Archive for the ‘PORK’ Category
Ham & Rice Casserole
Sounds a like a great use for leftover ham or even store bought ham scraps. On my to make and taste list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup, Shortcut
- 2 2/3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups dry Jasmine rice, rinsed
- 4 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 4 cups ham, leftovers, chopped
- 1-2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F), get out a 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the soup, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When mixed, add the rice, broccoli, and ham.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil. The foil is going to steam this dish and cooks the rice.
- Bake for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and remove the foil, it will look watery, that is ok. Taste test some rice, if still crunchy, cover with the foil and bake another 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and tender.
- Stir the casserole, sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and return to the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving if using leftover ham, and low to fair cost per serving if using purchased ham scraps.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, Italian Seasoning.
Variants: 1. Replace the ham with cooked chicken or turkey. 2. Instead of broccoli, use cauliflower and or sliced carrots. 3. Add sliced mushrooms.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Ham, Peas, & Creamy Noodles
This is simply delicious, easy, and a perfect use for leftover ham or in my case, purchased ham scraps. This is a one pot dish as well, no precooking the egg noodles. I made this on 15 Sep 2019 for the family, served 5 people, nearly everyone had seconds and it was well liked! I doubled this and I will say this doubles very easily. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 250 grams dry egg noodles, (8 oz)
- 2 cups chicken broth, Shortcut
- 1 cup half and half, or whipping cream
- 500 grams cooked ham, diced, (1 lb)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper, as desired
Optional, may or may not be needed
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- For the ham, I used 1 kilo (2 lbs) of smoked spiral cut ham scraps that was sold as a package from a ham producer (2 lbs for $5, and I was doubling the recipe so this worked out well. These are excellent quality and the flavor is perfect. On the left is the ham pieces from the package and in the bowl is diced and excess fat went to my parents dog, Buster.
- Ham diced and ready to be used.
- Melt the butter in a pot on medium high heat, when hot, add the onion and saute until lightly browned.
- To the pot, add the egg noodles, broth, and half and half or cream. Stir, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the ham. Cover and simmer until the egg noodles are tender.
- Stir in the ham, cover, and let simmer until the noodles are tender.
- Once the noodles are tender, if the sauce has not thickened, mix together the cornstarch and cold water, pour that into the pan and stir to thicken.
- Season with salt and pepper, add the peas and lemon juice. I used the variant and used a mix of peas and carrots.
- Stir in the peas, cover, and remove from heat for about 10 minutes to warm the vegetables through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving using leftover ham, and probably Fair cost per serving if using deli ham.
Shortcut: Chicken Broth (Pressure Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use frozen peas and carrots in place of just peas.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Ham & Cheese Pot Pie
This is an excellent and filling pot pie and is easy to make.
Equipment
- Oven
- Pie Dish
Ingredients
- 2 unbaked pie crusts, homemade or store bought
- 2 cups ham, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter, for sauteing ham
- salt and pepper, as desired
- 1½ cups frozen peas and carrots
- 1½ cups fresh potato, diced, cooked fork tender
- ¼ cup butter, for the sauce, (¼ block / ½ stick)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for the top crust
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200° C (400° F). Line a pie dish with one of the crusts, bake for 5-10 minutes or until the crust is just starting to brown. The reason for this is to prevent the pie from having a soggy bottom crust.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non stick pan on medium high heat, when hot, add the onion and ham, season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook until the ham is starting to brown and the onion is soft. Remove the ham and onion to a mixing bowl.
- While the ham is sautéing, measure out the peas and carrots and add to the mixing bowl. Scrub and dice the potatoes to measure 1½ cups, then boil until just tender, about 6 minutes or so, drain, and add the mixing bowl.
- Same pan used for the ham, add the ¼ cup of butter and melt that on medium heat. When melted, sprinkle in the flour and mix, stirring constantly until it just starts to brown, then pour in the milk and cheese. Stir until the sauce is thickened and smooth, and the cheese is melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired, to taste.
- Add the cheese sauce to the mixing bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and spread out evenly.
- Top with the second crust, flute as desired. Melt the final two tablespoons of butter and brush the top crust. Cut several slits across the top.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes, this also sets up the sauce a little.
- Cut and serve.
- Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Replace the fresh potato with one can of diced potatoes, drained (15 oz / 425 g). 2. Replace the ham with 1 can of Spam (12 oz / 340 g), diced.
