You-Name-It Stir Fry (faster version)

This is the microwave version.  More to come on the “fast” (i.e. oven roasted) alternative as well as other possible versions of this template recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz bag medium or large frozen shrimp
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 9 oz box Green Giant Simply Steam® Asparagus Cuts
• 3/4 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki
• PAM Original

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare rice.  Mix one cup of rice with 1-3/4 cup of water, and add a dash of salt.  Cover.
2. Microwave for 5 minutes at 100% power, immediately followed by 10 minutes on 50% power.  Let stand in microwave for 5 minutes, then remove, take off cover and fluff.
3. Cook asparagus according to package instructions, then drain.
4. While rice is cooking, dump the shrimp in some cold water to thaw.
5. After shrimp have thawed, drain, remove tails, finish deveining* (if needed), and pat dry with a paper towel.
6. Preheat pan to medium/medium high.  Once preheated, spray with PAM.
7. Dump the shrimp in the pan and cook, flipping ’em around with a spatula, for 2-3 minutes.
8. Throw the asparagus on top, then the rice.  Pour the Veri Veri Teriyaki over the mountain of goodness in your saucepan and toss it all around until thoroughly mixed.

* Anyone wondering what the black “vein” running up the back of a shrimp is?  Or… exactly why you devein it?  This is why.

Mama Bean’s Baked Ham

 

INGREDIENTS

• 10 LB bone-in (or semi-boneless) ham
• 1 – 32 oz can of pineapple juice
• 2 cups brown sugar (or 1 cup Splenda brown sugar)
• 2 TSP ground cloves
• 2 TSP ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Dump pineapple juice into the roaster.  Add the brown sugar, ground cloves and cinnamon.  Whisk.
3. Trim fat from ham.  Use knife to make a few slices into the ham (side, top, bottom).
4. Place ham in the middle of the mixture in the roaster.  Do not cover.
5. Throw that beauty in the oven and cook for 20 minutes per pound.  A 10 LB ham needs approximately 3.5 hours in the oven.
6. Baste every 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and attack with an electric knife.

Roasted Asparagus

This recipe turned a 2 year old into a puddle of tears at the thought of his Gramma taking his beloved asparagus home with her.

Jack & The Asparagus Episode:  Part 1 (“This is good!”) & Part 2 (“No!  It’s mine!”)

The time quoted below if for fairly skinny spears.  For chunkier ones, add 5-10 minutes to total cook time.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bundles fresh asparagus
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a cookie sheet and spread around.
3. Snap each spear individually to separate the woody bottom portion from tender spear on top.  Place spears on cookie sheet.  Here’s a VIDEO to demonstrate proper technique.  If you like to find ways to involve your kids in meal preparation, this is a great activity for any toddler who likes to break stuff (a.k.a. ANY toddler).
4. Drizzle some more olive oil on top of the asparagus.
5. Sprinkle with kosher salt and grind some pepper on there.
6. Keep uncovered and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and toss the spears around and then roast for 10-15  minutes more.

Healthier Option:  Use PAM Olive Oil or Butter flavor instead of the real deal.

Spicy Corn Salad

This recipe is slightly modified from the one referenced at the end of this post.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ears of corn, kernels sliced away (about 5 cups or so)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TSP cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chile
• 1 small red onion (finely chopped)
• 1 red pepper (finely chopped)
• 1/2 – 1 TBSP fresh ginger (grated)
• 1/2 jalapeño, remove core and seeds (finely chopped)
• 2 TSP Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil with cumin seeds and red chile for about 2 minutes.
2. Add onion and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add red pepper, ginger, jalapeño, and salt.  Cook for 2-3 minutes more.
4. Add corn and cook 3-4 minutes.
5. It’s a good idea to remove the red chile before serving.  I’m positive there’s residual hotness in there that will slowly leak out and further hottify the dish.  Also, it may freak out some people.
6. Dump it all in a bowl.  Serve hot or cold.

Source/Inspired by:  American Masala by Suvir Saran

Egg Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices bread
• Mayo
• 1 Egg
• 1 slice Pepperjack cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Slather mayo on the bread.  Toast it first (or not).
2. Prepare egg as you wish.  I prefer a gooey yolk, but still flip the egg to cook it on both sides.
3. Flip sides of eggs to make it as rectangular-shaped as possible.
4. Place slice of cheese on top on egg (still in skillet) and cover long enough to melt.
5. Place egg/cheese on toast/mayo.  Eat immediately.

Source/Inspired by:  Papa Schulte

Healthy/Healthier Options

• Lite or fat free mayo
• Egg white only
• Fat free cheese