Swiss Mushroom Spinach Salad

I remember this from childhood.  It's a delicious high calorie salad.  Nice with a ham.

2 bunches Spinach - washed and de-stemmed
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb swiss cheese
1/3 cup cottage cheese
5 strips bacon - cooked and crumbled
1 red onion, diced (you can soak prior to take the edge off the raw onion)

Hard Boiled Egg (optional)

Dressing (can be made a day prior)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Red Cider vinegar
1 T Poppy Seed
1 T minced Red Onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 t. Dry Mustard

Blend all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender. Marinate mushrooms in dressing for 15 minutes. Combine all of the ingredients for the salad and toss with dressing just before serving to prevent wilting.

Cherry Coke Ham

I had this ham first at my friends, Dicy and Joey's home.  Apparently this is Elvis's favorite ham, which explains a lot about the later years...  I like making this ham to simultaneously honor Dicy, and find new and innovative ways to consume Cherry Coke.

5 lb pre-cooked ham (shank or butt, preferably bone in--or spiral cut ham)
4 cans Cherry Coke (NOT Diet)
1 onion, quartered
1 jar cherry jam (NOT jelly)
Cloves

Bring ham onion and coke to a boil on stove in large covered stockpot.  Transfer to oven and bake at 10 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.

Remove from oven and place 1/2 remaining liquid in medium size fry pan and reduce by half.  Add jam to fry pan and reduce to taste.  Score top of ham with diagonal crisscross incisions, and insert cloves into cross crosses.  Spoon half of glaze onto the ham.

Return to the oven for 20 minutes uncovered.  Slice and serve with remaining glaze.

Zesty Hamburger Soup

I joined a freezer meal exchange group, so I've been researching and making some new recipes.  They've been hit or miss, but this was a hit!

Ingredients:

• 1# ground beef (I use 93% lean)
• 2 cups sliced celery
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups water
• 2 med red potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1.5 cups small shell pasta
• 4 cups tomato juice (V8 or similar)
• 2 cans (10 oz) diced tomatoes with chilis
• 2 T sugar

Directions:

• In dutch oven or large sauce pan, cook beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is cooked through and no longer pink.  Add garlic and cook 1 min longer.  Drain.  Stir in water, potatoes, corn and pasta.
• Bring to boil. Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 10-15 min or until pasta is tender.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Serve OR freeze to use later.  If freezing, cool soup and then transfer to freezer containers.  To use, thaw in refrigerator and then transfer to saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Serving suggestions:

• I added a little bit of ground pepper and some grated cheese on top and it was yummy.  Can also be served along side garlic bread or warm french bread. 

Baked Ziti

We had company over for dinner tonight, so there were a total of 14 of us.  I immediately thought of this recipe as it's great to make when having company for several reasons: 1) It's pasta, so everyone loves it, adults and kids alike, 2) It's super easy to double the recipe and 3)leftovers are relish, so if you make too much, no problem!

Ingredients:

• 1# dry ziti
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1# ground beef (I use 90% lean)
• 2 (26oz) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6oz sliced provolone
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream (I use light)
• 6oz mozzarella cheese
• 2T parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Cook pasta
• Brown meat and onion
• Add sauce to meat/onion and simmer for 15 min
• In 9x13 pan, layer 1/2 ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella, remaining sauce. Top with parmesan.
• Bake for 30 min at 350*

Lemon & Dill Macaroni Salad

I just made this up and it was delicious and fresh and summery.

1 box macaroni salad noodles (cooked al dente)
2 lemons (zested)
1 lb fresh or frozen peas (raw)
1 lb sugar snap peas (chopped on the bias)
1 bunch of scallions (finely chopped)
1 bunch of fresh dill (chopped)
1/2 a bunch of mint (julienned)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)
Olive Oil
White Wine Vinegar

Toss the al dente noodles immediately with some olive oil salt & pepper and white wine vinegar.  Add the peas, herbs, lemon juice and zest, and season to taste.  Noodles absorb the flavors the longer you let it sit.

Salty Milk Chocolate Cookies

This is from my friend, Abby (Instagram @brentwood.made).  I changed it very slightly.

1/2 lb unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup Heath toffee pieces
2 XL Symphony bars (chopped)
Flaked sea salt (Maldon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, add vanilla and eggs and mix.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda.

With the mixer on low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, mix in toffee and chocolate until combined (do not over-mix!)  Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop 12 cookies onto a sheet pan and top with Maldon salt.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes, then bake for 15-18 minutes until edges are light brown.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ina has done it again.  This Risotto recipe is incredible.  I had it at a friend's house and was embarrassed by how much I ate.  Perfect for a fall day.

Total Time:  50 min
Prep:  10 min
Cook:  40 min
Yield:  4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.