Macaroni and cheese (or mac 'n' cheese) is a common dish, whose main ingredients are cooked 'elbow' macaroni and a cheese sauce. Cheddar cheese is the traditional choice, but other cheese may be used.

 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

6 c. water
1 (7.25 oz.) package of macaroni and cheese dinner
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. skim milk powder
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Boil the water in a medium pan.
Stir in the macaroni.
Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain the macaroni and return it to the pan.
Add butter, whipping cream, skim milk powder, cheese, and cheese sauce mix (from the macaroni and cheese dinner package).
Reduce heat to low and mix well until the cheese has melted.

Serves: 3

For extra flavor, add one or more of the following:

1 cup broccoli, steamed
2 hot dogs, boiled and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, diced
6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

 

 

 

Johk (pronounced joge) or Congee is a type of rice porridge.  In Thailand, congee or Johk is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper.

The rice porridge is a soupy or liquidised version of boiled rice. Due to its soft texture, it is also a traditional Thai baby food. The fact that it is easy to digest, those who are recovering from sickness could also use it as a temporary main food intake.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice, rinsed
6 cup water
4 tablespoon sesame oil
2 shallots, sliced
20g fresh ginger, cut into fine strips
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or enough to taste
A pinch of ground pepper

 

Preparation:

Put rice and water in a large deep saucepan, bring to a boil.
Turn heat to medium and keep boiling for another 20-30 minutes, stir occasionally.
Cover (leave a little gap for steam to get through) and simmer it on as low heat as you can get, till all rice grain is broken and the porridge becomes pasty.
Add in salt and mix well.
Heat oil in a skillet on high, fry shallot and ginger till golden brown and crispy.
Serve porridge in a soup bowl or a deep dish.
Pour the fried shallot and ginger over the porridge, together with the sesame oil.
Sprinkle the ground pepper over it.

Serves 2 to 3 persons.

 

 

 

 

One of the best-known Thai dishes, Pad Thai (pronounced Phad-Thai) is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander.  It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with the usual Thai condiments.  In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.

 

 

 

 

1-ounce tamarind paste
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 ounces rice stick noodles
6 ounces Marinated Tofu, recipe follows ***
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chopped scallions, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salted cabbage
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
3 ounces bean sprouts, divided
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, divided
Freshly ground dried red chile peppers, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges

Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients. 
Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.

Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until golden brown, moving constantly, for no longer than 1 minute. Remove the tofu from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.

If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the eggs to the pan; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, shrimp, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and peanuts. Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with the ground chile peppers and lime wedges.

*** Marinated Tofu:
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, not silken
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Wrap the tofu firmly in a tea towel. Place the wrapped tofu into an 8-inch cake pan. Top with another cake pan and weigh down with a 5-pound weight. (Bags of dried beans or grains work well.) Place in refrigerator and press for 12 to 15 hours.
Place pressed tofu in a 2-cup container. Combine soy sauce and five-spice powder and pour over tofu. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove the tofu from the marinade and use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.

(Yield: 6 ounces tofu)

 

 

A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and sweet flavorings such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce. Whipped cream may be added as a topping. Three popular milkshake flavors are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 instant breakfast packet, any flavor
3/4 c. whole milk
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. ice cream, any flavor

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Serves: 1

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Variations and suggestions:

Make different flavors using a variety of ice cream and instant breakfast flavors. Or try adding strawberries or other fruit for a twist.

 

 

 

 

French toast is a popular breakfast food in the United States. French toast is made with bread (generally pre-sliced) and eggs; some common additions are milk, water, or orange juice to thin the eggs, sugar, and spices such as allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Vanilla may also be added to the egg mixture.

Prep time: about 15 minutes

 

 

1 egg
1/4 c. milk
dash of vanilla extract
1 tbsp. margarine
2 pieces of bread

Directions:

Crack the egg into a medium-sized bowl and beat well. Then mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
Put the margarine in a frying pan. Heat the pan on the stovetop on medium heat. It's hot enough when the margarine starts to bubble.
Dunk each piece of bread in the egg mixture. Make sure the bread is totally covered.
Cook the bread in the frying pan on low heat until the underside is light brown (about 5 minutes).
Use a spatula to flip the bread over, and cook again for another 5 minutes.
Use the spatula to transfer the French toast to a plate.

Serves: 2

Serving size: 1 slice

Suggestion:

Eat your French toast with powdered sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, jelly, or fruit on top.