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
This sounds like an excellent Salisbury steak recipe. On my to make and taste list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 750 grams ground beef, or ground pork, (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 cup bread crumbs, Shortcut
- 1 tablespoon grill seasoning, your choice, such as Montreal steak
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/2 package baby portobello mushrooms, sliced, (8 oz package)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cans beef broth, (14 oz cans)
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on medium heat, when hot, add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes or so. Remove 1/2 the onion to a large mixing bowl and the other 1/2 to another bowl and set those aside for the gravy. Set the pan aside.
- To the large mixing bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, grill seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Mix everything together well and shape into 5 patties.
- Same pan used for the onion, heat the other tablespoon of oil, when hot, add the patties and brown them, cook about 4-5 minutes on each side. You are not trying to cook the patties through, just browning them. Remove the patties to a plate.
- Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and return to heat, add the mushrooms, saute the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they start to wilt and soften up, then return the onion to the pan, then sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
- Return the patties to the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the gravy has thickened and the patties are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles, spooning the gravy over the potatoes or egg noodles. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Bread Crumbs.
Adapted from a recipe from my Mom, Joann Thayer. United States.
Lo Mein
This is a Chinese dish and this recipe comes from a Chinese friend so this is the authentic way to prepare this. Lo mein can be made with pork, chicken, beef, or just veggies for a vegetarian version. I will state pork in this recipe. If you do not have lo mein noodles, ramen noodles work just as well. Two ways to prepare this, one way is the veggies and meat is served over the noodles, the other way is the noodles are mixed into the veggies and meat before serving.
Ingredients
- 200 grams lo mein noodles, (7 oz)
- 50 grams pork, sliced, (2 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 5-7 slices fresh ginger
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cucumber, cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the pork with the corn starch and salt, set aside for 10 minutes. While the pork is marinating, get the rest of the items prepped.
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan, when hot, add the garlic, spring onion, and ginger. Stir fry for a few minutes until fragrant, then add the pork and bell pepper.
- Stir fry until the pork changes color and is no longer pink, then stir in both soy sauces, stir fry for 30 seconds, remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Cover and set aside.
- Heat a pot of water to a boil, add the lo mein noodles and boil for 4-5 minutes or until tender, drain. Divide the noodles between 3 serving bowls.
- Divide the strips of cucumbers between the bowls, placing the cucumber on top of the noodles.
- Divide the stir fried pork between the bowls and spoon that over the cucumber strips. Serve and enjoy.
- Alternately, add the cooked noodles to the stir fried veggies and meat, toss to coat with the seasonings.
- Serve as a main dish or as a side.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. This can be prepared as written, meaning the veggies and meat is stir fried and served over the noodles, or you can add the noodles to the pan and stir fry those with the veggies and meat.
Mom's Oven BBQ Ribs
This recipe comes from my Mom, who has been making this since 1959 (60 years) when she first made this in a high school home economics class. This is the ribs recipe, the sauce stated here uses Mom's BBQ Sauce with a link in the Recipe Notes section. And you can also use any BBQ sauce of your choice. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 kilos pork ribs, (4 lbs)
- 1 batch Mom's BBQ Sauce, or BBQ sauce of your choice, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 C (325 F), get out a large baking dish.
- Rinse the ribs and place in the baking dish, cutting the racks as needed to fit in the dish. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove lid and pour on 1/3 of the BBQ sauce and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Repeat two more times to use all the sauce until the ribs are nicely browned and tender.
Notes
I will price this when I get ribs at Tesco again.
Shortcut: Mom's BBQ Sauce.
Provided by my Mom, Joanne Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Apricot Pork Chops
This recipe comes from my Mom's large recipe collection, and I will say this recipe is probably over 20 years old. This sounds like excellent pork chops, on my to make and taste list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6 pork chops, bone in preferred
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, Shortcut
- 1 bottle Russian salad dressing, 10 oz jar
- 1 cup apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and place the pork chops in a large baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry onion soup mix, Russian dressing, and jam, and mix together.
- Pour mixture over the chops and bake for 1 hour.
- Serve with sides of your choice and enjoy.
Notes
Sausage Sandwich
Now a true British Sausage Sandwich would be Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages on a floured bap with ketchup or brown sauce. However, this being Thailand, floured baps are quite scarce in a province where there is very few westerners, but I do make some excellent Cumberland sausage so that part is possible for me. But, I am going to make these with a bit of a twist. Here is 3 versions for you to enjoy.
