Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Basil, Lemon, and Garlic Chicken Pasta
November 16, 2015 Lee
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Basil, Lemon, and Garlic Chicken Pasta

Sounds very good! Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into strips
  • 2 tablespoons basil paste, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 1 1/2 cups dry Penne pasta, cooked and drained, or any amount you desire
  • 6-8 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 cup cream
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded, to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan, add garlic, chicken pieces, and courgettes for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Stir in the basil paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, cream, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
  • Serve over Penne pasta and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Notes

This is a low cost but great sounding meal. Until I make this, I will say easily under $1 per serving.
Shortcut: Basil Paste.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Potato & Bacon Bake
November 13, 2015 Lee
3 Comments

Potato & Bacon Bake

Denise Georgiades, South Africa.
This is a South African traditional dish, it is delicious, highly recommended! The sauce is excellent. This is a light main dish and can be tailored with minced pork, sliced sausage, cubed chicken, or cubed ham instead of bacon. Serve with a salad and you have a great meal. Or serve as breakfast with a couple of eggs on the side. I made this on 5 Sep 2016 and took the step by step photos.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine South African
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 6-8 large potatoes, washed
  • 2-3 cups bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, coarsly chopped
  • 1 large shallot, coarsly chopped
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

White Sauce

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil potatoes in a large pot until just tender but still firm. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat a pan on medium heat and fry bacon lightly, then add onion and shallot and cook for a few minutes until the onions are soft, remove from heat and set aside.
  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Grease a large baking dish with butter.
  • For the sauce, melt butter in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Add flour and stir over low heat for about 1 minute. Add milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove from heat and add seasoning. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk at a time to thin the sauce a bit.
  • Cut the potatoes into thick slices, remove skin if desired. Layer half the potatoes in the baking dish. Cover with half the bacon mixture and pour half the sauce over bacon mixture. Repeat layers with remaining potatoes, bacon mixture and sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Photo shows just before the sauce was added.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

The bacon or ham will cost between 100 and 200 Baht. Based on 200 Baht, for 8 servings, this comes to about 74 cents per serving. Excellent value.
Variants: Substitute bacon for minced pork, sliced sausages, cubed ham, even cubed chicken. Serve with a salad for a nice meal or for breakfast with eggs on the side.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: SOUTH AFRICAN,POTATOES
Ranch Potatoes
November 12, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Ranch Potatoes

I will have to give this one a try soon, this has real possibilities. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 8-10 medium potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 cubes
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 soup can milk
  • 1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, divided
  • salt and pepper, to taste, go easy on the salt as well
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C and grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • Add the potatoes to a saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cook about 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender; drain. Place drained potatoes into the baking dish.
  • In a bowl, mix together the soup, milk, salad dressing mix, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper to taste; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and the remaining cheese over the top.
  • Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the cheese is bubbly.

Notes

Potatoes are about 35 Baht/kilo, there is not a kilo of potatoes here, the rest is minimal. Easily a less than $1 per meal per person.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Ranch Dressing Mix.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,POTATOES
Pan Fried Wahoo
November 11, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Pan Fried Wahoo

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Fresh Wahoo cooked in a griddle pan after a 30 minute marinate in olive oil, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, lime juice, and chilli flakes. Can use a griddle pan or even grill. Wahoo can be caught around the coastal areas of Thailand and is an excellent, firm table fish. This marinade would work well with most firm white fish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Wahoo steaks
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • cayenne pepper, to taste
  • pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Make you marinade, mix olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes in a bowl.
  • Rinse your fish and pat dry, place in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Heat griddle pan to medium, you don't really need oil because you can use the oil from the marinade while cooking. If additional oil is needed, use a spoon or two from the left over marinade.
  • Add the fish to the griddle pan, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  • Turn the fish steaks over several times for even cooking, and sprinkle the garlic on about halfway through cooking. Total cooking time is 15-20 minutes.
  • Serve with a basic fried rice and vegetable. Healthy and nutritious.

