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.

Huevos motuleños

I first had this breakfast dish at a lovely restaurant in Santa Fe, NM called Cafe Pascuals.  It is lovely little place and at breakfast time packed from wall to wall, but well worth the trouble to get into.   The friends I went with recommended that I try this and I was so very happy that I did.  It is an incredible dish and so very easy to make.  It is also very flexible and quick to make as well.

It is originally from the southern part of Mexico, as you can see from the ingredients and is named from the town where it originated, Motul.  Here is my take on it.  Enjoy!

For each serving:

1 ripe, but firm banana, peeled halved lengthways, then each half halved again crossways.
1/2 cup cooked, drained and reheated beans, black are traditional but pintos work well too
1 cup green sauce, heated or a heated cooked smooth red sauce
2-3 eggs cooked as desired, fried is traditional
1/2 cup diced ham or cooked pork (optional)
3 heated corn tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or crumbled cotija cheese or some grated monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cooked green peas (optional, I usually leave out but it is traditional)
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1 tbsp. butter

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet until warm, but still flexible.  Place on serving plate and set aside in a warm place.   Heat the butter in the skillet and gently fry the banana slices until lightly browned on each side, a nonstick skillet is best for this as the sugar in the bananas can make them stick very easily in a regular skillet.   When the bananas are browned assemble your plate:  tortillas, then the heated salsa, scatter the cooked drained beans over the top, then the ham or pork if using, then the eggs, the peas, the pico de gallo, and finally the crumbled cheese, place the fried banana slices around the edges.   I usually don't use the peas, and in place of the pico de gallo, often just smother the whole thing with more green sauce, mainly because I love green sauce!   This is a delicious breakfast dish and easily made as you can have everything except the eggs and bananas prepared ahead of time, just heat, cook the eggs and bananas, assemble and eat.   I like it for lunch and a light supper too.  Pretty healthy as well!

Ham, Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ham, chicken and corn chowder

1 cup chopped ham

1 cup chopped, cooked chicken

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 small green pepper, cored and chopped

about ½ cup chopped celery

2 cans cream corn

1 pkg. frozen corn, thawed

3-4 cups milk or half and half, or fat free half and half

3 tbsp. oil or butter

a pinch of red pepper and some black pepper to taste

Heat the oil or butter, then add the chopped ham, onion, green pepper and celery.   Sautee until the ham and vegetables are lightly browned and tender.   Add the chicken, creamed corn and the thawed frozen corn.    Stir well and heat to a simmer.   Add enough milk or half and half to get the thickness you desire.   Add a pinch of red pepper, some black pepper and continue to heat until just below a simmer.     If you like, you can garnish each bowl with some crumbled bacon or grated cheddar cheese.    Makes enough to feed 2-4 people.

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.