Ham Salad from a Mayonaisse Hater

Healthy and Nourishing Ham Salad

I enjoy a sweet and caramelized ham like any other Montanan, but A few weeks ago, I thought something fowl would be more enticing. 

I spent a week trying to convince my husband before Christmas that a smoked turkey from Tizer Meats in Helena would be a yummy treat and a nice change of pace for our Christmas luncheon before shoving off to visit family. 

He did not enjoy this idea that one would "change pace" for a holiday celebratory meat so central to his childhood memories we even heard the story of why hogs were special from my father in law this Christmas. 

He grew up on a farm outside Big Sandy, Montana and ate a lot of chicken. The hogs they raised were for sale for the neighbors, not for eating by the family. Every now and then though they would butcher a hog for the family, and pork nights were special nights. Come to think of it, ham was always a special for for my farm based family when we visited as well, so it comes to show that this meat will never be replaced. Sorry smoked turkey, maybe another day.

With leftovers we enjoy a quick and delicious ham salad on sourdough bread, absolutely scrumptious and a very easy way to make leftover ham disappear. As a child I hated it though, and I'll tell you why.....Miracle Whip. I grew up disliking it so much that I would scrape it off any pre-made sandwich I would receive. As an adult I discovered, however, that REAL mayonnaise IS NOT Miracle Whip. 

Miracle Whip is sweeter and spicier and introduced during the Great Depression, it was not as expensive as real mayo, so many sprang for it. Funnily enough, I disliked it and now love real, organic mayonaisse. I am convinced organic eggs change the taste to subtlety delicious too. Here is how we make ham salad, and tonight we're eating the last of it on hot garlic foccacia bread.

Organic Ham Salad

2 cups leftover ham, diced and then grated in a food processor

1/2 cup organic mayonnaise

2 heaping tbl organic dijon mustard (the kind out of the squeeze bottle won't be good enough!)

1 large ribs of celery, minced

1/3 of a red onion, diced  

2 heaping tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine items in bowl. Mix, taste, lick spoon and then eat a spoonful just for yourself, hiding it so noone comes after your creation. Its pretty yummilicious.

 

 

Shallots and Cream Lead to a Deeply Satisfying Night

White Outs, Church Night, and Another Use for Taters

Does anyone else think that snow means ham and cheese?

This morning I trudged through a Montana white out (please Lord let this not be a field and still the road style) to bring my 7 year old to a birthday party. After white knuckling through the white out home, I couldn't stop thinking about melted cheese. Oh, and ham, sweet, sweet ham. 

Tonight was one of the those evenings where I found myself proclaiming very loudly to my very comfortable husband that we would be going to church. After a few weeks off due to 1000 different reasons, we were overdue. At 4:00 I realized I needed to get dinner planned out or when we burst into the house at 6:00 after services, our crazy bunch would be in tears and their mother in shambles trying to feed them quickly. I had time, but not much of it.

I bought a smoked ham (small, about 2 pounds) the day before and quickly glazed it in a mixture of equal parts Dijon mustard, maple syrup,and brown sugar with a dash of pepper thrown in for good measure. I put it in a container, threw a lid on it, and set it aside. 

Then, it was tater time. My parents sent us home with three sacks of potatoes last visit and we've made it through a 2 already. We've french fried, baked, and mashed plenty, but tonight I was feeling brave, so attempted, and succeeded in scalloped potatoes. I did not have to make the elaborate cheese sauce, I sliced, diced and threw together something quaint and delicious.

I had to gamble on the same baking time and temperature my ham needed as they would be in the oven while we were away at mass, and somehow the fates smiled upon us. Here is how I made them, and baked them at the same time as the ham and everything was done when we walked in the door.

SIMPLE SCALLOPED SPUDS WITH SHALLOTS AND CREAM

Ingredients:

1 tbl butter

5 yukon gold potatoes

3 tbl diced shallots

3/4 pint of cream

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 tsp salt 

1 1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice your potatoes into thin slices, about 1 cm each. Mince your shallots and set aside. 

In an 8X8 baking dish melt 1 tablespoon of butter and swirl it around until the bottom is coated. Place a layer of potatoes, trying only to overlap when necessary. Sprinkle the potatoes in the dish with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper, 1 tbl of shallots and about 3 tablespoons of cream. Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. 

This is your first layer. Simple, but awesome. Now layer more potatoes on top of the newly sprinkled cheddar cheese. Lay on your next 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, 1 tbl shallots and 3-4 tbl cream, and  finish with 1/2 cheddar. Finish out the rest of your ingredients. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

 

 

On a Snowy Night, there is Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaf

There is life after Thanksgiving...