Notes

Probably the easiest way you are going to get a fresh Wahoo is either buying from a local fisherman, which can be very reasonable! Or you can catch yourself when you go out ocean fishing. Wahoo can come close to shore and is also caught well off shore while trolling.
I can only give a price estimate based on what I paid to get a fresh caught Wahoo. One day I was at the ocean surf fishing, caught absolutely nothing (called fishing, not catching, for a reason) and as I packed up fishing kit, a small boat came ashore right in front of me. I was curious so I walked over to see what his catch was, this was a local Thai fisherman. He had a lot of fish, and the one that caught my eye, was a 3 foot (1 meter) Wahoo, still flopping, doesn't get any fresher! So I reach into my pocket and I am counting money and I asked the fisherman, very proud of his catch, how much for the Wahoo. He thought about it for just a few seconds and said 300 Baht, without even hesitation or trying to bargain him down, I pulled out 300 Baht and handed it to him! He was a happy fisherman!!! A 3 foot Wahoo makes a lot of steaks! 300 Baht is about $8.90, I got more than 10 steaks from this fish, so easily less than $1 per meal per person, but this depends on how one obtains the fish. Add a basic fried rice or a potato salad and vegetable on the side, still less than $1.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,FISH - ALL,Fish - Wahoo
4 Bean Spicy Chicken Chili
November 11, 2015 Lee
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4 Bean Spicy Chicken Chili

This is chili is not only spicy but very healthy. Adding rice to the beans greatly increases to protein content, and increases the meals from this, and in combination with the chicken, it is a very high protein meal. The peppers have all sorts of anti-microbial benefits as well as triggering the release of endorphins. So, you can eat this instead of going out and running 10K.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken breasts, large, boneless and skinless, cubed
  • 1 can 4 Bean Salad, read Step 5
  • 1 can cooked rice, use the bean salad can
  • 1 dried Entero Pepper, OR bell pepper chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 palm full fresh peppercorns, freshly picked
  • several Bird's Eye Chilis, diced
  • several Yellow Thai Chilis, diced, these are small and quite hot
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
  • white pepper powder, to taste
  • sea salt, to taste
  • water or chicken stock, as needed
  • olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a large, deep, frying pan on medium low heat, And just a tablespoon or so of olive oil and add the cubed chicken. Cover while cooking right from the start! This does not really fry the chicken. it ends up releasing the juices and sort of boils and steams the chicken. Turn the heat down if it looks like it's frying.
  • Stir in the onion, fresh peppercorns, dried Entero Pepper, and any other peppers you have diced and let it cook, stirring occasionally.
  • Once the chicken is cooked to the center of the cubes, add the remaining ingredients and stir, there should be enough liquid to cover about half of what is cooking, if there isn't, add some water or chicken stock. Add as much rice as you like to bulk up the chili, using 1 bean can of rice is simply a guide.
  • Simmer until you are too hungry to wait any longer. Add hot sauce if desired.
  • A note on the 4 Bean Salad, I use this brand, fiamma. If using this brand I use the liquid from the can as well, just open and pour the contents into the pan. If using other brands, I normally drain that liquid and use water or chicken stock as the liquid, basically open the can, drain, add water or chicken stock to the contents of the can, then pour that into the pan, there, you have the right amount of liquid.

Notes

The chicken costs 60 Baht, the 4 Bean Salad costs 54 Baht. 114 Baht total, other items are normally on hand. This comes out to just over $1 per meal for 3 meals or for 3 people. Adding more rice this could be stretched to 4 meals, and less than $1 per meal.
Instead of using the can of bean salad, you can also use dried beans, which on average is 40 Baht for 500 grams. Beans I use is Pinto or Black-eyed Peas. You will need to soak these overnight and then boil them before use in this recipe. The advantage is not only lower cost, but gives you a lot more beans, use the whole bag of beans, this would increase the number of meals, also reducing the cost per person.
Overall a very reasonable meal that is very nutritious and healthy.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Dave Williams.
Thailand.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Baked Mushroom Thighs
November 11, 2015 Lee
2 Comments

