Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
I must admit to being a sucker for the classics. This cupcake is certainly a classic.
I normally top them with a vanilla buttercream, but decided to make a white chocolate frosting instead. Yes, I know white “chocolate” is not really chocolate. But when I say white chocolate, everyone knows what I am talking about.
I used a white chocolate bar- and broke it into pieces, before melting, but you could you use white chocolate chips instead. The frosting has a really nice flavor and fluffy texture, without being too sweet. These cupcakes are always a hit.
Classic White (Vanilla) Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12paper liners. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when they springs back to the touch. Makes 12.
White Chocolate Frosting
6 oz. white chocolate – if using bars, chop before melting
1 stick (4 oz.) cold butter, cut into cubes
1-2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Melt chocolate. I just melt mine in a microwave safe dish, but you can use a double boiler. Let chocolate cool down a little. Beat butter into the melted chocolate. Beat until smooth and then beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy. I normally beat for 5 minutes or longer. If too thick, add a few drops of water or milk.
Spelt Bread
There is just something about homemade bread. I love the way the house smells when bread is baking. I decided to bake some spelt bread last night. It is one of my favorites.
I always have at least a few people who ask me what spelt is.
Spelt flour is a close relative to wheat. I love cooking with it because it is so easy to work with. It doesn’t require much, if any, kneading when you make yeast bread out of it.
Spelt has a texture much closer to white flour in baking other things, like muffins or biscuits. It does contain gluten, so it’s not an answer for people with gluten issues.
For those who do cook with wheat, spelt provides whole grain nutrition in a delicate, less heavy package. The bread I baked was so easy to make and gives me all the taste and fiber of whole wheat bread with less work.
Spelt flour is still tricky to find. Some larger grocery stores carry it, but you might have to go to specialty markets. Bob’s Red Mill is my usual source, so if your store carries their products, you should be able to locate it.
Spelt Bread
3 ¼ c. spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
1/3 c. honey
¼ c. oil
1 t. salt
1 egg
Place 2 c. flour, yeast and salt in a medium bowl. Heat together water, honey and oil until warm (120-130 degrees) Add water mixture to spelt mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, or until moistened. Add egg and beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in enough spelt to make a soft dough. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and use a rubber scraper to transfer dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, another hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cover top with foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.
Mushroom, Leek and Asparagus Quiche
This quiche is a nice combination of ingredients for any Spring gathering. Would be great for a brunch, too.
Mushroom, Leek and Asparagus Quiche
1 unbaked pie shell
2 T. oil or butter
1 c. sliced leek- white or light green part only
4 oz. sliced mushrooms- I used baby Portobello
8 oz. asparagus, trimmed and sliced
4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
2 T. flour
3 eggs, beaten
¾ c. half and half
1 T. fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Roll out crust to fit a 9 or 10- inch tart pan. Place crust in pan and trim edges. Chill crust until ready to use. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In skillet, heat oil or butter and cook leeks until tender. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are golden. Set aside. Steam asparagus for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender. Set aside. Combine flour with cheese and toss to coat. Spread cheese in prepared tart shell. Top with the mushroom and leek mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the eggs with the half and half, dill and hot sauce. Pour over the mushrooms mixture in the tart shell. Add the asparagus. Place in preheated oven and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Turn down heat to 350 and cook for 20-25 minutes longer, or until crust is golden and filling has set up. Serves 4-6.
* While I would normally use a more traditional pie crust, I ended up using the dough I normally use for my kolachy. It was leftover and seemed like a nice choice. The kolachy dough is 3 sticks of softened butter, 8 oz. of cream cheese and 3 cups of flour. Mix all ingredients until smooth and chill until ready to use. It was leftover, so hard to say how many crusts a full recipe would make. I would think you could easily get three crusts from one recipe. You can, of course, use your favorite pie crust recipe.
Honeymoon Soup
The silly name for this soup stems from a sandwich I made when I was a kid. I was making my sandwich with Swiss cheese on toasted rye bread. I put one single slice of cheese on the bread and then proceeded to pile up all this lettuce on the sandwich.
