White Beans with Prosciutto

For dinner it always seems like I work really hard on a main dish, but then my side dishes always end up being...how you say...LAME.  It usually ends up being a mess of veggies roasted on a cookie sheet, or on my most desperate nights, some medley from a can or frozen bag.  I let it pass on the merit that we actually have some sort of green on our plate at all, but sometimes it's nice to have a thought out side dish to really complete the meal.

I rarely serve beans as a side dish, which is a shame, because they're awesome.  They're creamy, filling and lend themselves to a ton of possibilities.  I loved these white beans with prosciutto.  They are packed with flavor, but aren't too overpowering to sit alongside the main course.  The fresh herbs and white wine make them taste very fresh and bright, with just a hint of smoky/salty from the prosciutto.  Enjoy!

White Beans with Prosciutto
From The New Way to Cook Light

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons fat-free chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes.  Add garlic and rosemary; saute 30 seconds.  Add wine; cook until liquid evaporates.  Add broth, pepper, and beans; cook 3 minutes or until beans are thoroughly heated.  Stir in parsley adn prosciutto.

Serves 4: 1 serving is 1/3 cup

Per Serving: 94 cal, 31g fat, 5.9g prot, 10g carb, 2.9g fiber

Chicken Provolone

I find weeknight meals to be a bit tricky sometimes.  After a long busy day, I rarely want to spend an hour plus in the kitchen.  However, I also don't want to always be turning to boxed pizzas or takeout whenever I've had a long day.  I just want a delicious, home cooked meal that I can whip up in twenty minutes or less, with little cleanup afterwards.  Is that asking too much?

The good news is, thanks to amazing bloggers such as yourselves, AND an endless variety of cookbooks and magazines, there are a ton of ideas out there.  This I found from an old Taste of Home magazine that I'd managed to hold on to.  Seasoned chicken breast, baked with basil, ham and provolone makes for a gooey and flavorful main dish.  Throw in some rice and a side of seasonal fruit and dinner is served in no time.  Now, back to homework, dishes, reading to the kids, cleaning the house, bathtime...

Chicken Provolone
Taste of Home, Healthy Cooking July 2008

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken halves 4 oz each
1/4 teaspoon pepper
cooking spray
8 fresh basil leaves
4 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham
4 slices Provolone cheese

Directions

1.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

2.  Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet: top with basil, prosciutto and cheese.  Broil 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Risotto with Pesto and Peas

 How can you not love risotto?  It's like giving your tummy a big warm hug.  The creamy, rich, goodness is enough to make anyone feel loved and well cared for.  Which is why I mourn the fact that NO ONE IN MY FAMILY likes it!

 Never mind them.  Usually I try to be accommodating, selecting only dishes that I know will be enjoyed by all (or at least by most).  However, as the designated cook of the family, every once and a while, I'm making what I want.  And if they really can't get behind it, well, that's why God invented PB&J.

I think this has been my favorite risotto so far.  I love just about anything that is blanketed in pesto.  Add cheese, wine, ham and peas, and you have heaven in a bowl.  And I'm happy to add that my family did eat this one, my Risotto Reluctant Husband even said he wouldn't mind if I made it again.

Risotto With Pesto and Peas
Food Network Magazine April 2012

Ingredients

3 leeks (white and green parts only) thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup diced ham
3/4 cup pesto
1 cup small fresh mozzarella balls or diced fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.  Make the broth:  Bring 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the leeks and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.  Adjust the heat to keep the broth at a gentle simmer.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, about 1 more minute.

3.  Add 2 cups of the hot leek broth to the rice; cook, stirring occasionally, until almost absorbed, about 6 minutes (adjust the heat to keep risotto at a simmer).  Add 1 more cup broth and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed, about 5 more minutes.  Add the leeks, peas, and 1 more cup broth and cook, stirring until almost absorbed, about 5 more minutes.  Taste the rice: if it is not fully cooked, add a little more broth and continue to cook, stirring, until al dente.

4.  Stir in ham and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Remove from the heat; stir in 2/3 cups pesto, the mozzarella and Parmesan.  Season with salt.  Divide among bowls, and top with the remaining pesto.

Pasta with Ham and Leeks

My mom, who as you know by now, is also a great cook. We love to share ideas and recipes with each other and will go as far as to call each other JUST to talk about some amazing thing we made for dinner last night.

But there is a big difference between my mom and I.  While it's very rare for me to make the same thing twice, even if I love it, my mom will repeat recipes over and over.  I love to tease her about it, but the advantage to repeating recipes several times is that you have those particular dishes down to a delicious art.  It's like going to a restaurant with a really small menu, you know that whatever they do serve is going to be phenomenal.

My mom made this pasta for us the last time we were home and I scarfed it down as if I hadn't eaten in days.  The flavors, the richness, I mean, THIS is a bowl of pasta.  Knowing how much my husband would love it, I made it for him shortly after going home.  Guess what, it wasn't as good.  I hadn't fine tuned it like my mom had.  It's inspired me to work on recipes a bit more when they don't work out as well as I'd like the first time.  Touche mom!

Pasta with Ham and Leeks 
Women's Day Magazine April 2012 

Cream Sauce
Ingredients


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cup whole milk
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup grated cheese
pinch of nutmeg

Directions

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat in a large skillet.  Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until tender, about 6-8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.

2.  Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the cream cheese, Parmesan and nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, 2-3 minutes.  When adding cream sauce to pasta, add reserved pasta water if sauce is too dry.