Baked Mushroom Thighs

I made this on 29 Jan 2016, excellent, read my comment, recipe has been modified based on my findings Serve with a vegetable and you have a hearty filling meal. For the largest thighs, buy quarters and cut the thighs off yourself, then freeze the drumsticks for later use in another recipe, win win! All photos are mine I took when I prepared this. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 6-8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin and fat removed
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR you can make from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 1 soup can milk
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup dry bread crumbs, OR make from a shortcut on this site, more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1-2 handfuls fresh mushrooms, optional, lightly chopped, OR canned, sliced, both are acceptable, fresh Straw mushrooms would be excellent

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or use a non stick dish. For the thighs, if cutting them from quarters, they are generally larger. Not recommended to use thighs and legs as the cooking time will be different for each.
  • Pour the soup into a medium bowl. Fill the empty can with milk, and add to the bowl along with the parsley and onion powder. Mix well, season with salt and pepper if desired.
  • Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish or bowl; dip chicken thighs in soup mixture, then in crumbs, coat well with the crumbs, and place coated pieces in the baking dish.
  • Drizzle with melted butter and bake in preheated oven until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through (juices run clear), about 45 minutes. NOTE, check at 45 minutes, for larger thighs, you may need to increase time to 60 or 75 minutes. This a 9x13 baking dish, that is actually 2 thighs in the back row, and 3 in the front.
  • Meanwhile, place remaining soup mixture in a small saucepan and whisk in the corn starch and fresh mushrooms if you are using them. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a minute or two until sauce thickens. Use this as a sauce/gravy when chicken is done.
  • When it comes out of the oven, let it rest for a few minutes before serving. The liquid you see is butter and chicken fat (flavor). I made these with skin on thighs, recipe adjusted to skin off and excess fat removed.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice, or pasta. Recommended side dish is steamed fresh broccoli or yards beans. I served mine over rice, not a great photo but I spooned the sauce over the chicken that was on a bed of rice.

Notes

Chicken is the most expensive part here, chicken thighs run on average, 59 Baht/kilo but are smaller due to being trimmed. Chicken quarters average about 56 Baht/kilo, you would have to buy 8 quarters, probably a kilo and half or so, then cut yourself (very easy), you get larger thighs and you get 8 drumsticks that you can freeze for use in another recipe. I'll say the chicken costs you 150 Baht, half of that is 75 Baht since you have 8 legs to use later. The soup would cost on average 54 Baht for a can, about 18 Baht if you make it yourself. About 129 Baht if using store bought soup, for 4 meals this would be just under $1 per meal, when stretched to 8 meals (easily done with the larger thighs) this comes out to about 50 cents per meal. All other ingredients are minimal cost or already on hand.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Breadcrumbs.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CHICKEN & TURKEY,MUSHROOMS
Sausage & Green Bean Casserole
November 10, 2015 Lee
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Sausage & Green Bean Casserole

Instead of sausage, try using chicken thigh meat lightly chopped. Lots of variables here, for sausage you can use spicy smoked, Italian, or even Bangers. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams pork sausage, (1 lb), Shortcut
  • 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • bread crumbs, Shortcut
  • 1 kilo long beans, cut into 1 inch pieces, (2 lbs)
  • fresh mushrooms, optional, chopped, a good handful or two or three

