Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Pork Liver
Probably not a favorite of many readers, but I like fried liver, chicken, beef, and pork (and for some who have had it, bear liver is hands down, the best there is). Liver is the easiest thing to cook, but if over cooked, it can be tough. Once in a while the store in town will have pork liver, and on Tuesdays in the village, sometimes beef liver is available. No serving amounts are given as that varies from one persons preference to another. Cook time is not listed as liver is cooked in batches.
Ingredients
For Liver
- beef or pork liver, cut into ⅜ to ½ inch thick slices
- 1-2 cups all purpose flour, for coating liver slices
- butter
- olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
For Onions if desired
- 1-2 onions, thinly sliced
- olive oil
Instructions
For Liver
- Melt a tablespoon or so of butter with a splash of olive oil in a heavy bottom non stick pan on medium to medium high heat.
- If the liver slices are large, cut them in half. Place some flour on a large plate and roll the liver pieces in the flour to coat and add each slice to the hot pan. Cook in batches, do not overload the pan at one time. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown then turn and cook for another 2 minutes or so until golden brown. The KEY to good liver is to not over cook it, light pink on the inside is perfect for tender liver. As the liver cooks, remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm and continue cooking the rest of the liver in batches. Add butter and olive as needed but allow it to heat before adding more liver.
- Serve with a side of your choice, and I really like spicy mustard as a sauce on the side as well.
For Onions if desired
- In a second pan on low temp, heat a splash of olive oil, when heated, add the sliced onion, stir to break up rings, and cook until limp and browning, stir occasionally. Plate the liver and spoon the onions over the liver pieces.
- My photo did not do this justice, this liver is still pink in the middle. Plated with baked butternut squash and spicy mustard on the side as well. Easy and nutritious meal.
Notes
Pork liver runs about 130 Baht/kilo. I really have no idea how much I get when I buy liver or even how much I cook up at a time. I get beef liver from an open market in the village and I have no idea how much this is. I will report prices and pricing when purchase more liver. I will safely say the cost per meal would $1 or less per serving.
Scrapple
This is a an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe that in my opinion is very good, an acquired taste really. Recipe is based on making your pork sausage. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan (4x8 inch)
Ingredients
- 750 grams pork sausage, Shortcut
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and rinse in colander under cold water, breaking sausage into pea sized pieces. Return to skillet along with the condensed milk, and heat over medium until just bubbling. Immediately stir in the cornmeal and pepper and reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking, 5 minutes total; mush will be stiff.
- Remove from heat and pack into 8x4 loaf pan, cover and chill overnight, pack tightly. To serve, cut into ¼ to ½ inch slices and sauté until golden in nonstick skillet.
- Removed from the fridge the next morning, the end piece fell apart when I floured it, the other pieces, cut about ⅜ inch thick, held together well for the most part.
- I did the optional step and floured the slices and fried them in bacon fat.
- Browning in the pan.
- Served.
Notes
Minced pork is about 130 Baht/kilo, 750 grams would be about 98 Baht. For 8 servings minus sides (like eggs and hash browns), this is about 37 cents per serving.
Optional, slice about ¼ inch thick, roll in flour then fry, also, slice thin for crispy fried slices or slice a bit thicker for a softer less crispy variant.
Shortcut: Pork Sausage.
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.
Easy Oven Fried Chicken
This is your basic oven friend chicken, without the oil soaked up by the chicken. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken, think legs and thighs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice mix, OR make from a shortcut on this site
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 205 C. Wash and dry the chicken pieces, sprinkle the chicken with paprika.
- Combine the remaining spices in a small bowl, sprinkle half of the spices over the chicken, use your hands to coat the chicken.
- Add the flour to another bowl and add the other half of the spices and whisk to combine, set aside.
- In another bowl, add the egg and milk and whisk.
- First dip the chicken into the egg mixture let excess drip off. Then place the chicken in the flour and coat. Shake off the excess flour and place the chicken on a plate. Let chicken sit for 5 minutes. Recoat in flour if desired.
- Generously grease a grill pan rack with vegetable oil. Place the chicken on the grill rack. Mix butter and olive oil and drizzle over chicken. Bake for 40 minutes. Broil for the last 3-4 minutes to crisp up the skin more if desired. Let chicken rest before serving. Serve with a boiled potato and an ear of corn, complete meal.
Notes
1 kilo of chicken (think quarters) will cost about 62 Baht/kilo. This comes to 46 cents per meal for 4 servings, and 31 cents per meal for 6 servings. Add sides, you are still under $1 per meal.
Shortcut: Cajun Spice Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Oven Baked Fajitas
This is a straight forward recipe to bake the chicken with everything else, then serve over rice, pasta, stuff into a flour tortilla, etc. Real possibilities with this recipe.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into strips, (1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4-6 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ green bell pepper, cut into strips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200° C (390° F). Place chicken strips in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
- In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. Drizzle the mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
- Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve over rice, pasta, in flour tortillas, etc.
Notes
500 grams of chicken breast would set you back a whole 41 Baht. Everything else is minor in cost. Well under $1 per serving for 4 servings.
