Easy Weeknight Ham and Pea Salad

 Are you stumped and looking for something easy but nutritious to feed your family on a weeknight?  Tired of the same old boring things?  Need something super-speedy? This could be your answer!

I love this salad. It is very versatile and can be adapted to what you have on hand in a flash.

We prefer red onion, but as you can see from the photograph, I only had some sweet yellow onion to use this time. No big deal. You could substitute scallions / fresh green onion.  Or leave it out entirely.

Don't like tomatoes?  No problem, leave them out.  Maybe substitute some sweet corn, or bell pepper.  Toss in some fresh mushrooms if you have them.

Lettuce. Always a hot topic.  I have gotten to where I never buy iceberg lettuce anymore. It has no nutritional value whatsoever. I prefer Bib lettuce,  but it is so costly and not readily available in my rural supermarket.  So, I opt for green leafy lettuce or romaine. Both are flavorful and delicious.

Now let's talk peas - English peas.  You either love peas or you hate them.  We like peas.  Fresh peas. Frozen peas. Canned peas.  Split peas.  We are a pea-eatin' family.  This salad uses frozen peas.  You have fresh?  Lucky you!  Use them.  Only have canned?  Pop in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill them down before using in the salad.

Dressing.  I have tried a multitude of dressings on this salad.  Primary we use good ole Miracle Whip salad dressing.  But it is equally delicious with Buttermilk Ranch or Bleu Cheese or even Creamy Vidalia.  Lighten it up by omitting the Miracle Whip and use oil and vinegar (EVOO, of course) or experiment with the dressing of your choice.

The ham.  I had frozen a big slice of hickory smoked ham.  I thawed it, and cut it into bite sized chunks about a half inch, more or less.  Have some of that presliced ham?  Use that.  Or julienne (super thin slice) some ham luncheon meat in a pinch.  Any ole kind of ham is good.  A country ham is fabulous.  Use what you have on hand.

So give it a shot.  You will love the ease of preparation and the versatility of this simple fare.  Serve it up with some toasted french bread or split hoagie rolls. And if you have a big crowd comin' or unexpected company, this recipe can be sized up to feed any group!  Lip smackin' good.

EASY WEEKNIGHT HAM & PEA SALAD

1-1/2 to 2 cups (+/-) diced ham (bite size pieces)
1 head of green leafy lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 red onion, sliced round then cut in half, separate
1 tomato (+/-)  diced
1/2 bag of frozen english peas, thawed under cold running water & drained
1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing (or dressing of your choice)
Optional ingredients:  Bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, fresh sweet corn

Combine all salad ingredients in large salad bowl.  Toss lightly.  Add dressing and toss well to coat.

Serve immediately.

Start to finish -- about 10-15 minutes, depending on how long it takes you to cut up a tomato & the lettuce.

Enjoy!

~~Aunt Betty

TILAPIA VERACRUZ

Tilapia Veracruz

I was inspired by a recipe in my Cooking Club of America magazine, and made this winner of a dish with a spicy flair, reminiscent of the food in Veracruz, Mexico. Start to finish is less than 30 minutes. Even the hubs gave it two thumbs up. I served it with some wild & long grain rice and a mixed stir-fry medly of vegetables.  And it has been so hot here in north Texas I want in/out of the kitchen as quickly as possible.  

2 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz) or any other fish such as halibut, cod, haddock (crappie or catfish would be good too)

Tilapia Veracruz - Aunt Betty's Kitchen, Sept 2013

1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided use
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, drained (hot or mild); or plain diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbs diced green salad olives
2 Tbs olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined & minced (omit if using hot rotel)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or a heaping tsp of the pre-minced stuff
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat an 8" square baking dish or pan with cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle fish with the the salt and 1/2 of the black pepper. Set aside.

Combine tomatoes, sugar, olives, olive oil, jalapeno, garlic and cumin in a small bowl. Add remaining black pepper and a teeny pinch of salt, if desired (I though it was already salty enough w/ olives). Pour half into the bottom of prepared pan. Add fish fillets. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the fish.

Bake in preheated oven 12-14 minutes or until fish just begins to flake. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro for serving and a wedge or two of fresh lime or lemon.

NOTES: *You could also substitute 1-1/2 C fresh halved grape/cherry tomatoes for canned tomatoes or just add some. I added the sugar to help combat the high acidity of the tomatoes.

