Archive for the ‘SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI’ Category
Mom's Oyster Stew
No, this is not my Mom's stew, just happens to be the name of the recipe I found, but it is very easy to prepare, and very good! Keep in mind these are the small, already shucked and packaged oysters. I am going to go with 3 small containers from Tesco for a pint of oysters. I made this on 6 June 2018 and used fresh oyster meat from a local fisherman, 1 pint was 45 Baht, much less than Tesco. Excellent soup as well.
Ingredients
- 1 pint oyster meat, shucked and drained, (2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ cups evaporated milk
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, salt and pepper; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and milk and reduce to a simmer.
- When the milk is hot add the oysters and cook just until the oysters start to curl and turn opaque. Taste and season with more salt and white pepper if needed.
- Serve with saltine or oyster crackers on the side. (Not much to look at, but tasty!)
Notes
For a main dish, 2 servings with a salad on the side, and as a side dish, 3-4 servings. For pricing, a small container of oyster meat from Tesco is 45 Baht each, I am thinking 2-3 containers for a pint, I have to verify this still. I buy fresh oyster meat by the pint from the local fishermen at a cost of 45 Baht. For 2 servings 70 cents. Tesco bought oysters would be twice this.
Variants: 1. Add diced celery at the beginning and soften that up with the butter, then proceed with the recipe. 2. Double the amount of oysters.
Canadian Oyster Soup
Not sure where the Canadian part comes from, but this is the second oyster recipe with carrot and celery. This sounds really good however, and easy!
Ingredients
- 4 cups small oysters, shucked and drained, non shell and drained weight
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 4 cups milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in saucepan and add the celery and carrot. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes, without browning the vegetables. Add milk to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the oysters in pan over medium heat with a splash of olive oil until cooked through, about 5 minutes; do not boil.
- Pour the cooked oysters into the soup and heat through, season to taste and serve.
Notes
I buy oysters, small, shucked, for about 50 Baht per 350 grams, probably 700 grams would be 4 cups, that is 100 Baht, everything else is minor cost. This is about 75 cents per serving for 4 servings, less for 6.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Tomato Soup
I had to do some research as I have a recipe that states tomato soup, but that is not available where I live, so I found a shortcut. It is healthier than canned tomato soup, but is just as easy as opening a can of soup and heating it up. This is NOT a condensed soup. I made this on 28 Apr 2017, it is good, not fine dining but it is good soup.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 can tomato paste, this would be a 170 gram can, the really small one
- 4 cans milk, use the tomato paste can
- pinch salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, OR honey
Optional Additions
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, OR Mozzerella cheese
- 1 teaspoon bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Put tomato paste in saucepan, add milk using empty tomato paste can and rinsing can thoroughly. Add salt and sugar and optional additions if using, whisk and heat this on medium heat and serve as a side dish with a sandwich. I topped my bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese.
- If this is just needed for a recipe, whisk all ingredients together and use as the recipe states, however, you will need to measure the amount needed for the recipe.
Notes
A can of tomato paste costs 17 Baht, a can of name brand soup would cost 52 Baht. And just for example, here is what is in Campbell's Tomato Soup.
A Thai brand of tomato paste consists of concentrated tomatoes to make a paste with skin and seeds strained out, and a pinch of salt, a lot healthier than what you see in the ingredients for Campbell's!
Recovery Stew
Recipe was inspired from a good friend in Phuket, Dave Williams, I tried to guess the ingredients of a stew he made from scratch, I was close but not spot on, but both of us agree, this would be a good stew.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup rice, cooked
- 1 can Garbanzo beans, drained, or use dried beans that have been cooked
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1/4 green bell pepper, diced
- 4-8 Bird's Eye Chilis, sliced, with seeds
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Chaat Masala, Indian spice, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, add a splash of olive oil and on medium heat, cook the garlic, then add the chicken until just about done, it will be tender.
- Then add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, add chicken stock as needed to maintain a stew like consistency. Serve.
Notes
The chicken will be 50 Baht or under. All other ingredients minimal. Well under $1 per person per meal.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Dave Williams.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Broccoli & Potato Soup
Sounds like a great soup, a must try.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, roughly diced, skin on
- 1 head large broccoli, roughly chopped, including stem
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, boil potatoes until soft, then add chopped broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes more, there is no need to cook the broccoli until soft. Keep a lid on the pot at all times while boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for a little while.
- Once cooled a bit, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the potatoes and broccoli into your blender. Add some water from the pot. Save the rest of the water in case you need to change the consistency later. The water is also rich in the water soluble vitamins. You can refrigerate the water for several days and use in any recipe that calls for water.
- Blend thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, then blend some more. Add water from the pot to get the smoothness that you desire. Serve with rice crackers or any bread not made with eggs or dairy and you have a great meal.
Notes
Well under $1 per serving.
Chicken, Chicken Blood, and Winter Melon Soup
This is a non-spicy soup made with just 3 major ingredients. Excellent taste. Don't let the ingredients fool you. The chicken blood is congealed, not liquid form, and the vegetable, winter melon, is pronounced fuk.
Ingredients
- 1/2 chicken, chopped into small pieces
- 2-3 cups congealed chicken blood, cut into large cubes
- 2 winter melon, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon powdered chicken stock
- 4-5 shallots, smashed
- 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Chop the half chicken and blood. If you do not have a half chicken, use thighs, legs, breasts, chopped into smaller pieces.
- Peel the winter melon, chop into large pieces, soak in some water for a few minutes then drain. If it has small seeds that is ok, if the seeds are large, remove them.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the smashed scallions and garlic.
- After it is boiling, add chicken pieces and chicken stock powder.