Instructions
 

  • If using bulk sausage, crumble into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain grease, and set aside. If using sausage links, cook them until done, then remove and slice into 1/4 inch or so rounds. If using chicken thighs, remove the bone and cut into bite pieces then cook until done. Cook the mushrooms if using those with the meat.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 C, grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter or use a non-stick dish.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the soup, milk, garlic, and pepper. Mix in the sausage or chicken, then add the green beans, and stir until evenly coated. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bread crumbs. Spread remaining green bean mixture over the bread crumbs.
  • Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the top. Return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the bread crumbs are toasty, and green beans are cooked to your desired doneness. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Italian sausage made yourself this would be 125 Baht/kilo. Spicy Smoked Sausage runs about 250 Baht/1 kilo. English pork Bangers (large pork sausage) runs about 200 Baht/1 kilo. Chicken thighs can run between 56-60 Baht/kilo (buy quarters and cut yourself, and remove skin as well for this recipe). Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless would run about 87 Baht/kilo.
For this recipe I will use the Spicy Smoked Sausage at 250 Baht/kilo. 500 grams would be needed, so that cost is 125 Baht. The soup would be about 50-55 Baht/can, and much cheaper if you made yourself from a shortcut.
All other items are minimal. Cost would be just under $1 per serving, even less with homemade sausage, pork bangers, or chicken.
Shortcuts: Sausage, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Breadcrumbs.
Variant: 1. Use whipping cream in place of milk.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Peanut Butter Cookies I
November 10, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Peanut Butter Cookies I

Makes a great snack during the day or after a hearty meal. I made these on 23 Dec 2016 and they are delicious! This is a no flour recipe. Photos added from my baking.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups peanut butter, creamy or chunky, (in Thailand use two 340 gram jars)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs, chicken or duck
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180 C, line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
  • Drop by rounded teaspoons on the baking sheet, placing them 2 inches apart. Use a fork and make a crisscross on the top and press down slightly.
  • Bake for 10-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes as they will be quite mushy at this point.
  • Then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Perfect, and delicious, Peanut Butter Cookies.
  • Variant used, chocolate chips mixed in.
  • Variant used, made Blossoms out of several, perfect touch for those that like chocolate.

Notes

Low cost.
Variants: 1. Mix in chocolate chips. 2. To make peanut blossoms, place a Hershey's kiss on top of each cookie right when they come out of the oven. 3. Make Blossoms using cookies with chocolate chips.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Country Potato Bacon Soup
November 9, 2015 Lee
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Country Potato Bacon Soup

Chicken stock may be substituted for water but I don’t think it’s necessary. All the ingredients, except potatoes, are quite flavorful on their own. Save chicken stock for something that needs a flavor boost. Don’t shy away from buttermilk without giving it a fair shot. It has less fat that half and half or cream and much more flavor. The soup can be pureed if you want it smooth. I prefer to slightly mash the potatoes with a potato masher and leave the texture chunky. As with most soups, this one is better the second day. It takes a while for the bacon grease and buttermilk to become comfortable with each other. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish, Side
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices bacon, fried crisp and set aside, drippings reserved
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced into one inch cubes
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup buttermilk, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • In a pot, saute the onion in the reserved bacon fat until soft. Add potatoes and stir well. Cover the potatoes with the water, add salt and pepper and stir.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, eat a piece of that bacon sitting on the counter staring at you.
  • Once the potatoes are soft, you can puree them or slightly mash them. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
  • Add buttermilk and stir well. Brink temperature back to simmer and cook for 15 minutes uncovered, do not let it boil.
  • Ladle into bowls. Crumble the remaining bacon, if there is any left, and garnish each bowl with a bit of crumbled bacon.

Notes

Most expensive item is potatoes, but at 35 Baht per kilo, you can make a lot soup! Easily under $1 per meal for this dish. Serve as a side with dinner or a light lunch.
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Skillet Potato Stroganoff
November 9, 2015 Lee
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Skillet Potato Stroganoff

This is the poor mans stroganoff, but is a hearty and delicious meal. Cooked in one skillet, making cleanup easy. Serve with a salad or vegetable for complete meal.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 kilo ground beef, OR minced pork
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, OR use 2 cups milk if not using sour cream
  • 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
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, any type works fine

Instructions
 

  • Brown the beef or pork in a large skillet, drain fat.
  • Add all other ingredients except the mushrooms, stir and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. When the sauce thickens a bit, add the mushrooms and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy. a salad or vegetable on the side works well for a complete meal.

Notes

Half kilo of beef or pork is very reasonable, other ingredients are minimal. A very good meal, less than $1 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF