Budget Western Gourmet Recipes In Los

[jaideeguy]

It's sort of like camping here when it comes to recreating your home country's favorite flavors. I love Thai food, but I don't like rice and noodles and curries every meal. I thought that we other 'campers' could share a few of our favorites based on locally available ingredients, low cost and simplicity.

I'll start this thread off with a simple delicious recipe for 10 minute strawberry frozen jam/preserves.

Makro has frozen Chinese strawberries and a kilo varies between 59thb to 69thb. I let them thaw until a little soft, then throw in some sugar [to your taste]. I like it a little tart, so I use about a half cup. Then throw in a couple of tablespoons of pectin and smash it all up in a pan. I use the wood part of a mortar and pestal and smash them and mix with a spoon so it all gets mixed up good, leaving a few whole and half smashed strawberries then pack in recycled plastic ice cream containers or food storage bags and store in the freezer.............JOB DONE!!

To eat them in the morning on my homemade bread, I'll give a tub of my preserves a couple of minutes in the microwave.....result- the freshest tasting strawberry preserves you will ever taste.

OK, now let's hear your favorite cheap, but gourmet recipe.

[TommyTucker]

Lemon Curd in the microwave. (makes 1lb)

2 x lemons rind and juice, 3 x eggs beaten, 50g butter and 250g Granulated sugar.

Wash and dry the lemons, grate the rind from each thinly. Squeeze out all the juice.

In a medium sized bowl heat the butter for 1.5 minutes on high.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat together.

Cook uncovered on HIGH for 5 minutes stirring well at the end of every minute.

When cooked the curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Pot and cover in a sterilised warm jar.

[jaideeguy]

Tommy, can you substitute manao [Thai limes] for the lemon?? sounds good and easy. I'll give it a try and report.

BTW, I forgot to mention another use of my freezer strawberry jam/preserves...........it's a great topping for chocolate ice cream, as I had tonight.

[Michaelaway]

Maybe not gourmet, but reminds me of home...

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

• 8- 12 ounces Egg noodles (medium to wide)
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 6 scallions, chopped 1”
  
• 4- 6 ounces sliced mushrooms
  
• ¼ cup chopped celery
  
• 1 cup frozen green peas (or corn)
  
• 1 or 2 cans tuna, drained (or cooked chicken, cubed)
  
• 1 or 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken, broccoli, celery)
  
• 2 cups shredded mature Cheddar cheese (or Pepper Jack)
  
• Milk (or cream)
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 1 20-baht bag of rippled potato chips, crushed
  
• Olive oil
  
• Optional: Mayonnaise, curry powder
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until al dente; drain & set aside.
   
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
   
3. Add olive oil to a hot pan; sauté the onions, scallions & mushrooms & set aside.
   
4. In a large bowl, mix noodles with salt & pepper, vegetables, 1 cup cheese, tuna & soup; add milk and mix well.
   
5. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish; top with a mixture of the potato chips and the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
   
6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until browned a bit & bubbly.
   

[xylophone]

A couple of little recipes I like are as follows: –

Pork with mustard and green peppercorns: – I buy the very thinly sliced pork loin in the supermarket (six thin slices for about 37 baht) and a small jar of Dijon mustard and green peppercorns and although these seem pretty expensive when first bought, they will provide you with many of these dishes and really only work out to about 30 baht a time.

Heat a little butter or oil in a frying pan and quickly cook the sliced pork which only takes a couple of minutes, throw in a capfull of cheap brandy and flame it, then add 2 teaspoons of the Dijon mustard, a little cream and the green peppercorns and put on a low heat for a few minutes stirring all the time. Meanwhile I have prepared some french fries or similar and serve them together.

Another one is Pasta and Pesto and is quick and easy and best accompanied with a salad: –

Whilst cooking some Penne, I mix a tablespoon of tomato pesto, along with a teaspoon of tomato purée in a small saucepan and add olive oil and water to make up a paste. To that I add various things according to my taste, and these can include a tablespoon of chickpeas and chopped black olives and for the meat content it can be small chunks of salami or even cheaper, chicken breast cut into small cubes (about the size of the top joint of your thumb). Because I like spicy food I add a level teaspoon of chilli powder and cook this gently for a minimum of 5 min or until the chicken is cooked through. You can experiment by adding oregano or basil to the mix, to your taste.

When the pasta is done I drain it and mix the two together and sprinkle with Parmesan flakes and eat with the salad.

[jaideeguy]

Oh yea......pesto. I always have a plastic food bag of pesto in my freezer. It freezes quite nicely without loosing it's flavor, but I make mine the more traditional way.

It's only occasionally that you wee fresh falang basil in the Makro in CM and I'll make my pesto then.\

In a blender I put in some olive oil and nuts [pine nuts are so expensive that I use cashews] and blend into a paste, then a pinch of salt and some garlic to taste. Always making sure that there is enough olive oil that keeps the blades moving easily [i've burned out a couple of cheap blenders by heating up the motors]. I then add the basil and blend that and then I have pesto!! I store it in food bags in the freezer for a quick pasta meal and sometimes add sauteed shrimp and olives, mushrooms, bacon or whatever. Keeps for months in the freezer.

Tip for pesto.....always make sure the basil is covered with olive oil or frozen or it will turn black

[notmyself]

Pumpkin soup has to be a winner. Grab a chicken carcase (15 Baht) and beat the hell out of it to expose the marrow. Simmer it in 4l of water with a couple of whole carrots and a large onion cut in half (10 Baht for both) for around an hour before straining. During this time roast 1-1.5kg of 1 inch diced Pumpkin in the oven along with a dozen or so toes of garlic (30-40 Baht perhaps) for 20-25 minutes. Blend the pumpkin, carrots and onion with some of the stock before adding it all to the main stock. Simmer for another 20 minutes seasoning to taste. Feeds 4 people for 80 Baht or thereabouts. This is great as it is but I like to throw 3-4 dried chillies into the blender too.

During the final 20 minutes you could add shrimp or some shreaded chicken thighs which you roasted with the pumpkin and garlic. I've not tried it with pork and don't think it would work to be honest.

With chicken, a sprinkle of cheese (smoked if you can get it) and 4 crusty baguettes it will work out at around 50 Baht a head.

If you like pumpkin then start experimenting because it's cheap cheap cheap.

[bonobo]

I make pot roast regularly, but with pork instead of beef. I can buy the pork at the pork at the market for 60-70 baht, add the onions, potatoes, and carrots, and mushrooms, then I use some cheap red wine and the one thing I bring from home, Lipton's Onion Soup mix.

As pot roast, the pork works fine, and the entire dish is less than 150 baht.

I also buy pork tenderloins for 50 baht, then got for either and Italian or a French mustard marinade base. Grill or broil that along with soem Greek potatoes, and it is really pretty good. 90 baht for the whole meal.

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe not gourmet, but reminds me of home...

I find that a lot of items that were commonplace at home almost seem like gourmet food here-good tunafish salad and egg salad sandwiches are almost impossible to find in the LOS unless you make them yourself.

[ozsamurai]

JAPANESE HONIED PORK BELLY

Thinly slice pork belly into 6-7mm slices with a razor sharp knife (part freezing makes this easier). Fry till browned in non-stick pan. Add sauce and continue on med heat till sauce has coated pork, do not burn.

Sauce

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

2 TBSP Honey

1 TBSP Oyster Sauce

1-2 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)

On its own its a great beer/TV snack.

For a main meal serve it over rice (short grain white) "don buri" style. To balance the meal, a 1/3 tube of soy bean tofu (not egg) with some soy sauce in a bowl, and a light spring onion soup.

Notes:

To get the melt in the mouth tender pork, I pre cook the pork belly in an electric pressure cooker, I bought mine for 1000 Baht.

Can be used for chicken as well.

Oz

[Jingthing]

Pasta w/ garlic mustard chile pesto with broccoli, chicken breast, shiitake mushrooms, olives, and avocado

(Simple, eh?)

Preferred pasta: small narrow macaronis

Prepare chicken in advance. Chicken breast put into boiling water, turn off heat, cover, 25 minutes, refrigerate

Pesto:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Spicy Deli Mustard (American) or Dijon

Plenty of raw minced garlic

Chopped Thai red chilies or dried red chile flakes

Parmesan Cheese

Mix it up, it's thick

Prepare some avocado, slice into small pieces

Slice the cold chicken into medium pieces

Cook the pasta.

With two minutes left to cook add broccoli pieces and sliced shiitake mushrooms. When done, drain. (Salt and oil the water before adding pasta.)

Mix the thick pesto into the pasta well

Add chicken, avocado, and also some chopped green or black OLIVES and mix it all up.

This dish is bloody delicious. If you don't have avocado don't make it. Its a must.

If you've prepared the chicken in advance (as you should) this dish can be done in 15 minutes.

Proportions. Feel it out. I don't do measuring.