Archive for the ‘INGREDIENTS’ Category
Homemade Spaghetti Os
Homemade meaning the sauce, not the actual pasta. I have made this with ditalini pasta and ring pasta, either one is perfect.
Ingredients
- 2 cans tomato sauce, (15 oz / 425 g each)
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 226 grams dry ditalini pasta, or ring pasta, (8 oz)
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the tomato sauce, water, and milk. Heat to a boil then reduce to low.
- Stir in the garlic and onion powders, then stir in the cheese, stir until the cheese is all melted and takes just a minute or two really.
- Add the pasta and stir that in, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes and stir occasionally so the pasta does not stick.
- When the pasta is tender, the Spaghetti Os are ready. Serve as is.
- Or with meatballs added, highly recommended!
- Or as an ingredient when making Spaghetti Os Goulash. (Use 2 cups of this homemade Spaghetti Os per one 15 oz can.)
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Add some chicken broth instead of all water, such as 1 cup broth and 2 cups water or 2 cups broth and 1 cup water. 2. Add frozen meatballs, heated. 3. Use as an ingredient to make Spaghetti Os Goulash.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Spaghetti Os Goulash, Made it, GO-TO recipe.
4 Bean Chili Mix
This is a straight forward bean mix using common beans. This makes 1 bean mix of 452 grams (1 pound). Measurements are in grams as that is more accurate. This is a make ahead recipe, and you can make several types of bean mixes at one time and the beans are then all prepped for use in another recipe. The recipe that uses this mix is in the Recipe Notes section at the end.
Ingredients
- 113 grams dry Pinto beans
- 113 grams dry red beans
- 113 grams dry red kidney beans
- 113 grams dry black beans
Instructions
- Weigh each bean type, place in a zip lock bag, label, use as directed to make bean soup.
Notes
These are common beans in Thailand and this is low cost per mix.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
My creation from researching a bag of chili bean mix, Lee Thayer, United States.
11 Bean Soup Mix I
This combination makes my 11 Bean Soup Mix I, just weigh each type of DRY bean listed, place all in zip lock bag, label, and use as directed in the soup recipe listed in the Recipe Notes section. Each soup mix is 566 g / 20 oz / 1 lb 4 oz.
Ingredients
- 42 grams green split peas
- 42 grams yellow split peas
- 42 grams lentils, green or brown
- 30 grams black beans
- 40 grams small red beans
- 70 grams red Kidney beans
- 90 grams Pinto beans
- 50 grams Great Northern Beans
- 60 grams Navy beans
- 70 grams small white beans
- 30 grams chickpeas
Instructions
- Weigh each bean type, place in a zip lock bag, label, use as directed to make bean soup.
Notes
I will determine costs and how many bags of soup beans I can make from packaged beans when I return to Thailand. For now I will say this is easily Low Cost per bag of beans.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- 11 Bean Soup I (Slow Cooker).
- 15 Bean Slow Cooker Chili, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Dream Frosting
Easy and tasty. This makes enough frosting to frost a 9 inch layer cake or a 9x13 inch pan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 envelope Dream Whip
- 1 box instant pudding mix, any flavor, 4 serving size
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix with an electric mixer on Low speed until combined.
- Switch to High speed on the mixer and beat for 4-6 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks. I used sugar free chocolate pudding.
- Frost your cake of choice. Chill the cake until you serve.
- Serve and enjoy. If serving later, cover the cake and place in the fridge until serving.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Dream Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Homemade White Cake Mix
White Cake Mix, a standard when I was growing up, came in a box, added a few ingredients, bake, and you have a cake. Where I live, the city does have this boxed mix at a premium price as well. This is the base mix recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to one month, or use right away to make a white cake.
- This mix equals 1 box of store bought mix which will make two 8 inch rounds or one 9x13 pan.
- Use in any recipe that calls for a box of white cake mix.
Notes
Low cost.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Homemade White Cake.
- Any Flavor Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Homemade Spice Cake Mix
Spice Cake Mix, a standard cake when I was growing up, came in a box, add a few ingredients, bake, and you have a nice cake. Where I live, the boxed mix is at a premium price. This is the base mix recipe. This mix equals 1 box of store bought mix which will make two 8 inch rounds or one 9x13 pan. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice, Shortcut
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Whisk together and store in an airtight container for up to one month, or use right away to make a spice cake. Use in any recipe that calls for a box of spice cake mix.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Variant: 1. To replace the Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix use 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Homemade Spice Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dream Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Quick & Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes.
- Any Flavor Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Cookie Crusts
For those that wish to make pie crusts from scratch, here is a few shortcuts for you. For Thailand I have to make these from scratch, and when in the states, I do in fact use the store bought crusts based on low cost and convenience. Here is 3 I have made and I will add more when I make them.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 25 Oreo cookies, whole, meaning with the filling
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- 32 gingersnap cookies
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Graham Cracker Crust
- 12 rectangular graham crackers
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- To make the crumbs, use a food processor, blender, or a great alternative is a rolling pin. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter (and sugar for the graham cracker crust), place in the baking dish and spread out evenly. Press down evenly with the bottom of a measuring cup or can.
