Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Island Grilled Ham & Cheese
July 8, 2017 Lee
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Island Grilled Ham & Cheese

Sound very good, on my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 sandwich

Ingredients
  

  • 2 slices rye bread
  • Cream cheese, room temp so you can spread it
  • 1-2 slices fresh pineapple, sliced thin
  • 4 slices ham, thin sliced
  • butter, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Butter 1 slice of bread and place in cold skillet butter side down. Spread cream cheese on bread in skillet. Arrange pineapple on cream cheese, using enough to cover. Layer ham slices on top. Top with other slice of bread and butter the outside of that slice.
  • Heat the skillet and cook until the bottom bread is toasted, flip and toast the other side. Serve.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Rye Bread (Bread Machine).
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwich
July 7, 2017 Lee
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Grilled Cheese & Tomato Sandwich

Delicious, all I can say. This is how I will make grilled cheese sandwiches from now on. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 sandwich

Ingredients
  

  • 2 slices bread, of your choice
  • 2-3 slices tomato, enough to cover the bread
  • 2 slices Provolone cheese, or Swiss cheese
  • mayo, as needed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • pinch Italian seasoning, (Shortcut)
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • butter, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Spread both slices of bread with a light layer of mayo. This is for the inside of the sandwich.
  • Put slice of cheese on one piece of bread, add tomato slices, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cover tomato slices with other slice of cheese, then cover with other piece of bread mayo side down. (I use block cheese so I slice myself, hence the slices are smaller.)
  • Heat a skillet on medium heat with butter and garlic powder. Spread butter on the top slice of bread. Place sandwich in the skillet, buttered bread facing up.
  • Cook until golden brown, flip and cook the other side, serve.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Italian Seasoning.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Diner Grilled Cheese
July 7, 2017 Lee
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Diner Grilled Cheese

This used to be the common practice in the US, not sure if diners still do this.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 sandwich

Ingredients
  

  • 2 slices sandwich bread, of your choice
  • 1 slice Cheddar cheese, or slices from a block to cover the bread
  • mayo, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Heat a small skillet to medium heat.
  • Use mayo on the bread like you would butter. Spread mayo on two slices of sandwich bread, place first slice mayo side down in the pan, place the cheese on top of that, place other slice of bread on top, mayo side up.
  • Cook for just a few minutes until gold brown, flip, cook the other side until golden brown, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost. Keep in mind, this calls for mayo, not Miracle Whip or fat free mayo, just mayo.
Variants: 1. Add some grated Parmesan cheese to a small amount of mayo and use that. 2. Use Gouda (my preference) or any sliced cheese of your choice. 3. Add a slice of ham or smoked ham. 4. Use two slices of cheese and one slice of ham, with the ham in the middle.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Pizza Grilled Cheese
July 7, 2017 Lee
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Pizza Grilled Cheese

Sounds good to me! On my to cook list. This is a Leftover recipe as well from making pizzas, using toppings as you would on a pizza, but keep in mind, you will have to flip this so use only 2-3 toppings.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1 sandwich

Ingredients
  

  • 2 slices Mozzarella Cheese, or slices from a block to cover the bread
  • tomato sauce, leftover
  • 4 slices Pepperoni, leftover
  • mushrooms, leftover, sliced
  • black olives, leftover, sliced
  • 2 slices bread, of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Butter the bread like you would to make a normal grilled cheese.
  • Put a piece of cheese on the butter side down piece of bread. Spread some pasta sauce on the piece of cheese. Add the pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives, or use what ever pizza toppings you like but keep it to 2-3 items. Add another piece of cheese on top of the toppings. Butter the other piece of bread and put it butter side up on top.
  • Cook in a hot skillet until golden brown on each side. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES
Chinese Steamed Chicken
July 7, 2017 Lee
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Chinese Steamed Chicken

This recipe for Chinese Steamed Chicken is from China Sichuan Food.
Sounds very good. If you have a steamer basket for your rice, perfect, use that, or use any steaming method you prefer. On my to cook list for sure.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 half chicken, see Step 1
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, cut into long thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon spring onion, cut in half lengthwise

For Marinating

  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine, or white wine
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Dipping Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon spring onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Instructions
 

  • For the chicken you can use half a chicken or chickens parts to your liking, I will use legs and thighs when I make this. You would want about 500-750 grams (about 1-1½ lb) of chicken.
  • Clean the chicken and then spread the marinating sauce evenly on both sides. Lay ginger shreds and green onion shreds over to marinate at least 30 minutes.
  • Then place in your steamer. I am going to use my rice cooker steamer tray. If you are using a steamer with wok or pot, steam with high heat for around 20 to 30 minutes until soft (or you can easily insert a chop sticker in). Transfer out and cut into chunks of your favorite size. Sprinkle with spring onion.
  • While the chicken is steaming, prepare the dipping sauce. In a small sauce pan, heat up 1 tablespoon sesame oil and stir fry chopped garlic and spring onion until aromatic. Then add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Transfer to dipping bowls and cool down a little bit. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce and rice on the side.

