Hammin' It Up

This Christmas we had ham as our main course. As always, even with my family here, there were plenty of leftovers. So, we cut it off the bone, bagged it in freezer bags and froze it, planning to use it for omelets in the coming weeks. In the midst of sorting through 20 years of my recipe collection, I came across this favorite and on a busy Sunday, got it started in the crock pot before church and let it simmer all day on low. Remarkably easy and yet completely satisfying, this has become one of my husband's most requested post-ham dishes.

Crock Pot Ham & Potatoes

8-10 medium potatoes, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced, skin on.
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (can use any "cream of ..." soup you prefer)
about 1/2 lb. ham, diced or torn into 1" pieces
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 onion, choppped (or 1 T. dried minced onion)
salt & pepper to taste

Layer ingredients in crock pot and stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours.

Total comfort food!

Coming soon to a blog near you ...

Just like the healthy fish dish I just posted below, I will add a few lighter-fare recipes this month in order to help us undo the damage brought on by the 12 Cookies of Christmas! Fish, chicken and even pasta -- there are so many ways to get a healthy yet deliciously satisfying meal on the table, so I hope you'll check back in the coming weeks to find tasty ways to get back on track.

Also, I will be posting some recipes by special request of my sister in law, Kim. She and I received electric fondue pots for Christmas and I'm pulling out some of my favorite fondue recipes. As a child of the 70's, some of my mama's best dishes were out of our fondue pot. I will say good-bye to Sterno as I update my retro appliance to the new, improved electric version. These recipes are good for a family dinner or a Super Bowl party or just a fun, family dinner where everybody mans their own fork and cooks for him/herself. Can't beat that!

See you soon, I hope!

Leslie

Happy Healthy New Year!!

Resolutions schmezolutions!! Every year I make the list, at least mentally, and every year for the majority of my post-baby years the same three rear their ugly heads “lose weight”, “eat healthier”, “get in shape”. Pffft! Forget the top ten list of resolutions – I just have to do seven because the first three are now unspoken standards. So, figuring that other people out there have the same mindset as I do about this time of year, I decided I’d share one of my family’s favorite healthy meals – Pan-Seared Whitefish with roasted vegetables and couscous. It’s lean, heart-healthy, quick and delicious! You can’t beat that combination!

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 yellow squash, sliced
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
(You can also use cherry tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, quartered onions, broccoli and other colors of peppers)
Salt, pepper, Italian seasonings
Drizzle of olive oil

Place cut vegetables in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, then salt, pepper and season with Italian seasonings or Herbes de Provence. Hand toss to coat and flatten out to one layer. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through to cook evenly.

As soon as this is in the oven, follow the directions on the box to make couscous, using chicken stock instead of water. I chose to go with the whole grain variety, but it’s up to you. The couscous literally takes 7 minutes from start to finish. Now it’s time to prepare the fish for pan-searing.


Pan-Seared Whitefish

1 ½ lbs. whitefish fillets (I prefer Tilapia because of its mild flavor)
Salt, pepper, flour (I use whole wheat to make it healthier)
½ c. chopped almonds
Drizzle of olive oil
1 Tablespoon of butter

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. While pan is getting hot, alt and pepper one side of each fillet, then dust each fillet with flour. When pan is hot and oil is moving and thinning, place each fillet seasoned side down in the skillet, being careful not to move it once you do. When all fillets are in skillet, repeat the salt, pepper and flour process. Let fillets cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Once that’s done, move them to one side of a serving platter and add another drizzle of olive oil and the butter to the same skillet. When butter has melted, add chopped almonds and toast them in the pan. This will only take a couple of minutes. Once they’re toasted, place them on top of the fillets.

Plate the couscous aside the fish fillets and top with the roasted vegetables for a really attractive entrée and side dish!

Simple. Satisfying. Savory ~ and slimming! That’s this month’s dinner @ 6!

