Creamy Ham and Greens

 

So, last night was a bit of a scrounge around and see what I could find to make for dinner.  I need to go shopping but I'm really not motivated to do it because we have two late sporting nights ... tonight and tomorrow ... and then it's Friday ... and then we have another Christmas party ... and I'm waiting on the $250 food voucher that should be coming today ( it was part of the deal we got when we bought our new fridge last week )  And ... And ... And ... 

What I came up with was ... spanish tortilla ... potatoes baked like for spicy potatoes but without the spicy.

I had some ham in the freezer that needed using, I had silverbeet, rainbow chard and kale in the garden that needed picking, I had a bit of cream leftover from Rory's birthday carbonara and I always have garlic and onion on hand .... 

This is what came of those ingredients.

1.5 cups slivered ham, chopped ( I had a triple smoked one )
3 cups mixed greens, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 a red onion, diced
cream,  (I only had 1/4 of a cup and I think it was plenty !)

Start with a bit of olive oil in the bottom of your pan, add garlic and ham.  I started with the heat pretty hot and then turned it to medium pretty quick.  Once the garlic and ham have started to brown, add onion.  Cook a minute or two more than add the greens.  Cook a minute or two and then add the cream.  Cook a minute or two more ... or until the cream is no longer runny and seems to be coating the other ingredients.  Serve hot.  So yum !!

This served the four of us.

Grandma's Cranberry Fluff

This right here is all my childhood Thanksgivings rolled up in one sweet dish ! It's what I looked forward to every year ! My Grandma's Cranberry Fluff !!

This year I got a text from my Aunt Lissa saying "we have a huge problem ... cranberry fluff is not on the beans blog !" Well, that just can't be ! The world needs cranberry fluff ! Aunt Lissa sent me a photo, and I pinched another one off my Dad's facebook page and I'm about to share the recipe with you !

In the photo above, you see one bowl pre whipped cream and one bowl post whipped cream ! :)

What you need (and do):

2 cups raw groundup cranberries (frozen works best and I've never bought them ground, you have to do that yourself ! I've found a food processor works well for that job.)
3 cups small marshmellows
3/4 cup sugar

Stir those first three ingredients together and chill overnight.

2 cups peeled, diced tart apples (green)
1 cup green grapes (quartered)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whipped cream or cool whip

Add next four ingredients to the chilled cranberry mixture. Right before serving, fold in the whipped cream.

Serves 8-10.

My beautiful Grandma with this years cranberry fluff.

Tempura

Rory made tempura cod last night. It was delicious ! Following the instructions on the back of the bag, he did it like this ...

4 pieces of cod
125g tempura batter mix
180ml cold water

Whisk the water and batter mix together. Do not over mix (it's ok to have a few lumps). Coat the fish and shallow fry in hot oil until golden brown and fish is cooked through. (ours took about 15 minutes, cooking all four pieces together in the same cast iron fry pan)

We had leftover batter too so Rory chopped up a zucchini and did them as well. They were super yum !

We squeezed fresh lemon juice onto the fish and served with tartar sauce.



Also pictured: Sesame Asparagus and Basil Zucchini Mini Muffins

Basil Zucchini Mini Muffins

 

I saw these over on Join in the Feast.  Have you been to that website ?  No ?  You should go check it out !  The author is a friend of mine ... a friend I haven't met yet.  I knew her husband way back when we were in highschool and "met" her  on line ... on facebook, I think.  I can't remember, it's been a few years now.

Anyway ... go check it out.  Join in the Feast is on facebook too ... you should LIKE it !

These muffins are so cute and tiny and so very very delicious.  They were a huge hit with the kids ! Here's the recipe ... I'm sharing with Laura's permission.

3/4 c flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fresh-ground pepper
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/4 c buttermilk
1 & 1/2 c shredded zucchini
1/2 c finely sliced basil leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pepper.

In a bowl cream together the butter or shortening and the sugar, then beat in the egg and the buttermilk until the mixture is well blended.