- When cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, add the chicken blood. Continue to boil until the blood is cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
- When the blood is cooked, add the winter melon and reduce heat to a simmer to heat the melon through. When melon is tender, remove from heat and serve with a bowl of rice.
Notes
Chicken would run about 100 to 140 Baht for about 1 kilo of chicken. Blood and melon, very cheap. This is about 70 cents per meal for 6 people, even less for 8 people. Nutritious and healthy.
Provided courtesy of my wife, Rrayada Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Pinto Bean Chili
An easy chili using our Chili Beans recipe listed on this site. The chili beans are the bulk of the recipe, just add ground meat, an onion, tomatoes and chilies. I made this on 1 Aug 2016, excellent, my comments below. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Chili Beans and Sauce, Shortcut
- 750 grams ground beef, OR pork, OR chicken, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped plus juice
- 1-2 Bird's Eye Chilis, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large pot along with the onion, when cooked, drain off fat, not all, just most of it. Add the chili beans, chopped tomatoes, juice from the can, chilies, stir to mix and simmer for about 20 minutes to heat it through.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Or serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, diced onions, sour cream, well, you get the point. Enjoy.
Notes
The chili beans would cost about 65 Baht for 8-10 cups worth, 3-4 cups is minimal. Ground beef would be about 75-100 Baht for 500 grams, pork and chicken would be less. Easily less than $1 per meal for 4 people.
Shortcut: Chili Beans.
Variants: 1. Use a 1 lb 8 oz (680 g) can of ground pork or beef, drained, in place of fresh beef or pork. 2. Use a can of diced tomatoes in place of chopped whole tomatoes.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mushroom Chicken Thigh Soup
This is my recipe and is a variant from the Baked Mushroom Thighs recipe. I like Cream of Mushroom soup, I make it here at the house, it is so easy, takes about 5 minutes and the main ingredient is evaporated milk. Mushrooms go well with chicken. When I was making Baked Mushroom Thighs, I had one thigh left over that could not fit into the baking dish, so I added it to the soup mixture, good move. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 soup can milk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon corn starch, optional, depends if you want a thicker soup
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 handfuls fresh mushrooms, Tesco variety pack is good a good choice
Instructions
- Boil the chicken thighs until cooked through, drain and remove the meat from the bone. Keep the bone and skin for your dog, cube the meat, reserve the water, you just made chicken stock (refrigerate and use in recipes that call for stock or chicken recipes that call for water).
- Pour the soup into a pot. Fill the empty can with milk, and add to the pot along with the parsley and onion powder. Mix well, season with salt and pepper if desired. Add chicken meat and mushrooms. If you want a thicker soup, add the cornstarch before adding the chicken and mushrooms.
- Heat to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer (the soup will thicken if you used cornstarch) and simmer until chicken is heated through and mushrooms are cooked through.
- Serve in a bowl over rice or pasta.
Notes
Chicken is the most expensive part here, chicken thighs run on average, 59 Baht/kilo but are smaller due to being trimmed. Chicken quarters average about 56 Baht/kilo, you would have to buy 8 quarters, probably a kilo and half or so, then cut yourself (very easy), you get larger thighs and you get 8 drumsticks that you can freeze for use in another recipe. I'll say the chicken costs you 150 Baht, half of that is 75 Baht since you have 8 legs to use later. The soup would cost on average 54 Baht for a can, about 18 Baht if you make it yourself. About 129 Baht if using store bought soup, for 4 meals this would be just under $1 per meal, when stretched to 8 meals (easily done with the larger thighs) this comes out to about 50 cents per meal. All other ingredients are minimal cost or already on hand.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
My own recipe.
Chicken, Tomato, and Pea Stew
This is a typical South African kind of stew – nothing fancy at all. It's very cheap to make and is quick and easy. I can't even remember if this is one of my own creations or where I got this recipe from, but it is really very easily adaptable. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 5-6 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 500 grams chicken, boneless and skinless breast or thighs, cubed
- 2 tablespoons ketchup, OR chili garlic suace
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons stew powder, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup frozen peas, OR use peas in pods
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot and fry the onion until soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft and pasty.
- Add the chicken pieces and brown well on all sides then stir in the tomato sauce.
- Add the water and stew powder, stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
- Add the peas, stir well and allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes. Serve with rice.
Notes
Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless will run about 87 Baht per kilo, (about 44 Baht for this recipe), boneless chicken legs/thighs will run about 67 Baht per kilo (about 34 Baht for this recipe), and chicken quarters run about 57 Baht per kilo (buy a kilo of quarters, cut the legs from the thighs, pull off the skin on the thighs and de-bone then cube, save the legs for another recipe, cost for this recipe would be 29 Baht), all other items are minimal cost. Cost is about about $1 for all 4 meals!
This would be another stew that would work well with Straw Mushrooms as well.
Shortcuts: Ketchup, Stew Seasoning.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
South Africa.
Beef & Mushroom Stew
If you like meat and mushrooms, this recipe is for you! Easily done with pork or chicken as well, just use pork or chicken stock powder instead of beef stock powder. Serve with a vegetable and potato on the side, this would be a filling meal.
Ingredients
- 500 grams beef, OR pork or chicken, cubed
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 150 grams fresh mushrooms, whole, Tesco variety packi s a good choice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cube beef stock, OR 1 tablespoon stock powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion and garlic until soft.
- Dust the meat cubes in the flour, salt and pepper and add to the pot and lightly brown.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, stock cube, sage, and thyme and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes, stirring often.
- Sprinkle the chopped parsley over just before serving.
Notes
Beef will run about 200 Baht per kilo, for this recipe, cost is about 100 Baht, all other items are minimal cost. For 6 meals, cost is about 50 cents per person.
If you like mushrooms, add as much as you want, this would be excellent with Straw Mushrooms.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
South Africa.
