Mussels with Smoky Ham and Vidalia Onions

Ingredients:
4 lb mussels
1 1/2 cup stock*
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 bunch Vidalia onions (with greens), chopped
1 head fennel, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup diced smoked ham





*ham, lobster, chicken or turkey stock would all work.

My thoughts:

My in-laws recently visited and brought some some almost mouth-puckeringly smoky ham/slab Canadian bacon. We ate it at an alarmly rapid rate but my favorite use for it was in this dish. The smoky porky flavor made for a savory, easy broth for the juicy mussels. I love buying mussels; especially on sale, these were only about $2 lb so I gluttonously bought 4 lbs and that was all we had for dinner. It is the perfect one dish meal if you actually eat the vegetables included as we do.

Potato, Leek & Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 or 4 leeks, sliced (white parts only!)
1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets
6 cups chicken or ham stock
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cup cubed smoked ham*

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter. Saute the potato until just turning golden. Add the garlic, cauliflower, leeks. Saute a few minutes just until the leeks start to soften. Pour in the broth and spices. Simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit and the potatoes and cauliflower are soft and starting to fall apart. Meanwhile, lightly brown the ham on all sides in a dry, nonstick skillet. Using an immersion blender or work in batches using a regular blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the ham. Heat for couple minutes.

*I used one of those boneless ham steaks that are always on sale. Leftover ham would be good too.

My thoughts:

This is sort of a twist on the classic potato-leek soup. Cauliflower can be somewhat of a polarizing ingredient but in this soup, it is mild and adds body and creaminess. I don't like soups that are entirely smooth so after blending it, I stirred in some ham that I had sauteed (to deepen the flavor) so there was some texture contrast. Of course, if you wanted to leave it out and use water instead of stock, it would make a wonderful vegan soup. At any rate, it is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables on a cold winter's night.

Ham Salad

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ham, finely chopped
3 tablespoons-1/4 cup chopped jarred cornichons and the onions
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons very grainy mustard
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon allspice
freshly ground pepper

My thoughts:

I brought back a jar of Maille cornichons from the Caribbean (I love buying European goods on the islands, they are so much cheaper than what they are here in the US. Of course, I also brought back a ton of Caribbean and East Indies ingredients as well). I like using them and the little pickled onions that are included in salads when I can. Normally I am more of a dill pickle girl but they go great with salt and savory ingredients like ham.

Honestly, I did not grow up eating ham salad, although I hear it is an East Coast thing. I had it for the first time from a local German deli and I noticed it changed from week to week or at least, visit to visit. It is an awesome way to use up leftover ham and makes a spread that can be dressed up or down as the occasion requires.

Oyster Stew

Ingredients:
1 lb oysters with liqour
1 large onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 habanero pepper, chopped
1 cup diced smoked ham
24 oz evaporated milk
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
Heat the butter or oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Saute the onion, pepper, potato, celery and ham until the vegetables are softened. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the oysters are cooked through.

My thoughts:

This past weekend we went to the oyster festival in St. Michaels. One of the events was a oyster stew competition. For $5 you got a mug and could try 8 different stews then cast your vote. I honestly had never had oyster stew before but I liked it a lot. There was one that I loved but all of them were pretty similar. They were also pretty rich; lots of cream and butter. Which, to me, overpowered some of the oyster flavor. After the 6th or 7th sample, I even started to feel a little queasy. When I noticed that local oysters were under $7 a pound at our local Safeway, I figured I'd try to make an oyster stew that was both flavorful and not so heavy. To help accomplish that goal, I turned to one of my favorite ingredients: evaporated milk. I love it because, undiluted, it is super creamy and rich tasting but not heavy at all. In this case, I thinned it out with a bit of 2% milk and really liked the result. It didn't taste "canned" (the biggest fear I find people have about using evaporated milk) and it really let the oyster's flavor shine through. Some of the stews we tasted had bacon but I didn't really like the texture it had in the stew and it seemed to make the stew kind of oily. I liked the idea of a smoky flavor so I added some lean ham from one of those spiral sliced hams that are so readily available right now. It did exactly what I wanted: smoky flavor with no extra fat.