The meal was sweet, savory and delicious, but after Thanksgiving, is there still room for turkey in your life?

Many moons ago (well, maybe 6 1/2 years to be fair) I adopted Weight Watchers as a way to manage my food intake. After the post college and early marriage years of eating to excess, and whatever and whenever I wanted, I needed a reality check as to what was an appropriate food choice and portion size.

I used to be able to consume-in one sitting-an ENTIRE Papa Murphy's take and bake cheese bread (with extra cheese.) That's 1749 calories, 54 grams of fat. Nutritional Info

Thank you Weight Watchers for reminding me I really should only eat two slices, and if I drink some water and have a conversation, I would then be full. With weight watchers, I began to learn the limits of my nutrition, and looked into new foods. Its then that I fell in love with ground turkey, the holy grail of Weight Watchers protein. (Besides fish, that is.) 

Ground turkey helps keep post meal insulin low and is lower fat than red meat (although I have nothing against red meat in any way.)

I have a ton of ground turkey recipes, and tonight I employed a favorite to share with my family, as the promise of snow in Montana tonight created in me another turkey craving.

Mediterranean Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 cups stuffing, wetted with 1/3 cup water

2 eggs

1/2 cup feta cheese 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 for sprinkling on top

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 cup snipped sun dried tomatoes

A NOTE on sun dried tomatoes. I don't dry mine in the sun. I do, however, take my ripe Romas in the summer and run them through the dehydrator, then store them in a freezer bag in the freezer. They are sweeter and have a lovely concentrated flavor.

Set you over to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, put your stuffing in and wet it with about 1/3 cup of water. Use your hand to mix it about until the water is absorbed. 

In a large bowl, put in your ground turkey, now wet stuffing, and all other ingredients. Make sure your Parmesan is not green container in the fridge fake Parmesan. Spring for some real stuff.

Be a He-Woman and use your hands to mix and mash it all about until evenly distributed. Get out a loaf pan, make your mix into a loaf shape, and plop it in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes before you use a meat thermometer to check the temp. It'll be ready to come out at 165 degrees.

How many food rules does it take to make a crazy lady?

Knock Knock

Who's there?

5 pounds.

5 pounds who? Wait.....what? Go away!

I don't own one, but I know where they live, and they always find me!

I USED TO BE 100 POUNDS heavier than I am right now. A size 20. After my oldest was born around 7 years ago I was 100 pounds heavier, and losing the weight was a long journey and an even longer education in what I am capable of. 

I have a couple, well, maybe more than a couple, food and activity and lifestyles rules I try to follow, although as of late, I have failed (hence the 5 pounds coming knocking.)

Some of these are based off of Michael Pollan's Food Rules, some of them are from other places, but in the interest of disclosure, here they are:

1) Always eat breakfast. If not it'll ruin my metabolism.

2) Always pack my own lunch to work, that way I know what's in it, don't spend money on an unhealthy one, and always eat.

3) Enjoy a family dinner. Sitting at a table is better for so many reasons.

4) When I'm hungry in between meals, I drink water or tea first, then decide if I am really hungry. First impulse to eat usually means I'm dehydrated.

5) We rarely eat out, maybe 2 times a month. Meals are made and eaten at home.

6) No fast food, that means drive throughs-ie McDonalds-We haven't eaten fast food french fries or sandwiches in three years.

7) I don't eat after 6:00 in the evening-my metabolism slows down then and going to bed while still digesting creates for me indigestion.

8) Soda is rare. Almost a never. Water is so much better.

9) We eat alot of probiotics, yogurt, kefir, etc-this helps aid good digestion.

10) I try to be active after dinner, cleaning, climbing stairs, spending time playing with kids, and when its light out walking the dog. 

11) Hot yoga! I do barkan yoga at HOT YOGA HELENA and adore it. This I have slacked on lately as the class I typically go to is at 6 AM and I have needed my sleep lately! 

Well, since I haven't posted in awhile, these are some of my bizarre food thoughts....enjoy ;)

A Special Casserole of Oysters on Thanksgiving

Fish Among Fowl, The Oyster Casserole

I buy them in the jars, and so far have never had them fresh...someday!

One of the finer traditions on Thanksgiving for my family is not the turkey or the potatoes, although they are amazing, it is the casserole of oysters, passed down from my grandparents to us. My side of the family are not Montana stock, but from the East coast. From them we have the tradition of an oyster casserole that slides along side of a green bean casserole on special holidays.