What can I say? I really like a lot of lettuce on my sandwiches.
I cut it in half and was sort of struggling to eat it without the lettuce tumbling everywhere, when my father came in the kitchen. He said I had made a honeymoon sandwich, lettuce alone. Get it? Let us alone. It took a second before I got it. My dad was the king of puns. The name stuck.
I make lettuce soup from time to time. Mostly when I have a lot of lettuce I need to use up. I have a big package of lettuce right now, so honeymoon soup is on the menu today.
The lettuce actually adds nice flavor to the soup. For this one, I decided to add the other elements of my sandwich by topping the soup with some shredded Swiss cheese and fresh rye bread croutons. The combination was really nice- kind of light and satisfying at the same time.
Honeymoon Soup
6 c. stock- I used chicken, but vegetable or beef stock would work, too
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 c. shredded Romaine lettuce- you can use other lettuces – I often use Spring Mix
2 T. butter or oil
3-4 slices rye bread, cubed
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese- or whatever cheese you prefer
Heat stock and simmer carrots in stock until tender. While carrots are cooking, heat butter or oil in a skillet and toast the bread cubes in the skillet. Stir often so they don’t burn. You end up with nice rye croutons. You can just set them aside and add to the soup at room temperature. I prefer to warm them in the skillet right before serving.
Back to the soup- once the carrots are tender add the lettuce to the stock. It will wilt down a lot and cook quickly. Allow about 3-4 minutes for the lettuce to wilt down. Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Top with some shredded cheese and then the croutons. Serves 3-4.
Black and White Cookies – for the Eclipse!
These lovely cookies are always a lot of fun to make and to serve. The name comes from the mix of both white and dark frostings used to decorate them. Black and White Cookies are a classic. They are tender, cake-like cookies and one of my favorites.
After the cookies are baked, you brush them with both white and dark chocolate frostings. The effect is dramatic and tasty. If you have never tried one, you really should.
Black and White Cookies
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter – room temp.
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. lemon extract or
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Frosting:
4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water
1 ounce bitter or semi sweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter until fluffy. Stir in eggs, milk, vanilla, extracts, until smooth. Fold in flours, baking powder, salt and stir until mixed. Using a soup spoon (or a small ice cream scoop) drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of room between them. Bake until edges are browned – 20-30 minutes.
Frosting: Place confectioner’s sugar in a bowl. Gradually stir in boiling water until you have a thick spreadable mixture. Remove half of frosting to a bowl and stir in melted chocolate. With a brush, decorate each cookie half with white frosting, half with chocolate. Let set until thoroughly dry.
About 4 dozen cookies.
10 Plants You Might Not Know You Can Eat
I have posted this information before. I think it is information worth sharing again. You might have a fresh salad growing all around you, and not even know it.
A lot of people don’t realize how many common plants they can eat. I thought it might be fun to share a few of them with you. Some of these are plants we grow as landscape/ornamental plants. Others are more often thought of as “weeds”. All have one thing in common. They are edible.
Some you may already know. I hope I might show you a few edibles you didn’t know about before.
I tried to stick to plants that were easy to identify. If you are not sure what it is – don’t eat it. Don’t eat plants where pesticides have been sprayed, either.
With any luck, you have at least a few of these in your yard.
Violets: Violet flowers are edible and used to decorate pastries and to make jelly. Did you know you can also eat the leaves? They are mild flavored- especially when young- and are a great addition to salads. Violet leaves are also high in vitamin C.
Purslane: The thick, fleshy leaves of purslane are easy to identify. Many vegetable gardeners make every effort to keep them out of their yards. Truth is, purslane is grown as a vegetable in many parts of the world. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, can be cooked in a stir fry or just steamed as a fresh veggie. They can also be pickled. I make a salsa out of purslane leaves. They are crunchy with a slightly citrus flavor.
