Archive for the ‘SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI’ Category
Chinese Tomato Fish
September 4, 2017 Lee
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Chinese Tomato Fish

This sounds really good. This tailored version of a popular Sichuan water boiled fish soup dish and this is the non spicy version. Now unless you can get your hands on a 1 kilo Grass Carp (you have to clean yourself), go with any 750 grams of boneless and skinless whitefish fillets, which is my plan. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Fish & Marinade

  • 750 grams whitefish fillets, slice at an angle, about 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 spring onions, whites, sliced
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

For the Soup

  • 2 large tomatoes, or go with 5 plum tomatoes
  • 100 grams fresh Shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 cup celery, cut into 1 inch sections
  • 1/4 red onion, cut into pieces
  • handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
  • 8 cups hot water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In large bowl, whisk together the corn starch, cooking wine, spring onion, ginger, salt and pepper, and egg white. Add the fish slices and marinate for 1 hour.
  • When the fish is ready, peel the tomatoes and dice. In a large pot on medium heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the spring onion and garlic until aromatic, add the diced tomatoes and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and lots of juice is released. Add 8 cups of hot water and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Add the celery, red onion, and mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Turn up the heat to medium and add the fish slices and marinade and stir, cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the fish slices turn white, remove from heat and carefully pour into a large serving bowl.
  • Optional, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan or wok until slightly smoking and pour into the soup.
  • Sprinkle coriander and and spring onion on the top and serve.

Notes

Low cost.
Variant: For a spicy version, add 2-4 chopped red Thai Bird's Eye Chilies, stems removed, to the oil in Step 5, then mix into the soup after pouring on top.
This recipe for Chinese Tomato Fish is from China Sichuan Food.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: CHINESE,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Bottle Gourd Soup
September 4, 2017 Lee
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Bottle Gourd Soup

This is a standard Thai soup, very inexpensive. This is a side dish to a Thai meal. Measurements are estimates based on the size of the gourd you are using, my wife made this today and used about a 5 inch diameter gourd.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bottle gourd, sliced into this pieces
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • chicken stock powder, to taste

Instructions
 

  • As you slice up the gourd, place in a large bowl of water. Add the chopped onion to a medium size pot.
  • Drain the gourd slices and add to the pot. Add water to the pot and cover the gourd by about an inch, bring to a boil. Add chicken stock powder and salt to taste.
  • Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Spoon into a large bowl, serve, just that easy.

Notes

Low cost.
Variant: Boil some chicken when cooking to make the stock and to add a bit of meat to the soup.
Watched my wife, Rrayada Thayer make this.
Thailand.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: THAI,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Polish Hunter’s Stew
September 2, 2017 Lee
2 Comments

Polish Hunter's Stew

This, sounds very good! I can locate sauerkraut in other provinces so this is on my to cook list for sure. The kielbasa is here in Makro called Spicy Smoked Sausage and it is good!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head cabbage, small head, sliced
  • 3 cups sauerkraut, drained
  • 1 can tomato paste, small can, about 2/3 cup
  • 350 grams pork belly, sliced thin, skin removed
  • 500 grams Kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1 inch rounds
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add cabbage and sauerkraut to a large pot, add 2 cups of water, and heat on medium heat, boil cabbage and sauerkraut for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and set aside, do not drain.
  • Heat olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat and cook the pork belly for 6 to 8 minutes, stir often. Add sausage, onion, and garlic and cook until sausage is lightly browned, the pork belly will be cooked through later.
  • Add the sausage mixture to the sauerkraut pot, and add the vinegar, bay leaf, tomato paste. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook, uncovered, for 45-90 minutes, until desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve.