Homemade Turtles

1 (14 oz.) package caramels
3-4 T. milk
2 c. pecan pieces
butter
1/4 bar paraffin
1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Melt caramels in milk over low heat; add pecan pieces. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto buttered wax paper. Chill until set. Melt paraffin and chocolate morsels in heavy saucepan over low heat. Dip chilled caramel clusters into chocolate and return to wax paper. Chill for at least an hour.

Christmas Through the House

To keep that Christmas-y scent wafting through my house even when I'm not baking, I keep a little pot on the stove, about half full of water and put in a couple of sticks of cinnamon, some nutmeg, a few whole cloves and the orange peels whenever someone eats an orange. If it's on the back burner, it warms while I'm cooking, but if I'm not, I just leave the eye on low for a little while. You could add just about anything you like -- lemon peels, vanilla, maybe even a sprig of the tree. It's just that special blend of smells that only fills our home this time of year and makes your home smell extra welcoming to all those out-of-town guests!

Merry Christmas!!

Fudge in Five .... No Fudgin'!

This is by far the easiest fudge recipe I've ever come across. My Mama gave it to me and I actually think she found it in the book that came with her microwave. This is a NEVER FAIL recipe, so easy even the kids can do it, and mine have -- successfully.

Fudge
1 bag (12 oz.) chips (can use peanut butter, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, white or Swirls)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. butter
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Place all ingredients (except nuts) in a large bowl. Microwave at medium (50%) until chips are melted, 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. Stir in nuts. Pour into well-greased 8x8 baking dish. Refrigerate until set.

Variation: Can substitute 6 oz. peanut butter chips for 6 oz. of chocolate chips to make a chocolate-peanut butter fudge.

Or, you could stir in a cup of broken pretzel pieces instead of nuts to make a chocolaty-salty treat.

My family loves, loves, LOVES this fudge and it is so easy that I make several varieties throughout the season. I've even packaged it in tins and given as teacher gifts.

Enjoy!

The 12 Cookies of Christmas

December is a month steeped in tradition and one of ours is the 12 Cookies of Christmas. Throughout the month I bake -- excessively, and we eat -- excessively. I do some of this at a friend’s cookie exchange each year, where we gather with our cookie dough, bake, eat, have tea and talk! If you’re having or attending a cookie exchange this year, or even if you just bake at home, this column will give you a couple of new ideas. The cookies I bake aren’t always sweet, some are savory and I’m giving you one of each to satisfy all the taste buds. So this month, let’s have “Dessert @ 6”, with each of the treats having 6 or less ingredients, which will help us wedge in some baking between all that shopping and wrapping!

Cheese Crisps

½ lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 sticks butter
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. Rice Krispies
¼ t. salt
½ - 1 t. cayenne pepper (depending on tastes)

Grate cheese into large bowl. Place sticks of butter in bowl with cheese. Let stand at room temperature until both are soft. Cream together butter and cheese very well; add flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix will; stir in Rice Krispies. Roll about 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ball. Place on cookie sheet and press with the tines of a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes, watching carefully after 15 minutes to make sure they don’t overcook. These will not brown, but should be crispy, not soft.

Now for the sweet! These remind me of the date nut roll my grandmother used to make and they are so deliciously different, yet extremely quick and easy to make. They will also help use up the rest of the box of Rice Krispies you bought to make the Cheese Crisps. The great thing about the next recipe is that it’s all done on the stovetop – no baking!

Date Crisps

1 stick butter
2 c. Rice Krispies
1 (8 oz.) pkg. chopped dates
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
Powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan, place butter, brown sugar and dates. Cook over medium heat until butter and sugar melt. Add Rice Krispies and chopped pecans, stirring to combine. Cool until mixture is warm enough to touch. Form mixture into 1” balls and roll in powdered sugar.

I'd love to collect a few more recipes from some of you. I invite you to email me at lwhite_bloomingdalegazette.com and share your favorite Christmas cookie.

Also, I'll be posting a few more treats this month that your family is sure to love, so check back often.

Happy baking!