Catfish and Potato Hash...

When I was a child, on occasion we were fed canned hash…ugh that has to be some of the nastiest tasting “food” shoved into a can. Hash has come a long way into modern times and I do not mean the canned stuff! It was typical to serve hash with corned beef and eggs; now day’s people serve it with different foods.

My dad sent me this recipe from GE appliances, what I like about it, was it used Catfish. They suggested any white fish could be substituted but I think Catfish would hold up the best.

Ingredients

2 small russet potatoes
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 pound catfish fillets, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/2 cup diced ham
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Preparation

Poke several holes in potatoes and microwave on High until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut the potatoes in half and set aside; coarsely chop when cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add catfish and cook, stirring often, until just cooked through and opaque, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and discard any liquid in the pan. Add the remaining2 teaspoons oil, bell pepper, scallions and ham and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.

Return the catfish to the pan along with the chopped potatoes, mustard, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until combined and heated through, about 2 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Per serving: 291 calories; 14 g fat ( 3 g sat, 7 g mono );63 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein;2 g fiber; 521 mg sodium; 731 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv),Potassium (21% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings:1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Victor’s Pea Salad…

 

If you have been with me for a while, you have heard me talk about my friends Cheryl and Victor. The salad today is something Victor threw together one year after Easter. I love this salad, it is simple to put together, easy to make, and can be made anytime of the year.

This perfect side dish or meal on a hot Spring evening.

The hardest part of this salad was trying to get the recipe from Victor. This was not because he did not want to give it to me. This was because he really didn’t know what he had put in the salad. The salad was created by throwing leftovers from Easter dinner in a bowl. I have played with the ingredients over the past few years and think I have recreated it.

Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 cup green peas, uncooked

½ cup ham, cubed

1 hardboiled egg (you can increase to 2 if you prefer, but I think it is too much)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup low or non-fat mayonnaise

Directions:

Toss the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl

Add mayonnaise by gently stirring into the salad, make sure to there are no clumps of mayonnaise. Refrigerate half hour before serving. Stir the salad before serving to re-coat the mayonnaise.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole...

The best part about weekend is having a time to cook breakfast. What if you could get the big breakfast during the week without cutting into that precious morning time. Well you can with a little pre-planning in the evening and using your crockpot or slow cooker. I found this recipe over at fit and fab living and it is a great way to make sure your kids get a good meal before heading out for school.  The recipe calls for ham or bacon, I have used pre cooked ground sausage and it turns out well. You can omit the onion and green pepper if you wish, but it is better with onion. Ingredients * 1 32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes * 1 lb. bacon, diced, cooked and drained or 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed * 1 med. onion, diced * 1 green bell pepper, diced * 1 1/2 C. cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded * 1 dozen eggs * 1 C. milk * 1 tsp. salt * 1 tsp. pepper (more or less to taste) Directions 1. Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker (Crockpot), followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese. 2. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese. 3. Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. 4. Pour over the Crockpot mixture, cover and turn on low. 5. Cook for 10-12 hours.

Ham Tetrazzini...

I went looking the other day for a recipe to use up the last bit of ham from Christmas. I came across a recipe for Ham Tetrazzini. I made the recipe tonight for dinner and ended up adding a lot more to it.

 I did not think the family would like it, so I doctored the recipe a bit more adding milk, spices, frozen peas and cream cheese. I did not make a salad or bread to serve with this dish. I sort of figured, they would turn their noses up and not eat it… Silly Mommy!

They of course loved this dish and I about had a riot on my hands when they found out there were not seconds… whoops!

 When I told my husband I needed to go write down the recipe, he said, “Uh yeah, it would be really nice to have that meal again.”

Lucky for me, I made a banana cream pie for dessert and was able to pacify them with it.

I would suggest if you have any white wine, you might add a tablespoon or two. I think it would really bring out the flavors and make it seem like you slaved all day in the kitchen, when in reality you spent less than forty-five minutes!

Ingredients:

Small onion, diced

1 Tablespoon butter

1 – 10.75 oz of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup

½ cup water

½ cup milk

1 ½ cup diced ham

¼ to ½ cup of frozen peas

2 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers

black pepper to taste

6 oz spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Cook spaghetti noodles according to package

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onion and parsley until tender

Stir in cream of mushroom soup, water, milk, cheeses, garlic powder, rosemary, peppers and garlic.

Stir until all the chesses have melted

Stir in ham and peas, turn off burner and cover for five minutes

Portion out noodles and ladle one-cup portions of sauce over the noodles.

Morgan's Breakfast Pizza...

This morning for breakfast, I ate split pea soup with two biscuits crumbled into it. Strange I know, but it was tasty, it was like a split pea and dumpling soup. There is no rule saying you have to eat traditional breakfast foods only for breakfast. If there were, many people would get upset they could not have pancakes, eggs and sausage for dinner.

My daughter hates to eat breakfast during the week. I tell her to eat something; I do not care what she eats as long as she eats. Usually she makes smart choices; a few times, she has pushed the limits with wanting ice cream. This is where I have to take a step back and bite my tongue, because I did say “eat something, I don’t care what.” Oh the pitfall of parenting a teenager!

Many college students live on pizza, for all three meals. Why not? One slice of a thin crust pizza loaded with vegetables is actually a better choice than cookies and a coke.
My husband’s roommate, Morgan likes to play in the kitchen, and try new things as much as I do. One item he makes is weaving bacon into a basket. Morgan will then fill it with various items and cooks it on a charcoal grill. More like a heart attack waiting to happen if you ask me, since the main filling is sausage.

I have decided that Morgan’s breakfast pizza is a better choice to share with you. It is a great way to use the leftover scrambled eggs from breakfast instead of feeding them to the dog or throwing them out. Personally, I would also add some onions and maybe green peppers, but to each their own.

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury pizza crust
Salsa, heat your choice
4 eggs scrambled
Pico de Gallo
Thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
Ham steak, cubed
Kraft 4 cheese blend, grated
Kraft pepper jack cheese, grated
Directions:
Heat oven per the pizza dough directions
Roll dough onto a pan, spoon salsa over the dough
Add cheeses
Add ham, bacon, eggs and Pico de Gallo
Cook per directions on the pizza dough can.