Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Steamed Eggs (Rice Cooker)
I found this recipe on a friend's web site and decided to give this a try. I use a small rice cooker (1 liter) with a steamer tray, a steamer basket in a pot works equally as well. The size of the steamer basket, size of the eggs, if eggs are layered, and even elevation will play a role in the time to get perfect hard cooked eggs.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 8-10 eggs, chicken, room temperature
- water, as needed
- ice, as needed
Instructions
- Add about 1 to 1½ inches of water to your rice cooker insert and add the steamer tray and cover, if using a pot with a steamer basket, add the basket then add water to where it just touches the bottom of the steamer basket then cover. Turn the rice cooker to Cook setting and for a pot, turn to medium to high heat. Get the water boiling and making steam.
- Remove the steamer tray and cover the pot, add the eggs to the steamer tray, place tray on the cooker, for a pot, remove from heat, add the eggs then put back on the heat. For a pot, adjust the heat needed to maintain a gentle boil.
- Set your timer for 6 minutes for soft cooked and 10 minutes for hard cooked with a slightly soft yolk center, or 12-15 minutes for fully cooked through yolks. (I used 15 minutes and the eggs were perfect). If you are using two layers of eggs, increase the time by 1 to 2 minutes. (My little rice cooker doing its thing.)
- Place a large bowl in the sink and fill will ice, then fill with water, when the time is up on the eggs, transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon into the ice water, as the ice melts, turn on the tap to keep the water running into the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes to cool the eggs.
- When the eggs are cooled, take each egg and crack all over and return to the water. Once all eggs are cracked, start peeling them under running water, rinse off any shell fragments, place in another bowl, cover, and refrigerate until used.
- I hard cooked 10, previous photo shows 9, here is number 10. I took the ugly egg, the white was broke, and sliced in half, and as you can see, absolutely no green from over cooking. The whites were perfect in taste, not rubbery at all. Yolk was perfect.
Notes
Low cost.
These can be used in any recipe calling for hard or soft boiled eggs.
Rice Pudding
Sounds good, I have not had rice pudding in 12+ years. On my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 2 cups milk, divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2/3 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Add the cooked rice to a saucepan plus 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Stir in remaining milk and raisins, and slowly stir in the egg, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with just a tiny pinch of cinnamon. Can be served warm or cold.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Spinach Rice
This is from a friend and sounds wonderful. I am not a fan of plain white rice, I like seasoned type rice dishes and this one seems to fit the bill perfectly. On my to cook list and I will give more information on quantities used.
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
- 1 egg, chicken or duck, beaten
- 1 cup spinach, cooked and drained
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Place everything in a non stick pan and mix to combine, cook the egg, and heat everything through. Serve as a side.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. Use yellow rice in place of plain white rice.
Recipe and variant provided by a friend, Kela Daigre Gray, and her recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Hamburger Helper Shortcuts
I grew up on Hamburger Helper, and many times the hamburger (hamburger meat for all my friends in the deep south of the US) was substituted with ground venison. My early years in the Navy, my wife and I made Hamburger Helper to stretch those dollars between paydays. This boxed kind basically hamburger, pasta (maybe potatoes), spices, milk, water, load of salt and sugar, and a load of preservatives. So I did a bit of research on the internet and found a site that replicated all of the dishes available. The basic instruction is brown the ground beef and drain, then add in the ingredients for each version you wish then simmer. Enjoy. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
Chili Mac
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 2 1/4 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, diced or stewed
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oinion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, or Monterey Jack
Lasagna
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 2 1/4 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups egg noodles, or broken lasagna noodles
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, diced or stewed
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Parmesan cheese, as desired
Cheesy Beef Taco
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 2 1/4 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, diced or stewed
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Fritos chips
Beef Stroganoff (Featured Image)
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk, or 1/2 cup sour cream + 1 1/2 cups milk, Shortcut
- 1 1/2 cups small egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
Potato Stroganoff
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk, or 1/2 cup sour cream + 1 1/2 cups milk, Shortcut
- 1 1/2 cups potatoes, thinly sliced or diced
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
Salisbury
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups small egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- dash Worcherstershire sauce
Cheesy Italian Shells
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups small shell pasta
- 1 cup canned tomatoes, diced or stewed
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cheesy Jambalaya
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar, or less to taste
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
Chili Mac
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat. (Instead of onion powder and garlic powder, I added a diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic when I browned the beef.)