Lambsquarters: Lambsquarters are one of my favorites. They sprout all over my yard and in pots as soon as the weather warms up in the Spring. The leaves can be eaten raw when young or cooked as they mature. They taste just like spinach and are even better for you. Plants can get quite large and provide an easy harvest of nutritious greens.
Dandelions: We spend so much money trying to kill them. Sad because they are really a tasty green. Dandelions were brought to America by European immigrants as a vegetable. Their bitter greens can be an acquired taste. By combining the greens with certain foods you make them taste less bitter. Starchy foods like breads or potatoes, dairy products, tomatoes and vinegars all seem to tame the bitterness. Dandelion greens can be eaten cooked or raw. Flowers are used to make jelly and wine and can be added to baked goods.
Hosta: If you can get to them before the deer do, you will be pleasantly surprised. Hosta leaves are quite mild flavored, similar to Bibb lettuce. I add them to salads and even serve them with dips. The older leaves get tough so pick young leaves.
Sweet Potato Leaves: A friend from Hawaii first told me about eating sweet potato leaves. The leaves are pretty mild flavored. I normally eat them cooked although I have friends that eat them raw as well. You can eat the leaves of all sweet potatoes, including ornamental types.
Lilac: Lilac flowers are fragrant and edible. I use them every year to make lilac infused vinegar. They have a nice spicy taste that works well in the vinegar. Blossoms can be added to salads, too. This year I also made lilac jelly.
Redroot/Pigweed: This member of the amaranth family is distinguished by a reddish color to its roots. It has a spinach like flavor and can be cooked and used like spinach is any recipe. The plants can get several feet tall and often show up in places where the soil has been tilled.
Tulips: Tulips are more than pretty, they are also quite tasty. The petals taste like a mild flavored lettuce and can add a beautiful touch to salads. The bulbs are also edible but only part of them. The inner yellow core has to be removed first. We rarely eat the bulbs because to do so would destroy the plant. The petals, however, can be harvested and eaten year after year without harming the plant.
Roses: Rose petals have been used to make fragrances for a very long time. The petals are also edible and can be added to salads and used to make jelly, syrup and of course, rose water. The hips are also quite edible. Rose hips are the round balls that are left after the bloom is spent. They are full of vitamin C and can be cooked and used to make tea and jelly.
This is far from a complete list. Just a few things from my yard that I thought you might have, too
Asparagus Irene
Asparagus will always be one of my favorite vegetables. I just love it. As I started writing out the recipe for this dish, I was thinking about my Mom and how much she loved asparagus. She always wanted the bigger asparagus spears- she said they had more flavor.
I remember her showing me how to break the bottom of the stalks off and how she would cook them until they were just done- but not mushy. She wouldn’t consider eating canned asparagus- only fresh- so the season was short. It was something to be savored while it lasted.
Most times she just placed the cooked asparagus on a plate, topped with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt. One time, though, she made a white sauce and poured it over the asparagus. It was bliss. For this version I used a white sauce, and topped the asparagus with 2 poached eggs, too. It is a lovely breakfast or brunch dish. Makes a great dinner, too. I named the dish after her.
Here is the recipe.
Asparagus Irene
1 lb. fresh asparagus, washed and stems trimmed
white sauce- recipe follows
fresh lemon, cut in wedges
2 eggs
vinegar- for the poaching water
salt and pepper to taste
Put the asparagus in a steamer and cook for about 5 minutes- or until almost done. Set aside. Make white sauce, but add some lemon juice to it. I just kept squeezing lemon wedges in until it tasted right to me. Set sauce aside. Boil some water in a shallow pan and add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Drop the two eggs in and simmer, covered until the whites are opaque and the yolks are still runny. While the eggs are cooking return the asparagus to the heat and cook until just tender. Place asparagus on a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little salt. Gently place the eggs on top of the asparagus. Spoon some of the white sauce over the eggs. You will have more sauce than you need. Save it for another use. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley, if you like. Finish with some salt and fresh ground pepper. Serves 2.
Basic White Sauce (Bechamel)
The start of many a classic dish.
