Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Chicken & Spaghetti Bake
November 5, 2015 Lee
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Chicken & Spaghetti Bake

I would use 200 grams Mature Cheddar instead of the Parmesan. Served with a green salad this would be a delicious meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams spaghetti
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • olive oil
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
  • salt and pepper, to your liking
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 1 CUP button mushrooms, heaping, sliced
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock, a bit over is good! Or use white wine
  • 2 cups cream
  • 100 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 100 grams Cheddar cheese, grated
  • sprig fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Fry the onion in a splash of olive oil, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil, add the garlic and fresh mushrooms, add the wine (stock) and turn the heat down, simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the wine (stock) has reduced a little.
  • Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling, salted water and then drain well.
  • Add the cream to the pan of chicken then bring to the boil and turn the heat off, season well with salt and pepper.
  • Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well, add the Parmesan cheese (or cheddar) and all of the basil and stir well.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp.
  • Divide between your plates, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over before serving. Serve with a salad.

Notes

4 chicken breasts, in 4-6 portions, well within $1 per meal per person. Make the chicken stock yourself and you save even more.
This is a good dish to add broccoli and sliced carrot to and will not hurt the price that much but makes is healthier, or just serve as a side dish.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Cajun Chicken Pasta
November 4, 2015 Lee
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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Sounds great, on my to cook list for sure! Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Penne pasta, uncooked
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 teaspoons Cajun spice mix, OR make from a shortcut
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • 1 2/3 cups tomato pasta sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Boil the pasta in the water for 8 – 10 minutes, reserve 1/2 cup of the water and drain off the rest. Toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Working on a plate, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Cajun spice over each chicken breast, drizzle and turn the spiced breasts in a little olive oil.
  • Heat a heavy-based frying pan and brown the oiled breasts on both sides without cooking them right through – about 3 minutes on each side, remove from the pan and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into strips.
  • Pour the reserved pasta water into the pan to deglaze it. Add the tomato and basil pasta sauce and cream. Return the sliced chicken to the sauce and cook gently for 5 minutes, toss the chicken and sauce with the cooked pasta, Add half of the grated cheese and stir through. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and chopped herbs over the top when serving.
  • Serve with a green salad.

Notes

Low cost meal, 4 chicken breasts, and even the pasta sauce, if serving 2 people 2 times, less than $1 per meal per person.
Shortcuts: Cajun Spice Mix, Pasta Sauce.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Chicken & Green Bean Stew
November 3, 2015 Lee
2 Comments

Chicken & Green Bean Stew

This recipe is from a good friend and sparked my interest not only for the inexpensive chicken, but for the green beans! We have yard beans (also called long beans) and they are very inexpensive to buy. It is a basic meal to which you can add any vegetable other than beans if you wish. Yard beans are relatively cheap, and therefore makes for a very economical dish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 300 grams yard beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons onion soup powder mix, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • In a large pan, heat oil and fry chicken strips until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
  • Same pan, fry onions and peppers with curry powder until soft, add yard beans, chicken, and water, allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Mix the soup powder with a little water to form a smooth paste and stir into the stew then allow to simmer until thickened.
  • Serve with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Notes

Chicken breast run about 87 Baht per kilo, 6 breast is probably 150 baht or less. Yard beans are something like 15 Baht a bunch, bell peppers can be found for cheap as well. Easily $1 or less per serving for 6 meals.
Shortcut: Onion Soup Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Buttermilk Marinated Chicken
October 29, 2015 Lee
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Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

I have made this in the oven plenty times and it tastes just as yummy. I add some smoked paprika spice to give it that barbecued hint. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken, spatchcocked (butterflied)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

Marinade

  • 1 cup buttermilk, can also make from a shortcut listed on this site
  • 2 teaspoons garlic flakes
  • 1 lemon, juice and grated rind
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed chilies
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional

Instructions
 

  • Spatchcock the chicken by cutting down both sides of the spine with a pair of kitchen scissors. Flatten the chicken out by leaning the heel of your hand on the chicken and press down to crack the breastbone. Keep the backbone to make soup stock.
  • Season the chicken with the salt and pepper to taste and rub in the curry powder.
  • Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl (large enough for the flattened chicken, or a baking pan) and coat the chicken by turning it over several times to ensure it is covered by the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • With a heated grill, move hot coals to one side, and place the flat chicken, breast side up, on the grill where there is no coals (indirect heat), baste with marinate and cover grill for 20-25 minutes.
  • Turn the chicken over and baste again, cover and continue barbecuing for another 15-20 minutes.
  • Pierce the chicken in a thick part of the thigh to check for juices running clear or use a meat thermometer and look for a target temperature of 75 C or 165 F. When juices are clear or the correct temp, remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Notes

A whole chicken is on average 140 Baht in grocery stores, fresh markets would be cheaper, the other ingredients are minor, especially if using the shortcut for buttermilk, so about $1 per person per meal.
Tip, take a couple of bricks, wrap them in foil and use to weight down the chicken while it cooks. This comes highly recommended from a good friend.
Shortcut: Buttermilk.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
Use of the bricks tip provided by good friend, Lynn Batterman.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,GRILLED / BBQ / SMOKER
Thin Crust Pizza and Sauce
October 28, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Thin Crust Pizza and Sauce

