Stuffed Squid

Stuffed Squid

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I found this today and will adjust it slightly. It sounds very nice.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 6 squid, about 7-8 inches long is perfect, if you use smaller squid, you need more
  • 150 grams fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, cooked, (5-6 oz)
  • 1 Pangasius fillet, cooked and chopped
  • 6-8 spring onions, chopped, green and white parts, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, this is for the filling
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¾ cup butter, (¾ block)
  • 375 grams Cream cheese, cubed, room temp, (1½ blocks / 12 oz)
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, this is for the sauce
  • 3 cups milk
  • cups Parmesan cheese, grated
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 500 grams pasta, Fettuccine would be perfect, or Spagheti, (1 lb)

Instructions
 

  • Clean your squid, there is a Tip on this site for how to do this if you are not sure. Remove the skin, pull out the clear bone, and turn inside out to thoroughly clean the inside, then turn right side out, place squid on a plate and put in the fridge. Cut the tentacles off in front of the beak and cook when you cook the shrimp, discard the head.
  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the half of the spring onion, 6 cloves of the garlic, shrimp, tentacles, fish and lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into the squid, there may be left over filling, no problem, that goes into the sauce. As each squid is filled, place in a single layer in the bottom of baking dish. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Cream cheese and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook and stir until cream cheese has melted. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until heated through and then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, remaining spring onion, black pepper, AND any remaining filling. Pour over the squid in the baking dish. If you like cheese, sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on the top.
  • Bake uncovered until the cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. While the squid is baking, cook your pasta and drain (a splash of olive oil tossed with the pasta will prevent it from sticking. Serve the stuffed squid and sauce over a pasta. Add a side of steamed yard beans or asparagus for a complete meal.

Notes

In May 2016 I bought 6 medium squid (about 7-8 inches long) for 60 Baht. The shrimp will run about 60 Baht. The Cream cheese will run about 120 Baht/block, you will need 1½ for 180 Baht, and the Parmesan cheese will run about 270 for the amount stated. This comes out to about $2.80 per serving for 6 servings. Use local suppliers for the shrimp, buy the Parmesan cheese in larger quantity to reduce the cost. Not a cheap meal. I have to try this one out as I think the sauce and filling is a bit much.
Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken

Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken

This sounds really good, on my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 250 grams Cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • handful fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • cooked rice or pasta, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add the chicken breast to your slow cooker. Combine the salad dressing mix with the water and pour it over the chicken. Cover and cook on Low setting for 3 hours.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and soup until well blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chicken. Cook on Low setting for another 1 to 3 hours longer or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot rice or pasta.

Notes

Chicken breasts run about 100 Baht/kilo, use 4 and freeze the rest. The block of Cream cheese will run about 120 Baht. For 4 servings this comes out to about $1.60 per serving. Use the shortcuts for savings on the other items as well.
Variants could include: using chicken stock in place of the water, in a pinch canned button mushrooms could be used, and adding chopped spring onions along with the mushrooms.
Shortcuts: Italian Dressing, Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fisherman’s Pie II

Fisherman's Pie II

Lee
I was recently in Phuket and had a very nice lunch at a restaurant near the Ao Por Marina, Fisherman's Pie. This was very good, salmon chunks, white fish and shrimp in a cheese sauce topped with more cheese. This is a filling meal. Make sure you remove the tails of the shrimp, unlike the restaurant I visited. This was baked in a bowl and served, I used a glass pie dish, my comments below, recipe slightly modified on my findings. When I prepare this again, I will use individual serving baking dishes.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Pie Dish
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 800 grams salmon, boneless, skinless, cut into chunks, (14 oz)
  • 400 grams white fish, boneless, skinless, pangasius or barramundi, cut into chunks, (14 oz)
  • 250 grams fresh shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined, and tails removed, (8 oz)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • tablespoons all purpose flour
  • cups milk, warmed, more as needed
  • 4 cups white Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided, or Edam cheese
  • cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F). Pat the fish pieces and shrimp dry with paper towels, toss the fish and shrimp together and in a pie dish, set aside. I used a pyrex pie dish.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste like and light golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
  • Gradually whisk warm milk into the flour mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup of white Cheddar cheese, then mix onion, salt and pepper, and garlic into the sauce. If sauce is too thick, stir in more warm milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Pour sauce over the fish and shrimp in the baking dish. Top with the onion.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Then sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups cheese. Continue baking until fish is easily flaked with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes more and the cheese should be a nice golden brown. Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with a green salad for a great meal.

