Creamy Cheesy Ham Chowder

This creamy and cheesy chowder is great for giving leftover ham new life on the dinner table. It also makes use of leftover vegetables . . . don't be confined to the vegetables listed on the recipe, use what you have on hand!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 20 min.
MAKES 10 servings


Ingredients

• 10 bacon strips, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2-1/2 cups cubed potatoes
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• Pepper to taste
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. In the drippings, saute onion and carrots until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Add the potatoes, corn, bouillon and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese and ham; heat until cheese is melted. Stir in bacon. 

Originally published as Cheesy Ham Chowder in 

Quick Cooking September/October 2000, p7

Seafood Pasta Chowder

© 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

This is one of those recipes that calls for spoiling yourself and making this a special meal.  Of course you can also serve it for a casual lunch.  But it can be made very special.  

First of all, there is something about having this chowder out of a bread bowl that makes you feel spoiled.  I also like to garnish the top with larger shrimp.

However you choose to serve it,  the chowder aims to please!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked miniature pasta bow-ties or shells 
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups fish stock (clam juice can be used if it is your preference) 
• 2 cups half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dill 
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, amount depends on your heat preference 
• 1 cup canned fresh crab meat 
• 8 ounces shrimp (whatever size you prefer . . . we prefer bigger shrimp and sometimes use more than 8 ounces depending on our budget) 
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions, green tops included 

Preparation:

Cook pasta in salted water in a large pot. Drain and rinse.

While pasta is cooking . . . 

Saute mushrooms on low heat in 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Salt and cook about 3 minutes, until they have cooked down a bit.

Saute an additional minute after adding garlic, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Stir in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. 

Add flour into the mixture, stirring constantly and cook for 2 minutes. 

Continue stirring and add the fish stock, then the milk. Heat until thickened.

Add paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne, stir in crab and shrimp.  

Cook only until heated through! 

Add drained pasta and green onions. 

Taste and season accordingly, if necessary.

Awesome when served in a bread bowl, but make sure to enjoy with some hot crusty bread.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Photo credit © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, recipe adapted from About.com

Southern Banana Pudding

Lost in my recipe notebook that got thrown away by mistake years ago was the most delicious banana pudding I have ever had.  It was a cooked pudding and I think it had sweetened condensed milk in it.  The original recipe came from a magazine advertisement.  I know it is somewhere in my recipe files as a duplicate, but to this day I have not found it.  So . . . I have been searching for a cooked banana pudding that sounds familiar.  The only puddings that have sweetened condensed milk also include instant pudding, which I know is not it.

When I found this recipe on the Food Network website, it made me very happy even though I know for sure it is not the recipe.  Mine did not have meringue (I really hate that stuff).  So I will give it a try, adapting the topping to one of a whipped cream nature.

Both the Captain and I love banana pudding and have not been happy with any of the recipes we have found so far.  Hopefully . . . this one is a keeper. 

If you are interested in making homemade vanilla wafers to make your banana pudding extra special, click here for the recipe.

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 ripe medium bananas (about 1 pound), thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 1/2 cups)
50 vanilla wafers, such as Nilla Wafers (about half a box)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar



Directions

Heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until steaming.

Whisk 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup milk.

Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until smooth, and then gradually whisk the egg-milk mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until it has thickened to a puddinglike consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.

Layer a third of the pudding, half the banana slices and half the vanilla wafers in a 9-inch square baking dish. Layer with half the remaining pudding, all the remaining banana slices and all the remaining wafers. Top with the last of the pudding. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the pudding surface, and refrigerate overnight to soften the cookies.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bring the egg whites to room temperature. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high, and slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a tablespoon at a time, whipping for 15 seconds after each addition, until glossy firm peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pudding with an offset spatula so it reaches the edges of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.


Copyright 2014 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/southern-banana-pudding.html?oc=linkback

Gina's Mojo Pork

Gina’s Mojo Pork

This is the best roast pork ever!  It is a family recipe, cuban in origin, and usually includes black beans and garlicy white rice on the side with some of the juice of the pork poured over the beans.  

Ingredients:

Mojo Criollo (Found in your local Hispanic aisle I use Goya brand)

  or make your own Mojo Criollo

6 medium Onions

10-12 garlic cloves

1 cup sour orange juice (you may substitute 1 cup orange juice and 1/8 cup lemon juice)

5 lb Pork butt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

           

Place pork in Dutch Oven fat side up.  Score the fat and stud with ½ of the garlic. (I like to stab holes in the pork and stuff with garlic to further distribute the garlic flavor within the pork).

           

Cut onions into quarters and place in pot with the remaining garlic

Pour the Mojo Criollo into the Dutch Oven and add 1 cup of sour orange juice.

Cook for about 6 hours or until fork tender.