Archive for the ‘* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving’ Category
Indonesian Pork Liver
This is delicious, I liked the use of the turmeric with the liver here. The spices with the coconut milk make an excellent sauce.
Ingredients
- 500 grams pork liver, cleaned, cut into thin strips, (1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 175 grams onion, sliced into rings, (about 6 oz)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Liver prepped.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat, when hot add the onion and garlic.
- Cook the onion, stirring often until nicely browned. Remove half of the onion to a bowl and set aside for garnish.
- Reduce heat to low, add the coriander, chili flakes, and turmeric and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the liver.
- Cook the liver and turn often.
- Cook until just browned, a few pink spots are ok as this is cooked longer.
- Stir in the soy sauce, peanut butter, and salt. Stir in the coconut milk. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour onto a serving plate, garnish with saved fried onions.
- Serve with rice on the side. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
German Style Chicken Livers
This sounds good, the addition of the apples and apple juice is interesting. I made this on 27 Sep 2018, perfect. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken livers, cut in half and cleaned, (1 lb)
- 4 tablespoons clarified butter, divided, Shortcut
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1½ tsp fresh chopped
- ¼ cup apple juice
- dash light soy sauce, optional
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper as desired to a zip lock bag, and coat the liver with the flour. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onion and apple slices. Cover and cook until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the pan, wipe clean and return to heat.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, when hot, add the flour coated livers.
- When they are browned on both sides, return the onion and apples to the pan and sprinkle in the thyme. Reduce heat
- Give it a stir, cover for 2-3 minutes, then add the apple juice. Stir to coat everything in the sauce. If the mixture is too pale for your liking, add a dash of soy sauce.
- Cook for 2 more minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
- Serve with cooked noodles, spätzle, mashed potatoes, or rice. Enjoy.
- Or better yet, serve with Hot German Potato Salad.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Homemade Ghee (Clarified Butter).
Brian's Crispy Fried Chicken Wings
Brian states: "This is more a technique than a recipe. This is how I make super crispy wings. As far as the sauce, most any sauce can be applied after frying the wings. Limit the number of wing pieces in the oil to 6 as the temperature will drop. If using a deep fryer with several liters of oil, additional wings can be added depending on size of fryer." These do sound tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 kilos chicken wings, (4 lbs)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons corn flour
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 quart vegetable oil, (4 cups)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flours and water, mix well to make a batter.
- Place 6 wings in the batter to coat them.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or pot, heat the oil, use a probe thermometer to monitor the temp, for this step you need 180 C (350 F) degree oil.
- When the oil reaches 180 C, add the 6 wings from the batter and set a timer for 7 minutes.
- At 7 minutes, remove the wings to a rack. Repeat until all the wings are cooked. Keep the wings in order of cooked from first to last.
- Now increase temperature of the oil to 190 C (375 F). When the oil is at temp, place the first 6 wings into the oil and fry for another 7 minutes.
- At the 7 minute mark, remove the wings to a rack and repeat with the next 6 wings, repeating this until all the wings are cooked.
- Get out your favorite sauce, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Recipe provide by good friend, Brian Colligan, Pleasures & Pastimes (which is a great resource for gardening seeds and other items).
Thailand.
Thailand.
Za’atar Roasted Potatoes
Excellent roasted potatoes, very nice flavor, and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 750 grams potatoes, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons za'atar
- lemon or lime zest, as desired, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Scrub the potatoes then cut into quarters or slice 1/2 inch rounds. Add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add the salt, za'atar, and olive oil. Toss the potatoes until they are evenly coated.
- Spread out the potatoes on your prepared baking sheet, bake for 35-45 minutes. You are looking for crispy and tender potatoes.
- Sprinkle some fresh lemon or lime zest on the potatoes, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Stir Fried Mushrooms & Baby Corn
This is an excellent side dish, and mushrooms and baby corn are a great combination.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 300 grams fresh mushrooms, see Step 1
- 8-10 ears baby corn
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- For the mushrooms, Straw, Shiitake, Button, or Oyster, would be great choices. For Straw, slice in half lengthwise; for Shiitake, remove the stems and cut the caps in half; for Button, cut lengthwise into quarters; for Oyster, tear into bite size pieces.
- For the baby corn, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan or wok on medium heat, when hot, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, then add the onion and fry until the onion is soft.
- Add the baby corn. stir fry for a minute or two the add the mushrooms and stir fry until they are starting to soften, about 2-3 minutes, then add the sauces and stir fry to to mix in.
