Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Creamy Dill Pickle Chicken with Bacon
October 13, 2016 Lee
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Creamy Dill Pickle Chicken with Bacon

Creamy chicken sounds great, with the chopped dill pickles, this sounds very interesting! On my to cook list. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil, as needed
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 500 grams chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 60 grams Cream cheese, softened, this is about 1/4 of a standard block of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup dill pickle, chopped, plus more to serve, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • scallions, OR spring onions, chopped, for garnish
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a non-stick pan heat a splash of olive oil and cook the bacon until it is almost crisp, remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Add more olive oil if no bacon remains, heat and add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through.
  • Add the stock and once it simmers, add the cream cheese and break that up with your spatula. When the cream cheese is melted into the liquid, add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine into the sauce, cook for several minutes to thicken the sauce and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  • When the sauce has thicken, mix in the bacon and pickle and server over mashed potatoes or rice. Garnish some scallion and pickle slices if desired.

Notes

Chicken thighs will cost about 35 Baht/500 grams, you can bone and skin these yourself. The cheese needed for this is minimal so I will estimate about 50 Baht for the cheese needed. For 4 servings, this is about 63 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Shortcuts: Dill Pickles, Sour Cream.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY
Chicken Giblets & Basil
October 13, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Chicken Giblets & Basil

Rrayada Thayer, Thailand.
Giblets are the hearts, livers, and gizzards, even Thais refer to all these items sold together as giblets. This is how simple a Thai dish can be, and can be made to any degree of heat you like, my wife made this yesterday and she likes it on the spicy side. Minimal ingredients and takes just a few minutes to prepare.
4 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken liver, heart and gizzards, (1 lb)
  • 40-60 Bird's Eye Chilis
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2-3 handfuls basil, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
  • salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a heavy mortar, grind up the chilies and garlic. Clean the chicken by removing the fat from the hearts and livers, cut the livers into 2-4 pieces. If the gizzards are fresh, clean the gizzards by splitting nearly in half and removing the lining, then chop each gizzard into smaller than bite size pieces.
  • In a large non-stick pan, heat cooking oil of your choice, when hot, add the livers, hearts, and gizzards, and the chili and garlic paste from the mortar, and just a small amount of water, cook until the liver is no longer pink inside. While cooking, sprinkle in the chicken stock powder and stir that in. Stir the giblets occasionally. When the liver is cooked through, add the basil and stir that in until it wilts. Serve with rice.

Notes

If you buy the giblets at say Tesco, the cost is about 70 Baht/500 grams. If bought from a local chicken farmer, you can probably get these for about 40-50 Baht/500 grams. The basil and chilies are free from our yard. For 6 servings (based on store bought giblets), this is about 35 cents per serving, even less for 8 servings. Excellent value per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,Chicken - Giblets
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
October 11, 2016 Lee
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Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

Holly - Spend with Pennies.
This is a recipe that screams for the use of a slow cooker. As the author of this recipe stated, slow cookers can maintain a very low temp, much lower than a hob can maintain, so this will simmer for 6 hours and the flavors will blend perfectly and the beef will be tender. For this recipe, it involves some work on the hob first, then the slow cooker takes over. This feeds a crowd, perfect for visiting friends or family. On my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil, as needed
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 kilo ground beef, for this recipe, I do not recommend pork, (2 lb)
  • ½ cup beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved, (565 g / 20 oz each)
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons beef stock powder
  • 2 tablespoons Worcherstershire sauce
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 500 grams spaghetti, (1 lb)

Instructions
 

  • In a large non-stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Place this in your slow cooker. Add another slash of olive oil in the same pan. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, add the ground beef to the slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT THE SPAGHETTI, to the slow cooker and give that a mix. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours.
  • For the spaghetti, you can do this two different ways.
  • 1st Way. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Reserve about 2 cups of water from the pasta pot and set aside, drain the rest and return the pasta to the pot and add sauce, about 4-6 cups and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, gently mix over medium heat for a few minutes and the sauce will thicken and coats the pasta, serve.
  • 2nd Way. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain and plate a serving of pasta and top with sauce, serve.

Notes

The ground beef, or beef in general is costly. Depending on your location, you may be able to get ground beef and will pay top dollar for it. Getting large cuts of beef and grinding (or chopping) yourself is preferred and most cost effective. For ground beef, I will go with about 200 Baht/kilo. For 8 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Pasta - Slow Cooker
Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
October 11, 2016 Lee
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Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

This sounds really good, and the slow cooker does all the work for you. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1 1/2 kilos pork tenderloin
  • 1 cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 tablespoon Worcherstershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, OR go with 1-2 Thai chilies, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Instructions
 

  • Place the pork tenderloin into your slow cooker. In a bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours.
  • Once pork tenderloin has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs and a slotted spoon on to a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of gravy over pork tenderloin. Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable for a complete and easy meal.

