Cacio e Pepe Ham and White Bean Soup

Cacio e Pepe Ham and White Bean Soup

adapted from Food & Wine

This soups takes a but of time but it is well worth the effort. Always save your cheese rinds and ham bones in your freezer for just such occassions as this. 

My husband cuts up my ham bones with a santized saw. No ham bone use ham hocks and chop a few ounces of a ham steak.

Need to save a little time, replace the dried, cooked beans with a 15 oz. can of cannellini beans.

Makes 3 servings                                                                5 WW pts / serving

Cooking spray
2/3 yellow onions, chopped divided
1 1/3 large celery stalks, chopped, divided
1 1/3 carrots (about 1/3 pound), peeled, chopped, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled, 2 smashed and 2 chopped, divided
1/3 (2/3-1 lb.) smoked ham bone, preferably with meat
2 2/3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds or pecorino Romano cheese rinds 
3 thyme sprigs
4 cups water, plus more if soup is getting too thick
1 tsp.coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1/3 cup dried cannellini beans or other dried white beans, soaked overnight, drained
1/3 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded, plus more for serving

Kosher salt

1. To a pot coated with cooking spray add half of the onion, celery, carrot and smashed garlic cloves;  Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. 
2. Add ham bone, cheese rinds, thyme sprigs, and water; bring to a boil over high. 
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally until broth is cloudy and tastes strongly like Parmesan and ham, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or bowl, pressing vegetables and cheese rinds to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. 
5. Reserve ham bone. Wipe pot clean.
6. Coat the pot with cooking spray; Add the remaining chopped vegetables and pepper.
7. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to soften,  about 5 minutes. 
8. Stir in the minced garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
9. Add ham bone, drained beans, and strained broth; bring to a boil over high. 
10. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are creamy and tender and ham meat easily pulls away from bone, 2 hours; Add a little water if the soup is getting too thick.
11. Transfer 1/3 cup of soup to the bowl of a mini food processor, removing any ham pieces, process until smooth; Stir mashed soup back into pot.
12. Remove ham bone from soup, and shred meat (about 1/3 cup); Return meat to soup, and discard bone. Add cheese and stir until melted; Season to taste with salt. 
13. Ladle soup into individual bowls; Sprinkle with additional black pepper and cheese.

Enjoy!

Layered Ham Salad

Layered Ham Salad

I like to make individual servings of this salad in clear glass bowls so the lavering is apparent. If increasing amount use a large glass bowl or a trifle bowl.

Reduce the point value by substituting chicken or turkey for the ham and use reduced fat Mexican cheese blend.

Makes 2 servings                              3 WW pts / salad + 1 WW pt./Tbsp dressing

1 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. sugar substitute
4 tsp. taco sauce
3 oz, torn romaine lettuce or prefered lettuce
4 slices deli ham or ham steak, chopped (about 2 ounces)
1 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped onions
2 Tbsp. cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1. In a small saute pan coated with cooking spray, saute the jalapeno and bell peppers until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the corn kernels; Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes; Set aside to cool.
3. Combine the mayonnaise, taco sauce and sugar substitute in a small bowl and whisk to combine; Set aside.
4. Divide the lettice between two bowls.
5. Divide the remaining ingredients between the 2 bowls layering in the following order: ham, tomato, onion / cucumber, corn mixture, cheese and dressing.

Enjoy!









In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients.

Tomato Scallion Parmesan Mini Quiches

Tomato Scallion Parmesan Mini Quiches

adapted from Eating Well

A fun play on a crustless quiche which comes together quickly. Trade out any leftover vegetables you have in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 serving                                                                1 WW pt. / serving

Cooking spray
1 slice deli cooked ham, cut in half
2 slices roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 scallion, thinly chopped
1 leaf basil, chopped
a few grinds freshly cracked black pepper
2 tsp. finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Coat 2  standard muffin cups with cooking spray.; Add water to the remaining cups to prevent scorching.
3. Line prepared muffin cups with ham. 
4. Divide tomatoes, green onions, basil and pepper among cups. 
5. Top with cheese. 
6. Pour eggs over tomato mixture.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and a tester comes out clean; Cool in cups 5 minutes. 
8. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Ham & Provolone Melt with Garlicky Sauteed Spinach

Ham & Provolone Melt with Garlicky Sauteed Spinach

adapted from Real Simple^© by Maryann Jacobson

I am not a fan of the low carb English muffins. You can reduce the points by using light english muffins or other light rolls.

Makes 1 serving                                                               3 WW points / serving

Cooking spray

1/2 English muffin, toasted

1 handful fresh baby spinach

Pinch garlic powder

1 tsp. reduced fat mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 oz. sliced lean deli ham
2 thin slices plum tomato
1/2 slice reduced fat provolone
Pinch dried oregano

Pinch dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat broiler.
2. In a pan coated with cooking spray, saute the spinach with the garlic powder until wilted.
3. Spread the mayonnaise on the muffin; Sprinkle with basil.
4. Top with the spinach, tomato, ham and cheese; Sprinkle with dried basil and oregano.
5. Broil until the cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Potato Soup

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Potato Soup

Adapted from Taste of Home

Update: Earned 2nd Place in The Soup Cook Off 

The original recipe is no longer available on the Taste of Home© website. My family loved the taste of the soup so much that they encouraged me to enter it into The Soup Cook Off – a fundraiser that is held twice a year in Central PA (Carlisle and Harrisburg). The problem was that the base of the soup is canned condensed cream of potato soup. I could not with a clear conscious submit a soup to a competition using a canned condensed soup base. After some internet scouring, I learned how to make my own condensed chicken soup base. This soup has all the flavors of the traditional chicken cordon bleu with a side of potatoes.

 

Makes 4-6 servings

1 recipe of Cream of Chicken Soup Concentrate or 2 cans condensed cream of chicken or cream of potato
2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned broth
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup diced cooked ham
6 oz. cooked chicken

3/4 cup potato, cooked and chopped

1. Place the potatoes on a saucepan; add water to cover by an inch
2. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes
3. Drain and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, combine the soup concentrate, stock and milk in a saucepan.
5. Whisk until combined and bring to a simmer.
6. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
7. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth.
8. Add the ham, chicken and potato
9. Heat until warmed though.

Enjoy!

Piperrada Style Eggs

Piperrada Style Eggs

adapted from Cooking Channel

According to Wikipedia, Piperade (Gascon and French) or Piperrada (Basque and Spanish), from piper (pepper in Gascon and in Basque), is a typical Basque dish prepared with onion, green peppers, and tomatoes sautéed and flavored with red Espelette pepper. The colors coincidentally reflect the colors of the Basque flag (red, green and white). It may be served as a main course or as a side dish. Typical additions include egg, garlic or meats such as ham.

This recipe changes it up a little by using red and yellow bell peppers and leaves out the tomatoes and the bread since we are trying to decrease carbs. 

If you do not have Espelette pepper freshly a little crushed red pepper or cayenne will substitute nicely. 

Makes 2 servings                                                     0 WW Blue points / serving

2 thin slices Serrano ham

1/2 onion, sliced

4 mini bell peppers or 1/2 red bell pepper, roasted, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

1/2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves

4 eggs, beaten

Kosher Salt

Espelette pepper

1. In a pan coated with cooking spray, cook the Serrano ham until the edges begin to crisp, turning once.
2. Coat the pan with additional cooking spray and saute the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the roasted peppers and garlic and cook an additional minute.
4. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half.
5. Add the thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper; remove to a bowl.
6. Wipe out the pan and coat again with cooking spray.
7. Add the eggs, season with salt and pepper and cool over low heat stirring often until small curds form.
8. To serve place the eggs on top of the ham and top with onion mixture.

Enjoy!

Salads for our Labor Day Eve BBQ

We had a great time with some friends last evening. Warren cooked chicken and steaks on the grill and I made salads to accompany.

I am a purist when it comes to my potato salad. But I also do not like huge chunks of egg. If you prefer your egg chunky, just coarsely chop instead of getting out the food processor.