Pasta
Ingredients

1 lb Fettuccine, cooked according to directions, saving 1 cup pasta water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped into half moons
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
6 oz ham, chopped (I just used deli meat)

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet until hot.  Add leeks and saute until tender, about five minutes.  Add peas and ham and toss to combine.  Add pasta and cream sauce.  Add pasta water if sauce is too dry.  Serve immediately.

What recipe have you mastered?

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

You may notice a trend here at A Blog About Food. Most posts will be clean and healthy, since that it how we strive to eat in our home. And then every once and a while I post a not so healthy recipe like this when I hit a "healthy brick wall" and lose my freaking mind.

I've been asked a few times what I miss the most since eating healthier. While it seems natural to say things like "chocolate, cake or french fries," what I have missed more than all of those things is CHEESE. Cheddar, Mozzarella, Havarti, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Brie, to name only a few. I am a total cheese head and I LOVES my cheese.

So, during Christmas, whilst I was on my brief healthy eating hiatus (I refuse to use the word diet, it's a lifestyle, right?) I made these potatoes. We had a ton of ham leftover and this was the perfect thing.

The tangy and delicious flavor is actually inspired by my blog buddy Kim at Stirring the Pot. She talks often about her love for mustard, and has even featured an amazing Dragon Ale mustard cheese from Whole Foods, which I now purchase every Christmas. While I was making the potatoes I felt the sauce was a bit bland and definitely needed a kick. In goes the rest of that creamy Dragon Ale cheese, along with a couple tablespoons of yellow mustard and we were all in cheesy, hammy (it's a word), heaven. Thanks Kim, your love for mustard saved our meal!



Ham and Potatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light June 2005 (see, it's Cooking Light, not too bad, right?)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1 medium onion (about 5 1/2 ounces), thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2/3 cup)
6 ounces extra shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 1/2 cups), divided (or Dragon Ale mustard cheese if you have it)
1-2 tablespoons yellow or Dijon mustard, to taste
6 ounces diced ham (about 1 1/4 cups)
3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350�.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saut� 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Combine milk, salt, pepper, and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan. Bring to a simmer; cook until slightly thick (about 2 minutes), stirring frequently. Add 4 ounces cheese, mustard and ham, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in potatoes.

Place the potato mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle potato mixture with remaining 2 ounces of cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350� for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until lightly browned and potatoes are tender. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

What I'm Reading

Technically I'm not reading this, I read it a few months ago, but even if I'd read it a few years ago, I'd be completely remiss not to share it with as many people as possible. It's easily one of the best books I've ever read.

Usually after a read a book, I smile, close the book, and start thinking about my next one right away. This was one of those books that I closed and then sat on the couch for about fifteen minutes absorbing the amazingness that was this book. I then had to get online and find any extra info, photos or interviews that I could.

Whether you are a WWII buff or not, read this book. It follows the life of Louis Zamperini from childhood, into the war, and then his life after the war. It is gripping, intense, inspiring and so touching. His experience as a bombardier, fighting on the Pacific side are just incredible. I also loved learning more about what happened in Japan during the war, where most of my WWII books are centered around the Holocaust.

Read it, and then let me know so we can cyber-highfive about how great this book is.

Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas

I'm packing my bags.

Getting ready to go.

To see my sweet fam.

In Id-A-Ho!

I won't be around.

For a month or two.

But rest assured.

I'll be thinking of you!

So have a great summer.

Keep making great food.

Soak up that sunshine.

And I'll see you soon!

These quesadillas are made with a pork cooked in the crockpot. They are so easy and quick to make, and the pork is AMAZING. A great weeknight family pleaser for sure.

Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas
By Skinnytaste (LOVE HER!)

Ingredients

1 oz slow cooked Pernil

1 slice reduced fat swiss (I used Sargento)
1 oz ham (I uses Hillshire Farm 97% fat free)
1 slice kosher pickle
mustard
6 inch low carb whole wheat tortilla (La Tortilla Factory)

Directions

Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Spray with cooking spray and place tortilla on pan (I used my panini press). On half of the tortilla, place a piece of cheese, pork, ham, pickle and mustard. When cheese is melted, fold the quesadilla in half and flip to heat other side. Remove from heat and cut into 3 pieces.

See you in a few months!

Navy Bean Soup

This is another tribute to the glorious pig. Gosh I love ham, LOVE it. But it's not exactly something that we get a lot. Usually Christmas and Easter, but in all honesty I would have no problem fitting ham into our usual meal planning, especially if it means getting this soup on a regular basis. I've never saved a ham bone before, but not one to waste food, it seemed like the right thing to do. I really think the ham bone was the key to this soup being so amazingly delicious, that great ham flavor is so infused in the broth. I never thought I'd ever be so excited about a bean soup, but let me tell you, this will knock your socks off.


Navy Bean Soup
Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups dried navy beans or 1 1/4 cups lima beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces salt pork, 4 ounces fully cooked chopped ham, or ham bone with meat attached
2-3 carrots chopped
2-3 celery stalks chopped
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups nonfat milk
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Place navy beans in large saucepan, add enough water to cover beans.

2. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour (Or, cover beans with water and soak overnight).

4. Drain beans and return to saucepan.

5. Stir in 2 1/2 cups water, salt pork or ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, oregano, salt, ginger, sage and pepper.

6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.

7. Cover and simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

8. Remove ham bone, scrape off any leftover meat and add to soup. (If necessary, add more water during cooking).

9. Add milk and butter, stirring until mixture is heated through and butter is melted.

10. Season with additional salt and pepper.