Here is my grand father's recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pint of oysters, in their juice 

1/2 cup salted butter + 1 tbl butter for greasing dish

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup oyster liquor (the liquid from the pint should be enough)

1 teaspoon Worcester sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced celery, with leaves

2 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves 

Pepper to taste

2 cups crushed saltine crackers

Grease a medium casserole dish with butter.

Drain your oysters but reserve the liquid into another container. Add the milk and Worcester sauce to the oyster liquor.

 

Melt the rest of your butter and pour over crushed crackers and add the salt, mixing until evenly distributed. 

Chop your celery and parsley and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of your crackers on the bottom of the casserole dish and sprinkle with black pepper. Cover with 1/2 the oysters, 1/2 the celery, and 1/2 the parsley leaves. Make another layer of 1/3 of your crackers, the other half the oysters, 1/2 the celery and 1/2 the parsley leaves and sprinkle with black pepper. Finish by evenly pouring the rest of the crackers. 

Pour your liquid over the top of the casserole, drizzling evenly over each area of the casserole. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. To check for doneness tip the dish and see if liquid seeps to the top. If there is a bit seeping, let it go for a few more minutes. 

Yummmmmm.

Forget Costco! Birthday Cupcakes from the HOME Kitchen

Honestly Easy Birthday Cupcakes: 

Pistachio Pudding Cakes and Strawberry Cupcakes

Sweet strawberry cupcakes that put Costco to shame-and yes, this picture is of the cupcakes I baked :)

I PASSIONATELY DISLIKE COSTCO CUPCAKES. There are those that enjoy the refined sugar high and following crash, but I do not, and neither do the lower intestines of my children. 

Today is an early birthday party for our almost 5 year old's, and while I conceded the location (I would rather be at a museum, but alas we are headed to a bounce house collection) I would not concede the treats. 

Thanks to one of my favorite websites, Eat, Live, Run, I found two sweet recipes for the crown of adult friends, family, and preschoolers that we'll be seeing very soon.

These cupcakes were very inexpensive too, if you keep standard baking supplies in your pantry its pretty simple.

Mmmmmmm, PISTACHIOS!

The first recipe is for our first grader, and the adults that will be in tow. Its a little more grownup, but for those that like pistachios, its delectable. This recipe is not mine, but now that I have the basics, I'll be expanding into several different versions!

Pistachio Pudding Cupcakes from Eat, Live, Run

The cupcakes in this recipe (follow the link) are only three ingredients!

For strawberry lovers, only!

This second recipe is our preschoolers request. He ADORES strawberries and wanted some cupcakes desperately that reflected his love. So yes, I made my 5 year old BOY pink cupcakes, but its exactly what he wanted, and they are fabulous, so who can complain!? 

Make sure to use organic strawberries. Although they are not in season in Montana (its November) its a pretty good assumption that non organic berries are covered in pesticides, even after being rinsed, and I think organic just tastes better!

Sweet Strawberry Cupcakes from Eat, Live, Run

Old Mother Hubbard had some Nourishing Wisdom

Hubbard Squash Soup with Sage and Cream

Blue green, bumpy and sweet to boot!

Very good friends of ours introduced us to the Hubbard squash. Funny looking as it was they swore up and down they were fabulous and that prepared in a soup there was nothing that could beat it.

Tonight, a Friday night, I had planned to make my soup, but around 2:11 PM I began to doubt my will power. I was tired after a week of getting up for yoga at 6AM (ok, well maybe twice), chasing three little boys and working 40 plus hours. 

With some proper motivation from friends to avoid calling out for dinner (a comment akin to "fight the man" was inserted somewhere in there) I did indeed prepare the soup, based on a recipe from a friend but modified for what I did and did not have in my cabinet.

Here's how I did it.

INGREDIENTS: * means its local

1 medium sized Hubbard squash *

2 tablespoons olive oil *

1 shallot, minced *

4 garlic cloves, minced *

1 quart homemade chicken stock *

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 sour cream

Set your oven to 300 degrees. Cut your Hubbard squash in half and cut out the seeds. Rub half a tablespoon of olive oil on each half, cover with foil and roast in your oven for 45 minutes as the flesh softens and cooks.

When your squash has about 20 minutes left, heat your remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a stock pot and saute your minced shallots and garlic for 5 minutes or so until they are softened and browning. Add your stock and spices and allow to simmer until your squash is ready to come out of the oven. 

Remove your squash and be careful not to burn your hands. Spoon the soft flesh out of both halves and into your stock pot and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Turn off your stove. Add your cream and sour cream and use an immersion blender or food processor to blend your soup into a creamy texture.

DELICIOUS!!!