Tuesday, January 18, 2011

B-B-Q Ham

I remember first eating this recipe as a goodbye lunch served by good neighbors the day we moved from Zanesville to Findlay back in 1968. It was such a hit we had to have the recipe. Now it is Hunter's absolute fav and I have it baking right now and it smells awesome! He packs it in his lunch and reheats in microwave at work.



1 1/2# chipped chopped ham (I use deli ham sliced thin for sandwiches)

1 tbsp mustard

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp worchestire sauce

1 tbsp vinegar



Mix together sauce ingredients. I bake it in a large baking dish and put in dish in two layers. First layer of ham, pour 1/2 sauce over it, put last layer of ham, pour rest of sauce over it. Bake 350 for about an hour. Cut in squares to fit buns.

Great Grandma Nye's Fruitcake

I am posting this recipe exactly as she had it written. I enjoy reading her comments/suggestions. There are many people who do not like fruit cake, but GG Nye's is sincerely "the" best I have ever had. Growing up and as an adult, I remember looking forward to them every Christmas, she made them for years.

1 cup oleo
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh or frozen)
1 8 oz jar grape jelly
2 1/2 cups flour (use the 1/2 cup flour in fruit and nuts, add last)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (or 1/2 tsp allspice)
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped English walnuts
1 lb white raisins (may use dark ones)
1 lb chopped dates (cut up with shears)
4 oz jar or quarter lb each of the following:
red & green cherries (maraschino, chopped or cut up)
red & green pineapple

Cream together oleo and sugar, add jelly, stir well, add orange juice (stir) add slightly beaten eggs (stir), add spices, then flour (1 cup) and baking powder and salt. Add chopped fruit and nuts last, mixed with the 1/2 cup flour.

Grease pans and line (cut to fit pans and sides) with wax paper. Fill pans quite full as cake doesn't raise much. Place oven rack up one notch. Cake must bake slow, around 275 or 300 (depending on oven) for 1 or 1 1/2 hours. This depends on the size pans you use. Smaller pans get done quicker. This cake is very moist and really hard to tell when done. When top of cake is or looks dry, it is done. I use loaf pans one size is 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/4. Smaller one 5 1/2 x 3 1/4 x 2 1/4, you can get 1 large and 4 small or 2 large and 2 small.

I like to get fruit ready and mix raisin in day or night before and put in the fridge. Don't put nuts in though. May freeze cakes. Wrap good.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

I found this to be a cheaper and very tasty alternative to the Near East Couscous box. Found on Food.com


Ingredients

    Cousous

    • 1 1/4 cups water or 1 1/4 cups broth
    • 1 cup couscous
    • 1 teaspoon butter or 1 teaspoon margarine (optional)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

    Topping

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil.
  2. Add couscous, butter and salt.
  3. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
  4. Topping: In a shallow pan, heat oil.
  5. Cook garlic until it begins to brown.
  6. Add rest of spices, cook for 30 second and remove from heat.
  7. (Alternately, you could use ready made"roasted garlic olive oil", and add the thyme and pepper).
  8. Mix topping with couscous, serve immediately.

    Serves: 4

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

South Beach Diet - Phase One

After Thanksgiving, I was sick of not fitting into my clothes and wanted to be more healthy.  So, I decided to try the South Beach diet. It was very effective! I lost eight lbs by Christmas.

I checked out the following three books from the library and also used the internet as a source for recipes:


Here are some links to the recipes I liked most from phase one:


Breakfast:
Vegetable Frittata with Parmesan
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

Dinner:
Chicken Packets
Slow Cooker Recipe for Pulled Pork with Low-Sugar Barbecue Sauce
Souffle Stuffed Chicken
Herb-Roasted Pork Loin

Side Dish:
Surprise South Beach Mashed "Potatoes"

Snack/Dessert:
Turkey Roll-Ups (a snack)
South Beach Diet Faux Ice Cream
Chilled Espresso Custard

Salads:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Armand Salad

Turkey Chili

I adapted this recipe from one I found on allrecipes.com.  It was a hit at New Years this year!
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar Pace Picante sauce
  • 1 pkg chili seasoning mix
  • 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
  • 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
  2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Serves: 8

Chicken Packets

While doing phase one of the South Beach Diet, we discovered this fantastic way to cook chicken breasts.  Quick and easy and yields tender, moist chicken!


INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb)
Seasoning mix of your choice
Zucchini and/or yellow squash, in 1/2 pieces
Optional: 
Chopped scallions
Lemon slices
Other vegetables as desired

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut four 2 ft. lengths of aluminum foil. Fold each in half to make a 1 ft. square.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with seasoning. Place a breast in the middle of the foil square.  Add vegetables to each packet.

Fold foil over chicken and crimp edges to seal tightly.   Bake for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.

Serves: 4

Herb-Roasted Pork Loin

This is a South Beach Diet Phase One recipe I found in the Parties and Celebrations cookbook. It was easy and good, but looks fancy!  This would be good to try with other herb combinations, like sage and rosemary.


INGREDIENTS:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 (3 lb) boneless center-cut pork loin roast

DIRECTIONS:
Position rack in middle of oven and heat to 350 degrees.*
Combine garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, zest, oil and salt in a small bowl. Mash until mixture forms a thick paste.
Place pork on a cutting board so it lies perpendicular to you. Using a sharp knife and beginning at the top of the loin, make an incision down the center, about three-quarters of the way into the meat. Gently spread the loin open and repeat the incision in the center of each half of the loin, so the loin is opened, like a book.
Rub three-fourths of the garlic mixture inside the loin, then close up the loin by folding in half and then in half again. Use twine to tie loin closed.
Rub the remaining garlic mixture over the outside of the loin.
Roast pork until internal temperature reads 150 degrees F, 1 - 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes before slicing; serve warm.

Makes 8 (6 oz) servings

* I used my Programmable Slow Cooker with the meat probe inserted into the loin, set to 150 degrees.