- Stir fry until the liquid is thickened, pour onto a serving dish, sprinkle with coriander to garnish. Serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms
Simple and straight forward recipe. This is the alternate way to use teriyaki sauce, at the end of cooking, not marinating in it. One 3 ingredients, and one you can make yourself, and is highly recommended, the teriyaki sauce. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 250 grams fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, (8 oz)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce, (Shortcut)
- 1 spring onion, sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the mushrooms, saute, stirring them often, until golden brown and tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the spring onion and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the teriyaki sauce to the pan and stir fry to coat the mushrooms in the sauce and cook until the liquid mostly evaporated.
- Serve as a side with any meal.
Notes
Shortcut: Teriyaki Sauce (照り焼きのたれ).
Common way to cook mushrooms.
One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta
This, sounds very good! Simple ingredients, on my to cook list and soon.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tsp if using Thai chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 5 cups milk
- 4 cups dry Penne pasta, (400 grams)
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, or Monterey Jack, shredded
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat, add the chicken and cook, stirring often until no longer pink. Remove chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Same pot, add the peppers and onion, cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and mix in the salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder.
- When everything is coated well, add the milk and pasta. Stir together and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Cook until the pasta is tender and the sauce reduced.
- Add the cheese and mix in, no one will care if you use more cheese.
- When the cheese is melted and mixed in, serve.
Notes
This should be low cost per serving, will price when I buy 3 chicken breasts.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Crescent Rolls
This may be a long shot, but I have a great homemade crescent roll recipe I am going to use for these. I live in Thailand, the canned products are not here and I can make for very low cost. On my to make list for sure. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 8 links breakfast sausage, cooked, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 cup cheese, shredded
- 3 eggs, scambled
- 1 container crescent rolls, 8 oz, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon milk, or cream
- salt and black pepper, as desired
Instructions
- If using homemade rolls, go ahead and start them first in your bread machine, follow the Shortcut listed in the Recipe Notes section, takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours with your bread machine so plan accordingly.
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- While the oven is heating, go ahead and cook the sausages and scrambled eggs. Feel free to season the eggs with salt and pepper as desired. Drain the sausages on paper towels.
- If using canned rolls, open that and unroll and separate all the rolls, place the rolls with the widest end facing you.
- If using homemade rolls (highly recommended), right after rolling out and cutting, leave in a circle, that is fine.
- Now to assemble. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over all the rolls. Place a cooked and drained sausage link on the outer edge. Then add a spoonful of scrambled eggs just in front of the sausage. (I used 3 large sausages and cut each one half.)
- Roll up the roll as you would making normal crescent rolls but this time, try and keep the cheese and egg inside the roll as you do this. Place the completed roll on the baking sheet.
- Complete the remaining rolls and evenly space them on the baking sheet.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and the milk or cream, brush the egg wash on each roll.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve hot but watch that bubbly cheese. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcuts: Crescent Rolls (Bread Machine), Breakfast Sausage.
Variant: 1. Use ham strips or cooked bacon in place of the sausage.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Shrimp Salad II
This is a basic recipe that sounds delicious on toast or crackers. On my to make list for sure.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo shimp, cleaned, tails removed as well, cooked, (2 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 bunch Thai celery, chopped, 2 stalks for US celery
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix everything in a large mixing bowl, starting with just 1 cup of mayo and adding more as needed, you want the shrimp coated well, not dripping in mayo. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
- Serve on toast or crackers.
Notes
I will price this next time I get shrimp from the local area. For now I will say Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Corn Chowder
This sounds really good and is a great way to use fresh sweet corn, yummy.
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 ears fresh corn, cut of the cobs
- 1 cup long beans, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 500 grams potatoes, cubed, skin on or off your choice, (1 lb)
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 can evaporated milk, (1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and as desired
- 2-3 spring onions, chopped, white and green
- fresh chives, finely sliced for garnish, optional
- 1-2 cups chicken stock, if needed
Instructions
- In a large heavy walled pot, add the chopped bacon and bring to medium heat. Stir often and when the bacon is about halfway cooked, add the onion. Stir often and cook until the onion is softened.
- Add the potatoes, corn, long beans, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the milk, evaporated milk, stir and bring to almost a boil then reduce to a low heat and simmer.
- During the simmer, if too much water evaporates off, feel free to add chicken stock, or water, 1-2 cups, and continue simmering.
- Cook, stirring often until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the spring onion. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve. Garnish with chives if desired.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.