Baked Frittata

I pulled some leftover ham out of my freezer the other day and the first thing that came to mind was "frittata".  I decided to go with a baked version and this is what I came up with:

1-1/2 cups fully cooked ham, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
6 eggs
garlic salt,
pepper
dried chives

Whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch cooking dish and bake at 375F for approximately 20-30 minutes.  Quite tasty!

Chicken-and-Sausage Creole

I'm pretty sure I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine...the December issue, I think. We had it last night and it was delicious. Of course I tweaked it just a bit.

Chicken-and Sausage Creole

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 (14-oz.) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 bay leaves


Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting 2 cups broth for water.

2. Sauté sausage and next 4 ingredients in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, next 5 ingredients, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves, and serve over hot cooked rice.

Pulled Pork Barbeque and Sauce

Do you remember the promise I made you here?

I knew I wanted to try the pulled pork recipe found at the back of Delicious and Suspicious and when I saw a pork butt (which comes from the shoulder, oddly enough) in just the right size at WalMart last week, I jumped at the opportunity. I was filled with anticipation as the aroma of slowly roasting pork wafted through my home on Friday. As I put together the sauce I realized I didn't have any chili powder, but I didn't let that worry me. My husband doesn't like his food very spicy and I already knew I would cut back on the cayenne, so I didn't think it would hurt to just leave it out.

Okay...let me cut to the chase. This was the most delicious pulled pork barbeque I think I've ever eaten in my life!! Tender. Succulent. Flavorful. It defies description!! I will definitely make this again (and again, and again). I wrote the author and she graciously gave me permission to share the recipe with you here. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Barbeque and Sauce

Dry rub for the pork:

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon salt
1 (5-7 pound) pork roast, preferable shoulder or Boston butt

Mix all the ingredients (except the pork) in a bowl and rub the mixture on the pork. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. Roast the pork in a roasting pan for 6 hours (until it's 170F degrees), or until it falls apart.
When the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. While it's still warm, pull the pork with a fork. Serve on hamburger buns with sauce.

And now for the sauce:

2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1-1/4 cups brown sugar
1-1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Over medium heat, mix the ingredients in a large saucepan until it bubbles.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to 20 minutes.

Corpses and Calzones

There are some very odd folks in this world. For example, there's the woman who dug up her late husband and twin sister and kept them in her home. You can read the full story here. Weird.

Last night we tried this recipe from Simple & Delicious magazine. (Contributed by Kourtney Williams of Mechanicsville, VA.) Two out of three of us liked it. The only change I made was to add some purple onion while browning the pork.

Sausage & Spinach Calzones

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 tube (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2-2/3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile, unroll pizza crust; pat into a 15-in. x 11-in. rectangle. Cut into four rectangles. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over half of each rectangle to within 1 in. of edges.

Drain sausage. Add spinach; cook and stir over medium heat until spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper; spread over mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with a fork to seal.

Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 4 servings.

Pork Tenderloin

I love pork tenderloin and this is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. The original recipe, which I clipped from a magazine in 1993, suggests marinating a 12-16 oz. tenderloin about 30 to 60 minutes in the following ingredients before grilling or broiling. I prefer to put it all in a glass loaf pan, cover in foil, and bake about an hour or so at 400F. It comes out very moist and tender and the earlier in the day you put it together, the more flavorful it is.

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

A new year

My husband and I welcomed in the new year in our usual way. We gathered with two other couples, ate entirely too much food, laughed, talked and played boards games. We've done it for years and years and always have a good time.

Today we slept in, had a late lunch of Black-Eyed Pea Soup and Mexican Cornbread, then headed to the movies to see Avatar. Considering my attention span is sometimes a bit short I wondered if I would enjoy an almost three hour movie. I did have to shift around in my seat and peek at my watch a couple of times, but the movie was wonderful and I really liked it!

When I finish here and shut down my computer for the evening I plan to settle in with my handwritten journal to make my annual New Year's entry. I'm not always good about writing on a regular basis throughout the year, but I always write on New Year's Day. It's my time to look back and reflect on how well I met the goals I set a year ago and to decide what I want to work on in the coming year. First, though, I'll share a few recipes from our New Year's eating.

Eggnog Tube Cake

Contributed to Simple & Delicious by Mary Ellen Severance of Biggs, CA

1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz) white cake mix

1 pkg. (3.9 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup eggnog

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tsp. rum extract

1-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp. rum extract

3 to 4 tsp. eggnog

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix. pudding mix, eggs, eggnog, oil, extract and nutmeg. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350F for 38-41 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, extract and enough eggnog to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Contributed to American Profile by Joyce Gates of Clovis NM

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 pound Polish sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

2 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas with jalapenos, undrained

1 (14 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (10 oz) can mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chilies

1 to 2 medium jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups water

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onions and cook until beef is browned, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover tightly. Simmer 45 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Mexican Cornbread

(my mother's recipe from when I was growing up)

Sift together:

1-1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Add in:

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs, one at a time

1 cup sour cream

1 (no. 2) can cream-style corn

1 cup grated cheese

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (I sub dried, chopped chives)

Bake in a greased, square glass dish at 425F about 45 minutes.

Slow-Cooked Pork and Beans

I’ve always been partial to pork and knew when I found this recipe on tasteofhome.com last week that I had to try it. It was submitted by Patricia Hager of Nicholasville, KY. We had it yesterday and it was delicious!! Is it time for lunch yet? I can hear the leftovers calling from the fridge….

Slow-Cooked Pork and Beans

1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 pounds)
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cans (15 ounces each) pork and beans
1½ cups barbecue sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove roast; shred with two forks. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through.
Yield: 12 (1 cup) servings