Ham and Cheese Filled Bread

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Ham and Cheese Bread

This bread is always a crowd pleaser and looks pretty, too. It’s also easier to make than you might think. The dough is a pretty basic yeast dough that is rolled out, filled with ham, cheese, mustard and honey then the dough is folded up over the fillings and baked. Details directions follow.

I have made this bread with all sorts of fillings. Its a great way to get creative, have some fun and even use up leftovers. You can make vegetarian versions, too.

Ham and Cheese Bread, sliced

Enjoy.

Ham and Cheese Filled Bread

3 ¼ c. all purpose or bread flour, you can add a little rye flour, too

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 package quick-rising yeast, or a scant tablespoon of yeast in bulk

1 c. hot water

1 T. oil

¼ c. spicy mustard – or any mustard you like

2 T. honey

8-12 oz. sliced ham

4-6 oz. sliced cheese – I like cheddar or Swiss in this recipe but any melty cheese works

Set aside 1 cup of the flour. Combine remaining flour with the other dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in water and oil and gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Roll dough into a rectangle about 16 x 8. Spread mustard and honey down center middle of dough. Top with meat slices and cheese. Cut one-inch wide strips of dough from filling to edge on both sides. It will sort of look like fringe. Alternating sides, fold strips up and over the filling at an angle. Carefully lift loaf onto greased baking sheet and place at an angle. Cover with a towel and place sheet on top of a roasting pan half-filled with simmering water for 15 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400-degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.

Note: The variations for this bread are almost endless. Some favorite combinations are a Reuben or Rachel, roast beef and cheddar, chicken, broccoli and cheese, Spinach with ricotta or feta and onions, pizza, assorted fillings. You get the idea. Use your imagination and have fun. Just be careful not to overfill, or the bread will be hard to move, use fillings that aren’t too runny and always fill with cold ingredients so the dough won’t get a soggy bottom.

Note: If you want to use regular yeast use warm, rather than hot water. Also, skip the step of placing the dough over simmering water. After kneading cover dough and let rise 45 minutes. Punch down and assemble as in original recipe. Cover with a towel and let rise until dough looks puffy, about 40 minutes. Bake as directed above.

These breads can also be frozen.

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The Secret to Extra Crispy Bacon

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Very Crisp Bacon

Have you heard about using flour to make your bacon extra crispy? I saw this method for cooking posted a few places and I decided I had to try it. The posts said that bacon would be extra crispy if you sprinkled it with flour before baking. The theory is that the flour holds on to a little of the fat and that makes the bacon crisper than if you didn’t use the flour.

The bacon is baked, not fried. That is fine with me because I normally bake my bacon. I wasn’t sure how much flour to use, so I did three batches in all. One with no flour, the way I normally cook my bacon. The second batch had what could be called a dusting of flour. The third batch I used a heavier hand when adding flour to the bacon.

The results: I found the bacon with flour was crisper than the non-floured bacon. Huh. Go figure. I did think the light coating was the best. When I dusted the one batch with a heavier amount of flour I could still see it after baking and it felt uncooked to me. When the batch with a lighter dusting of flour was done I really could not see flour. So here are the directions. If you try it, let me know what you think. Thought you would like this post, David.

Floured Dusted Bacon

1 lb. bacon

2-3 T. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange bacon slices so they don’t overlap. They can touch, as they will shrink quite a bit when cooked. You might have to use a second baking sheet if the bacon in thin sliced, because there are more slices. Lightly dust the bacon with flour. I put the flour in a fine strainer and tapped it over the bacon. Place the bacon in the oven and cook until crisp. This can vary due to the thickness of the bacon. Start checking after 10 minutes for thin sliced bacon. Thick sliced bacon takes at least 15-20 minutes.  I never turned the bacon over. I don’t turn it when I bake it without flour. When it looked crisp and golden around the edges I took it out and turned it over. It was darker on the down side, so I removed it from the pan and placed it on paper towels to drain. The result, very crisp bacon. You can drain and save the bacon grease on the pan.

Flour dusted bacon ready for the oven
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Homemade Popcorn Balls

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Homemade Popcorn Balls

I have fond memories of eating popcorn balls when I was a kid. One memory was during the summer. An amusement park near my home was famous for their popcorn balls. Every time we went there, we would end the day with popcorn balls.

The other memory was making our own, around Halloween. They seem to be a part of more than a few Halloween parties when I was younger.

I don’t make them often, but popcorn balls are always a special treat for friends and family. This recipe is pretty easy. Kids, supervised, could help make them. You just have to make sure the mix cools down enough before you let them form the popcorn into balls.

I am a bit of a purist and enjoy them plain, but you can add Halloween themed candies to the mix, to dress them  up for a party. Candy corn or black and orange M&M’s would both work.

The recipe calls for corn syrup. If you don’t want to use corn syrup, a recipe for a corn syrup substitute, (sugar syrup) is listed below.

Homemade Popcorn Balls

9 c. popped popcorn
1 c. sugar
1 T. butter
1 T. vanilla
1 c. corn syrup*

Place popcorn in large bowl and set aside. Combine sugar, butter, vanilla and corn syrup in a saucepan. Heat and boil until thick, about 4 minutes. Pour over popcorn. Stir until well coated. Let cool until safe enough to handle. With buttered hands form mixture into balls. Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap until ready to eat. Best eaten within a few days of making. Makes about 8.

*If you don’t have corn syrup- or don’t want to use it here is a way to make a substitute for it.

Sugar Syrup- corn syrup substitute

3  cups granulated sugar

1 cup Water

1/2  tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/4 t. salt

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook to soft-ball stage. Stir frequently.

Soft ball stage occurs at 235-245 degrees. This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.

Remove from heat. Cool and store at room temperature. It will keep well for a month or two.

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Classic Eggs Benedict

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Eggs Benedict

If you are looking for a special breakfast or brunch recipe, Eggs Benedict would be a top choice for me.

Eggs Benedict are English muffins, split and toasted, topped with some lightly browned slices of ham, or more traditionally, Canadian bacon. That is topped with poached eggs and then the Hollandaise sauce. There are a lot of variations. You can add wilted spinach, bacon, crab or even lobster, if you really want to splurge. I have a vegetarian friend who subs out the meat with some asparagus or cauliflower. Whatever makes you happy, works for me.

I do make a less traditional Hollandaise sauce though. Its cooked in the microwave. Yes, I admitted to making Hollandaise in the microwave and I’m okay with it. Its fast and I haven’t had any issues with it. I have a friend who makes hers in the blender and that works, too. I’ve included the recipes for both versions.

Here are the directions for making a classic Eggs Benedict.

Eggs Benedict

English Muffins allow one per serving
Eggs – for poaching – you’ll need 2 for each serving
Ham or Canadian bacon
Hollandaise Sauce- recipes follow

Get all your ingredients ready. You’ll need a skillet with water boiling in it to poach the eggs. Add a couple of teaspoons of vinegar- it helps hold the eggs together better. Slice the ham, if needed, and brown it in a skillet. Keep warm until needed. I put the split English muffins in the toaster oven, so I could start toasting them when I started poaching the eggs. Next, make the Hollandaise sauce. I have included two ways to make your Hollandaise. One version is made in the microwave, the other with a traditional double boiler. Both come out great. For traditional Hollandaise you’ll need either a double boiler, or a pot with simmering water for this, so get it ready with hot water. For the microwave, just a glass bowl and a whisk. Recipes and directions for both versions follow.

Microwave Hollandaise

1 stick butter ( 1/2 cup)

3 egg yolks

1/2 T. lemon juice

pinch of salt

fresh ground pepper, optional

In microwave safe bowl, soften butter. This will take 10-15 seconds. Don’t melt the butter, just soften it. Watch carefully. It may take less time if the butter is already room temperature, longer if butter is cold. I often make a double batch, so allow a few more seconds for larger quantities. Whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk the yolk mixture into the softened butter. Let stand on the counter a minute or two. Place in microwave and cook on high heat for 15 seconds. Be careful- only 15 seconds at a time. Whisk the mixture and return to the microwave, cooking 15 seconds. Repeat this process until sauce is thickened, smooth and shiny. It should take 3-4 of these 15 second cooking sessions, but ovens vary. It takes a little longer if you double the batch. Don’t worry if the sauce doesn’t look smooth the first time you whisk all the ingredients together. It gets smoother upon further cooking/whisking. Season with salt and pepper to your own taste. Enjoy with Eggs Benedict or as a sauce for steamed veggies.

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

4 egg yolks
1 T. lemon juice
½  cup butter, melted
Salt and cayenne to taste- just a pinch of each will do.

Since I used a bowl over a pot with simmering water, I put the egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl with the lemon juice and whisked until kind of frothy. If you are using a double boiler- do that step in the pot from the double boiler. Once the mixture looked thick, I placed the bowl over the pot of simmering water and whisked it for a couple of minutes to warm the eggs. The simmering water in the pot should not be deep enough to touch the bottom of the bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Keep whisking so the mixture stays smooth. If you don’t, the eggs scramble and get all lumpy. Once all the butter is in, cook about a minute longer- or until sauce is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat, season to taste, and keep warm until ready to use. Don’t wait too long. Hollandaise is best used pretty soon after you make it. If it gets too thick, add a little warm water to thin it out.

