Cabbage, Noodles and Ham

This is a nice supper dish to make with leftover ham.  The recipe is adapted considerably from one in a cookbook called Quick Dishes for the Woman in a Hurry.

CABBAGE, NOODLES AND HAM

• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Grinding of black pepper
• 1 cup chopped cooked ham
• 2 cups dry egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 Tblsp. butter
• 2 cups dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9×9 pan.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat; add onion and saute until soft.  Add cabbage and cook until tender, turning periodically.  A small amount of oil may be added if mixture starts to stick to the pan.  The time will depend on the type of cabbage – cook until it is tender.  Stir in the salt and pepper, the ham, and  the drained noodles.

Pour into buttered 9×9 baking dish.

In a small skillet, melt the butter and toss the crumbs lightly.  Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the noodle mixture.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until crumbs are light brown.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

4-6 servings

I have a note in my recipe binder, “First made July, 1994.  Excellent.  Adding ham was my idea.  David and I both loved it.”

The Best of 2010

It’s been another fun year of blogging and on this last day of 2010, I revisited the 10 most popular of the past year’s posts.

Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt

Round Patchwork Tablecloth

The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Dessert

Irish Lemon Blackberry Sponge Pudding

Pork-Apple-Sweet Potato Casserole

Peach Crumble Pie

Creamy Ham Tetrazzini

Vintage Hanky Heart Pillow

Light Pineapple Cheesecake

Tasty Gingerbread Muffins

Happy New Year to All!

Hash Brown and Ham Bake

I got this recipe from a newspaper clipping back in 2001.  I have a note in my recipe binder:  “First made with leftover Christmas ham – very good”. Please note that the total baking/resting time is one hour.

HASH BROWN AND HAM BAKE

• 3 cups frozen shredded potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped cooked ham
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• grating of black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F

Thaw potatoes between layers of paper towels to dry.

Press potatoes into bottom and sides of ungreased 9″ pie plate and drizzle with butter.  Bake @ 410 degrees F for 25 minutes.  Remove to rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F

In the baked potato shell, distribute ham over bottom of shell, then cheese, and then red pepper.

In a small bowl mix together the beaten eggs, milk, salt, pepper and thyme.  Pour this mixture over the ingredients in the potato shell.

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until set.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield:  4-6 servings

Creamy Ham Tetrazzini

We had a delicious Honey Baked Spiral Ham for Easter and by the time I sent home slices with each family, I just had scraps to work with for tonight’s supper.  I turned to one of my favorite dishes, Creamy Ham Tetrazzini – easy to make, very tasty and very satisfying.

CREAMY HAM TETRAZZINI

• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper (green, red or yellow)
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup chopped cooked ham
• Grating of black pepper
• 1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 oz. dry spaghetti or fettuccine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large oven–proof skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add onion, sweet pepper and garlic – cook over medium low heat until vegetables are softened but not browned.  Sprinkle with salt.

In a two-cup glass measure, place 1-1/4 cups chicken broth and the cream cheese, cut into small cubes.  Heat in the microwave (or over low heat in a small saucepan) until broth is hot and cheese is melted.  Whisk mixture until smooth and pour into the skillet with the vegetables.  Add the chopped ham and grate black pepper over the top.  Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered  in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

While the ham mixture is baking, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.  Serve the ham mixture over the cooked, drained spaghetti or fettuccine.  Makes 6 servings.

The better flavored the ham is, the better this dish will be.

Crispy Corn Muffins

My oldest daughter mentioned she would like to have some old-fashioned green beans, potatoes and ham for supper.  I thought this might be a good time to make some Crispy Corn Muffins to sop up the “pot likker.”

I used one pound of green beans with stems removed and broken, one medium onion cut into quarters, 6 small red new potatoes, halved, and a cup of cooked ham.   Put everything in a big pot, covered with water and cooked on medium heat about an hour until the vegetables were tender.

Added some salt and pepper to taste and the entree was finished.

The corn muffins were an invention of mine back in the early 1980s when my teenage daughter kept pestering me to make corn muffins crispier.  This technique satisfied her and she makes them this way now for her own family.

CRISPY CORN MUFFINS

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tblsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tblsp. additional cornmeal for muffin tins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Oil cups of a 12-cup muffin tin.  In each cup place 1/2 tsp. of cornmeal, then pick up the tin and rotate to cover the bottom and up the sides of the cups.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg, then add the sugar, oil and milk, whisking until smooth.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of cornmeal, the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to the egg mixture and stir just until all of the dry ingredients have been absorbed.  Divide among the 12 prepared cups in the muffin tins.

Bake @ 400 degrees F for 15 minutes until tops are just starting to brown.

Remove muffin tin from oven and immediately with a knife loosen around the edges of each muffin, then use a tablespoon to move the hot muffins to a baking sheet.  Return the muffins to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Remove muffins to wire rack to cool slightly.  Best when eaten while still warm.

