Holiday Ham!

Usually I make my holiday ham (I'm calling it "holiday" because I've made it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) with brown sugar and pineapple. I pierce it with cloves, sprinkle it with brown sugar, pour pineapple juice over it and pop a couple pineapple slices on for decorative effect. Today I only had ground cloves and brown sugar, but I had recently received an email from Food & Wine that had a recipe for bourbon glazed ham. Bourbon and whiskey not that different, right? So I used Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey I had stashed away since this time last year, mixed it with the brown sugar and cloves, poured it on the ham, and baked it for 90 minutes at 400 degrees. Delicious!

Thanksgiving Feasting

Ahhhh! I've missed blogging so! I've been busy with school: three classes and a thesis to write (I graduate next semester) on top of two jobs, I barely found time to cook let alone blog about it. At any rate the semester  is over (straight A's) and since my day job is at a university I'm on break til 2014 so here I am. In all the madness that is/was my life I did get a chance to try a few new recipes for Thanksgiving.

My sister came to town and we decided on a non-traditional meal of ribs, mac & cheese, brussell sprouts, loaded potato salad, and spinach salad. As well as peach cobbler and pound cake for dessert. I tried a new rub for my ribs and winged it on the brussell sprouts. The rib rub was taken from Bobby Flay on the Food Network website, here. It's a dry rub but I find that mustard makes the meat extra juicy and quite tender. Next time I'm going to leave out the cumin. The mac & cheese I make pretty much every Thanksgiving, but I don't think I've ever shared the recipe.

Ribs

Ingredients
1 rack of pork ribs
1-2 Tb of mustard
Rib Rub (recipe to follow)

Prep
1. Slather the ribs in mustard (I like whole grain, but spicy brown would be great too)
2. Pack on the rub (as little or as much as you like)
3. Rest the rack for at least an hour
4. Bake (unless you live in a climate conducive to grilling outside in November or you don't mind braving the cold for grilled meats) for 90-120 minutes at 350 degrees.

Rub

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Prep
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Mac & Cheese

Ingredients
1 Box of elbow macaroni (I use Barilla because it has the ridges)
4-6 Cups of shredded cheese, sharp and mild cheddar, separated (The sharp cheddar is for mixing in and the mild is for on top. I've used colby jack or the Kraft triple cheddar mixture as well, but there is no substitute for the sharp)
1 Can Cream of Chicken soup ( I use Campbell's)
1 Can of milk (fill the soup can after removing the soup)
2 Tb of butter (not margarine or you can leave it out altogether)
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep
1. In a large pot, salt and bring 2-3 quarts of water to boil.
2. Empty entire box of macaroni into the pot and stir so the noodles do not stick.
3. In a smaller pot bring the can of soup and milk to a low simmer, whisking until smooth.
4. When the pasta is al dente, drain and place in a large bowl. Add the butter.
5. Pour a quarter of the soup over the noodles and add a cup of sharp cheese (here you can use up to 4 cups). Stir. Repeat until the soup and cheese are a ooey gooey mixture.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour into a 9x13 glass, baking pan and top with the remaining 2 cups of mild cheddar.
8. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 35 minutes.

Day Thirty: Pozolé

This Mexican pork stew dates all the way back to the Aztecs. It was and still is made with whole kernel hominy and served for special occasions. It can be made red with ancho or guajillo chili or green with tomatillo salsa verde. 

Ingredients

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup salsa verde
2 pound pork stew meat
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
2 (15 ounce) cans hominy

Garnishes

medium thin-sliced radishes
chopped avocado
plucked fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Prep

Sauté the pork chunks, in a large pot or Dutch oven, turning or stirring to brown all sides. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and chicken broth and stir. Add the salsa verde and the liquid from the hominy. Bring to boil (stir every minute or so), lowering heat to simmer for 40 minutes. Add the Hominy and continue simmering another 20 minutes. Add water or more chicken broth if necessary to maintain soupy stew consistency. Don't overcook or allow to mush-up. Served garnished with your favorite toppings.

Taco Tuesday: Al Pastor

This was my Superbowl meal. One of the best parts about being from Southern California is the Mexican food. Not the tex mex versions sold at chain restaurants, but grandmas recipes that are sometimes made in the back of a truck! Here's a favorite originating from Puebla, Mexico.

Tacos al Pastor

Ingredients

4 dried guajillo chiles (about 1 ounce)
1 dried ancho chile
2 dried chipotle chiles
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple, chunks
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 fresh lime, juice
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cubed
1 large Spanish onion, sliced

Directions

1. Stem and seed all of the dried chiles and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with water and microwave at high power until softened, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then drain and transfer to a blender. Add the pineapple juice, lime juice. In a spice grinder, grind the oregano, cumin, coriander, or garlic powder. Add the spice mixture to the blender and blend until smooth.

2. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes; let cool. Transfer the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the pork and onion and seal the bag. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Heat grill pan or griddle, sprinkle with oil. Add pork, onions, and pineapple to skillet or griddle. Cook in batches (if need be) until dark golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve on corn tortillas with extra chopped onion, fresh cilantro, and fresh lime juice.

Day Eleven: Country Soup

Another country soup. Simple and quick.

Country Sausage Soup

Ingredients

3/4 lb pork sausage
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the beans; heat through.

*Note: Any time you see ground beef, I substitute with ground turkey.

Semi Homemade

After a long day sometimes I want a home cooked meal but I don't want to do much work. Semi homemade I the best thing that ever happened to my little kitchen. At this point in my life I only have to feed myself (no husband or children to worry about), so it is extremely easy to cop out and pick a bag of fast food or order in. Eating smarter and healthier is always on mind; I'd rather feel full after dinner rather than guilty. I actually saw this recipe on a commercial and decided to try it.

Just brown a few thin cut pork chops (bone-in or out), saute a whole white onion, pour on a jar of salsa verde (Goya or Herdez), simmer for 30 minutes, and serve over white rice.

If you have the time try the following recipe for your own salsa:


1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers
Salt to taste

*courtesy of Simply Recipes

You can oven roast, pan roast, boil, or fry the tomatillos. Authentic salsa would then be mixed with mortal and pestle but you can just toss all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and enjoy. 

Vegetable Stuffing

Sorry if you came across this post looking for a tasty holiday treat. Honestly, I don't like stuffing at all, I just liked the play on words. Anyway, as you are aware I am not from the "old country", but I love comfort food as much as the next girl. Every country, region, city, town, village, family has their own comfort foods. I bought a huge head of cabbage from HMart the other week and I wanted a different way to prepare it other than the usual steaming. So I decided on stuffed cabbage. Its a eastern European favorite that is made differently in different regions. You can stuffed it with lamb, beef, or pork and bake it in broth or a tomato sauce. Here's a recipe for the Polish version:

 Polish Stuffed Cabbage

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 whole head cabbage, about 4 pounds
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef stock
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves.

When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.

Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven.

Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool.

Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, rice, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.

Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll.

Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour beef stock over rolls, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.

Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).

Meatballs

I make this recipe all the time. Its kind of a combination of a few recipes I found online. Enjoy!

Pork Meatballs

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 pound ground pork (or mix of 1/2 lean ground beef and 1/2 pork)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk or 1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk or egg, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.


*Note: You can also use ground turkey or chicken just use 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and egg rather than milk.