Notes

Pork tenderloin will run about 148 Baht/kilo. Using just 1 kilo of tenderloin, for 6 servings, this is about 73 cents per serving, very reasonable cost, even with potatoes and a vegetable, this is still below $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Balsamic Vinegar Substitute.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Pork - Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Potato Soup I
October 8, 2016 Lee
1 Comment

Slow Cooker Potato Soup I

Without using any cream this is a creamy and thick soup, and is delicious!. I made this on 23 Sep 2017 and wow is it good, enjoyed by the Thai family as well with thumbs up from the entire family. Made as written but I did forget the yogurt part so I have changed that to optional as it was not noticed or missed.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 slices bacon, cooked and chopped, divided
  • 3-4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • 1 kilo potatoes, diced, peeled or unpeeled is up to you
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons bacon fat, OR butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 can evaporated milk, 1 1/2 cups is using a large container
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, optional
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • For the bacon, I just cut a package in half, chopped that and fried until good and crispy in a small pan. Add the bacon to your slow cooker, just set the pan aside as you will use that in about 6 hours or so.
  • Bacon and onion added to the slow cooker.
  • Add the 3 cups chicken stock, and potatoes to your slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or on High setting for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through. Once cooked, chop and fry up the other half package of bacon and add that to slow cooker and stir to combine. (Photo shows right when the slow cooker was started.)
  • Once the soup has slow cooked and is about ready to serve, heat the bacon fat, or butter, in the same pan used as the crisping the bacon, on the stove over medium-high heat until it has melted. Whisk in the flour until it is completely combined, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually add in the evaporated milk while whisking it together with the flour mixture, and continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth. Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then it should get really thick.
  • Immediately pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker with the potatoes, and stir until combined. Add in the cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper, and stir until combined. If you would like the soup to be even thicker, you can use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash about half of the potatoes (while the soup is still in the slow cooker) to thicken the soup up. If you would like the soup to be thinner, add in an extra 1-2 cups of warmed chicken or vegetable stock. Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve as is or with cheese, sliced spring onions, cooked bacon, sour cream, etc.

Notes

You can get bacon as low as 70 Baht/180 grams but averages 150 Baht/180 grams, easily 12 slices. For 8-10 servings, using 150 Baht, you are looking at 56 cents per serving, even less for more servings.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Soups, Stews, Chili - Slow Cooker
Smoked Sausage with Potatoes & Green Beans
October 7, 2016 Lee
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Smoked Sausage with Potatoes & Green Beans

The is an old school baked dish to use vegetables from the garden and some sausage from the market. This could be a new regular dish here after I try this version. This is a straightforward recipe. We know the green beans as yard beans.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams smoked sausage, sliced
  • 500 grams potatoes, washed, skin on, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 350 grams yard beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 220 C. Get out a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, add all ingredients and toss to coat. Pour this into the baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or more until the potatoes are tender. Serve.

Notes

Figure about 150 Baht for the smoked sausage from Makro. For 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving, good value.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Pork - Sausage
Chinese Five Spice Chicken
October 5, 2016 Lee
3 Comments

Chinese Five Spice Chicken

I love Chinese Five Spice Chicken, and oddly, I like the eggs the best. Anytime I transit to Phuket and back home, the van stops at a roadside kitchen, I always get a couple of the eggs to eat as a snack. This is not a secret recipe or an internet recipe, this is from the pack of spice you can buy in every town. The Lobo brand of spices have instructions in Thai and English on every spice packet I have used from them. I made this on 16 May 2017 to get step by step photos, and it is wonderful as always, my comments below.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 11 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken wings
  • 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon 5 Spice Powder, rounded tablespoon
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons black soy sauce
  • 3 cups water
  • olive oil, as needed
  • 1 package bean curd, this is tofu, amount is up to you, cut in 1 inch peices, optional

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your chicken wings by separating the drumette from the middle middle piece and the wing tip. Put the drumettes and middle sections in a large bowl, keep the wing tips for your dog. Or just buy middle sections or drumettes. Take the wing tips and boil them in some water to make a quick stock, and then give the wing tips to your dog, they will appreciate that. This is the spice packet I use, good brand.
  • In the bowl for the drumettes and middle sections, add the 5 Spice Powder. Rub that in with your fingers until they are all coated. This is easy, use one hand to mix the wings and the the other to sprinkle in the spice powder, they will all coat as you can see.
  • In a wok or large non-stick pan, heat a splash of olive oil then add the garlic, when the garlic is browned and the chicken, fry for a few minutes turning a few times. You are browning them, not needing to cook through.
  • Add the water, sugar, salt, light and black soy sauces, eggs, and bean curd, cover and simmer for an hour.
  • This photo was at the 1 hour mark, and some chicken and eggs already removed to a serving bowl. The longer the eggs sit in the liquid the darker color they develop.
  • Served. Spoon the broth over rice, delicious.