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham

Ingredients:
5 cups ham stock
2 cups cubed smoked ham
1 cup green split peas
1 cup yellow split peas
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 large shallot, minced
1 teaspoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried chervil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 bay leaf
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Pick over split peas to remove any stones or stems that might be present. Place all ingredients EXCEPT the ham in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 10 hours. Stir in the ham during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Fish out the bay leaf prior to serving.

My thoughts:

This a wonderful soup, if unphotogenic. I have a slightly less traditional split pea soup that I love and a third recipe for it in my book but I think this is my favorite when you really just want a classic split pea. The smokiness of the ham adds a lot to the depth of flavor. I also think it is the best use of ham stock that I know. But perhaps better than all that is how easy this soup is to make. The split peas do not need to be soaked before using and if you want to have this for lunch, just start it before you go bed. How much easier can you get?

How to: Ham Stock

Ingredients:

the basics:
cold water
1 large ham hock or the bone leftover from a roasted ham
3 carrots, cut up
2 onions, quartered
1 large shallot, quartered
1 bunch celery, cut up
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon mace blades
1/2 stick cinnamon

Directions:
Place the ham, spices and the vegetables in a large stockpot (I use my lobster pot). Add water until the pot is nearly filled. Bring to a rolling boil. After 4-5 hours, strain into a large bowl or smaller stockpot. Cool immediately by placing the bowl in an ice filled sink. Do not refrigerate hot stock. Refrigerate the cooled stock overnight, then skim off any fat that rose to the surface. Package in air tight containers or freezer bags to store. I like a mixture of 2 and 4 cup quantities.


I suggest freezing any stock you don't use right away. In using freezer bags, lay the bags flat so they freeze in a shape that takes up the least amount of room. To defrost simply remove the block of stock from the container and place it in a sauce pan. Heat on low for 3-5 minutes.

Yield: about 8 quarts

My thoughts:

I love making my own stocks. Not only are they more flavorful than store bought, they are incredibly cheap to make and I feel good about making something from something that I normally would thrown away. I always hesitate about posting stock recipes here but invariably every time I call for a stock I get an email from someone asking how they can make it themselves, especially for the more difficult to find stocks. So after a lot of requests for a ham stock tutorial, here it finally is. While you can a more neutral tasting stock similar to chicken or turkey stock, I like to use the flavors often found in ham dishes or spice rubs for ham in the stock because the foods I end up using the stock in are often enhanced by those flavors. Don't worry, the stock isn't too heavy spiced, it is just a wonderful background note.

Better Than Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken or ham stock
2 cups cubed smoked ham*
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup green split peas
1 cup yellow split peas
1/4 cup diced apple (I used a Stayman Winesap)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 large shallot, minced
1 small to medium bulb fennel, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried chervil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon summer savory
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dillweed
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:
Pick over split peas to remove any stones or stems that might be present. Place all ingredients except for the frozen peas in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low 12-15 hours. If you would like thicker soup, cook uncovered on high for 30 minutes to thicken. Stir in the frozen peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

*If you have a minute, saute the ham cubes in a nonstick skillet until just starting to brown. This helps seal in the flavor but isn't strictly necessary.

My thoughts:

We get up super early so I can put this up in time for dinner** but in the past, I've put it in my slow cooker right before I go to bed and had it the next day for lunch. I came up with this super long cooking technique because I don't have to soak the peas before making the soup but it you have more patience than I do, prep the peas according to the package instructions and then the soup will only take about 8 hours or so in the slow cooker. The copious amount of herbs and vegetables add a flavor that is a more complex than the typical pea soup and the peas added at the end lend a real pop of freshness that is always welcome in a long simmering soup. The perfect minimal work, high flavor weekday dinner for a dreary, rainy spring day.


**Especially if I had chopped and refrigerated the vegetables the night before. I've even measured the split peas and spices out and left them (covered) in the cold (not plugged in) slow cooker or in a small container overnight.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Ingredients:
batter:
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg

sandwich:
12 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1/3 lb sliced smoked ham
1/3 lb sliced turkey
8 slices Swiss cheese
Dijon mustard

butter for the pan
berry jam
confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Whisk together the batter ingredients. Set aside. Place four slices of bread on a clean surface. Spread a thin layer of mustard on each. Layer with a slice of Swiss and top with a few slices of turkey. Top with a slice of bread.



Spread with a thin layer of mustard, top with a few slices of ham and then top with a slice of cheese and the remaining slices of bread. Melt butter in a skillet. Pour the batter in a shallow bowl and dip each side of the sandwich in batter. Cook one at a time, covering briefly if needed to cook the sandwich through. Cook one side then carefully flip the sandwich using tongs and cook until golden. Use the tongs to hold the sandwich vertically and cook each side.




Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve with jam to dip.

My thoughts:

No one seems sure exactly how or why Monte Cristo sandwiches got their name but it seems like they were the result of some club sandwich evolution crossed with the Croque Monsieur . They were first mentioned the Brown Derby Cookbook published in 1949 but they reached their national peak of popularity in the 1950s. Some restuarant chains deep fry their Monte Cristo sandwiches but early recipes call for pan frying in butter which is not only easier to do at home, is really tasty. Oddly, I wasn't able to find a authentic recipe that actually included a recipe for the batter (even the 1949 Brown Derby version just calls for dipping the sandwich in a "light egg batter") so I came up with a batter that was a little thinner than pancake batter but more substantial than dipping it in egg and milk as I would for French toast. Early recipes also call for buttering the bread on each side. I opted to use mustard instead which would hold the sandwich together as well as butter while cutting down a bit on the over the top richness. It also added a sharp flavor that was welcome.

Smoked Gouda & Ham Jalape�o Poppers

Ingredients:
10 large jalape�o peppers
1 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten

filling
4 oz soft goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1/4 cup diced smoked (lean) ham
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350. Mash all of the filling ingredients together until fairly smooth and the ingredients are well distributed. Slice the peppers in half or cut a slit down the middle of one side of the pepper and leave it whole.



Remove the seeds. Fill with filling mixture.



Dredge each popper in the flour, dip into the egg, then dredge in the matzo meal or crumbs to coat.





Place in a single layer, cut side up, on the lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden and the pepper is hot all the way through, about 30 minutes.

My thoughts:

I have to admit that until I made these, I had never actually had a jalape�o popper. The few times I have seen them listed on menus, they are always fried. While I do love fried foods (who doesn't?)the idea of frying something that is stuffed with that much cheese makes me feel a little queasy. So I thought I'd try my hand at this gourmet-ish baked version. I know they are typically stuffed with little more than a mixture of cheeses (and maybe a bit of crab or bacon) but I thought a bit of ham would be fun and help cut the heat a bit. I love smoky flavors so I went all out using smoky spices (and cheese! and ham!) but it all melded together and was a great contrast to the creamy goat cheese and straight up hot jalape�o. The poppers tasted almost grilled which took the sting out of them being baked rather than fried. They are just as crispy outside and gooey inside as they would have been fried (I admit, I did a test fried popper to compare and contrast) but not as heavy tasting.



Note: If you really want heat, look for peppers at your local farmers market. The jalape�o peppers sold at regular supermarkets are often pack less heat than their local cousins.

Ham, Cheddar & Poblano Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cubed smoked ham
2/3 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup diced poblano pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 wells in a muffin tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk and oil until well combined. Fold in the ham, peppers and cheese. Divide evenly among the wells and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the center muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

My thoughts:

I love when I can take leftovers and make something entirely new with them. I had some ham leftover from a recipe development gig I am working on and while ham sandwiches are always tasty, I wanted to try to use it in a different way. I loved the contrast of the smoky ham, sharp pepper and cheddar against the lightly sweet cornbread. They would be great as a treat for breakfast but they were also wonderful when served instead of a roll with soup or chili.