Notes

I cannot price this until I find sauerkraut where I live. I will say right now, fair priced.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Russian Mushroom & Potato Soup
September 2, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Russian Mushroom & Potato Soup

Natasha's Kitchen, Natasha Kravchuk, United States.
This is delicious either as the creamy or non-creamy version depending on your preference. I made this on 7 Sep 2017, both versions tested and family approved.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Russian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 medium potatoes, skin on or off your preference, diced
  • 500 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced, button, Shiitake, or Straw
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • ½ cup spring onion, chopped, green and white
  • 6 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • â…› teaspoon black pepper

To make the Creamy Version, you need this

  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter then add the spring onion and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Then add the broth, salt, pepper, dill, and bay leaf. Add the potatoes and cover the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Potatoes should be tender but still firm.
  • In a large non stick skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the mushrooms. (I used Shiitake Mushrooms.)
  • Cook for 5 to 7 minutes to brown them up, then add the mushrooms to the soup pot.
  • At this point you can serve for the non-creamy version, or continue on for the creamy version.

For the Creamy Version

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, whipping cream, and flour until good and smooth.
  • Slowly stir mixture into the soup and increase heat to a gentle boil and the soup will thicken. Serve.

Notes

Low cost.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: RUSSIAN,MUSHROOMS,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Chicken Lentil Soup
August 31, 2017 Lee
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Chicken Lentil Soup

This sounds really good. I have changed this just slightly to use bone in chicken thighs, when cooked, remove then shred and debone and add back to the pot. Bones add flavor when cooked.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoons bacon fat, or butter
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 stalks import celery, diced
  • 1-2 carrots, diced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 12 cups water, or chicken stock
  • 2 cups lentils
  • 500-600 grams chicken thighs, bone in skin on
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt the bacon fat or butter in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat then add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables and cook until the tomato paste darkens, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the water or chicken stock (remember, the thighs simmering will make the broth) and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and add the chicken thighs. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring and checking periodically to make sure the soup is nott bubbling too vigorously and to remove any foam on the surface. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate with a slotted spoon.
  • Depending how thick or broth like you like the soup, mash about half of the soup until it’s thick and creamy, mash more for cream or less for more broth. Using two forks, remove the skin, bone, and cartilage from each thigh and discard or save as a treat for your dog, and shred the meat and return it to the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Let the soup heat, on the low simmer for a few minutes.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the top if desired.

Notes

The chicken will cost 37 Baht/500 grams. Go a little heavier though as you will be removing the bones, so I will estimate 50 Baht for the chicken. For 8 servings, this is about 20 cents per serving. Lentils I cannot price yet at this time. My next trip to Phuket I will look for them there.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Fish & Shrimp Soup (Ukha)
August 13, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Fish & Shrimp Soup (Ukha)

Natasha's Kitchen, Natasha Kravchuk, United States.
This is an excellent soup! This is a Russian soup with a light broth. I used 3 Pangasius fillets (Shark Catfish) and small White shrimp. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Russian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 10 cups water
  • 2 cups vegetable stock, pork or chicken stock also works well
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1 large carrot, halved and sliced thin
  • 350 grams whitefish fillets, boneless, skinless, (12 oz)
  • 250 grams shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, (9 oz)
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2-3 stalks import celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Seasoning, Shortcut
  • â…› teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried
  • Straw mushrooms, optional, as many as you like

Instructions
 

  • Add the water, stock, and salt to a large pot and put on high heat and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a high simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the carrots and reduce to a simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, heat a large pan with a splash of olive oil and saute the onion and celery until softened and starting to brown, then add this to the pot.
  • Add the shrimp to the pot. I used small White shrimp from a local farm, you can use any type of shrimp or prawn you like. I measured the weight after the head, shell, and tails were removed.
  • Add the fish to the pot. I used 3 Pangasius (Shark Catfish) fillets, you can use any whitefish you like, Tilapia and Sea Perch (Barramundi) would also work well, keep in mind, boneless and skinless.
  • Add the bay leaves, Mrs. Dash seasoning, parsley, pepper, and if using the optional Straw mushrooms, just slice those in half lengthwise and add those to the pot as well.
  • Cook on a high simmer for about 10-15 minutes to cook the mushrooms, important, skim off any foam on the surface to give a clear broth. Taste and season with additional salt if needed, serve.