Stir in the zucchini and the basil. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, stir the batter until it is just combined.

Divide batter among 24 well-buttered gem tins (each 1/8 cup).


Bake the muffins in the middle of a preheated 400°F (200°C)oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, turn the muffins out onto a rack, and let them cool.

My Menu - Bonnie - 21 November 2011

Quickly today ... here's our menu for the week.

Monday

Asian Chicken Salad

Tuesday

Mom's Carbonara

Wednesday

Burrito Bowl's on the run ! (we will be out all evening !)

Thursday 

Crock Pot Fajitas

Friday

out

Saturday 

company Christmas party

Sunday 

play it by ear

Sushi Crunchies !

I discovered sushi crunchies (not sure of their 'real' name) when we were in Denver a few months ago. My parents favorite sushi place, where I think we ate like 8 times in 4 weeks (!!) makes a roll with sushi crunches inside it that I've been trying to replicate ever since. I think I've come pretty close with the roll you see in the photo above ... although, I don't roll mine inside out like they do.

I put avocado, dry roasted cashews, sushi crunchies and sometimes cream cheese. (the one pictured doesn't have the cream cheese) I top it will bulldog sauce. So yum ! It's my current favorite roll !

To make the crucnhies ... I watched this video ... you should watch it if you are going to try them. It gives some great tips.

I only make half his recipe ... here's how ...

Vegetable, corn or peanut oil

1/2 cup of Tempura flour (i actually used tempura batter mix),

1/2 cup of Water

1 egg white

Heat the oil in a pot. Don't fill it more than half way. I did the first time and ended up having to throw away the pot I used after I burned the oil to the outside of it ! Anyway, get the oil really hot (but not boiling)

While your oil is heating, mix the egg white, flour and water.

Test the oil by adding a drip of the mixture to the oil. If it instantly floats and sizzles at the top then the oil is ready. When the oil is hot, drizzle a bit of the mixture into it. (see the video for useful tips on this part !) Make sure you pour it slowly and not too much at once.

Once it's golden, remove it with a slotted spoon or small metal strainer to a plate covered with paper towel. Continue until all the mix is used up. Let it cool for a bit, then tip into a bowl. I smash it a bit with the back of a spoon because I like my cruchies broken up.

That's it.

These are so yummy.

One thing though, if you are making the sushi for the next day, don't add the crunchies, just sprinkle them on top the next day ! (they go soggy in the rice over night)

Best Cheesecake EVER

Cheesecake...sooo yummy, but how to make it come out just right?? This recipe takes time (although almost all of the time is cooking and cooling), but the creamy, yumminess is OH SO worth it!

Step 1: Pound 1 3/4cup graham crackers into crumbs. I use a quart sized zip lock and a cup with a flat bottom.













Step 2: mix crumbs with 1/3 cup butter, melted, and 1/4 cup sugar (I used raw sugar so that's why it looks brown)












Step 3: press crumb mixture into the bottom of a spring form pan...I use the flat bottom glass












Let a little of the crumb mixture go up the side. Don't be a perfectionist with this :-)



















Step 4: if you, like I never remember to get the cream cheese out of the fridge in time...soften in the microwave



















Step 5: beat 3 - 8oz packages of softened cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar until well blended












Step 6: add 1 cup of sour cream












and 2 tsp (although I usually let a bit more splash in because I love it) of Vanilla and mix well. (this is your last chance to really blend things so don't be sigh about mixing)

Step 7: Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after eacch addition until JUST blended. DO NOT OVER BEAT!

Step 8: Pour into crust. Gently smooth mixture so that the crust is sealed in.

Step 9: Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for dark nonstick springform pan or 350 for silver...for1 hour or until center is almost set...this is key. It will keep cooking so make sure that the middle still jiggles a bit. (it took me a few goes before I really got the hang of how much jiggle was just right)

Step 10: After the baking, turn off the oven and open the door just a tad. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour with the oven off.

Step 11: After the addition hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let stand for one to two hours (I often make this at night and am in a hurry to get to bed so only let it sit one hour). Chill at least four hours.