Notes

Chicken wing prices can vary depending on what you buy. Whole wings would be 45 Baht/500 grams. Wing stick (drummettes) is about 33 Baht/500 grams, and the middle section, the part with the 2 bones, is about 60 Baht/500 grams. Go with drummettes for 33 Baht, for 4 servings, this is about 25 cents per serving. Very cost effective.
From a recipe on a spice packet.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: THAI,CHICKEN & TURKEY,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Kottbullar)
October 2, 2016 Lee
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Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Kottbullar)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I love Swedish Meatballs, and have had the honor and pleasure to have them made by a Swedish lady about 7-8 years ago, had not had them since, I need to change that. I have contacted several Swedish friends and I am always pointed to this recipe to use. So here it is and I look forward to making this and reporting my findings. The spices stated are important. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Swedish
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs

  • 2 slices day old bread, crumbled
  • ½ cup heavy cream, Shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 300 grams ground beef, (10 oz)
  • 150 grams minced pork, (5 oz)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • â…› teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder

For the Gravy

  • pan drippings
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour, or as needed
  • 2 cups beef stock, or as needed
  • 100-220 grams sour cream, to taste, (3½-7 oz)
  • salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a large baking dish.
  • Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl, and mix in the cream. Allow to stand until crumbs absorb the cream, about 10 minutes. While the bread is soaking, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until it turns light brown, about 10 minutes. Place onion into a mixing bowl; mix with the ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Lightly mix in the bread crumbs and cream.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1½ tablespoon of the meat mixture per meatball, and form into balls. Place the meatballs into the skillet, and cook just until the outsides are brown, about 5 minutes, turning the meatballs often. Insides of the meatballs will still be pink. Place browned meatballs into a baking dish, pour in chicken broth, and cover with foil. Bake until the meatballs are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meatballs to a serving dish.
  • To make the gravy, pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the pan drippings until smooth, and gradually whisk in enough beef broth to total about 2½ cups of liquid. Bring the gravy to a simmer, whisking constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, whisk in the sour cream, taste so you do not over do the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  • Serve the gravy with the meatballs and mashed potatoes or boiled macaroni.

Notes

Figure about 150 Baht for the beef and pork. For 6 servings this is about 75 cents per serving. You can keep the meatballs and gravy warm in a slow cooker.
Shortcut: Heavy Cream.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: SWEDISH,MEATBALLS
Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs
September 30, 2016 Lee
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Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs

These sound very good, feel free to use ground beef, ground pork, bulk Italian sausage, or even ground chicken. Several shortcuts here to cuts costs as well. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR bulk Italian sausage, OR ground chicken
  • 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 cups tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with juice from one can
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • In your slow cooker pot, add the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, and dried oregano. Mix this up a bit.
  • In a large bowl mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, fresh parsley, garlic, onion, and egg together. Form into 16-20 meatballs. Place meatballs in the slow cooker and gently stir to coat them all in the sauce. Cook on High setting for 1 hour, then change to Low setting for another 3-4 hours. IMPORTANT, every few hours, use a spoon and skim the fat off the top of the sauce. Serve over pasta of your choice.

Notes

The ground beef will cost about 200-250 Baht/kilo. Figuring 200 Baht, for 16 servings (I think this is quite high and I will adjust when I make this), is about 37 cents per serving, less if using pork or chicken.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Seasoned Breadcrumbs, Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,MEATBALLS
Classic Chicken and Dumplings I
September 28, 2016 Lee
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Classic Chicken and Dumplings I

Sounds like a really good dish. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped, import celery
  • 3-4 carrots, chopped
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, between 1/4 and 1/2 block of butter
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, OR make from a shortcut on this site
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving
  • 10 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side. Brown in batches, 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; reserve the pot.
  • Add the celery, carrots, onions, thyme, and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken, bay leaves, and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool let cool. Once the chicken is cooled, shred the chicken with 2 forks and return it to the pot, discarding the skin and bones or use for a treat for your dog.
  • Whisk together 1/2 cup of the flour, 2 cups of the cooking liquid, and salt and pepper to your liking in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
  • To make the dumplings whisk together the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in the butter, buttermilk, and parsley. Reduce heat to low and drop the mixture into the broth in 8 large spoonfuls. Simmer covered until the dumplings are firm, about 12-15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Notes

The 6 thighs might cost you about 80 Baht, go with quarters, use the thighs and save the legs for another recipe. Thighs from quarters are large than buying thighs separate. For 6 servings, this is about 40 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY