Brussels Sprouts with Country Ham

I love Brussels sprouts and always looking for new ways to cook them.  Usually I will just roast them with salt and pepper, but sometimes I like to do something a. bit different.   This is one I tried and it turned out to be one that I liked, a lot!   If you can't find or don't care for country ham, you can used regular ham or even some cubed bacon and you fry until crispy.

Brussels Sprouts and Country Ham

1/4 cup bacon fat
4 ounces country ham, finely diced
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sprouts shaved 1/4-thick crosswise on a mandoline
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the bacon fat in  a large skillet over medium heat. Add the country ham and cook, stirring frequently, until the ham just starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot, apples and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, until wilted and almost shiny, 4 to 6 minutes. 
Add the apple cider and vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, season to taste with salt and black pepper, and remove from the heat. Continue to stir until the butter has completely melted and formed a creamy sauce. Serve.

Potato Pancakes

When I was a kid, any time we had leftover mashed potatoes, my mom would make potato pancakes out of them.   I was grown before I knew you could make them any other way.   Mama's potato pancakes were ok, but just not my favorite thing.   Later, I learned how to make them where they were a lot better and I didn't have to have leftover mashed potatoes to do it.

about 4 cups grated raw potatoes (I used the packaged hashbrowns in the dairy section of the store)
2 eggs
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (or a bunch of green onions, cleaned and chopped)
1/2 cup flour  (gluten free works well too)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
seasoning to taste (I use Mrs. Dash)
1/2 cup grated cheese, Parmesan is what I usually use, but a sharp cheddar works too

Mix all together well and heat a non-stick skillet with a couple tablespoons each of butter and olive oil.    Scoop up enough of the potato mixture about the size of a golf ball, flatten slightly and place in the heated butter/oil mixture.    Cook until brown on one side, turn, flatten with the spatula and brown on the other side.   Eat while hot.


To turn them into a main course, add some chopped ham to the potato mixture.     For a change of taste, add some crisp crumbled bacon to the mixture and try in a bit of the bacon fat.   Not health food, but quite tasty.

German Potato Salad

I happen to be a fan of potato salad, both the traditional one with mayonaise and served cold, but I really love hot potato salad, usually called German potato salad.   It is a warm, sweet and sour delight that goes especially well with roast pork or baked ham.    When I was younger my mom always seemed to make it when we had a baked ham.   My brother in law Gary is a big fan of it too.

6 average sized potatoes, boiled in the jacket, cooled enough to peel and then thinly sliced
6 slices of bacon, finely diced, fried crisp and drained
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cups water

Fry the diced bacon and fry until the bacon is crisp.   Drain and reserve the crisp bacon pieces.   In the bacon grease, saute the onion until golden brown.   Add the flour, sugar, celery seeds, salt and pepper.   Fry about a minute, then add the water and vinegar.   Cook stirring, until thickened and bubbling about a minute or so.   Add the reserved bacon pieces and the cooked, sliced potatoes.   Stir well and serve.  Enjoy!

I have had, but never made myself, green beans like this.    You take your cooked green beans and mix with the bacon and the cooked sweet and sour sauce.   I also have a feeling that cooked beets would be very tasty done this way too.

Sandwiches

Aaron's favorite food would have to be sandwiches.   If he has two slices of bread and something to put between them, he is a happy man.   So I often fix sandwiches of various kinds to keep him happy.   Luckily, there are an infinite variety of sandwiches that can be made.  

One thing that is a favorite of both of us, is grilled teriyaki chicken and pineapple sandwiches.   I take boneless chicken thighs and marinate for a couple of hours in a good quality teriyaki marinade, I like the Kikkoman brand.   I buy a peeled and cored whole pineapple and slice in 3/4 inch slices.   I then grill the marinated chicken pieces, as well as the pineapple slices until done in the middle and nicely browned outside.   I put a piece of chicken on a toasted roll, top the chicken with a slice of the grilled pineapple and then the top of the roll.   Aaron loves this!

Another sandwich that is good and also easy to make, is a grilled cheese with bacon.   I fry bacon until crisp and drain on a paper towel.   Then I take soft French roll and split.   I fill it with a very sharp cheddar and the crisp bacon.   Then I grill it in my panini press until the roll is nice and crisp and the cheese melted.   Eat while very hot.   Delicious!   Aaron likes this too.

My favorite sandwich is chicken salad.   Aaron refuses to eat anything with mayonaise in it, so this is something I either enjoy alone or take to work with me.   I grind about 3-4 cups of cold, cooked chicken.    Then I finely chop 3-4 stalks of celery and a cleaned bunch of green onions.   I mix the chopped vegetables with the ground chicken and add enough mayonaise to make a spreadable mixture.    Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Another favorite of mine is ham salad.   I do that a bit differently than the chicken salad.   I grind 3-4 cups of ham and to that I add 3 grated hard boiled eggs, about 1/2 cup of finely chopped sweet pickle or drained pickle relish and enough mayonaise to make it nicely spreadable.

These are some of my favorite sandwiches.   How about you?   What do you like to put between two slices of bread?   What is your favorite?   And as always, enjoy!