Notes

Figure about 50 Baht for the whitefish (Pangasius) and about 150 Baht for the shrimp. Even though the celery is import, only 2 or 3 stalks are used so that is low cost. For 8 servings, this is about 74 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Mrs. Dash Seasoning.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: RUSSIAN,MUSHROOMS,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
July 21, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a 2 in 1 recipe, Creamy Soup, and Regular Chicken Soup. Sounds great as I love a good chicken noodle soup. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder, Shortcut
  • 5 cups water
  • 3-4 chicken thighs, skinless, bone in for more flavor
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 3 medium carrots, see Step 1
  • 2 stalks imported celery, or a handful of Thai celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cups dry pasta, egg noodles, spirals, or wide Fettuccine would be good
  • 1 can corn, drained, or 1 1/2 cups fresh cooked
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, or 3 teaspoons dried
  • 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Seasoning, Shortcut
  • salt, as need and to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
 

  • For the carrots, shred 2 carrots with the largest holes on a box shredder and thinly slice 1 carrot, halve that one if it is large. Now prepare all the rest of the ingredients so everything is ready. For the chicken, just remove the skin if using bone in, do not trim the fat, fat is flavor. (I made the broth from scratch, and when letting the broth and chicken cool, I prepped the vegetables.)
  • Bring a large pot with the broth, water, and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the thighs, continue to boil for 20 minutes and spoon off any foam from the surface.
  • While the chicken is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until soft and starting to turn translucent, raise the heat to medium high and the celery and only the shredded carrots and cook for about 6 minutes or so until soft and beginning to brown, stir often.
  • Remove the thighs from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Skim off any remaining foam from the chicken then add the cooked celery, onion, and carrots.
  • Add the dry pasta, the sliced carrot, and the corn to the soup and cook on a low boil to cook the pasta until tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon off any excess oil on the surface if you want a lighter soup, but keep in mind, the fat adds great flavor. (Showing the soup right after adding the veggies and egg noodles.)
  • Shred the chicken with forks or just use your hands, discard bones and excess fat. Add the chicken back to the soup.
  • For the REGULAR version of this soup, just go right to the last step. For the CREAMY version of this soup, continue here. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat then whisk in the flour and whisk continuously until just starting to turn brown, about 1 or 2 minutes. Remove 1 cup of broth from the soup and add to the flour butter mixture, whisk until blended and the mixture is smooth, then whisk in the cream until blended and stir this into the soup until mixed in well.
  • Season the soup with Mrs. Dash Seasoning and salt to taste. A touch of black pepper would work well also. Add the fresh dill and return the soup to a boil for 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Serve with bread and enjoy.

Notes

For the chicken thighs, 4 thighs are probably less than a kilo, so I will estimate 60 Baht for the chicken. For 8 servings, this is about 23 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker), Heavy Cream.
This recipe for Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is from Natasha's Kitchen.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Mom’s Meatball Soup
July 21, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Mom's Meatball Soup

Natasha's Kitchen, Natasha Kravchuk, United States.
Not my Mom, Natasha's Mom. This is absolutely delicious! I made this on 26 July 2017, and as I predicted, big hit with the Thai family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Russian
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Soup

  • 15 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 6-8 medium potatoes, cubed
  • 2 large carrots, thinly sliced, halved first if very large
  • ½ cup dry spaghetti, broken into ½ inch pieces
  • ½ onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks import celery, or a handful of Thai celery, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash Seasoning, Shortcut
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Meatballs

  • 1 kilo ground pork, (2 lb)
  • 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Seasoning, Shortcut
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ onion, finely diced

