Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Slow Cooker Sausage & Potatoes II
Potatoes and sausage, not only does this sound good, it is delicious! Use any sausage you like, use any potatoes you like. I made this on 7 May 2022 and was very well liked by the family! For this dish I use my large 6 quart slow cooker. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (6+ quart)
Ingredients
- 1 kilo sausage links, cut into 1 inch pieces, (2 lb)
- 1 kilo potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces, (2 lb)
- black pepper, as desired
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6-12 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, Shortcut
- ¾ cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- hot cooked spaghetti, for serving, optional
- 1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped, optional
Instructions
- Lightly oil or butter your slow cooker insert. Add the potatoes and spread out to make an even layer. Season with black pepper as desired. Optionally, you can add 1-2 chopped carrots along with the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the onions and garlic, over the potatoes.
- For those in Thailand, I use BMP brand, Combination Sausage Scrap, which I get Makro. It is three types of sausage and is good quality.
- Add the sausage in the final layer.
- In a mixing bowl, add the soup, broth, Worcestershire sauce and mix together. Pour the mixture over the sausage.
- Cover and cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours. Checking the tenderness of the potatoes at 6 hours, and continue cooking if needed for tender potatoes.
- Serve and enjoy.
- As a variant, serve with cooked spaghetti. This was requested by a niece living with us, and I must say, it is a great addition.
Notes
Figure about 150 Baht for good sausage. For 8 servings, this is about 50 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
Variants: 1. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti (highly recommended). 2. Add 1-2 chopped carrots.
Updated on 21 June 2022.
Mie Goreng
This is an Asian dish, a mix of Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean, as they all make very similar dishes. Vermicelli noodles topped with an egg, sounds good! On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 200 grams vermicilli noodles, (7 oz)
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Bird's Eye Chili, minced
- 3 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 bunch bok choy, sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Soak vermicelli noodles in cold water for a minimum 20 minutes.
- Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a wok on medium-high heat and sauté the garlic, chili and ginger until aromatic. Stir in the bok choy for 1 minute before adding the noodles and the soy sauce. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until noodles are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat.
- In small frying pan, or in an open space in the same wok, add the remaining oil and fry the eggs sunny side up.
- To serve, portion noodles into a bowl and top with a sunny side up egg. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Beet Salad I
I love fresh cooked beets and pickled beets, and now I am going to have to test out this recipe. Beets are available and grown here in Thailand which makes this a low cost side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo fresh beets, boiled, cooled, peeled
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
Instructions
- Whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- Cut the beets into 1/2 cubes and place in a large bowl. Add celery, red onion, and the dressing, toss to coat. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Old Fashioned Chicken Wings
Not 'old fashioned' like regular wings, the sauce here is based on the cocktail, Old Fashioned. Sounds like a great sauce for chicken wings. Serve as an appetizer or a main dish with sides such as coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 1 kilo chicken wings, drumettes and or middle pieces
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup cherry juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ounces bourbon
- dash bitters
- salt and pepper, to taste
- orange zest, to taste
Instructions
For the Wings
- Preheat oven to 220 C. Prepare a parchment lined or foil lined baking tray with a baking rack on top.
- Use paper towels to thoroughly pat dry the chickens wings. In a bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add chicken wings and fully coat with the mixture.
- Place wings across the baking rack, without overlapping. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over the wings, and bake again for another 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and golden.
For the Sauce
- In a pan, combine all ingredients except orange zest. Reduce on medium heat until thickened. Toss with wings. Top with orange zest.
Notes
Wing prices can vary from 90 Baht/kilo for whole wings, 80 Baht/kilo for drumettes, and 125 Baht/kilo for middle wing sections. I like the drumettes as they have more meat on them, I will price this on 80 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about $1.17. I would assume this could be 4 servings if served with a side of slaw and some corn on the cob, for about 59 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Mojito Chicken Wings
Sounds like a great sauce for chicken wings. Serve as an appetizer or a main dish with sides such as coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 1 kilo chicken wings, drumettes and or middle pieces
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 shot rum
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh mint, chopped, to taste
- lime wedges, as needed
Instructions
For the Wings
- Preheat oven to 220 C. Prepare a parchment lined or foil lined baking tray with a baking rack on top.
- Use paper towels to thoroughly pat dry the chickens wings. In a bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add chicken wings and fully coat with the mixture.
- Place wings across the baking rack, without overlapping. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over the wings, and bake again for another 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and golden.
For the Sauce
- In a pan, combine all ingredients except mint. Reduce on medium heat until thickened. Toss with wings. Top with mint and lime wedges.
Notes
Wing prices can vary from 90 Baht/kilo for whole wings, 80 Baht/kilo for drumettes, and 125 Baht/kilo for middle wing sections. I like the drumettes as they have more meat on them, I will price this on 80 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about $1.17. I would assume this could be 4 servings if served with a side of slaw and some corn on the cob, for about 59 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Bloody Mary Chicken Wings
Sounds like a great sauce for chicken wings. Serve as an appetizer or a main dish with sides such as coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 1 kilo chicken wings, drumettes and or middle pieces
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup tomato juice
- 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 shot vodka
- hot sauce, to taste
- juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- celery salt, to taste
Instructions
For the Wings
- Preheat oven to 220 C. Prepare a parchment lined or foil lined baking tray with a baking rack on top.