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is my go to thin crust pizza dough recipe and my home made sauce that I have been making for several years. I am not going to break down the prices for this, as a cheese pizza is very reasonable, and when you start adding toppings, the cost per person per meal goes up as well. This is great to make when family is visiting as nearly all Thais enjoy pizza.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 12 inch pizzas

Equipment

  • Pizza Pans (two 12 inch)
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

Pizza Dough

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional, or herbs of your choice

Sauce

  • 1 can tomato paste, (170 g / 6 oz can)
  • â…” cup water
  • ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
  • salt, to taste
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Basic Cheese and Tomato Pizzas

  • 1 dough recipe
  • 1 sauce recipe
  • thinly sliced tomato, about 6-8 slices per pizza
  • fresh basil leaves, coarsly chopped
  • 1 package Mozzarella Cheese, 200 gram package, shredded

Instructions
 

Pizza Dough

  • About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 250° C (480° F).
  • Measure out the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and dried Italian seasoning/herbs of your choice (if using) and yeast, whisk to combine.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the water. Use your fingers or a wooden spoon to combine everything together. When it comes together into a cohesive ball, turn it out onto the counter along with any extra flour in the bowl that hasn’t yet gotten worked in.
  • Knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth/elastic to the touch, about five minutes. The dough should still feel moist and just slightly tacky. If it’s sticking to your hands and counter top like bubble gum, work in more flour one tablespoon at a time until it’s smooth and silky. Then divide the dough into two parts.
  • I use 12 inch pizza pans, sprinkle some corn meal around on the pan, the place one ball of dough in the center. Use the heels of your hands and working from the middle gently press the dough outward until it’s about ¼ of an inch thick or less, while rotating the pan.
  • Spoon ONLY the sauce into the center of each pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Put into the preheated over for 5 minutes, then rotate it 180 degrees so it is evenly cooked for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven.
  • Now add the toppings of your choice, return to oven for another 3-5 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack, repeat with second pizza. Each pizza should cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Sauce

  • Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours in refrigerator to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Basic Cheese and Tomato Pizzas

  • Shred your Mozzarella Cheese, slice tomatoes thinly, if only using the small plum tomatoes, slice a few more. Chop your fresh basil leaves.
  • Using two prepared pizza crusts, top each with tomato slices, basil, and cheese. I like to use one 200 gram package of cheese, shredded per pizza, I like a lot of cheese.
  • Bake for 3-5 minutes or until edge is brown and crispy, let cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy. Here is a few examples we have cooked here at the house, these are thicker than what they look like, we use generous toppings and 200 grams of cheese per pizza. All the Italian sausage is made from a shortcut here on this site.
  • Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, pineapple, lot of cheese.
  • Italian sausage, mushrooms, chopped ham, onion, lot of cheese.
  • Italian sausage, shrimp, imitation crab, bacon, mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, lot of cheese.
  • Italian sausage, mushrooms, onion, red and yellow bell peppers, lot of cheese.
  • Italian sausage, mushrooms, chopped ham, bacon, black olives, lot of cheese.
  • This is the everything pizza; Italian sausage, bacon, ham, imitation crab, jumbo prawn, pineapple, mushrooms, black olives, and a load of cheese, about 1 pound.
  • This is the Cheese Burger Pizza, it is Italian sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Notes

No need for prices here, the basic pizza is Best Value, when you start adding toppings, then the price goes up, and can go up a lot, but is so good, and is a good treat for Thai relatives and neighbors. We normally make very thick pizzas with loads of toppings, cost increases but the servings also increase.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PIZZA
Peri Peri Chicken Livers with Bacon
October 27, 2015 Lee
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Peri Peri Chicken Livers with Bacon

Denise Georgiades, South Africa.
Tasty chicken livers wrapped in bacon and BBQ'd. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Skewers
  • Grill, Charcoal or Gas

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo chicken livers, cleaned, cut in half, (2 lb)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ spice, Shortcut
  • 1 teaspoon Peri Peri spice, Shortcut
  • 4 tablespoons chutney
  • 4 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 200 grams bacon, (7 oz)

Instructions
 

  • Combine oil, barbecue spice, Peri Peri spice, chutney, tomato sauce and soy sauce in a large bowl.
  • Marinate the livers in the mixture for about 30 minutes.
  • Wrap a piece of bacon around each chicken liver and thread onto soaked wooden skewers, two per skewer.
  • Barbecue over medium to hot coals turning frequently until the bacon is crispy and the bacon is cooked.
  • Serve and enjoy with sides of your choice.