PEPPER STEAK, TEXAS STYLE

*FAST* *EASY* *SATISFYING* *SPICY* *DELICIOUS*|

Photo courtesy of Campbell's

We had steak on the grille over the weekend and the sirloin I had was so big, I cut and saved part of it for 'something else." This was the something else. It is delicious, has that Texas "zing" to it with the addition of the Rotel and to us, it was absolutely perfect and delicious. 

start to finish: about 30 minutes
Yield: 4 generous servings




1 pound sirloin steak, cut across the grain into small strips
black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp of pre-minced)
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 med-large bell pepper, sliced thin
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles (hot or mild--your choice)
1 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs cornstarch
1-1/2 cups beef stock (1 can)
3 Tbs cooking oil, divided use (I used EVOO &  Sesame oil)
1-1/2 cups regular rice
3 cups chicken stock/broth (2 cans) or water

*If you want to serve a salad with this dish, prepare it first*

Cut & prepare prepare onion and bell pepper. Set aside.

Combine raw rice and chicken stock or water in a micro-safe bowl and cook on high, covered, 20 minutes. (If you use Minute Rice, start it 5 minutes before stir fry is ready). While rice is cooking:

Combine beef stock, soy sauce and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine well. Set aside.

Cut sirloin into about 1/4" strips (across the grain) and sprinkle with black pepper.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high with 2 Tbs. oil. When hot (almost smokin') carefully put in your sirloin and brown. This should not take more than about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove meat and keep warm.

Add 1 Tbs oil to the skillet/wok. ((This is where I added my sesame oil and a few shakes of some of Angostura Teriyaki Sauce I had hanging around in the pantry. You can skip this part if you don't have any)). Add prepared bell pepper, onion, garlic and soy sauce. Stir around for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes until veg starts to soften. Add Rotel and your beef stock mix. Stir to combine and get it boiling. Lower heat to simmer. Mixture will begin to thicken. Stir if it needs it.

Ding! Rice should be ready. Set the table right quick.

Add your cooked sirloin to the hot mixture. Stir around. Let it heat for 1-2 minutes. Ready to serve over hot, cooked rice.

I served with a side salad and some of my delicious toasted English Muffin Bread (recipe posted elsewhere on this page). A wonderful meal.

Adapted from a recipe Easy Pepper Steak by Campbell's
(C) ~~Aunt Betty's Kitchen, August 20, 2013

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Weeknight Gogonzola Burgers on Fresh Onion Rolls

WEEKNIGHT GORGONZOLA BURGERS on FRESH ONION ROLLS
~~Aunt Betty's Kitchen, August 2013

              ***BIG, BOLD & BELLY-LICIOUS! ***




For whatever reason, I'm on a big hamburger kick. So this week, I put my George Foreman to work (too hot to fire up the grill outside) and made delicious burgers and fries for tonight's dinner. I did fix Emeril's Oven Roasted French Fries that I posted earlier and they were delicious.





For the Patties:
1 pound ground chuck
salt & pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
Gorgonzola Crumbles


Fixins:
1 purple onion, SLICED
2 roma tomatoes, sliced longways
green leaf lettuce
mustard
Miracle Whip or if you must, Mayonnaise
Sliced dill pickles
Crispy bacon slices, optional*

**ABSOLUTELY NO KETCHUP.... PUH-LEEZ**

Prepare your hamburger by seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little onion powder. Grab a fistful of meat and prepare a hole in the middle. Insert about 1 Tbs +/- Gorgonzola crumbles in the middle and finish hand shaping into patties the size you prefer. Be sure and keep the cheese covered. We like a good hearty size, about 1/2" thick (about 1/4 pound each burger) (Hey, we live in Texas... it's a beef state!)

I prepared my patties earlier in the day and layered them in between wax paper to let the meat re-chill and firm back up. You can go ahead and drop them on the grill, in a skillet or on your George Foreman. Either way works. 

Cook until they no longer sizzle and are done inside. No raw hamburger!

I toasted the onion rolls on my cast iron griddle with a little butter. As soon as the patties come off the fire, immediately put another Tbs of Gorgonzola cheese on top of the hot meat. Dress up your burger your way and dive in!

YIELD: 4 hearty burgers or 6 regular size

Gorgonzola is similar to but different from Bleu Cheese. A wonderful flavor with a hamburger.

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