Potato Salad
adapted from Bon Appétit July 1995
1 1/2  lbs potatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp  white wine vinegar
1 hard-boiled egg
3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 Tbsp chopped scallion, green part only
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/6 cup chopped Italian parsley
6 Tbsp mayonnaise
5 oz plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp Dijon mustard 
Herbed Kosher Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water just until tender. Drain, cool slightly, peel and cut into 3/4 inch dice. Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Drizzle with the vinegar over the warm potatoes. Mix the onion, scallion, celery and parsley into potatoes. 

Very finely mince the egg in a small food processor getting it very small but being careful not to turn it into a paste.until 

Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard in small bowl. Fold in the minced egg. Season dressing with herbed salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Mix into potato mixture.

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Unlike my preference for very traditional potato salad, I like unusual pasta salads without very heavy dressings. Although this dressing is made with mayonnaise, thinning it out with some milk makes it much lighter.

Macaroni Salad with Peas and Ham
adapted from Gourmet August 1997
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
4-ounce piece cooked ham, chopped
1 celery ribs, minced
6 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup frozen tiny peas
1/4 cup mayonnaise
 fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp low-fat milk
Herbed kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper 

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions, adding the peas to cook for last 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Make sure the macaroni and peas are well drained.
In a large bowl toss together the macaroni, peas, ham, celery, and parsley. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and milk. Season the dressing to taste with the salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss well to combine.

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Many coleslaw recipes are way to sweet for me. This one remains crunchy and has a little zip! It can be made with red or green cabbage. I just happened to have red from my farm share on hand.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw
adapted from Gourmet June 2008 
1 lb red cabbage, cored finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt & Freshly ground pepper

Toss all vegetables in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise and vinegar. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper then toss with slaw. Allow to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Croque Monsieur - Take 2

I made a slight variation to the Croque Monsieur recipe I made  few weeks ago. I toasted the bread before assembling the sandwiches. Still just as tasty but easier to pick up and eat.

Testing a French Recipe - Croque Monsieur

This is definitely not on the Weight Watchers approved menu but it tastes wonderful. Rather than grilled ham and cheese think of a baked ham and swiss with bechamel sauce inside and on top of the sandwich. Served like it was in Paris with a green salad toss with a french vinaigrette and cornichons. Yummmmm!

Croque Monsieur
adapted from Bon Appetit May 2014

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 1/2  cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt

4 slices whole grain white bread
6 slices Virginia baked ham
6 slices thin Sargento Swiss cheese
Herbes de Provence
Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add Wondra and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy. Gradually add the cream, stirring until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thick and somewhat elastic, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the mustard and nutmeg; season to taste with salt.

Spread bread slices with béchamel, extending all the way to the edges. Place 2 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet; top with ham and 2 slices cheese each. Top with remaining slices of bread, béchamel side up, then top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Bake until cheese is brown and bubbling,about 12 minutes.


Country French Vinaigrette
The greens were dressed with Penzey's Country French Vinaigrette dressing. 1 tablespoon spice mix, 1 tablespoon water, 1/6 cup red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil.

Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple Mustard Sauce

A co-worker introduced me to the idea of cooking hams in a crockpot. I have tried it several times with basic recipes using pineapple juice and brown sugar. I decided to give a slightly upscale recipe a try since the boys wanted ham for Thanksgiving (They are not big turkey fans.) and we were volunteering a couple hours of our time at a local hospital on Thanksgiving Day.
The ham cam out great - moist, tender and flavorful. And there are lots of leftover to use in more recipes. We did not care for the turnips but turnips are not our favorite vegetable.

Slow Cooker Ham
adapted from Food Network Magazine November 2010
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs thyme
8 large sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon pickling spice
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 8 pound smoked pork shoulder
2 cups dry white wine
1 lb turnips peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

Place the apples, garlic, thyme, parsley, pickling spice and brown sugar in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add the ham,wine and 2 cups water. Cover and cook on low, 8-10 hours.
Remove the ham from the slow cooker. Add the greens to the cooker and stir to combine with the liquid. Return the ham to the cooker, cover and cook on high 30 minutes.
Slice the ham and serve with Pineapple Mustard Sauce

Pineapple Mustard Sauce
adapted from Gourmet, April 2007
1 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Dash of  salt
Dash black pepper
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Combine sugar and pineapple juice in a saucepan and gently boil, stirring occasionally, until
reduced to 1/4 cup,. Transfer pineapple syrup to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Whisk in mustard, salt, pepper and thyme.

Ham & Swiss Frittata because Pumpkin Pie is NOT a Breakfast Food

I whipped this frittata together quickly this morning because my husband was about to have a slice of pumpkin cream pie for breakfast. I don't think so ......

Ham & Swiss Frittata
1/4 small onion, chopped
1/8 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup chopped leftover ham
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat the broiler.
Saute the onion and pepper in a small ovenproof fry pan coated with cooking spray until soft but not browned. Add the egg substitute and ham. Cook until the edges start to pull slightly away from the pan but the middle is still loose.
Top with Swiss cheese and put until the boiler until the middle is set. Top with parsley. 
Depending on how hungry you are it can serve 1-2 people.

English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Still trying to drop some pounds with my HealthSouth weight loss team. We are the Fab Four ... although none of us are feeling fabulous right now!

English Muffin Breakfast Pizza
Adapted from Ellie Krieger - Food Network Magazine
1 whole-wheat English muffin, split and toasted
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 oz Deli Ham or Canadian bacon, diced

1/4 cup egg substitute, cooked
2 Tbsp reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Dried basil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Place the English muffin halves on the baking sheet. Top each with a layer of tomato, ham, egg substitute then the mozzarella. Sprinkle with dried basil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. 

5 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Baked Eggs & Cheese in a Ham Cup

I felt the need to mix up breakfast a little. These "ham cups" are cute, tasty and relatively good for you. Only 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus as determined by the recipe builder.

Baked Eggs in a Ham Cup

12 (~ 1 oz each) slices ham, your favorite kind

3 slices wheat or whole-grain bread, each torn into 4 pieces
1 1/2 cups fat-free egg substitute
1 cup grated reduced fat cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly coat 12-cup muffin tin (regular size not mini or jumbo) with cooking spray.
Gently place a ham slice into each cup (edges will stick up). Place a piece of the bread in center of each, then pour egg substitute on top. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Remove from muffin tin and serve.

Celery Stuffed with Deviled Ham

Warren loves stuffed celery so i wanted to try something a bit different from the usual cream cheese or peanut butter. Nick and I enjoyed the deviled ham on crackers since we are not crazy about raw celery.

Celery Stuffed with Deviled Ham
10 celery ribs, cut into thirds or halves depending on the length

1/2 lb smoked deli ham
1/4 cup minced fresh  parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Sherry vinegar
Pulse ham in a food processor until chopped, Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Fill celery and serve chilled.

Tis the Season for Eggnog Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Nick surprised me by asking for them again the next day! You just can never tell what they are going to like.

Eggnog Monte Cristo Sandwiches
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 

1 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
9 slices white sandwich bread
6 slices Gouda cheese
6 slices deli turkey (cracked peppercorn was in the fridge)

6 slices deli ham (honey was in the fridge)
1/2 cup eggnog
3 Tbsp unsalted butter 

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Mix the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Lay out 3 slices of bread and brush each with the mustard mixture. Top each piece of bread with 1 slice each of cheese, turkey and ham. Cover with another slice of bread and brush with more mustard mixture; top each sandwich with another slice each of cheese, turkey and ham. Brush the remaining 3 bread slices with the mustard mixture and place mustard-side down on top of the sandwiches.
Trim the crusts, then wrap the sandwiches tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The wrapping and refrigeration helps keep them compact.

Pour the eggnog into a shallow bowl. Unwrap the sandwiches and dip in the eggnog, turning to coat both sides. Melt half of the butter in a skillet. Add the sandwiches and cook until the undersides are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining butter, flip the sandwiches and cook until golden on the other side, about 3 more minutes.
Cut the sandwiches into quarters. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.