Swiss Cheese Meatloaf
Looking through my freezer and fridge, I had minced pork, Swiss cheese, bread, pickles, and eggs, so I decided to make a meatloaf. This is a twist on the Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf in that no bacon was used, Swiss instead of Cheddar was used, this turned out excellent. When using pork for a meatloaf, you will want to use a meat thermometer to ensure the correct internal temp is reached. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo minced pork, OR ground beef
- 125 grams Swiss cheese, this is 1/2 block of real cheese
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 eggs
- 2 dill pickles, small, sliced, OR make from a shortcut
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 3 slices bread, torn apart
- prepared yellow mustard, couple of squirts
- BBQ sauce, about 1/3 of a bottle, OR make from a shortcut
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C. Get out a couple of loaf pans.
- In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. I just use a large spoon, no need for hand mixing. I have seen recipes that call for pickle juice or pickle relish, I decided to use sliced pickles.
- Mixed, takes just a few minutes.
- Next, slice your cheese, use real cheese. This is Mainland brand cheese from New Zealand.
- I use two loaf pans when making meatloaf. Take the meat mixture and pat down and using your spoon, mark it into 4 sections, use 1/4 of the mixture in each loaf pan, then top with the cheese slices.
- Use the remaining meat mixture to to cover each loaf pan. Top with more BBQ sauce. Bake for for 40 minutes, and use a meat thermometer to check internal temp then continue to bake about 10 minutes more to ensure the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled, or pasta, add a vegetable and you have a complete meal.
Notes
Minced pork is about 135 Baht/kilo. The half block of cheese will cost about 90 Baht. For 8 servings this would be about 85 cents each, even less for 10 servings.
A variant would be to layer in some sliced mushrooms over the cheese before adding the remaining meat mixture.
Shortcut: BBQ Sauce, Dill Pickles.
My own recipe.
Ranch Chicken Thighs
Easy and foolproof recipe. Season chicken, marinate, and grill. I am looking forward to making this but I will use a shortcut for the Ranch Dressing. Servings are up to you and not specified, figure 1-2 thighs per person with a side such as potato salad and fresh corn on the cob for a complete meal. Photo courtesy of Ed Crean. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs, amount is up to you
- seasoning, up to you, chicken rub, salt and pepper, etc.
- Ranch dressing, amount needed is up to the amount of chicken used, OR use a shortcut
Instructions
- For the chicken, use thighs then most of the pieces are uniform in size, if you use legs and thighs, you will need to check the grill more often. Go with quarters then separate the thighs, keep the legs for another recipe, this will give you bigger thighs.
- Season chicken as you desire, salt and pepper, with a rub, etc. Marinate in Ranch Dressing for 4-5 hours in the fridge.
- Light your grill, if using gas, go for about 180 C, if using charcoal, go for a medium hot burn but once the coals are hot, move the coals to one side of the grill. Prep your grill with some olive oil on the grill, place chicken on the grill on the indirect heat side, the side with no coals or flame under it, close the lid for 30-40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes and continue cooking if not done. Serve with a side such as potato salad and corn on the cob.
Notes
Chicken quarters run about 60 Baht/kilo, 6 to 8 quarters will be about a kilo. The Ranch Dressing can be pricey as in import item, go with a shortcut to reduce that cost to about 1/4 of what the import is, or less. Well under $1 per meal per person, including fresh corn on the cob and potato salad.
Shortcut: Ranch Dressing.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Ed Crean.
Unite States.
Unite States.
Seasoned Citrus Fillets II (Slow Cooker)
Another variant to the Citrus Fillets. Very easy to make, I am looking forward to this one. Fish fillets can be any white fish, boneless and skinless, think Pangasius, Barramundi, Tilapia, or even Red Snapper.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 750 grams white fish fillets, (1½ lb)
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Butter slow cooker, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper to your liking, place fish in slow cooker. Put onion, parsley, grated orange and lemon rind, and oil over fish. Cover and cook on Low setting for 1½ hours.
- Serve garnished with slices of orange and lemon slices. Boiled buttered potatoes and a tomato salad on the side would work well for sides.
Notes
About 90 Baht for Pangasius fillets, everything else minimal. Cost per serving for 6 servings is about 44 cents each, excellent value, even with the sides.
Seafood Stew (Slow Cooker)
Good potential here, on my to cook list.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 500 grams white fish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces, (1 lb)
- 300 grams shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined, and tails removed, (10 oz)
- 1-2 packages oyster meat, drained, these are at Tesco, small containers
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, use import, finely chopped.
- 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, diced, I use Brook's brand, 565 gram cans
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons lemon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar, or honey
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for fish, shrimp, and oysters in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, then add in fish, shrimp, and oysters and cover with lid. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes or until fish is flaky. Serve.
Notes
Pangasius would cost about 60 Baht/500 grams, shrimp would cost about 80 Baht, oyster meat is 42 Baht per container. Cost per serving for 8 servings cost is 82 cents per serving. Great value for a great dish.
Seasoned Citrus Fillets I (Slow Cooker)
This sounds easy and is very versatile with the fish fillets used. Basically white fish, such as Pangasius, Barramundi, or even Tilapia. You will need fillets, boneless and skinless, so with Barramundi or Tilapia you will need to fillet those.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 white fish fillets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 oranges, sliced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, make your garlic butter, melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil, season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides and place in the middle of the foil side by side. Drizzle the garlic butter over the fish, spread the orange slices on top of the fish. Fold up the foil to seal it and place this in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on High setting for 2 hours. Use a large spatula or two to get the foil pack out. Serve on a bed of rice with a tomato salad on the side.
Notes
Four Tilapia would be about 60 Baht, this dish is well under $1 per serving, even with the sides.