Notes

If using 500 grams of quarters (separated before or after steaming), this would cost 37 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about 54 cents per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: CHINESE,Chicken - Rice Cooker
Chicken Rice (Rice Cooker)
July 5, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Chicken Rice

From a recipe on a spice packet.
This is another recipe made from a Lobo brand seasoning packet, but is also includes the soup and dipping sauce. Keep in mind, this is a low cost and no frills meal, this is normally sold at street stalls for 30 Baht/serving. This is not gourmet or anything special to look at.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients
  

For the Rice & Chicken

  • 250-300 grams chicken breasts, or thighs, 1 large breast, or 2 thighs
  • 200 grams dry white rice, (7 oz)
  • 1 packet Chicken Rice Set, Lobo brand, seasoning sauce pouch

For the Soup

  • 1 pouch soup mix, from the Chicken Rice Set packet
  • 1¾ cups hot water

For the Dipping Sauce

  • 1 pouch dipping sauce, from the Chicken Rice Set packet

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the chicken breast (skin on) or thighs, 1 breast or about 2 thighs, bone in, skin on is perfect.
  • Rinse the rice and place into your rice cooker pot. Add the correct amount of water you use, then add the seasoning pouch from the Chicken Rice Set packet, mix well, then place the chicken on top.
  • Turn on the rice cooker to Cook and let cook through until it switches to warm.
  • About 15 minutes into cooking for the rice and chicken, prepare the soup. Mix the soup pouch with 1¾ cups hot water.
  • Once the rice cooker switches to Warm, let it stay on warm for 15 minutes, then open the Dipping Sauce pouch and pour into two small serving dishes.
  • Spoon rice onto two dishes, slice the chicken breasts on a cutting board, then pick up the slices at one time and place on or next to the rice, or if using thighs, just place two thighs on or next to the rice, serve with the soup and dipping sauce.

Notes

The seasoning packet set costs 28 Baht. 300 grams of chicken, we'll use breasts, this is about 30 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about 90 cents per serving, good value and you have everything mixed and ready for you.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,Chicken - Rice Cooker
Chicken & Daikon Soup (Rice Cooker)
July 5, 2017 Lee
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Chicken & Daikon Soup (Rice Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sounds very good, for this soup, you will need at least a 2 liter rice cooker as it is written, or reduce quantities to use a smaller rice cooker. A basic cook/warm rice cooker is perfect.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into large chunks, (1 lb)
  • 1 liter water, (1 quart)
  • 5 slices fresh ginger
  • 1 daikon, (white radish) about 300 grams, cut into large chunks
  • 8 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
  • 1 tablespoon dried Goji berries, soaked in water until puffy
  • 3 dried scallops, optional
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add some water (not the 1 liter stated in the ingredients) to the rice cooker pot, set to Cook. When the water boils, add chicken for 5-8 minutes with the rice cooker covered, remove the blanched chicken and set aside and discard the the water.
  • Now add the 1 liter of water to the rice cooker pot. Cover and set to Cook. When the water boils, add chicken, daikon, mushrooms, dried scallops, and ginger. Cover the rice cooker and return to a boil. Leave the soup in the Cook mode for about 45 minutes.
  • Switch the rice cooker to Warm and allow to simmer for at least another 1 to 2 hours. 15 to 30 minutes before serving the soup, add the soaked Goji berries. Add salt to taste.

Notes

Chicken thighs will cost about 37 Baht/500 grams, and you will bone them and chop. For 2 servings this is about 54 cents per serving. Dried scallops and goji berries are available through Lazada.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Rice Cooker
Ginger Chicken & Rice (Rice Cooker)
July 5, 2017 Lee
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Ginger Chicken & Rice (Rice Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sounds excellent, tasty, and easy. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • 1 cup dry rice, rinsed
  • 500 grams chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 3 cups baby spinach, packed
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water.
  • In a rice cooker, combine the rice with the chicken and ginger. Arrange the spinach on top. Pour the coconut milk and bouillon broth into the cooker and season lightly with salt.
  • Turn the cooker on; the dish should be done in about 40 minutes (when the cooker turns to warm). Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, spoon into bowls and serve.

Notes

Chicken thighs will cost about 37 Baht/500 grams, and you will bone them and chop. For 4 servings this is about 27 cents per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Rice Cooker
Liver & Onions
July 4, 2017 Lee
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Liver & Onions

Basic liver and onions, a satisfying meal, this can be beef or pork liver. Easy available ingredients. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams beef liver, sliced, or pork liver
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • all purpose flour, for dredging
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup beef broth, fresh or from powder

Instructions
 

  • Place enough flour in a large bowl to coat the liver. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice liver and dredge in seasoned flour.
  • Place olive oil in a large skillet and brown both sides of the liver over medium high heat.
  • Place sliced onions in the skillet with the liver and pour beef broth on top of liver and onions.
  • Cover and simmer on low until onions are tender and broth forms a nice gravy.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

Notes

I cannot price this until I buy beef liver again, this should be low cost though.
Variants: Add sliced mushrooms when you add the onions. If the gravy is minimal, stir in some milk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF
Chicken Hearts & Livers
July 3, 2017 Lee
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Chicken Hearts & Livers

Lee
This is a leftover meal, meaning leftover chicken hearts, livers, potatoes, and any sides from other meals. Low cost and cleans out the fridge or freezer. My wife makes several Thai dishes from chicken hearts and livers, she was kind enough to leave me a few to make a leftover dish, and I had the boiled potatoes and carrot on hand as well, leftover from a previous meal.
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • chicken hearts
  • chicken livers
  • boiled potatoes
  • carrots, sliced
  • ½ can evaperated milk

Instructions
 

  • Heat the potato and carrots or vegetables of your choice (or leftovers) in a pot of simmering water or steam them.
  • While the vegetables are heating, in a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil, when hot, add the hearts and livers, mix them and make sure they are cooked through.
  • When just cooked through, add the evaporated milk and simmer until you get a slight thickening.
  • Spoon the gravy over boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even pasta,

Notes

Low cost as everything was bought for other dishes.
Variant: 1. Use any leftover vegetable for the side dish.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Chicken - Giblets,LEFTOVERS