South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Original Recipe HERE

This is my go-to recipe for serving with ham on holidays.  It might be too strong to use alone on pulled pork or something similar - maybe tone it down with a little BBQ sauce mixed in?  I keep meaning to try it out with shredded chicken in the slow cooker, but I have it in my head that this is a Holiday Recipe and therefore it doesn't cross my mind for approximately 363 days per year.

This makes about 1.5 cups of sauce.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter

½ onion, grated

½ cup yellow mustard

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne [I only use a pinch]

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste [I usually leave it out]

Directions

(1) Grate the onion over a cutting board.

(2) In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter until frothy.

(3) Add onion.  Salute for 3-4 minutes.  Don't let the onion brown.

(4) Add all other ingredients.  Stir well.  Simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

(5) Remove bay leaf.  Serve warm or store in refrigerator.

Kid Participation: None.

Baked Ham with Spiced Cherry Glaze

Original Recipe HERE

* This is one of the menu items Husband researched, planned, shopped for, and executed for Easter 2013. It was the best meal he's ever made. *

 

Ingredients

Nonstick spray

1 (5-pound) boneless ready-to-eat ham

1/2 cup water or white wine [he used water]

1 cup cherry preserves

1 tablespoon creamy prepared horseradish [he used regular]

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

 

Directions

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with foil and spray it with nonstick spray.

(2) Score the top and sides of the ham with a small sharp knife in a crisscross pattern.

(3) Put the ham in the pan, pour 1/2 cup water or white wine into the bottom of the pan and bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, 45 to 60 minutes.

(4) To make the glaze, combine the preserves, horseradish, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, salt, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

(5) Transfer the cherry mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the glaze is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon zest.

(6) Remove the ham from the oven and brush the top with 1/4 cup of the glaze.

(7) Bake, uncovered, until the ham is hot and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes longer.

(8) Remove the ham from the oven to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Arrange the sliced ham on a serving platter and serve with the reserved glaze.

Green Beans Provencal

Original Recipe HERE

 

* This is one of the menu items Husband researched, planned, shopped for, and executed for Easter 2013. It was the best meal he's ever made. * 

 

Ingredients

salt

1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

15 kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

(1) Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.

(2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

(3) Drain well in a colander, then set the colander with beans in the ice-water bath, making sure the beans are submerged. Drain the beans, shaking off the excess water.

(4) In the same pot, heat the oil over low heat. Add beans, garlic, tomatoes, olives and basil, and toss to combine.

(5) Drizzle vinegar over beans and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or cold.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Bacon

Original Recipe HERE

Runner-Up Recipe I Considered Using HERE

 

I needed a green vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving that wouldn't be complicated and could be thrown together just before the rest of the meal was ready to be served.  Found this, made this, liked this.

 

I don't know how much the mushrooms really added to the dish.  Next time I'll probably leave them out and increase the amount of onion to compensate.  Also, I'll probably skip the olive oil and saute the onion in a smidge of leftover bacon grease.

 

Ingredients

1 pound green beans

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 cup sliced white mushroom, optional [I used baby bella]

olive oil

6 slices bacon

1 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions

(1) Snap or cut ends off beans; cut in half.

(2) Cook bacon.  After draining , break into 1/2" pieces.

(3) Add olive oil to medium skillet.  Saute onions and mushrooms (if using) until tender and slightly browned or caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

(4) In a large saucepan, boil green beans in enough water to cover them for 6-8 minutes or until crisp tender.  Drain.

(5) In large serving bowl, add butter, garlic salt, pepper, onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Stir just until combined.  Add beans; toss until well-coated.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Oven-Baked Turkey Breast

Original Recipe HERE

 

I didn't feel like having a full-fledged turkey for Thanksgiving: there's a lot of waste, and I don't like looking at a carcass.  Makes me feel guilty (and hypocritical).  When I broached this to Husband, who had designated himself as Man in Charge of Turkey, he was not pleased.  Before I knew how it happened, turkey duty had been passed to me.  So...while I embraced my added responsibility slightly begrudgingly, I was overall happy to have gotten my wish.

 

I thought about using my mom's traditional Martha-inspired cheesecloth method, but...I didn't.  Maybe next year, since I love the end result.  However, this one made for a fine main dish, and I don't feel our Thanksgiving celebration was diminished at all because we didn't have a pile of bones at the end of the night.  It wasn't overly flavorful; next time I'll add greater amounts of spices just because of personal preference.

 

I made the gravy that the original recipe included.  It was OK, but again, it needed more flavor.  And again, I'll add more seasonings afterward.  Also, upon standing for a few minutes, it began to thicken too much.  I halved the amount of cornstarch and included that updated info in the recipe below.

 

Another reason for not wanting to do a giant turkey is because it takes up our entire oven and makes it more tricky and limiting for preparing and/or reheating side dishes. If I could free up the oven for several more hours than expected, that would be lovely. Since a breast takes less than half the time of a regular turkey to cook, I thought it would make my life a lot easier. And it did.

 

Ingredients

1 bone-in whole turkey breast (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen [mine was about 7 pounds]

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup dry white wine or margarine [I used sweet white wine]

1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika [I used smoked paprika]

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cold water

 

Directions

(1) Heat oven to 325ºF. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan.  Roast uncovered 1 hour.

(2) Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the butter mixture.

(3) Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining butter mixture.

(4) Roast about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165ºF.

(5) Remove turkey from oven.  Let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.

(6) While turkey rests, pour pan drippings into measuring cup.  Skim fat from drippings. Add enough water to drippings to measure 2 cups.

(7) Heat drippings to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into drippings. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with turkey.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Cranberry & Apple Crisp

Original Recipe HERE

 

While I would happily have every dessert I ever make be chocolate-based, I know not everyone shares the same obsession.  So if it's not going to be full of my VIP ingredient of choice, I like to go in the opposite direction and include fruit: if it's not going to be obviously bad for you, why not pretend it's masquerading as something good for you?

 

Per the recipe, I used granny smith apples and found the final product to be too tart for my liking.  Next time I'll substitute some sweeter ones.  Also, because the apples were in the back of our fridge and went through an unfortunate freeze/thaw cycle, I had to throw out a few and use pears in their place.  I don't know how much of a difference they made; everything got mixed in together so I never identified a definite bite of apple or pear either way.

Ingredients

* For topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

* For fruit layer:

8 to 9 apples

2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen) [I used fresh]

1-1/4 cups sugar

7 Tablespoons flour

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg (optional)

7 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13" baking pan (I used glass).

(2) Mix dry topping ingredients together until well combined.  Add cold butter; mix with fingers or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal.  Put in refrigerator while preparing fruit layer.

(3) Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4" slices.

(4) In large bowl, mix apples, cranberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Add butter; toss to combine.  Transfer mixture to baking dish.

(5) Crumble topping over fruit.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until apples are desired tenderness.  Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent browning.

(6) Cool slightly and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mix dry ingredients

* Make apple mixture

* Crumble topping

* Expect to have whipped cream squirted into your mouths during the entire process

Compound Butters

Original Recipe HERE

 

Why didn't this ever cross my mind? Only the simplest thing ever. I love butter on everything (including things it has no business coming in contact with), so I'll be doing some experimenting. To serve with my mom's incomparable dinner rolls at Thanksgiving, I made the honey and herbed versions.  The honey was fabulous, but the herbed didn't have as much flavor as I'd have liked.  Next time I'll experiment with amounts and different spices.  The vanilla-cinnamon looked intriguing and will be made for breakfast purposes - probably under the guise of "needing to try a new muffin recipe."  However, vanilla extract will be used instead of the bean.

 

I didn't care about presentation, so I didn't make them into the rolled logs.  I think in the end it made serving easier since we could just pass the bowl around and scoop out what we wanted instead of having to find a serving dish that would fit an oddly-shaped, unsteady roll of butter.

 

Ingredients

* For honey butter:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon honey [or to taste]

* For herbed butter:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Directions

(1) Put butter in small mixing bowl.  Allow to soften to room temperature.
(2) When butter is spreadable, add salt and mix-ins.  Use rubber spatula to repeatedly fold mixture together until thoroughly combined.

(3) Transfer butter to dish to be used for serving.  Cover with plastic wrap or lid; refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.

 

Kid Participation: None.  This recipe was done so quickly, they didn't have a chance to help

Wheat Berry Salad

Original Recipe HERE

 

The only time I've ever seen - and thereafter consumed - wheat berries was at the Whole Foods fill-your-container bar thing.  There was a salad that looked good, so I got some.  I liked it, and then I forgot about wheat berries.  Until the next time I was at Whole Foods fill-your-container bar thing.  Repeat, repeat (probably literally...I go to Whole Foods maybe twice a year).  When I came across this recipe in my bookmarks, I thought it might be a good accompaniment to our Christmas dinner since all the other dishes were hot.

 

The kids ate it but didn't ask for more.  Upon pressing him to rate the holiday menu items, Husband hesitated on this one, which is the indicator that he wasn't a big fan.  However, my mom and I thought it was great.  I really like the texture of wheat berries: you actually feel like you're chewing something instead of the mush of similar grain-based dishes like quinoa and bulgur (and couscous, which has flour, which is made from a grain, so I'll include it here).

 

I didn't have all the ingredients, so I substituted with what was in my kitchen.

 

Ingredients

2 cups wheat berries

6 cups water

2 Tablespoons honey

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice [I used lemon]

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons peanut or sesame oil [I used sesame]

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins or dried currants or craisins [I used currants]

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen peaches or mangoes, defrosted & chopped small [I used frozen mangoes]

1 small red bell pepper, chopped small

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped [I did not include]

 

Directions

(1) Put wheat berries in medium saucepan.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer, uncovered, for 60 to 90 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.  Add more water if needed.

(2) Pour wheat berries into a strainer.  Rinse, drain, and cool.

(3) Whisk honey, garlic, lemon/lime juice, rice vinegar, oil, and salt in a large bowl.

(4) Add wheat berries, raisins/currants/craisins, peanuts, peaches/mangoes, bell pepper, and spinach to the bowl with the dressing.  Stir to coat thoroughly.  Serve chilled or room temperature.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham

Original Recipe HERE

 

Ham is a ham is a ham.  Unless it's horribly dried out, it's pretty hard to ruin a pre-cooked, spiral-cut ham.  Still, this turned out really well and might just be my standard holiday ham recipe from now on.  Using the crockpot is key because that leaves the oven available for all the side dishes.

 

The smallest ham I could find was 8.5 pounds.  I did my best to jam it into the crockpot, but it was ever so slightly too big.  I hacked away at it to make it fit.

 

Ingredients

5-7 pound bone-in, pre-cooked/smoked, spiral-cut ham
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground thyme

Directions

(1) Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap ham and discard flavor packet. Put ham into slow cooker.  Slice if necessary to fit.

(2) In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, butter, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and thyme. Pour mixture evenly over ham.

(3) Cover.  Cook on low for 6 hours, or until heated through.  Quickly baste 2 or 3 times during second half of cooking time.

 

Kid Participation: Eat lots of it.  And feed bits of it to the cats.

 

Pineapple Stuffing

Original Recipe: from a message board

I made this for Christmas dinner because I thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the main dish (spiral ham).  It was SO good - my favorite part of the whole meal.  Too bad everyone else liked it just as much because we had to ration our portions so that everyone got enough.  We each might have consumed the whole thing if left to our own devices.  I'm making it again for Easter and will double the recipe.

Update: I made this two more times.  Adjusted/doubled amounts appear below.  It fills a 9x13" baking dish, but leftovers are still sparse.

Ingredients

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
1 cup white sugar
3/4 to 1 cup butter, softened
6 eggs
10 slices white bread, cubed into 1" pieces and dried overnight [I just used an entire loaf]

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer.

(3) Add eggs, one at a time.  Mix after each addition.

(4) Drain pineapple.  Stir into egg mixture.

(5) Gently fold in bread.

(6) Scoop into dish.  Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.  Stir stuffing several times during cooking to prevent top from burning.

Kid Participation: Not much to do besides stirring.