Ingredients
1st Version (Asian)
- 4 links Arabiki sausage, in Thailand, these are 4 links to a pack
- 2 slices wheat bread, toasted
- ketchup, or Kewpie mayo, as desired
2nd Version (American)
- 1 link Italian sausage
- ½ onion, sliced
- 1 hamburger bun, or white bread
- Cream cheese, softened
3rd Version (British)
- 3-4 thin links Cumberland sausage
- 1 hamburger bun
- ketchup, or HP brown sauce
Instructions
1st Version (Asian)
- Stab the sausages with a fork along the length, this prevents bursting. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- Toast the bread, add the sausage links to one slice, top with ketchup or Kewpie mayo as desired.
- Top with the second slice of toasted bread, cut in half, enjoy.
2nd Version (American)
- Butterfly the sausage. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- In another pan, saute the onion until softened and starting to brown.
- Spread cream cheese on the top and bottom of the bun or on one side of each slice of bread. Place the sausage on the bottom of the bun or a slice of bread, top with the onion, top with the other half of bun or slice bread, enjoy.
3rd Version (British)
- Stab the sausages with a fork along the length, this prevents bursting. Heat a non stick pan with a teaspoon of oil, when hot, add the sausage and cook until browned.
- Add the sausage links to the bottom bun, top with ketchup or HP sauce as desired.
- Top with the other half of the bun, enjoy.
Notes
If making the Cumberland or Italian sausage yourself, this is a Low cost sandwich, if buying the sausage, this could be Fair to High priced per sandwich. I will mark this one as Fair priced for now.
Pork Rib Curry III
This is a spicy Thai dish and different regions prepare this different ways with varying ingredients, including this version. For those in the US, Canada, and Europe, you may find it rather difficult to locate one ingredient used in this version, sataw or commonly known as "stinky bean". The typical Thai measurement is handful.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo pork ribs
- 3-4 tablespoons red chili paste, heaping
- 3-4 tablespoons shrimp paste, heaping
- 1 bunch sataw, seeds removed and split in half
- 1 large handful giant Thai basil leaves
- 1 large handful fresh black peppercorns
- 1 large handful Chinese eggplant, quartered
- 1 large handful young kaffir lime leaves, torn
For Serving
- small cucumbers, ends trimmed
- Chinese eggplant, ends trimmed
- sataw, pods simply trimmed and cut in half
- cooked rice
Instructions
- Rinse the ribs then cut between each bone and add to a pot. Add water to cover by about 2-3 inches. Set on high heat and bring to a boil.
- While waiting on the ribs to come to a boil, prep the remaining ingredients.
- Then prep the For Serving items.
- Once the ribs are at a boil, add the red chili paste, continue to boil until the ribs are nice and tender.
- When the ribs are tender, add the shrimp paste and stir that in, then add the peppercorns, giant basil, eggplant, and sataw seeds and mix those in, still on a boil, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the lime leaves, keep in mind, these are young, these are meant to be eaten, unlike the older ones that have tough parts to them. Young leaves are bright green and quite tender as well.
- Stir in the lime leaves, cook for another 2-3 minutes, then turn off heat, and cover until ready to serve.
- Serve with cooked rice and the vegetables on the side you prepped as well. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Made by my wife, Rrayada Thayer and niece Fone.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Joe's Special
Now this is a copy of a recipe of from a famous Italian-American diner, New Joe's, in San Francisco from the 1920's or so.
Ingredients
- 250 grams fresh baby spinach, rinsed, (8 oz)
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 250 grams ground beef, (8 oz)
- 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish if desired
- salt black pepper, as desired
- buttered toast, as desired for a side
Instructions
- Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling salted water for 30 seconds or until wilted, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out any water, coarsely chop and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the onion and saute until the onion golden. Then add the garlic and saute for another minute to get the garlic nice and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, stirring often, and cook until just browned.
- Add the spinach, eggs, and cheese, stir and cook until the eggs are fully cooked.
- Spoon onto 4 serving plates, add buttered toast as a side, serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Use ground chicken in place of beef. 2. Use ground pork in place of beef, but drain nearly all the fat after browning. 3. Add sliced mushrooms when you saute the onion.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