- Use paper towels to thoroughly pat dry the chickens wings. In a bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add chicken wings and fully coat with the mixture.
- Place wings across the baking rack, without overlapping. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over the wings, and bake again for another 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and golden.
For the Sauce
- In a pan, combine all ingredients except celery salt. Stir and reduce on medium heat until thickened. Toss with wings. Top with celery salt.
Notes
Wing prices can vary from 90 Baht/kilo for whole wings, 80 Baht/kilo for drumettes, and 125 Baht/kilo for middle wing sections. I like the drumettes as they have more meat on them, I will price this on 80 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about $1.17. I would assume this could be 4 servings if served with a side of slaw and some corn on the cob, for about 59 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Potato Casserole I
This is a classic casserole that you dress up with spices, herbs and additional fillings of your choice.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 500 grams ground beef
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 4-5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 C. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter.
- Heat olive oil in heavy skillet and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add ground beef and paprika, cook until beef is browned. Remove from heat, drain fat, and set aside.
- Layer half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Top the potatoes with the ground beef. Layer remaining potatoes over beef, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Whisk together the milk and eggs until fully combined. Pour the mixture into dish to cover potatoes, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove foil and continue to bake until top is brown and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, serve.
Notes
The beef will cost about 100 Baht/500 grams, for 8 servings this is about 37 cents per serving.
Variants: Add leftover cooked chopped vegetables, add shredded cheese.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
New Mexico Tamale Casserole
This sounds really good! If you live in a place where there is no New Mexico green or red chilies, use any large green and red chilies that have been roasted, peeled, and chopped.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal, plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted, chopped
- 1 cup New Mexico green chilies, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 1 cup New Mexico red chilies, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 1 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 500 grams ground beef
- 125 grams ground pork
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Fry ground beef and pork in a medium-sized skillet at medium heat until beef is browned. Add onion and garlic to meat mixture and cook until onion is tender. Drain.
- To the meat, add tomatoes, olives, green chile, salt, and pepper and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Water may be added to the mixture if a thinner consistency is desired.
- While that is simmering, preheat your oven to 180 C and grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
- Add 1/4 cup of cheese and the 2 tablespoons of cornmeal to the meat mixture, cook for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and set mixture aside.
- Place remaining 1 cup of cornmeal and 2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan. Cook cornmeal, stirring occasionally, until cornmeal is thick.
- Spread half of cornmeal mixture in bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Place meat mixture over top of cornmeal and spread remaining half of cornmeal over top of filling. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes, serve.
Notes
For the beef, figure about 100 Baht/500 grams. For the cheese, go with 180 Baht for a block of 250 grams and shred that. For 10 servings, this is about 82 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Jerry Juliana.
United States.
United States.
Thai Chicken Meatball Curry with Coconut Rice
Meatballs in curry, getting hungry now. This sounds like a great dish. You need curry paste for this, not curry powder.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 500 grams ground chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- zest from 1 lime
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Curry
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 Bird's Eye Chili, seeded and sliced
- juice from 1 lime
- snow peas, amount is up to you
- baby corn, halved, amount is up to you
For the Coconut Rice
- 1 recipe coconut rice, Shortcut in Recipe Notes
Instructions
- Combine the Meatball Ingredients. With wet hands (this helps to keep the chicken from sticking to your hands) form golf-ball sized meatballs. Place the meatballs on a tray lined with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Heat a large frying pan and fry the meatballs in a neutral oil, I would use rice bran or coconut oil, until they are browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil, and add the carrots and curry paste to the pan, cooking until the curry is slightly toasted. Add the garlic, fry for 10 seconds then add the coconut milk and chicken stock. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and Thai chili and whisk to combine.
- Add the meatballs back into the pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the snow peas and baby corn. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Serve the curry over coconut rice or in a lettuce cup. Garnish with sliced chilies, chopped cilantro, Thai basil, chopped peanuts and a lime wedge.
Notes
The chicken will cost about 75 Baht, if grinding yourself, go with a mixture of breasts and thighs. For 4 servings, this is about 55 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Coconut Rice.
Variants: If I was a betting man, I would say Beef or Pork Meatballs could be used as well. Now if you use curry powder instead of curry paste, you will change up the overall taste and make it more of an Indian dish.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
Sounds good, shrimp and peppers together is a good combination. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 750 grams shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed, (1½ lb)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, halved, thinly sliced
- 2 Bird's Eye Chilis, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper
For Serving
- 8-10 flour tortillas, toasted
Optional Items as Desired
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- guacamole
- salsa, Shortcut
- sour cream, Shortcut
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 230° C (450° F), and prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the Main Ingredients until vegetables and shrimp are evenly coated.
- Evenly disperse the seasoned shrimp and vegetable mixture on the prepared sheet tray and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the shrimp is pink and firm and the vegetables begin to get a nice char.
- Toast the tortillas over an open flame until charred on the edges, and serve everything on the sheet tray. Serve with desired optional toppings.
Notes
Go with medium white shrimp for 1bout 150 Baht/750 grams. For 8 servings, this is about 60 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Salsa, Sour Cream.