2 T. butter or oil
2 T. flour
1 1/4 c. warmed milk
salt and pepper to taste
In saucepan melt butter or heat oil and add flour, stirring until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Turn heat down and continue to cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes longer. Season to taste. If you are going to store the sauce for later use place a layer of wax paper on top, store in a container with a lid or pour a little milk over the top to prevent a skin from forming. Makes about 1 c.
Lemon: Add zest of a lemon, 2 T. lemon juice and 2 T. butter just before serving.
More Recipes for Hard Cooked Eggs
If you have hard cooked eggs leftover from Easter, you might want some recipes to use them up. I have put together a few of my favorites recipes, including a cookie recipe!!! Enjoy.
Scotch Eggs
6 hard-cooked eggs, well chilled
1 pound breakfast sausage
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
Peel eggs and set aside. Divide sausage into 6 portions. Roll each egg in flour and with hands press a portion of the sausage around each egg. If the sausage sticks to your hands, dip your hands in a little water to make pressing the sausage easier. Dip sausage-wrapped eggs into beaten eggs and roll in bread crumbs. Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Cook each egg in oil about 4-5 minutes or until sausage is cooked and browned. Drain on paper toweling. Serve warm. Makes 6.
Mom’s Macaroni Salad
1 lb. uncooked pasta, shells are preferred
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise, about 1 cup
Salad dressing, like Spin Blend or Miracle Whip, about ½ cup
3-4 ribs celery, sliced thin
4-5 green onions, trimmed and sliced thin
8-12 hard-cooked eggs, cooled and peeled
Cook pasta according to package directions, but do not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Place drained pasta in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add dressings and vegetables and stir until well mixed. You may want to add more dressing to suit your taste. Chop eggs and stir into salad. Adjust seasonings if needed and chill before serving. Serves 8-10.
Polish Butter Cookies
This cookie dough includes cooked eggs yolks. I wish I remember where I got the recipe. It is a Polish recipe, at least according to the name, but my Mom never heard of it. So, wherever the source, it is a good cookie, with nice flavor and texture.
Dough:
1 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
5 hard-cooked egg yolks, pressed through a fine sieve
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
Glaze:
1 egg white
1 t. water
1/3 c. sugar
1/2-1 t. cinnamon
Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Wrap dough and chill for at least an hour. Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time into scant 1/4 -inch thickness. This dough is soft, so I use a pastry cloth to prevent sticking. Use extra flour sparingly and use a marble rolling pin or one with a cloth sleeve. I also keep extra dough chilled until ready to roll. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on greased baking sheet. Mix egg white with water and brush on cookies. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on cookies. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be golden. Makes around 5 dozen, depending on the size of the cutters.
Wilted Kale Salad with Bacon
2-3 slices thick sliced bacon, chopped
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cups kale, washed and torn into pieces
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. maple syrup
dash of hot sauce
2 hard- cooked eggs, peeled and cubed
In skillet cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Remove some of the fat from the pan- leaving about 2 tablespoonfuls. Add onion and cook until golden. Return bacon to pan and add the kale. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until kale in wilted. I don’t mind my kale on the firm side-cook it longer if you like it more tender. Drizzle in the vinegar, maple syrup and hot sauce and stir to coat evenly. Place on a serving dish and top with the eggs. Enjoy!!
Curried Egg Sandwiches
These tiny sandwiches are perfect for a tea party.
3 T. mayonnaise
½ t. curry powder, or to taste
½ t. salt
¼ t. fresh ground pepper
4 hard-cooked eggs
6 T. butter, softened
¼ c. chutney, chopped, or sweet pickle relish
16 very thin slices whole wheat or pumpernickel bread, crusts trimmed
Combine mayo with seasonings. chop eggs and add to mayo mixture, stirring to blend. In small bowl combine butter with chutney. Spread a slice of bread with some of the butter mixture then top off with some of the egg mixture. Top with another slice of bread that has also been spread with the butter mixture. Cut sandwich into quarters, diagonally, making 4 sandwiches. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Makes 32 sandwiches.
Cornbread Salad
4 c. crumbled cornbread or corn muffins
1 c. shredded mild cheese
1 sweet red pepper seeded and diced
1 c. diced celery
½ c. diced green onion
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ c. chopped parsley
1-1 ½ c. mayonnaise or salad dressing, sometimes I use potato salad dressing or even slaw dressing
2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
1 c. toasted pecans
paprika for sprinkling on the top, optional
Place cornbread and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in dressing until desired moistness is achieved. Chill and stir in tomato and nut just before serving. Sprinkle with paprika if you like. Serves 6.
Note: You can add whole kernel corn also if you like.
Mom’s Mustard Potato Salad
4 lbs. potatoes- I used Klondike Rose and I did not peel them
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
1 c. mayo- maybe a little less
1/4 c. prepared mustard- I like a grainy brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce
Bake whole potatoes until tender and allow to cool. Cube potatoes into large bowl and combine with remaining ingredients. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 8.
Deviled Eggs
12 hard cooked eggs, peeled and cut in half
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 T. mustard – I like Dijon or horseradish mustard- use what you like
1-2 T. horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of garlic powder
Snipped chives, optional
Carefully scoop out the yolks and place them in a bowl. Set whites on a plate for now. Use a fork to mash up the yolks, adding the remaining ingredients, except the chives. Taste and adjust seasonings. I use a small cookie scoop to place the yolk mixture in each of the egg whites. You can also use a piping bag. Top with a sprinkle of chives, if you like. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 24.
Recipes for Leftover Ham
Of course, ham makes a great sandwich, but there are a lot more things you can do with it.
If you enjoyed a ham for Easter, you may find yourself with leftovers. Here are some recipes for all that ham.
Ham is versatile and can be used in all sorts of dishes. Added to soups, stir fry, breads, salads and omelets, it adds a wonderful smoky flavor to every dish. And of course, the ham bone can flavor a whole pot of soup.
So here are some recipes you might want to try.
Ham and Asparagus Quiche
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
1½ c. shredded cheese – I used Havarti
4 t. flour
1½ c. diced cooked ham
12 oz. asparagus, trimmed, cut in ½- inch pieces and steamed 3 minutes
4 eggs
1 c. milk or half and half
2 T. fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
¼ t. salt
1T. Dijon mustard
1 t. hot sauce
Toss cheese with flour in a bowl and place in pie crust. Sprinkle the ham and asparagus over the cheese and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl beating well to combine. Pour over the ham and asparagus mixture and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350-degrees and bake until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Makes 1.
Note: This quiche freezes well. After adding the fillings just wrap in heavy foil and freeze solid until ready to bake. When ready to bake unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake as with the fresh version, but add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time. If you don’t want to freeze the pie pan, you can line the pie pan with foil before you add the crust. Once it is frozen you can remove the frozen quiche from the pie pan and wrap, returning to freezer. When ready to use unwrap and put the quiche back in the pie pan before baking. Or, if you are planning on freezing it, you can use a foil pie pan.
Ham and Swiss Calzones
4 c. flour
2 c. rye flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. salt
2 packages quick-rising yeast
2⅓ c. hot water
2 T. oil
2 lb. thin sliced ham- more or less
1 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
Thousand island dressing- recipe follows
1 egg , beaten
Set aside 2 cups of the all-purpose 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. Cover dough and let rest 20 minutes. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll one piece into a 8 -inch circle. In the middle of the dough place 1 1/2 ounces of the Swiss cheese, a spoonful of the dressing and 2-3 ounces of the ham. Brush the edge of the dough with water. Fold over the dough in half and press the edges to seal. Brush the edge again with water and roll the edge over again. It will give you a prettier look and seal the calzone better. Repeat with remaining dough and fillings. Place calzones on greased baking sheets- or on a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper liner. You will end up with 12 calzones in all. Only put 4 on one baking sheet. Cover and let rest 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Before placing calzones in the oven brush with beaten egg and make a few slashes with a knife to help steam to escape while baking. I put 2 baking sheets in the oven at the same time and switch them halfway through baking. Bake in a preheated 400-degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If baking 2 at once switch them after 10 minutes or so. Cool slightly before eating. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers. Makes 12.
If you want to use regular yeast use warm, rather than hot water. Also, allow a little more time for the dough to rise the first time, about 40 minutes. Everything else will work the same.
Thousand Island Dressing
Combine equal parts of ketchup, mayo and sweet pickle relish. You likely need at least a cup for this recipe. I made extra so the sandwiches could be dipped in extra dressing, if desired.
Tortellini and Ham Salad
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 t. fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. sugar, optional
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
12 oz. mushroom or cheese tortellini, cooked
1½ c. diced ham or turkey ham
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 c. sauteed, sliced mushrooms, cooled
4 green onions, chopped
Parmesan cheese, optional
Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl and whisk to blend well. Add next 5 ingredients and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side. Serves 4.
Corn and Ham Saute
1 T. oil
1 small onion, diced
1 c. diced ham
4 c. corn- fresh or frozen
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In pan cook onion in oil until tender. Add the ham and cook a few minutes longer. Add corn and continue cooking until corn is heated through. Season to taste and serve. Serves 3-4.
Ham and Swiss Bread Florentine
3 ¼ c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 package quick-rising yeast
1 c. hot water
1 T. oil
¼ c. Dijon mustard
6-8 oz. sliced ham
4 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
1 large bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and steamed a few minutes to wilt, drained well.
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 down center middle of dough. Top with meat slices, cheese and spinach. 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 Corned beef and Swiss with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing., 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 use cold fillings.
If you want to use regular yeast use warm, rather than hot water. Also, don’t let dough rise over boiling 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.
Ham and Corn Chowder
I was looking for a quick soup for dinner the other night. Inspiration hit when I came across some corn in the freezer. I had blanched and frozen it during the summer at the peak of corn season. I had a little ham in the fridge I was wanting to use up and the pairing was a natural. I started by sauteing an onion in a little butter. Once the onion was tender I added a peeled and diced potato, the corn, the diced ham and about 2 or 3 cups of chicken stock. I covered the soup and let it simmer until the potato was tender, about 15 minutes. I then took 4 tablespoons of flour and put it in a jar. I added a cup of milk, put on the lid and shook it until the flour was well mixed in. I poured the flour mixture into the pot and brought the mixture up to a gentle boil. I stirred it as it thickened up. I cooked it for a few minutes and adjusted the seasonings adding salt, fresh ground pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I also added some chopped parsley. The end result was a wonderful chowder that took almost no time at all. Sometimes the best dishes come from just looking at what we already have. In this case some frozen veggies and a bit of leftover ham.
Ham and Veggie Stir Fry
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
1 c. sliced cabbage
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 c. sliced bok choy
1 1/2 c. cubed cooked ham
2 green onions, trimmed and sliced
1/2 c. whole almonds
fresh grated ginger- or powdered, to taste
soy sauce to taste
dash of hot sauce
Heat oil in wok or skillet and cook onion and carrots for 3 minutes. Add cabbage add garlic and stir fry 2-3 minutes longer. Toss in the pepper and bok choy and cook 3 more minutes. Add ham, green onions and almonds along with seasonings and soy sauce and cook until ham is heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta. Serves 3-4.
Ham with Brussels Sprouts
I started by trimming the Brussels sprouts and cutting small ones in half. I quartered the larger ones. I heated a little butter in a skillet and added 3 cups of prepared Brussels sprouts. I cooked them until they were getting a little color on them. I think their flavor is enhanced by sauteing. I then added 1 1/2 cups of diced cooked ham and 1/2 cup of water. The water helps steam the sprouts so they are tender. I like Brussels sprouts tender. You can skip the water, if you like. The water evaporates quickly and as soon as the ham starts to brown a little the dish was pretty much done. I added a little freshly ground pepper- but it didn’t need salt. I also served it with fresh grated Romano cheese. You could serve it as is or toss in some cooked pasta with the ham. Simple and really good. You might even get a Brussels sprout hater to give this one a try.
Corn, Ham and Bacon Chowder
1 lb. bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 c. chicken stock
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 c. corn – I used frozen corn
2 c. chopped ham
2 cups half and half or milk
¼ c. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Fresh chopped parsley
Cut bacon in 1-inch pieces and fry in a Dutch oven until crisp. Tip pot and spoon out most of the fat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add carrots and stock. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, then add the potatoes, corn and ham. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. In jar with a tight fitting lid, combine 1 cup of the half and half or milk with the flour. Put on the lid and shake until mixture is smooth. Stir into the pot along with the remaining half and half or milk and cook, stirring often until mixture thickens up. Adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in parsley and serve. Serves 6.
Swedish Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 lb. yellow split peas, rinsed
2 qts. Boiling water or stock
1 bay leaf
2 c. chopped onion
2 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/4 t. ginger
dash nutmeg
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. salt, or to taste
2 cups diced ham
Note: you can use 1 teaspoon liquid smoke if omitting meat.
Combine peas, boiling water or stock and bay leaf and simmer, covered, about an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Add remaining ingredients, except diced meat and salt, and cook, covered, over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add meat and cook 1 hour more, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Serve with a pumpernickel bread. Freezes well. Serves 6-8.
Ham and Cheese Strata
12 slices bread, crusts removed if desired – I used rye
6 slices cheese – I used Swiss
1/4 c. diced green onions
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
2 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Place six slices of bread on bottom of 2-quart oblong casserole. Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Top cheese with the onions, peppers and ham. Top with remaining bread and cut each “sandwich” in half diagonally. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over sandwiches. Cover dish and let stand several hours or overnight in the fridge. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until puffed and set. Serves 6.
Ham and Swiss Quiche
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
1½ c. shredded Swiss or Gruyere Cheese
4 t. flour
1 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
1 c. milk or half-half or evaporated milk
2 T. fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
¼ t. salt
¼ t. dry mustard
Dash of hot sauce
Toss cheese with flour in a bowl and place in pie crust. Sprinkle the ham over the cheese and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl beating well to combine. Pour over the ham and cheese mixture and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350-degrees and bake until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Makes 1
Note: This quiche freezes well. After adding the fillings just wrap in heavy foil and freeze solid until ready to bake. When ready to bake unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake as with the fresh version, but add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time. If you don’t want to freeze the pie pan, you can line the pie pan with foil before you add the crust. Once it is frozen you can remove the frozen quiche from the pie pan and wrap, returning to freezer. When ready to use unwrap and put the quiche back in the pie pan before baking. You can also use a foil pie pan.
Goldenrod – A Recipe for Hard Cooked Eggs
If you are looking for a recipe using hard-cooked eggs, you might want to make some Goldenrod. It is a simple dish, but very pretty and quite tasty.
You make a white sauce, then add chopped up egg whites. Season with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, pour the hot egg white mixture over toast and then put the egg yolks in a small strainer or sieve and press them through the strainer over the egg whites.
The yolks turn into a powder and the end result looks quite pretty. I like goldenrod served over English muffins, but you can serve it over toasted bread, biscuits or bagels.
This is a very sentimental dish for me. In my family, it was a tradition every year, after Easter. Goldenrod was a way of using up some of the eggs we had decorated. My Busha, (Polish grandmother) made it, as did my mother. I remember them both when I make goldenrod.
Goldenrod
4-6 hard cooked eggs
2 T. flour
2 T. butter
1-1 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 slices bread, toasted
Peel eggs and separate whites from yolks. Chop egg whites and set aside. In saucepan cook flour and butter together until smooth. Stir in milk and cook until thickened and bubbly. Be careful not to burn the sauce. Season to taste and add reserved egg whites, heating through. Arrange toast on serving dishes and cover with the sauce. Place reserves egg yolks in a fine sieve and press through over sauce, dusting as evenly as possible. Serves 2-4.