Notes

Chicken liver cost about 70 baht, bacon about 125 baht. We'll say 200 baht, comes out to about $1.50 per person per meal.
Shortcuts: BBQ Spice, Peri Peri Spice.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,Chicken - Giblets,GRILLED / BBQ / SMOKER
North African Vegetable Stew
October 27, 2015 Lee
2 Comments

North African Vegetable Stew

Denise Georgiades, South Africa.
Nutritious and healthy vegetable stew served with rice. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Vegetarian
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 zucchini, sliced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 can chickpeas, 410 gram can, drained
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 packet stew mix, Shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons mint, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large pot and fry onion until soft then add the sugar and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to turn golden brown.
  • Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook for 30 seconds to release the flavour and aroma.
  • Add all the vegetables and the water and allow to simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
  • Stir in the chickpeas and stew packet and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  • Before serving, garnish with mint and yogurt. Serve with rice or couscous.

Notes

Easily $1 or less per meal per person.
Shortcut: Stew Seasoning Mix.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI,VEGETARIAN
Eggy Sausage Pie
October 27, 2015 Lee
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Eggy Sausage Pie

Great for breakfast or dinner. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, coarsly chopped
  • 6 thin beef sausages, sliced, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 carrot, coarsly grated
  • 2 small zucchini, coarsly grated
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 packet dry chicken and mushroom soup
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 160°C and grease a baking dish.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add onion, cook stirring often for 2 minutes or until soft, remove and place in a bowl.
  • Add sausages to frying pan and fry until cooked through, set aside to cool then slice.
  • Spoon sausages, onion, carrot, zucchini, and cheese over bottom of baking dish.
  • Whisk flour, dry soup, and milk in a bowl until smooth. Add eggs, and salt & pepper to taste, whisk until well combined. Pour over sausage and veggies in the baking dish.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until set. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Most expensive item would be the beef sausage, probably not over 200 baht, which is about $5.90 or about $1 per meal per person, plus minimal costs for other ingredients, still makes this a very affordable dish.
Shortcuts: Sausage, Breakfast Sausage.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Denise Georgiades.
South Africa.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BREAKFAST (for dinner!),EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken
Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
October 26, 2015 Lee
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Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

Homemade Alfredo sauce with chicken and pasta of your choice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 packages Cream cheese, 250 grams per package
  • 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 block of 227 gram block of butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3-4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta of your choice, spaghetti would be good.
  • Melt cream cheese and butter in a saucepan, stir in the milk and ground pepper, and salt if you like.
  • In another saucepan, heat up 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, then garlic and cook for a minute or two then add the chicken cubes and cook until just before the chicken is cooked through then add the red bell pepper and cook for a few more minutes, chicken should be tender and bell pepper crunchy. Do not over cook the chicken.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and mix, simmer for just a few minutes, at this point, add a handful of chopped fresh mushrooms.
  • Sauce will thicken, spoon over fresh pasta and top with grated Parmesan Cheese and ground black pepper.

Notes

All the ingredients makes this less than $1 per meal per person.
This is an easily adapted recipe, for the photo which I cooked on 6 Dec 2015, I omitted the chicken, and just added several large handfuls of fresh mushrooms, and then added fried bacon and ham.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PASTA
Fish Sandwiches
October 25, 2015 Lee
1 Comment

Fish Sandwiches

Easy, nutritious meal that is low in cost, fish is a great option. Normally when I have fish, it is just rolled in flour or breaded and pan fried, one day I wanted something different so I put this together. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 fillets Pangasius, boneless and skinless, see notes
  • flour, for dredging
  • 4 hamburger buns, or plain bread works fines
  • Cheddar cheese, real cheese, sliced from a block
  • lettuce
  • tartar sauce, OR make this from a shortcut listed on this site
  • olive oil, as needed for frying
  • lump crab meat, optional, real crab meat

Instructions
 

  • Get your fixings ready first, slice some Cheddar cheese, get the mayo and tartar sauce out, tear off a few leaves of lettuce. Set 4 buns aside, spread tartar sauce on the top and bottom buns, then add your cheese. (I used just bread slices, my preferred way actually, home made tartar sauce, and the cheese is cut from a block.)
  • Cut fish fillets in half and dredge in flour. Pan fry in olive oil until golden brown.
  • Top each bun bottom with a half fillet, top that with lettuce and the top bun. Delicious! As an option, top each fillet with lump crab meat.

Notes

Pangasius is also called Shark Catfish, it does not have a catfish flavor, more like a whitefish. The meat is flaky when cooked, firm, and a mild taste.
Pangasius runs about 110 Baht per kilo, I bought 3 fillets 2 days ago for 66 Baht, that would make 6 sandwiches. Fish prepared this way is a one time deal, try not to have left overs. If you fry to many fillets, just refrigerate and fry to warm up the next day.
Even with the Cheddar cheese, imported from New Zealand, you only use a few slices per sandwich so I do not factor in that cost. Tartar sauce is Tesco brand, very reasonable prices and last many meals.
Over all, about 65 cents per meal per person.
Shortcut: Tartar Sauce.
My own recipe.
The option with Lump Crab Meat, provided by good friend, Chuck Ruth.
United states.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BURGERS & SANDWICHES