To poach the eggs, place eggs, gently, in the simmering water- the stuff in the skillet that you added vinegar to. Some people like to have the water swirling when they do this by stirring it just before adding the eggs. I just put the eggs in gently, and it seems to work just fine. Use a slotted spoon to sort of fold the whites up over the eggs. Poach for about 3½ minutes. Whites should be set, but yolks will be runny. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a folded towel to get off some of the water.

To assemble the eggs Benedict, place toasted English muffins halves on a plate. Top with a slice, or two, of the ham. Then gently add a poached egg on top of the ham. Spoon over the Hollandaise and serve. A little more work than most egg dishes, but worth the effort.

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Buckeyes

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Buckeyes

Buckeyes were the first candy I learned to make. A peanut butter filling is rolled into balls, then dipped in melted chocolate. Classic flavor combination and very easy to make. If you like peanut butter cups, you will like buckeyes. I decided to make them for a family party recently and they were a huge hit.

When I was a kid, I didn’t see them outside of Ohio much. Today everyone seems to know what buckeyes are.

Buckeyes are simple to make. Fast, too. And a great kid-friendly recipe. If you need a last minute dessert, or you just want them for your next party, you have time to make a batch of buckeyes. They also make nice host/hostess gifts at the holidays.

Just be sure to chill the peanut butter mixture before rolling and dipping. Makes it so much easier.

Here is the recipe I use. There are variations of this recipe out there, including one with crispy rice cereal in the mix. This one is still my favorite. Enjoy!!

Buckeyes

1 ½ lb. powdered sugar
1 ½ c. peanut butter
2 sticks softened butter – 1 cup
12 oz. chocolate chips- or dark chocolate
2 T. coconut oil or shortening

Mix together sugar, peanut butter and butter. Chill. Roll into balls, flatten slightly. Melt together, chocolate and coconut oil. Dip the peanut butter balls in melted chocolate to cover about ¾ of the surface. Use a toothpick or fondue fork to hold the balls. It makes the job of dipping a lot easier. Allow to harden on wax paper. Store in a cool place. Can be frozen.

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Crab Rangoons

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Crab Rangoons

These tasty bundles of crabby/ cheesy goodness are so simple to make. Because they are small- I don’t use a lot of oil to deep fry them. Just a couple of cups of oil in a small saucepan- fry a few at a time and you are done in no time at all. Of course, if you have a big crowd over, you might want to use a bigger pot, with more oil. A wok works well for frying them, too.

There are two ways you can go with the filling- real crab or surimi, the faux crab. That is not my call to make. It is up to you. I prefer real crab meat. We made some in class last week with real crab. Several people remarked on how much they liked the flavor. I explained that most crab rangoons you get at restaurants use surimi.

I have baked them. You can. I fried them.

You have some options with folding them. I used pre-made wrappers I buy at the local Asian market. You can fold them into triangles, like the picture above, or into little bundles like the picture at the end of this post. They taste wonderful no matter how you shape them.

So here is the recipe I like to use.

Crab Rangoons

1 can (6 oz.) crab meat, drained well

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 t. horseradish

dash of hot sauce

wonton wrappers

oil for frying

Combine crab meat with cream cheese, horseradish and hot sauce. Place a wonton wrapper on work surface and place a teaspoonful of the crab filling in the middle. You have several option for how to fold them. You can do a simple fold by dampening the edges with a small amount of water, adding some of the crab mixture to the middle and folding in half, press edges to seal or crimp edges. This works great with round wrappers, but square wrappers can also be used. For the classic bundle shape, dampen the edges with a little water. Bring 2 opposite corners together and press so they stick. Bring the other two corners up and do the same thing. Press any gaps together. See picture below. You will have a little bundle. You can also make them into tiny rolls, like a mini spring rolls. To do that fold 2 corners in to just touch. Take one of the remaining corners and roll up into a tiny roll. Dampen edge with a little water to affix. Repeat with remaining filling. You should get a several dozen. Pour 1-inch of oil into a small saucepan and heat to 350 degrees.  Fry rangoons a few at a time until golden and drain on paper toweling. Keep warm in 300-degree oven until ready to serve- but best served right after you make them. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Note: If you don’t want to fry them, you can also bake the rangoons until crisp, about 8 minutes at 425 degrees.