This wasn’t my southern husband’s favorite version of cornbread, but the rest of us loved it.

Pork, Apple and Sweet Potato Casserole

After being stuck in the house for three days after a major snowfall, I was ready for my daughters and grandchildren to come for Sunday dinner.  I wanted to try something new and found a recipe on Allrecipes.com which I adapted according to our taste and what I had on hand plus I made some changes in procedure based on readers’ comments on Allrecipes.  I thought this casserole was very tasty served over rice and made good leftovers.

PORK, APPLE AND SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

• Six 6″x 3″ pork loin pieces, about 3/4″ thick – cut in half to form 12 3″x3″ pieces
• 1/2 cup of flour for dredging
• salt and pepper for dredging
• 1-2 Tblsp. olive oil for browning pork loin
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced thinly
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 Tblsp. light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Dredge pork loin pieces in the flour that has been mixed with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.   Heat oil in a large skillet and brown pieces of pork loin on both sides.  Pour the half cup of water in the bottom of a large casserole or baking pan.  Place meat to form a single layer in the bottom of the  pan.

In a large bowl, combine the sliced onions, sweet potatoes and apples.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pepper, salt and curry powder.

Pour the brown sugar mixture over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat.  Spoon the vegetable mixture over the pork loin pieces.

Cover and bake for one hour @ 375 degrees F until the sweet potatoes are tender and the pork has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

The grandchildren, known here as Jellyfish and Dolphin, showed different attitudes at the presentation.  Jellyfish looked like he might be willing to try some, but Dolphin definitely didn’t look impressed.

Serve over rice. Sprinkle with snipped parsley if desired.

Yield:  4-6 servings

Low in Calories – High in Flavor

 

My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch.  I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories.  Here is the meal we had this week.

This dish is reduced in fat and calories and is a good choice when trying to lose a few pounds, but just by making the servings larger, you get a really good flavorful meal for anybody at the table.   This is my meal of choice after having Marinated Pork Tenderloin for Sunday dinner (see recipe here).

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

• 1 cup dry pasta
• 1 oz. pine nuts
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. pork tenderloin slices, marinated and grilled, cubed
  
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in pieces
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta 9-11 minutes until tender.  Drain, do not rinse.

While pasta is cooking, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts until golden brown (watch them – they burn easily) and transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, heat olive oil, add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.

Add broth, vinegar and oregano to same skillet, bring to a boil.  Cook 4-5 minutes until liquid is reduced about half.  Return vegetables to skillet, add artichokes and grilled pork.  Simmer on low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Yield:  5 servings

I’ve been making this dish about 10 years, adapted from one on Weight Watchers Light & Tasty software.

Nutrition count based on 5 servings per Diet Power software:  251 calories, 10.7 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 306 mg sodium, 151 mg potassium, 21.5 g carbohydrate, 1.27 g dietary fiber, 2.6 g sugars, 5.9 g protein

Weight Watchers:  5 points

I got the idea for dessert from several recipes on the All Recipes web site.  I made the cake from an angel food cake mix and baked it in three 7-3/4″ loaf pans.  I used one loaf for this recipe and wrapped and froze the remaining loaves for another time.  Of course, you can also use a bakery or store-bought cake.

Make the dessert the night before serving so the flavors can blend together well.

TOFFEE ANGEL FOOD DESSERT

• One package angel food cake mix (Betty Crocker)
• 1 cup whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip Lite)
• 1/4 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Prepare cake according to package directions.  Pour into three ungreased 7-3/4″ loaf pans.   Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes for the 7-3/4″ size.  Leave cakes in pans and set pans on sides on a rack until cakes are cool.  Remove cakes from pans.

Take one cake and divide into 12 slices.

Place a slice of cake in each of 6 dessert dishes.

Mix together Cool Whip and toffee bits.  Take half of this mixture and spoon about one tablespoon onto each of the 6 cake slices.  Place another slice of cake on top of the Cool Whip mixture and divide the remaining portion of mixture to spoon on top of second cake layer in each dish.

Wrap dishes and refrigerate overnight.

Yield:  6 servings

The dessert looks a little messy, but it sure is good.

Nutrition based on the above ingredients and 6 servings per Diet Power software:  173 calories, 4.67 g fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 247 mg sodium, 26.7 mg potassium, 31.3 g carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 21.3 g sugars, 2 g protein.

Weight Watchers:  5 PointsPlus

This was a very tasty and satisfying lunch.