- Add the remaining items except the cheese.
- Stir together. Let it come to a near boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the macaroni is tender.
- Stir in the cheese and let it melt in.
- Serve and enjoy.
Lasagna
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items except the two cheeses. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the egg noodles or lasagna noodles are tender.
- Stir in the Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on the top. Cover for 5 minutes to let the Mozzarella melt in, serve and enjoy.
Cheesy Beef Taco
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items except the cheese and Fritos. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the rice is tender.
- Stir in 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top then the Fritos, Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Beef Stroganoff (Featured Image)
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items and mix together. (Mushrooms I used were Straw mushrooms, quartered.)
- Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the egg noodles are tender.
- Serve and enjoy.
Potato Stroganoff
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items.
- Stir together and let it come to a near boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve and enjoy.
Salisbury
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the egg noodles are tender. Serve and enjoy.
Cheesy Italian Shells
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items except the cheese. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the pasta shells are tender.
- Stir in the Cheddar cheese and cook for another 5 minutes or so to let the cheese melt in, serve and enjoy.
Cheesy Jambalaya
- In a large non stick pan, brown the ground beef and drain off any fat.
- Add the remaining items except the cheese. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the rice is tender.
- Stir in the Cheddar cheese and cover for another 5 minutes or so to let the cheese melt in, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcuts: Italian Seasoning, Sour Cream.
Notes: 1. If using true Thai chili powder, cut the amount back by 1/3 to 1/2 as it is quite hotter than chili powder in the US. 2. The salt and sugar are OPTIONAL! I have made several of these and you can certainly leave out the sugar. Salt is used in the boxed version of this much the way McDonald's uses salt, sugar is used in the box version much the way cereals in the US are made, to get you to not like the meal, but love the meal, and buy more. When I make these, I do not add sugar, but I do add salt, a touch less than what is stated.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sage Chicken Livers
I made this on 23 May 2018, and was pleasantly surprised, wonderful flavor, so much so, my wife really liked this, as did the rest of the family. Just common chicken livers with some sage which is not a spice used by Thais, but was well liked. Not a pretty dish but tasty.
Ingredients
- 750 grams chicken livers, cut in half, trimmed, (1½ lb)
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1 medium oinion, sliced, separated into rings
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup dry white wine, or chicken stock
Instructions
- Livers prepped with a quick rinse and each cut in half.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan, then add the livers.
- Just cook and turn occasionally with a spatula until mostly cooked, they continue cooking with the next steps, no one likes over cooked livers 🙂
- Add the sliced onion, stir and cook until softened.
- Stir in the sage, salt, and pepper, then stir in the wine or stock and simmer for 5-6 minutes to reduce most of the liquid.
- Serve as is with a side, or over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
Low cost.
Chicken Giblets
A alternative to just plain fried giblets. For this recipe, a mix of hearts and gizzards is fine along with liver if you like, but if using livers, add those later during the cooking as they take less time to cook.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken hearts, or hearts, gizzards, liver or combination, (2 lb)
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- ½ cup white wine, or chicken stock
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil then add the hearts and or gizzards and fry until just browned. If using liver in addition to hearts and or gizzards, add them just when the other items are browning up, this is because the liver cooks faster, and you do not want to over cook the liver.
- When everything is browned, stir in the cumin, clove, paprika, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the onion and garlic, stir that in and fry for 5 minutes.
- Reduce to heat to low and stir in the wine or stock and simmer on low until the giblets are cooked through.
- Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. In place of the white wine or chicken stock, use an equal amount of heavy cream.
Fresh Broccoli (Pressure Cooker)
In keeping with using my stove top pressure cooker often, another side dish this time for broccoli. This will use the steamer tray for your pressure cooker. Follow your pressure cooker manufacturers safety instructions.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- fresh broccoli, cut in pieces, plus stem, amount is up to you
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place your steamer tray in your pressure cooker, pour in the water and add the broccoli onto the tray.
- Close the lid and bring to high pressure, when the jiggler starts moving and venting pressure, start your timer for 1 minute. When 1 minute has passed, turn off the heat and move the cooker to an unused burner to relieve pressure naturally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- When the lid lock drops indicating no pressure inside, pull off the jiggler, and open the pot, use tongs and remove the broccoli. Serve as a side dish and enjoy.
Egg Salad on Saltines
This is from a good friend, and is so simple, it is brilliant. You need 3 items, egg salad of your choosing, saltine crackers, and cherry tomatoes. I normally make a sandwich from egg salad and serve deviled eggs as appetizers, this simplifies the appetizer problem to a lighter and less filling appetizer (or you could be like me and make a bunch of these and call it a meal). No quantities or servings stated as this is a make what you need recipe, more of a guide than a recipe really. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- egg salad, your preference or from my Shortcut
- saltine crackers, as needed
- cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, up to you
Instructions
- Prepare your own favorite egg salad or prepare from my shortcut, I have several that would work really well and expand your ex salad experience (listed below), or your choice to use a store bought egg salad.
- Place a good spoonful of chilled egg salad on a saltine cracker, stick half or quarter of a cherry tomato in the egg salad. Arrange on a tray, serve as an appetizer.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcuts: Basic Egg Salad, Egg Salad with Capers & Dill, Mushroom & Egg Salad, Mediterranean Egg Salad.
Variants: 1. For the Basic Egg Salad, add half of a pickle slice instead of the tomato. 2. For the Egg salad with capers and dill, add a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill and a half of pickle slice. 3. For the Mediterranean Egg Salad, use the tomato half or quarter and some fresh dill.
Inspired by a good friend, Kristi Fancher Brown.
Unites States.
Unites States.
Chicken Hearts with Onions & Mushrooms
Sounds like an excellent dish, I look forward to making this and testing it out.
Ingredients
- 750 grams chicken hearts, tops trimmed, sliced in half, (1½ lb)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¾ cup onions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh mushroom, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
- 1¾ cups chicken broth, fresh or from powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- steamed rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the ½ cup oil and heat over medium heat, when hot, slowly whisk in the flour and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the roux is light to medium brown then turn off the heat.
- In a large non stick pan, add the 1 tablespoon of oil, when hot, add the onion and mushrooms, saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the hearts and ½ teaspoon of the garlic salt, stir together and saute for 3 more minutes.
- Now stir in the broth, then add the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, black pepper, and oregano. Stir in the roux you made previously. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over steamed rice.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Chicken Liver Stroganoff
I added this recipe on 23 Mar 2018 and made it the same evening. It goes together quickly and is delicious, very well liked by the family.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken liver, (1 lb)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, divided or as needed
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1½ cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce, or fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce, optional
- 1 pinch dried thyme
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the livers by rinsing them, cut in half, remove any tough membranes, dry them on paper towels. Sprinkle the liver with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently mix them to coat, use more flour as needed.
- Heat a large non stick pan with the butter and saute the onion until soft, then add the livers. Saute the livers for about 3 minutes and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, oyster or fish sauce, chili sauce, thyme, and black pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- Mix together the cream and 1 tablespoon of flour, stir into the liver mixture and bring to just before boiling.
- Remove from heat, serve and top with some chopped parsley. Here I served it with fresh made spatzle.
Notes
Low cost.
Variants: 1. If using Straw mushrooms (highly recommended), slice into quarters lengthwise. 2. Use just chicken hearts, halved, or a combination of hearts and livers.