Crab Rangoon, ready to fry

 

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Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

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Broccoli With Oyster Sauce

This dish is so simple and packed with flavor. Its a great side for Asian dishes. I enjoy eating it just on its own. We made it in class last week and everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Its just a few ingredients but each one adds its own special flavor to this dish.

 

If the only way you eat broccoli is with butter or a cheese sauce, you need to give this recipe a try. I think you’ll like it as much as I do.

Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

 

1 lb. fresh broccoli

3 T. oyster sauce

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. oil

2 t. sesame oil

 

Chop broccoli into serving size pieces. Steam until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, Heat remaining ingredients in small pan and toss over hot broccoli. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

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Cinnamon Pear Coffeecake

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Cinnamon Pear Coffeecake

This pear-studded cake is perfect to have with that morning cup of coffee- or for dessert. The tender cake is topped with chopped pears, cubes of cream cheese, cinnamon sugar and a vanilla glaze. The taste is amazing. I used Bartlett pears, but any ripe pear would work.

I will say up front, that this is not the prettiest cake out there. It comes out of the oven kind of lumpy, from all those pears and the tiny cubes of cream cheese. Once you top it with the cinnamon sugar, and later the glaze, it looks a lot better. It is one of the tastiest cakes, though, and isn’t that what’s important?

So if you want to enjoy one of my favorite late Summer/early Autumn fruits in a new way- try making this simple, tasty pear coffeecake. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Cinnamon Pear Coffeecake

1 stick (½ cup) butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 c. half and half

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

2 lbs. pears, about 4 large, cored, peeled and sliced *

8 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces

Topping

3 T. cinnamon sugar

Glaze:

½ c. powdered sugar

1-2 T. milk

½ t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, half and half, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir. Drain pears well. Add the pears, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over fruit. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. When you remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Set cake aside to cool.  Make glaze by combining glaze ingredients. Add just enough milk for a nice consistency for drizzling. Drizzle over cooled cake. Store leftovers in fridge. Serves 12.

* To keep pears from discoloring place in a bowl with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice

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Aunt Josie’s Clam Chowder

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Aunt Josie’s Clam Chowder

It is clambake season around here and it seemed like a great time to share this recipe. Aunt Josie’s clam chowder is a favorite of mine. I have loved it from the first time I had it. It is pretty easy to make and full of flavor. We have it at every family clambake.

You have the option of adding some stock or water at one point. I sometimes have seafood stock in the freezer, but a bottle of clam juice would work great, too.

So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Aunt Josie’s Clam Chowder

2 T. butter

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

2-3 small potatoes, cubed

1 c. water or stock

2 (10 oz.) cans clams, undrained*

1 T. butter

2 T. flour

2 c. milk – I use half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and celery in butter until tender, but not browned. Add potatoes and water or stock and cook, covered until potatoes are tender. Stir in clams and set aside. In another saucepan, combine butter and flour over low heat and stir in milk, stirring to make a white sauce. Cook mixture until it thickens and starts to bubble.  Add it to the clam mixture and adjust seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer. I added some parsley right before serving. Serves 4.

* You can also add clam meat and a little extra stock. I often buy frozen clam meat.

This post is dedicated, with love, to Aunt Josie.

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Pickled Daikon

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Pickled Daikon

Every since I first tasted pickled daikon in a local Korean restaurant I knew I wanted to make my own. Daikon is a large white radish, sometimes referred to as a giant radish, Japanese radish or Chinese radish. When cooked and fried it is also referred to as a turnip – as in turnip cake. Whatever name goes by, this giant radish can be used in many  different dishes, eaten raw or cooked. If you have a hard time finding daikon, you might have to go to your favorite Asian grocery store.

Making the pickled radish is very easy. The radish is  peeled and cut into matchstick pieces- this is the hardest part of the whole process. Then the pieces are put in a large jar and a hot brine is poured over the radish. Then close up the jar and pop in the fridge until they are ready to eat. They need  some time to “pickle” in the brine. I start eating them a day or two later, but wait a week fir a better pickle. Serve as an appetizer anytime. They are a fun and healthy snack.

Here is the recipe for the brine. You can add more sugar or salt, if you prefer. I don’t like mine sweet so this recipe works fine for me.

 Pickled Daikon

Daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces

Brine- for every pound of daikon make a batch of the brine below

2 c. vinegar

2 c. water

3 T. sugar

2½ T. salt

Heat brine ingredients together. Pour over prepared daikon. Allow to cool and store in the fridge. The daikon will be pickled in a few days. Keeps for many months.

Note: you can use this  same brine for other vegetables like mushrooms or peppers. For really dense vegetables, like beets or carrots, you can simmer the cut up veggies in the brine for 5 minutes before cooling and storing in the fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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