Ok - what are you waiting for?? You are going to LOVE this cheesecake...Go...Bake...Enjoy!!

try it on your smart phone ....

Have you tried using the TABLE OF CONTENTS ? If you look just under the header, you will see the following links:

About This Blog

Home

The Beans Blog Name

Table of Contents

Search The Beans Blog 

The Table of Contents doesn't seem to work on all computers. I don't know why ... BUT, it seems to work on all smart phones. It's really handy for me as I use my iPhone instead of a printed recipe whenever I can.  So ... why don't you try it ?  See how the Table of Contents works for you and let us know ! 

Also ... if you are searching for a recipe you think you've seen here before but it isn't showing up in the Table of Contents, let me know and I'll fix it ! 

Hope ya'll are having a great day !  It's Wednesday morning, the start of my day off !  Woo Hoo !  Soon I'll take the kids to school and then I'll have 6 hours all to myself !  Yee haw !  

I'm really not a hill billy but I sure sounded like it just then ...

Bye.

Try out the T. O. C. ! 

Bye, maybe ?

One last thing ... have you seen The Beans Blog is on Facebook ?  Have you "liked" it yet ?

ok ... for real this time ... BYE !

Thai Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock or Chicken Stock Cubes (Stock = Boullion)

Pork Bones or Pork Stock Cubes

Fish Sauce

Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce

2-4 Chicken Breasts

A few limes

Thai peppers or chili sauce

2 cups rice

Fresh Cilantro (Aussies - Coriander)

Green Onions (Aussies - Shallots or Spring Onions)

Garlic (at least a head)

Oilive Oil

Ok ... for those of you who like exact measurements, this recipe is not for you. Actually, I am a person who likes exact measurements but I've made this a number of times now from these instructions my sister gave me and I haven't messed it up yet !!

This is also a good meal to cook with a friend ... it's a lot of work !!

This is not a one pot soup. To serve it you are going to end up with a whole bunch of dishes in the middle of the table ... The more you make this, the more you will work out the timing of it all.

So, I usually start with the stock. Because I can't get pork boullion here, I have to use pork bones. So, I use 8 cups of already made chicken stock ( in the box from the supermarket ) and then add 4 or 8 more cups of water and a couple of chicken stock cubes and the pork bones ... actually, I use pork ribs because as of yet I haven't been able to find a butcher that hadn't already given his pork bones to the local Chinese Restaurant !! So, I boil my stock and bones together and just let them simmer away. At least an hour. If you are using pork stock, I don't think you'll need to let it cook that long. Oh yeah, you also need to add about 1/4 cup of the Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce and about 2Tablespoons of fish sauce.

What is this Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce ?? Don't know exactly but here's what the bottle looks like. When we were in Colorado, Ellie used one called Gold Label ... I found it in a little Aisan shop here. Ellie says it's Thai or Vietnamese. I'll give you the ingredients. That's how I made sure I had the right thing .. It's soy bean sauce, water, sugar salt and food enhancer ...

Second. The chicken. Cut the breasts into small pieces. Ellie says bite sized but I think she did them a bit smaller than bite sized. I guess it's your preference.

Marinate the chicken in Golden Mountain (for as little or as long as you like) and then fry. Just with a bit of oil in a fry pan ...

While that's cooking I put my rice in the rice cooker and forget about it. If you are cooking it another way, you may want to wait til later to cook it ...

For the funky lime sauce. In a bowl add the juice of a few limes and a bit of Golden Mountain, a bit of fish sauce, 1tsp sugar, a little water and some chopped up Thai Peppers. I can't get those so I just use chili/garlic sauce out of a jar. The quantities of this are ... well, uncertain. Ellie said to use about 1/2 the amount of fish sauce as you do lime but I think that's a bit too much fish sauce so I don't put as much in. It's a bit to taste ... which is tricky if you've never tasted it. It should be fairly lime flavored ...

