,Ingredients - Sauces
Beer Can Burgers
September 2, 2017 Lee
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Beer Can Burgers

These sound very good, and I will give two variants to try. This is a 'filled' burger as opposed to a 'stuffed' burger. Cooked on a grill and no flipping required. This is written for 2 burgers of each variant, just adjust the variant ingredients to make more or less of each. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • tomato slices, as needed
  • lettuce leaves, as needed
  • 1 beer or soda can

Cheddar & Jalapeno Filling (for 2 burgers)

  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 1 fresh Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Heat your grill to medium with either charcoal or gas. You will be cooking over indirect heat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder, divide into 4 half pound balls. Place a beer can on top of a ball and push down and form the beef around the can and just a bit up the side. Wrap two slices of bacon the burger. Twist the can to remove that, the burger should have a nice deep indentation in it. Repeat this for the remaining balls. Season each indentation and the rest of the burger with ample salt and pepper to taste.
  • For 2 burgers, add cubed Cheddar and Jalapeno slices in each indentation.
  • For the 2 burgers with Bell Pepper, add the bell pepper and onion in each indentation then top each with a slice of Provolone.
  • Grill the burgers over indirect heat, and covered, until cooked through, 30 minutes should be a medium burger.
  • To serve, place lettuce and tomato on the bottom bun, place a burger on top, top with the top bun.

Notes

Beef will cost about 200 Baht/kilo. Cheddar about 180 Baht for 2 cups cubed, Provolone about 45 Baht for 2 slices. For 4 servings, this is about $3.13 per serving. Not cheap but sounds really good for a once in a while cookout with friends and family.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES,GRILLED / BBQ / SMOKER