Note: Like most muffins, these muffins reheat and freeze well. Never be without breakfast again!

Mondo Italiano Panino

Ingredients:
1 Italian (sandwich) roll, sliced horizontally
2 slices tomato
2 large basil leaves
2 slices smoked provolone
4 slices very thinly sliced lean capicola
4 slices very thinly sliced prosciutto di parma

Directions:

Place the cheese in a single layer on the bottom half of the roll. Top with tomato, basil and then the meats all in a single layer. Top with the roll. Place on a panini press preheated to "medium". Press until the cheese is melted and the roll is lightly toasted.

My thoughts:

I love the panini press I received for Hanukkah last year but I don't use it as much as I should. I realized that summer was a great time to use it, panini are perfect for a light dinner and it doesn't heat up the kitchen. So look for more panini recipes this week.

Who doesn't love a sandwich full of smoky flavors? I know I do. Lean capicola is a little closer to ham than regular capicola and adds some texture contrast with the tissue thin prosciutto. Tomatoes and basil are finally in season and add a lot of fresh flavor to the sandwich. One thing I love about making panini with Italian meats and cheeses is that it doesn't take more than a few slices to make a flavorful sandwich. It is fairly economical as well, even if the the prosciutto is $20 lb like the one I used, you only need an ounce or two for it to make a big flavor inpact on the sandwich.

This recipe only makes one sandwich but it is a big one, feel free to split it with someone.

Ham & Dill Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced length-wise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely diced smoked ham
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely minced dill

Ingredients:

In a medium bowl, mash together the egg yolk and dill until fairly smooth.



Stir in the mayo and mustard. Add the ham then stir to evenly distribute. Pipe or spoon into the egg halves.

My thoughts:

This recipe straddles the line between a deviled egg and a stuffed egg. The mustard gives it the deviled part but the ham bumps it up into the heartier "stuffed" egg category. The appeal of deviled eggs seems to be as strong as ever, deviled egg variations are-by far in some cases-some of the most popular recipes among the nearly 900 I've posted here. This particular recipe is very simple but the flavors of the ham, dill and mustard are robust and complex. One of my favorite variations on the classic.

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup whole milk
4 slices French loaf bread*
4 slices Gruy�re or sharp Swiss cheese
4 slices high quality ham, medium thickness**
nutmeg
salt
pepper

Directions:

For the b�chamel: In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Add the milk and whisk together until slightly thickened. Set aside.

For each sandwich: Heat a large skillet. Place the bread on the (ungreased) skillet. Place the ham beside the bread on the skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the bread is slightly toasted, then flip the bread and the slice of ham and cook 1 additional minute on the other side. Place the ham on top of the bread and turn off the heat. Drizzle with b�chamel sauce and top with one slice of cheese. Place on a oven safe tray and broil for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove to a plate and serve.


*Trader Joe's sells a presliced French style loaf bread that works really well here.
**I like to buy those boneless hams and cut a slice off of that rather than to use presliced meat.

Yield 4 sandwiches

My thoughts:

As you might recall, I am teaching a quick Continental Cuisine class through a local community college. It is only a 3 week class and I have to cover three cuisines, so each cuisine (French, Italian and Spanish) only gets one two-hour class. It is a bit of a time crunch since we have to cook, eat and clean all in those two hours, but I think I am up to the challenge. Since today's the first class, I kept it simple and went with the French classic Croque Monsieur. Now I know some people make this differently, but to me the simple way is the best: good ham, good bread, and good cheese, a little bit of b�chamel sauce and served open faced. I love making it with Gruy�re, but that is some times difficult to find (I went to four stores and came up empty handed) so for class I substituted an easier to find high quality, sharp Swiss and I think it came out just as well.