Instructions
 

  • Add the water, potatoes, and salt listed for the soup to a large pot on high heat and bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes to soften the potatoes.
  • Reduce the temp to maintain a medium simmer on the pot, add the carrots and the spaghetti pieces to the pot.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients listed For the Meatballs. Once mixed well, use your hands to roll small meatballs, no need for perfection here, as you make them, add them to the soup. They will cook in the hot water and make the broth for the soup. (I chopped up 3 spring onions and added those as well after the meatballs were added.)
  • Heat a non stick pan on medium heat and add the 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, your choice of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and celery, cook until softened then add this to the soup.
  • Soup is simmering after the onion and celery were added.
  • While stirring the soup, pour in the lightly beaten egg. Season with the dill, black pepper, and Mrs. Dash Seasoning. (I also added the chopped tops of the celery.)
  • Serve with fresh bread.

Notes

Ground pork at Tesco will cost about 100 Baht/kilo, another option is to grind your own pork with the medium plate on your grinder, use pork shoulder for this as fat is needed. Pork shoulder is also about 100 Baht/kilo. For 12 servings, this is about 25 cents per serving, very reasonable.
Shortcut: Mrs. Dash Seasoning.
Variant: 1. Add some chopped spring onions to the soup after the meatballs are in.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: RUSSIAN,MEATBALLS,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Potato Ham & Cheese Soup
July 1, 2017 Lee
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Potato Ham & Cheese Soup

Sounds great, I like a good potato soup. Very simple ingredients as well, perfect, on my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups potatoes, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup ham, diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Boil the potatoes in a stock pot until desired tenderness then drain off the water reserving 1 cup for later use.
  • Melt the butter in a small pan and cook the onion until soft.
  • Now add the cooked onion, butter and flour to the stock pot and stir to mix together over low heat. Keep stirring until you get the thickness desired then remove from the heat.
  • Now mix in the potatoes, milk, the cup of liquid from the potatoes, cheese, and ham to the stock pot stir to mix and simmer over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes stirring from time to time until it thickens.
  • Serve.

Notes

I cannot price the ham yet until I go back to Makro and buy some, reasonable price though. The cheese is costly, so for now I will state this as fair value and will update pricing when I get some ham.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Bak Kuet Teh (Hokkien)
June 27, 2017 Lee
2 Comments

Bak Kuet Teh (Hokkien)

From a recipe on a Lobo brand spice packet.
This is a pork rib soup of Chinese origin, and this is the Hokkien (Malaysian) version. This soup is herb based and the broth is generally dark. I use a seasoning packet, Lobo brand (Thailand) to prepare this. I first made this on 27 June 2017, wonderful flavor, tender ribs, and your kitchen and house will smell wonderful. I make this at least once a month.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese, Malaysian
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 packet Bak Kuet Teh Soup mix, Lobo brand
  • 500 grams pork ribs, (1 lb)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 daikon, (white radish), sliced, optional

Instructions
 

  • This is the spice packet used, Lobo brand. Even the Thais know Lobo is the best brand for soup and spice mixes. Inside of the packet is a cloth bag, that contains the spices, the bag is simply placed in the water and removed before you serve.
  • Rinse and cut ribs into 1 bone sections.
  • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a pot, when it is boiling, add the spice bag from the packet to the water and add the ribs. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. If adding daikon, when the meat is tender, add the sliced daikon and simmer for 15 minutes more. Discard the spice bag.
  • Serve with rice on the side.
  • Or place rice in a bowl and spoon the soup over the rice, this is my preferred method.

Notes

The Lobo brand spice packet for this costs 17 Baht and the pork ribs is about 115 Baht/kilo. For 3 servings, this is about $1.30 per serving.
Variants: 1. Lamb, beef, and ox tail can be used instead of pork. Simply 1/2 cup more water and simmer for 2 hours. 2. Daikon can be replaced with carrot or used together. 3. Add hard boiled chicken, duck, or quail eggs.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: CHINESE,: MALAYSIAN,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI