Cheesy Ham 'Gratin' Bake

With over 3lb of our Honey Baked Ham left (even with the best efforts of my family) I decided to take half home to our house after cooking Thanksgiving for everyone at my Mother in law's house...normally I'd leave all the leftovers, however this year there was so much meat (smoked turkey and ham) that I decided to purloin half a turkey breast and the ham, and today I've been thinking up recipes....tonight a ham, cheese and potato bake...it looks delicious going into the oven, so as I type my fingers are crossed for something yummy and totally satisfying....enjoy!

update.....delicious!

For 2 people
2 gratin dishes

• 1 cup cooked ham, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup grated aged swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup mixed grated Italian cheese
• 1/2 medium onion sliced
• 1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced ( I used side of grater)
• 4 sprigs of Thyme
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Approx 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1. In a frying pan add the potatoes, thyme, onion and garlic - cover with water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. You are looking for the potatoes to be just cooked. Drain
2. Wash the frying pan as the potatoes drain and add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted on a low-medium heat gently fry off the potato mixture (remove the thyme springs now)
3. In a saucepan melt the other tablespoon of butter, then add the flour, cooking for about 2 minutes on a low/medium heat. Add 1/2 a cup of milk and keep stirring, once thickened add another 1/2 cup, contunue until you have a thick sauce. Add the swiss and romano cheeses, the mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl combine the cheese sauce, the ham and the potato mixture.
5. Add to two gratin dishes
6. Sprinkle with the Italian cheese mix
7. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cook at 400 F for 20 minutes until bubbling and brown.

Smokey Cauliflower & Bacon Soup

It's winter (78F outside today) and I'm in soup mode. We're trying to eat lighter and we love soup & salad combos, or today, soup and sandwich. I like to make my own soups, normally vegetable based, and always looking to tweek my existing recipes. Here I've edited my normal cauliflower recipe to give it a bit of a kick..Hubbie loved it....Enjoy!

Enough for 4 large bowls


Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 large potato peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
• 6 rashers of smokey bacon
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 green (spring) onions finely chopped
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup (4oz) shredded Italian mixed cheese
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablspoons butter
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions and garlic over a medium heat in a large saucepan in the butter.
2. When translucent push the onions and garlic to one side of the pan and add 2 rashers of the bacon that have been diced.
3. Once the bacon has cooked add the cauliflower, potato, cumin and paprika.
4. Saute for 2 mins.
5. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low-medium heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and hand blend or liquidize until required smoothness
7. Add the milk and cheese, heat through to melt the cheese, then taste and season with salt and pepper. I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper ( I didn't have any white pepper here, but it would probably work better).
8. Fry off the rest of the bacon, drain and serve on top of the soup

Clare's Super Beef Stew

My friend and her daughter arrive in Florida this week and I'm trying to get food cooked so that I can enjoy being with them rather than spend all the time in the kitchen. This Sunday we will be having this delicious beef stew which is a hybrid of my mothers recipe, homemade yorkshire puddings and veggies...yummy. PS..I'll add some pics on Sunday ;-)

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10mins prep, 2 1/2  hrs cooking

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs lean stewing beef
• 1 large yellow onion medium diced
• 3 sticks of celery sliced at a diagonal in 2 " pieces
• 3 large carrots sliced at a diagonal in 2 " pieces
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• 3 medium potatoes peeled and sliced in 1/4 thickness ( you can add more if you are not going to serve potatoes with your meal)
• 1/4 cup thyme leaves
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef stock, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

You will need a casserole dish that you can fry in then transfer to the oven, or a frying pan with a casserole dish. I use a Le Crueset casserole

1. Set oven at 300 F ( 150 C)
2. Cut meat into 2" pieces
3. Season well with salt and pepper
4. Coat the meat with the flour and shake off excess
5. Heat one tablespoon of oil at a medium hot heat.
6. Brown the meat on both sides, you are looking for a nice crust, don't cook through and don't crown pan as the meat wont brown. Once all meat done remove from casserole and turn heat down to medium.
7. Add rest of oil, heat and then add onion, celery, carrot, thyme. As you stir remember to scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan
8. When the onions have started to soften add the meat back to the casserole, then add the wine, stock, mustard and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, stir well and then cover with lid or foil and put in oven.
9. Cook for 2 hrs and then shut off oven and leave to cool down if you are going to eat another day. If not you can thicken if required with some corn starch (flour) and a little water - it depends how thick you want your stew.

We're having with Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes and Vegetables and all I have to do is take the stew out if the freezer now and heat up! Hurrah!

Enjoy!

Lonely Can of Tuna Fishcakes!

Ever thought about what to do with that lonely can of tuna at the back of the cupboard? That was my dilema as I looked around for something to eat last night. I had 1 can of tuna (the only protein in the house) and a shelf full of pasta...hmmm...something with the Tuna I think...these turned out light and tasty, and tasted yummy with some sweet chilli sauce and a green salad....enjoy!

Serves 2-3 people
Preparation Time 15 mins
Cooking Time 30 mins


Ingredients

• 1 185g can of tuna in brine, drained
• 1 large potato, boiled and mashed
• ½ stick lemon grass, bashed and finely chopped ( I had some in the fridge, leave out if you dont)
• 1 inch piece of ginger finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 shallot or equivalent onion finely chopped ( I think you could substitute green onion too)
• ½ green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• Black pepper & Salt
• Vegetable Oil for frying
• Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

1. Combine tuna, potato, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shallot, chilli, fish sauce, zest, coriander, egg and flour.
2. Season with salt & pepper
3. Heat 2” of oil in a frying pan or wok until hot.
4. Create ¼” thick, 2” diameter fish cakes and add to oil in batches. Don’t over fill oil as temperature will go down. Fry until golden brown then drain on kitchen paper.
5. Continue until all cakes cooked ( you should get 8 – 10 small cakes )
6. Serve with some Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce, or maybe some lime mayonnaise