Press the garlic through the garlic press. I do two or three heads of garlic but we are garlic freaks around here. So -you choose how much but press your garlic and set it aside.

Chop the cilantro, put it in a bowl and set it aside. Same with the spring onions.

The last thing I do is cook the garlic so that it's hot when you serve the meal. You want to fill a small frying pan with olive oil. How much ? Maybe an inch ?? Depends on the size of the pan. Ellie told me to use enough oil so that the garlic floats when you are cooking it. So ... gety your oil real hot and then add the garlic. Cook it til it starts to brown. But don't burn it !! :)

To serve -- put all of these on the table -- the stock, the rice, the funky lime sauce, the garlic (in it's oil), onions, cilantro and the chicken. I also put the chili/garlic sauce on the table in case anyone wants to make theirs spicier.

To eat -- everyone needs to put this into their bowl -- Rice, chicken, garlic, green stuff ( cilantro and onions ) funky lime sauce and finally the stock. Eat straight away. I've tried it left over ... not so good.

This is a lot of work ... I especially realized that just trying to type it out !!! ha ha. But it is seriously one of my favorite meals now !! I keep thinking I need to have someone over so that I have an excuse to make it !! It's a lot of work to do for just the four of us but I am thinking I might break down and just make it for us anyway !!!

Let me know if you have any questions ... and if you live near by ... invite yourself over and I'll cook it for you !!!

***

I'm not sure why the labels sometimes don't work. I'm re-posting this in the hopes that it will make the labels work so that this shows up in the Table Of Contents ! It's a recipe you want to try !!!

My Menu - Bonnie - 14 November 2011

Sunday

B - French Toast

L - Leftover Burgers

D - Homemade Sushi

Monday

B - the usual (greek yoghurt, blueberries and homemade granola)

L - leftover sushi

D - tapas, mostly from "Jamie does Spain ..." mini meatballs, peppers, chorizo & garlic, baby clams, calamari, salad, pan (bread)

Tuesday

B - the usual

L - salad (and any leftover tapas)

D - Jono's Roasted Pepper and Chicken Pasta Salad

Wednesday

B - the usual

L - salad

D - Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce w/Chicken and Prawns, Lumpia, Sweet and Soup Sauce

Thursday

B - the usual

L - Black Bean Chili Soup from freezer (if no leftovers)

D - Cheesy Prosciutto Chicken and Asparagus, with Basil Zucchini Mini Muffins

Friday & Saturday

unplanned ! spontaneous ! we'll see what happens !

Cheesy Prosciutto Chicken and Asparagus

Modified from a recipe in Jamie's Ministry of Food cookbook. (one of my all time favorites !) I don't have any real measurements for this recipe but you don't need them.

4 chicken breasts
pecorino romano cheese block
fresh thyme
fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon
8 slices of prosciutto
olive oil

Score the bottom side of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, pepper and lemon zest. Grate cheese on top of that. Put two pieces of prosciutto on top of that. (so, two pieces per breast) Cover with glad wrap (saran wrap) and them bang them with the frying pan to flatten them.  

Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan.  Put chicken in, prosciutto side down.  Cook til chicken is cooked through.  Serve with lemon (that you zested) on the side.

I served this with asparagus and slivered garlic sauteed in olive oil and topped with toasted almonds ! Soooo good.

We had leftovers and I put them in a salad the next day. Amazing.

**

Ps ... sorry about the photo ! I'm making a lightbox this week so that I can take photos in the poor evening light !!

// My Menu // Khrista - October 31st- November 6th, 2011

Halloween Costume creation consumed most of my time last week, so I am late to planning a menu for this week.
As a result we ate out last night... Chick-fil-A... on Halloween night...there was NOBODY there!
It was really nice! We all ate and then the kids had the playscape all to themselves.
My Love and I actually got to sit in peace and "talk!" We might do that again very soon! :)
It was kind of like a date! ha! ha!

Here's a few links to recipes for this week:
Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze
Sweet Potato Enchiladas 
Taco Pizza
Toasted Pita Salad