Notes

For starters, this is not a $1 dollar meal. The salmon and cheese are the pricy items in this. When I make this again, I will narrow the price per serving down. For now this is a High cost per serving dish.
Variants: 1. Add oyster meat - cooked first. 2. Add green mussel meat - cooked first. 3. Use all white fish or all salmon.
Chili Dog Casserole

Chili Dog Casserole

When I found this recipe, the chili and cheese were both listed as processed, such as canned and packaged shredded. This recipe I am going to show here is a mix of recipes from the site. These are easy to make recipes. The cheese will be real as well. That leaves tortillas, which are packaged, and I have not tried to make yet. And the hotdogs, buy quality dogs, they do in fact make them in Thailand and are not the chemical laden import dogs. This recipe takes time in the planning but you can make several other dishes in between. I made this on 2 Aug 2016, excellent! I modified this for using some canned items I used while in the US in May 2020.
5 from 2 votes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups chili, see Step 1.
  • 500 grams beef hot dogs, (1 lb)
  • 8-10 flour tortillas, 8 inch tortilas are perfect
  • 250 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, real cheese, (1/2 lb)

Instructions
 

  • You can make your favorite chili or use canned, with or without beans. I have made this with both. For canned, use two 24 oz (1 1/2 lb / 680 g) cans. When I made this in the US I used two 24 oz (1 1/2 lb / 680 g) cans of chili.
  • I have also made this with my homemade Pinto Bean Chili.
  • Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F).
  • Spread 1 can of chili and beans (OR 3 cups of homemade chili) in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans.
  • Top with remaining can of chili (OR another 3 cups of homemade chili), and sprinkle with cheese to cover.
  • Cover baking dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and allow to brown on the top, remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost for the US and Fair to High cost per serving in Thailand based on quality hot dogs and quality cheese.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Chicken & Swiss Skillet

Chicken & Swiss Skillet

Chicken and Swiss cheese? My favorites! Chicken breasts cooked in a skillet and covered with cooked onions, bacon, and mushrooms. This is easy recipe. I made this last night, 18 May 2016, recipe updated with my findings, my comments below.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 250 grams sliced bacon, optional, diced
  • Swiss cheese, slices, slice a block for this, no processed stuff
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cups mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup white wine, optional, OR 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • spring onions, optional, chopped for garnish
  • salt and pepp

Instructions
 

  • Heat a heavy bottomed skillet (or cast iron pan) over medium heat, then add the bacon and cook 5-6 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan and set aside in a bowl, keeping the bacon fat in the pan.
  • Turn the heat up to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, place the chicken breasts in the pan and set a timer for one minute. After the minute is up, turn the breasts over and turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and set another timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open the lid, lay one slice of cheese over each chicken breast (lay cheese slices over the breast from slices from a block is preferred, cannot go wrong with too much cheese) then re-cover and let cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Photo shows real Swiss cheese used, and I am heavy handed when it comes to cheese so the slices are thick.
  • Turn the heat back up to medium and add the sliced onions, cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Remove onions from the skillet and place in the bowl holding the diced bacon. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and let them brown up a little, toss once in a while to get most browned.
  • Once the mushrooms have cooked, add the white wine or broth to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the bacon and onions to the pan, then toss to combine. Serve by placing one chicken breast on a plate, then topping with the bacon, mushroom, and onion mixture. Garnish with chopped spring onion or parsley if desired. Serve with a side of your choice. Photo shows the chicken plated with the onions and mushrooms on the top and a side of potato salad.

