Split Pea Soup with Ham

One of my favorite soups is my mother's homemade split pea soup. Whenever she would bake a ham, she would use the bone to make a delicious soup. Now it's my turn. Here is the general recipe she gave me:

-Immerse ham bone (leave some meat attached to bone for flavor) into water and let simmer covered for about 2 hours. Add garlic, basil, and bay leaves for flavor while simmering.

-Drain broth then refrigerate

-Once cool, remove fat from broth

-Add 1 bag of split peas to broth and let simmer for about 2-4 hrs.

-Add carrots and onions then cook for another 10-20min

My first batch of soup tasted delicious! The only error I made was too much water to begin with. I separated the broth from the soup while cooling and am hoping to use it for another dish.

Green Beans with Bacon, Onion and Tomato

A recipe from Betty Crocker's Cook Book

Ingredients

1 lb Green beans

4 slices Bacon (cut up)

1 Medium onion, chopped

1 Medium tomato, chopped

1 clove Garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Dash of pepper

2 tablespoons Lemon juice

Preparation

1. Place beans in 1 inch water in 2-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain.

2. in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 tablespoon fat in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels.

3. Cook onion in bacon fat in skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in tomato, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in beans; heat through. Drizzle with lemon juice. Garnish with bacon.

Spiral Sliced Hickory Smoked Ham from Costco

All I can say is yummy. This ham is delicious and easy. We bought the smallest one we could find, around 17 lbs and it took about 2 hrs. It made a ton of meat for leftovers (we had to freeze a lot), and I was also able to make fresh split pea soup with the bone.

Apple cobbler with cinnamon and vanilla, along with a cake-like batter topping

Ingredients:

• Apple Filling:

• 5 cups tart apples, peeled, sliced

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

• Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour, sifted

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened

• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and water. Turn into a lightly buttered 9-inch square pan. Dot apples with 1 tablespoon butter.

Combine all topping ingredients. Beat with wooden spoon until batter is smooth. Drop batter in 9 portions, over the apples, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375° or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8.

This cobbler had a wonderful taste. I uses granny smith apples. I thought the filling turned out great but the topping could have been better. I would like to try a recipe that has more of a crispy/crumbly topping. My husband agrees.

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup milk

• paprika, for the top

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Cook macaroni in boiling salted water, following package directions. Drain well; return to pot. Add butter and stir until melted. Add 2 cups of the shredded cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with the milk. Add the milk mixture to the macaroni. Stir until well combined. Spoon into the greased pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned and casserole is cooked through.
Serves 4 to 6.

This dish was okay. Although my husband enjoyed it, I would give it about a 5 out of 10. It was kind of dry and lacking flavor. I think I will try a different recipe next time around that has more creamy ingredients. The reason I choose this recipe was because it did have fewer ingredients so I guess I can't complain.

Caribbean Black Beans, Peppers, & Pineapple

1 cup brown rice

3 Peppers (red, green, & yellow)

1 cup cubed fresh or canned pineapple

1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 cup salsa

Cook rice as directed on package. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; stir-fry peppers until crisp-tender. Stir in pineapple, black beans, and salsa; heat through. Serve over cooked rice.

Serves 4

Total Time: 25 min

This recipe is from a Target food add. I tried it one night and was pleasantly surprised. It is very quick and tasty. It is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I like to add grilled chicken or shrimp if I have it. Now that I am married, it is a great meal to make when Michael isn't home since he doesn't like black beans.

Chicken Divan Recipe Courtesy of my Sister-in-law Nicole!

Chicken Divan:

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 pkgs frozen brocc, cooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayo
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Layer broccoli, then chicken in a casserole dish. Mix together mayo, soup, curry, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread over chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes at 350.


I've found that you can use the healthier versions of the mayo and soup and it will still taste great - but you need to use the real full-fat cheese :) This is also one that can be prepped ahead of time and stuck in the fridge for the next day - or if you get some of those pans that can put in the freezer and oven - it's a great one to freeze ahead of time. You'd just need to add some time to the baking.

I really like this recipe. Like Nicole mentioned, I use the light mayo and low sodium soup. I also like to add fresh cooked carrots to the broccoli for more variety. This is great on top of brown rice.

Michael's Favorite:

Cajun Jambalaya

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

35 min

Level:

--

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
• 4 ounces chicken, diced
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Directions

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

This is a great recipe. I do not always use all three meats. The flavor is good but extremely spicy. Michael loves it but I have to tame it down a little for myself. Black beans help neutralized the spice. I also use whole grain rice to make it a even healthier. Great dish if you like spice!

No Bake Cookies! My husband demanded out nowhere. After a quick call to his mom for the recipe and a drive to the grocery store, we made delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

Note: I've found it a good idea to have the secondary ingredients (for after it boils) measured out and ready to add asap because of the tendency for the mixture to cool so fast. 4 Tablespoons cocoa 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter/margarine Put these ingredients in a pan and cook over medium heat stirring them and allowing them to mix together. When it starts to boil, allow to boil fast for 2 minutes. Remove from heat (I usually put the pan on a potholder) and add (stir in) 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 1/2 cups of oatmeal After stirring in above ingredients drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cool the eat and enjoy. Note: if you aren't quick about it, sometimes the mixture will get really dry and then you just kinda have crumbs…. My conclusion, these were quick and delicious and my husband loves them!

As I was trying to figure out something yummy for dinner without having to go to the store, I remembered I had the remainder of my 2 lb pork tenderloin in the fridge. With little faith that I would enjoy the pork tenderloin better the second time around, the first being the pork tacos, I decided to google a recipe for Pork Tenderloin in the crock pot. Here is what I found:

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

Rated: Submitted By: StayHomeCook Photo By: Kelli F. Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 4 Hours 10 Minutes Ready In: 4 Hours 35 Minutes Servings: 4

"This sweet and spicy tenderloin recipe is super easy! Make it as spicy as you like by adding more or different types of chili peppers."

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds pork tenderloin 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, chopped 3 fresh red chile pepper, finely chopped 1/2 large onion, sliced 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together teriyaki sauce, chicken broth, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in garlic, red chile pepper, onion, and black pepper.
2.	Put browned tenderloins into slow cooker, cover with the teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on High for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during the cooking time to ensure even doneness.
3.	Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If desired, spoon liquid over slices when serving. My thoughts on this recipe: as close to a 5 out of 5 as I have come. The meat was not only extremely melt in your mouth tender, but the flavor was a perfect blend of sweet with a little spice. It probably would be good with even more spice depending on who I am serving. Due to my not wanting to go to the grocery store, I used are canned garlic in place of fresh and crushed red pepper instead of fresh. I would like to try it again with the fresh ingredients but I thought it was still delicious despite my shortcuts. As a side dish, Michael and I spontaneously purchased microwavable mashed potatoes from Costco. Because I work full-time, the idea of taking the time to make homemade mashed potatoes does not sound appealing. In fact, Michael and I haven't even eaten mashed potatoes of any form at home since we got married. Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised by the flavor, cost, and time of these mashed potatoes. I would purchase them again as a side dish and maybe just secretly microwave them when the guests aren't paying attention =) Resers Fine Foods: Main St. Bistro Restaurant-Style Mashed Potatoes