- Here is a Oreo cookie crust getting pressed into my 9 inch pie dish.
- Here is a gingersnap cookie crust pressed into my 9 inch spring form pan. Spring form pans are definitely the easiest to prepare.
- Optionally, you can bake the crust for 5-8 minutes, then allow to cool completely before using.
Notes
Low cost per crust.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Oreo Pie, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Mandarin Orange Pie II, made it.
- Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Homemade Smoked Hocks (Pressure Cooker)
In Thailand, I have never seen smoked ham hocks, but uncooked hocks are widely available. These are called pork side leg or pork leg in Tesco, and are quite large, bonus is they are cut through the bone in several places on the large hocks. This recipe produces smoked hocks using liquid smoke and a pressure cooker, not a smoker. I will use my 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker with a pressure of 80 kPa (12 psi), so this will work with a electric pressure cooker as well. Follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos pork side legs, (2-4 lb)
- 2 quarts water, (8 cups)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, heaping
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Place a rack in your pressure if you have one. Add the hocks on top of the rack. (For this I used just over 2 kilo (4+ lb) with 4 thick side leg pieces and 1½ feet which were already cut in half.)
- Add the water, peppercorns, and liquid smoke.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock in place, add the weight to the lid. Place on high heat.
- When the weight (jiggler) starts to vent pressure and move a little, reduce heat to low or medium low, but maintain the pressure venting and movement on the jiggler. Set your timer for 35 minutes.
- When 35 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and move the cooker to an unused burner. Allow a natural pressure release, meaning you don't need to do anything, just let the pressure cooker cool until all pressure has vented, and the lid lock device indicates that zero pressure remains inside the cooker.
- When no pressure is in the cooker, keep your face pointed generally away from the cooker and open the lid.
- Scoop out the hocks and any meat that may have fallen off the bones. (This is the side leg pieces, the feet halves were placed on another plate.)
- For the broth, drain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pot, then pour into 1-2 quart jars. Allow to cool to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge. When chilled, remove most of the fat from the top. Now you have pork broth to use for making a pot of beans. This may keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Serve the hocks as is with side dishes of your choice, or use as an ingredient in a hocks and beans recipe of your choice.
Notes
Pork side leg in Tesco will cost about 61 Baht/kilo or $1/pound, basically low cost per serving and you get pork broth for use in other recipes.
My Alfredo Sauce
This is my Go To Alfredo sauce and is cream based, not cream cheese based. This is easy to prepare and is well liked by everyone who has tried this. This doubles easily.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 2 cups heavy cream, (1 pint)
- 2 tablespoons Cream cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat, when hot, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the butter and let melt.
- Add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Whisk until thickened.
- Whisk in the Parmesan, whisk until melted in and sauce is thickened. Do not let the sauce come to a boil after the cheese is added or the cheese may separate from the cream.
- Stir in your choice of cooked shrimp, cubed chicken, bacon, or crumbled Italian sausage and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to warm the added meat.
- Serve over fettuccine or pasta of your choice.
Notes
I will price this per serving when I return to Thailand, for now I will say this is Fair cost per serving.
Variants: 1. For 4 servings of sauce, consider meats at 500 g / 1 lb of cooked chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage, smoked sausage, or bacon. 2. Add 250 g / 8 oz of sliced, sauteed mushrooms in addition to Italian or smoked sausage.
Adapted from a combination of several internet recipes.
Sauteed Shrimp
Shrimp is a versatile ingredient in pastas, soups, stir fry's, etc, and is easily overcooked resulting in a rubbery texture. Often times people will cook shrimp, normally by boiling them, then unintentionally 'cooking' them again in the final dish. Minimal is best when preparing shrimp, when they are pink, they are done, then just need to be heated in the final dish. No quantities are provided here, this is a make what you want guide.
Ingredients
- shrimp
- extra light olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel, remove tails, and devein the shrimp. I cleaned 4 pounds of Gulf shrimp for this.
- Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat. When hot, add shrimp in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bottom is pink, the bottom of the sides no longer translucent. The shrimp, on average, will be just beginning to curl when they are ready to be turned.
- Turn the shrimp over and cook for about 2 more minutes or until the bottom is pink and there is no more translucent flesh visible. On average, the shrimp will be curled up now.
- Remove to a plate while you finish the remaining shrimp. When using in a recipe, such as a soup or pasta, you want to add the shrimp at the end as it is already cooked and you simply want to reheat it. Enjoy.
Notes
No pricing as that can vary widely based on the type, size, and amount of shrimp you are using.
Been preparing shrimp like this for use in other recipes for many years. Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