Notes

I bought 4 large chicken breasts two days ago for 74 Baht. The cheese will run 180 Baht for a block of Swiss cheese (Mainland brand from New Zealand), 1/3 of a block will cover two chicken breasts. This comes out to about $1.70 per meal for 4 servings, if you add the bacon, the cost will increase. Overall, not a bad price for a very tasty meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Basic Mac & Cheese

Basic Mac & Cheese

This is the basic recipe, add to it what ever you like, change the cheeses, etc. This is a building block, change it to make it fit your tastes. I have made this many times. I do not use boxed mac & cheese, something about powdered, glow in the dark cheese that is not right.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams uncooked pasta, of your choice
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, this is 1/2 a standard block of butter
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder, optional
  • 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it just until just tender, about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta then set it aside.
  • In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, warm the milk until it is simmering then set it aside.
  • In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it turns light brown in color and has a slightly toasted aroma, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the dry mustard (optional).
  • Remove the pot from the heat then slowly whisk the warm milk into the flour mixture. Continue whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. (The mixture will become very thick and then thin out gradually until it is smooth.)
  • Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat and cook the mixture while whisking constantly until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and reduce the heat to medium. Whisk in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses until they are melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.
  • Add the pasta, stirring to combine, then add what ever else you would like to add and mix in, cook just until the pasta is warmed throughout.
  • Serve with a salad for a nice meal.

Notes

Cheese is the biggest factor here, 1 cup of shredded cheese is about 100 grams, you would need 1 1/2 blocks of good Cheddar for 3 cups, about 180 Baht per block, cost would be about 240 Baht for Cheddar. For Parmesan, 1 cup is about 150 grams, that is about 150 Baht. Not a cheap meal. This comes out to about $1.90 per serving for 6 people. Reduce the price per serving by adding a vegetable side dish.
Variants: 1. Add leftover diced ham, leftover diced chicken, and a little on the pricy side, lobster, cooked prawns, cooked sausage, imitation crab, can or two of tuna. 2. Add cooked vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower to name a few.
Been making this for several years now.
Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower, Tuna, and Egyptian Roumy Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower, Tuna, and Egyptian Roumy Cheese

This sounds good, but the Roumy cheese could prove very difficult to find. If you cannot find this, substitute Romano cheese in its place. With the tuna (best to use fresh tuna you cooked, not canned) and the cauliflower, this is a complete meal. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 225 grams pasta, of your choice, Canneroni works well
  • 1 kilo fresh cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces, include stem
  • 200 grams white Cheddar cheese, shredded, cannot find it, go with mild Cheddar
  • 80 grams Roumy cheese, shredded, cannot find it, go with Romano
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can tuna, in water, drained, OR use 1/2 cup fresh, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, toss with just a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.
  • Bring a pot of water up to a rolling boil, add the cauliflower and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes, drain and set aside.
  • Toss together the white Cheddar and Roumy cheeses in a bowl, measure out ¾ cup and reserve it for the topping.
  • Add the oil to a medium large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and rosemary; cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk; stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, and then remove from heat.
  • Whisk in the cheese, except the reserved amount) until smooth. Stir in the pasta, cauliflower, tuna, and parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
  • Preheat your broiler (counter top ovens, use the top coil) and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the pasta mixture into the dish and sprinkle the reserved 3/4 cup of cheese on top. Broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly. Serve.

Notes

Cheese would be the most costly item here in this recipe, all the rest is minimal. White Cheddar I cannot price, nor the Roumy. Yellow Cheddar, imported from New Zealand will run about 180 Baht for 200 grams. If you cannot find Romano cheese, go with 230 grams of Cheddar. Go with fresh tuna and that will reduce your cost even further, the rule is 1/2 cup of fresh cooked tuna = 1 can of tuna. We'll say 200 Baht for the cheese and 40 baht for a can of tuna, this comes out to about $1.75 per person for 4 meals, and $1.18 per person for 6 meals. Overall, not bad. Fresh tuna would reduce this.
Variants would be, cooked shredded or diced chicken instead of tuna, spring onions instead of parsley (need that green or the dish would look really bland), broccoli instead of or with the cauliflower.
Shortcut: Tuna.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese

BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese was a staple when I was growing up, but it was the boxed kind, it was cheap, but I always wondered about the glow in the dark orange cheese. This sounds like a great variant. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped, can be Oyster, King Oyster, Shiitake, etc.
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
  • spring onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook elbow pasta according to package instructions, drain, splash with olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
  • Heat a pan and the olive oil over medium heat, add the mushrooms and cook until slightly browned, then add the peas and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a sauce pan add milk and turn on heat to medium, whisk the flour into the milk. Bring milk to a boil, continue whisking, milk will thicken. Remove from heat and add the cheese and stir or whisk until cheese melts. Once the cheese is melted, stir in the the BBQ sauce and chicken, then stir in the the peas and mushrooms.
  • Pour the sauce over the macaroni and gently mix to coat all the pasta. Spoon onto serving dishes and sprinkle on some of the sliced spring onions and even some additional shredded Cheddar cheese.
  • Al alternative is to pour the mixed pasta and sauce into a casserole pan, top with shredded Cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs and put under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes

Two chicken breasts is minimal since it is 60 Baht/kilo, 2 breasts is less than that. As a bonus, boil the chicken breasts with some vegetables to cook them, and you will have chicken stock for another recipe (or cook the pasta in the stock). Cheese will cost about 160-180 Baht for a 200 gram block, easily 2 cups of shredded. Going with 180 Baht for the cheese and say 30 Baht for the chicken, and 40 Baht for the pasta, this comes to about $1.85 per meal for 4 people.
Shortcut: BBQ Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Garlic Butter Shrimp & Asparagus

Garlic Butter Shrimp & Asparagus

Sounds really good! Large shrimp will be a costly meal for two people, the smaller shrimp would be very reasonable. On my to cook list.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 kilo fresh shrimp, cleaned with heads, shells, and tails removed, deveined
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add half of the garlic and stir for about 10 seconds, then add the asparagus and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl.
  • Return the pan to medium high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the shrimp and season with a pinch of salt and cook until pink with no grey showing, stir occasionally. Turn the heat to low, add the remaining garlic and stir well, season with black pepper if desired. Add the asparagus, stir to combine and serve.

Notes

Shrimp will cost about 200 to 240 Baht per kilo. So at 240 Baht, and for 4 servings, this is about $1.75 per serving, not bad considering large shrimp. If you used small shrimp, the price would be less.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

This one sounds very good, but may be a bit of a challenge to locate the cheese or "deli sliced roast beef" if outside of a major city. This is one to add to my cook list.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 green bell peppers, large, tops cut off, insides removed
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, optional
  • 1-2 tablespoons steak sauce, your favorite steak sauce
  • 750 grams roast beef, cut into thin strips
  • 12 slices Provolone cheese, OR Mozzerella cheese, OR Swiss cheese
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200 C.
  • Roast beef, this is supposed to be deli sliced roast beef, now unless you have you have a big budget, there is no need to go Villa Market or Rimping in Chiang Mai, make a nice roast beef dinner the day before, use some beef the next day for this recipe. I will not figure roast beef into this recipe.
  • In a non stick pan heat some olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms (if using) and the diced the tops of the peppers and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat or until lightly browned & tender, then add the sliced roast beef strips & steak seasoning and stir and cook until heated through.
  • Place the bell peppers in a baking dish, add a slice of Provolone cheese to the bottom of each pepper. Then add the beef mix to about halfway up each pepper, add another slice of cheese, then more beef mixture, then top with another slice of cheese, tucking the edges of the cheese into the pepper.
  • If you have more beef filling than peppers, you can do one of two things, cut the top off another pepper, or two, and fill those, or just pack the meat around the peppers in the baking dish.
  • Bake for 15 to 30 minutes or until the peppers are cooked through. Serve with some pasta or boiled potatoes on the side.

Notes

I cannot price this as I do not know what Provolone cheese costs. The roast beef, if you choose to get deli meat, that is up to you, if you make this after you cook some roast beef, that is already covered. Safe to say with Provolone cheese, this could be a pricey meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.