Ham, Peas & Mushroom Frittata

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed ham
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
� cup shredded sharp cheddar
� cup parsley, minced
� cup frozen peas
� cup green onions, chopped
6 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
� teaspoon hot paprika


Directions:
In a large, oven safe skillet, heat oil. When hot, saut�, onions (not green onions), garlic, mushrooms and ham about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and the onions are translucent. Add parsley and peas, stir. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together eggs, paprika, cheddar, salt, pepper and green onion. Add butter to the skillet and stir. Pour egg mixture over the skillet. Tilt the skillet slightly and turn to coat the ingredients in the skillet with the egg mixture. Keep on medium heat and cook about 15 minutes or just almost set-the top should still look �loose� and uncooked. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the top is just beginning to brown. Remove from pan and slice.

My thoughts:

This is so good. We took advantage of holiday sales and bought a ton of eggs and a boneless ham. We had barely made it in the door when I forced my husband to make me this frittata. Luckily he agreed, and the results were amazing. Our best frittata yet.

Broccoli & Ham Quistrata

Ingredients:
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup cubed ham
3/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
8 eggs, beaten
4 slices of bread, cut into triangles
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
salt
pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large saute pan, heat oil and then saute the onion, garlic and broccoli until softened. Spray or grease medium sized casserole dish. Arrange the bread to completely cover the bottom of the dish. Pour the onions, garlic and broccoli over the bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Pour eggs over the mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until the eggs are "set". Slice and serve hot.

My thoughts:

There has been a fair amount of broccoli/cheese/ham recipes floating around lately and they all looked so good, I coaxed my husband into making this one. He named it a "quistrata" because it is sort of a cross between a strata and a quiche. It is also very tasty if cheese and egg laden. Very much a comfort food.

Also: I realized I never really posted this: I have started another food related blog, Food Maven, to post non-recipe food/cooking related things. Check it out!

Green Eggs & Ham

Green Eggs & Ham

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1 cup ham, diced
2 tablespoons chives, diced
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan, grated
3 drops green food coloring

Directions:

In small bowl, scramble all ingredients together, using a whisk. Pour into a hot pan (use a bit off cooking spray if needed) and continue to whisk until the eggs are set, 3-5 minutes. Plate and serve.

My thoughts:
You could eat this on a plate. We did, we did when we ate. You could eat this with some toast, you could make it as a host. Did you see how long it took, to April fool you while we cook?

Ham & Peas Pasta

Ingredients:



2/3 cup frozen peas

2/3 cup heavy cream*

1 1/4 cups diced ham**

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

black pepper

1 lb pasta



Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. About 3 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, add the frozen peas to the pot. In a small saucepan heat through cream, ham and Parmesan. Drain pasta and peas and toss with sauce. Easy-peasy.







*I bet milk (not skim) would work just as well

**I used leftover Coke & Bourbon ham

Coke & Bourbon Glazed Ham

Ingredients:
1 (8-pound) fresh ham
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Whole cloves
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup whisky - we used Knob Creek bourbon
4 cups coca-cola drink
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon black cardamom seeds
Extra bourbon and coke for drinking while it bakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. With a sharp knife score the skin of the ham to form a grid pattern, making 1/2-inch-deep incisions. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Massage into the ham. Place the ham, fatty side up, in a large roasting pan. Do not use the rack that comes with the pan; place the ham directly in the pan. Place cloves where the lines intersect on the ham. Rub the sugar evenly over the ham. Pour 2 cups of coca-cola and place cinnamon sticks, allspice and cardamom into the bottom of the pan and bake for 1 hour. In a large measuring cup, combine the whisky and the rest of the coca-cola. Baste the ham with the whiskey and cola and continue to bake. Baste every 15 minutes until the ham is cooked through. When you run out of the coca-cola/whiskey mixture, use the juices from the pan to baste. The skin will be dark and crispy. Use a meat thermometer to check that it is at least 165 degrees F in the center. Baking time will be around 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
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