A November Sunday Dinner

In the past 9+ years, I’ve been able to find Concord grapes at my supermarket only twice.  This past Friday was one of those days and although I had told my daughters we wouldn’t be having pie for Sunday dinner until after Thanksgiving (to whet their appetites for holiday pies), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one of my favorites.  I posted about my Streusel Concord Grape Pie back in 2007, when I had just begun blogging.  It’s a messy looking pie, but the flavor of the grapes is just incredible.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, my husband and I lived on a two-acre plot of land that included every type of fruit that grows well in our southwestern Ohio area, including Concord grapes.  I used to have five-gallon pails of them setting in the kitchen waiting for me to cook up something delicious.  The grape jam and jelly were good but the pie was a family favorite from the beginning.  It takes some time to make, but is well worth it.  Check out the recipe.

Streusel Concord Grape Pie

Our meal was also an old standby – grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties, and Spinach and Mushroom Casserole.

Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I did try out a different recipe for a marinade, based on one I saw on All Recipes.  It was delicious.

PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE

• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tblsp. liquid smoke
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• Grating of black pepper

Mix ingredients in a 9×9 square baking dish.  Add 1/2″ thick slices of pork tenderloin and toss until coated.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from marinade and grill – I use a stovetop grill.

Above recipe is enough to marinate about 2 lbs. of sliced pork tenderloin.

I served dinner with some fresh homemade potato rolls and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day with my family.

Easy Potato Yeast Rolls

Pork BBQ and Strawberry Glaze Pie

Today’s lunch menu included an easy Pork Barbecue and an equally easy Strawberry Glaze Pie.

I like to buy about 2 lbs. of lean boneless pork ribs (called Pork Loin Gourmet Ribs in my store).  The ribs are cooked overnight in a slow cooker, then the next day the meat is pulled, combined with a sauce and baked in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.  I like the slow cooker for cooking the pork but prefer the flavor and consistency of the barbecue when it’s baked after the sauce is added.

MOM’S PULLED PORK BARBECUE

• 2 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Trim any fat from meat and place in slow cooker.  Let cook 8-10 hours on low.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Remove meat from slow cooker, drain and allow to cool until it can be pulled apart.  Place the pulled pork in a 9×9 baking pan.

Make the sauce:

• One 24 oz. bottle of catsup
• 2 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Pour the above sauce  ingredients directly on top of the pork in the baking dish.

Mix well and place in preheated 300 degree F oven.  Bake uncovered for two hours, stirring occasionally.  Barbecue is ready at this point but can be covered and kept in a 170 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Serve on buns with coleslaw on top or on the side.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE PIE

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.

Roll out pastry for a single crust, 9″ pie (see my Sure-Fire Crust recipe).  Prick the crust with a fork on the bottom and sides.

Put a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top of the crust and fill with dry beans.  I keep a jar filled with a pound of dry beans which I use over and over again.

Bake crust @ 410 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and lift out foil with beans.   Place the pie plate back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Filling and Glaze

• 5 cups of fresh strawberries, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. cornstarch

Hull strawberries and if they are small they can be left whole.  Otherwise, cut in half to make fairly uniform pieces.   Place one cup of strawberries in a small saucepan. Crush berries with a big spoon or potato masher.  Add water.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering for 2 minutes.  Pour the berry mixture through a sieve into another small saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch – slowly whisk this mixture into the berry/water mixture and place on medium heat.  Cook and whisk constantly until mixture is thick and clear – about 2 minutes.

In the baked pie shell, place one-half of the strawberries and top with one-half of the glaze. Repeat with remaining berries and glaze.

Chill for at least an hour – an inverted pie plate makes a good cover.

Serve with whipped cream or topping.

A really tasty lunch – and the leftovers are good, too!

Tropical Pork Chops

This recipe is adapted from one by Robyne on mycookingblog.com.  The dish is really good, flavorful, filling and just fun to eat.  The grilled bananas are wonderful.

TROPICAL PORK CHOPS

• 2 firm bananas
• 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 4 lean pork loin chops (1/2″ thick)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 tsp honey mustard (Woeber’s Reserve)
• 1 cup water

Cut bananas in half crosswise, then lengthwise.  Cook bananas in 2 tsp. olive oil in non-stick skillet.  If necessary, add 1/2 tsp. additional oil to keep bananas from sticking.  Remove browned bananas to a warm plate and place in a 170 degree F oven to keep warm.

Rub the pork chops with garlic, sprinkle with ginger.

Add remaining olive oil to skillet.  Brown chops on both sides, remove chops to warm platter.

Melt honey in skillet; add mustard and water, stirring to blend.

Return chops to skillet; spoon sauce over them.  Cover, simmer about 10 minutes or until chops are thoroughly cooked.

Remove chops to dinner plates; top with bananas.  Spoon remaining sauce from skillet over chops.

Yield:  4 servings

I served the chops with rice plus steamed broccoli.  Asparagus would also go nicely with this dish.

For dessert, we had a favorite – chocolate pudding (a low fat version that is delicious).

This made a very nice Sunday dinner.